The 3 Main Fittings for a Savile Row Bespoke Suit…

When’s a suit fitting really a consultation?

Some people may get the first fitting confused with the consultation. The consultation is the first time we will meet when, I can show you examples of my work in my shop. We will discuss your style, cloth weight and colour of the suit or garment that you would like to commission. After we have established your requirements I or Celia will guide you through the extensive range of the cloths and linings to select from. I will then take your measurements and note your posture. This will enable me to cut your pattern that I will keep on file and use for future orders.

First fitting – The Baste

Steven Hitchcock baiste fitting.

The first fitting is a pocket or plain baste made up in the cloth you have selected. The floating canvas will be sewn in with both sleeves and an under collar which has been hand padded. I always like to check the balance of the coat and the front edge is in the right position. It is very easy to alter any thing at this stage as after the fitting I will rip the coat down completely to re-cut the front edge and remark any adjustments that I see. I will of course make the adjustments also to your paper that I have on file for you. This is to insure future commissions can go straight to the forward stage. It is at this time when my client’s can feel how light weight and comfortable my handmade soft tailoring really is.

Second Fitting – The Forward

The second fitting is when the jacket now has the front edge in exactly the right place and can be sewn into the facings, the linings are now in place in the fronts (fore parts).The coat is much more advanced and hopefully you can see a little more form now, a very soft round shoulder and a soft draped chest with a nip in the waist, an elegant timeless style emerging. We again chalk the adjustments that we feel need to be made and convey them to the coat maker and on the clients paper pattern.

 

Third Fitting – The Finished suit.

Jason AthertonAt the final fitting, we try the coat on one last time to make sure that we are both happy with the out come. Sometimes if the client has the time to come in on demand we will try the coat on before the button holes are sewn in ( a quick fitting before the final fitting called finish bar finish. ) to achieve the perfect sleeve length. At the final fitting there is rarely any adjustments to be made, however, if there is a possibility then I like to rectify it before the client starts to wear the suit. The client will then take the garment away to wear, they will find as the garment has been hand made and hand stitched it will drop in, this means the inside of this soft constructed jacket will fit them more comfortably after the wearer has worn it a couple of times. This is due to their body heat and the use of the pockets will allow the coat to soften. The arm holes are cut high and will bed in after the coat has been worn and the front and back drape will settle and hold in position. I do not use stiffeners to set the jacket in place, just my cutting skills and fine hand tailoring. As you can see with the coat in the picture, we still achieve the shape and comfortable style that most people wish for.

How long does it take to make the suit? 

A rough guide which just depends on how busy we are at the time is 2-3 weeks between each fitting so if you have the three fittings 6-9 weeks to make the bespoke suit. Please don’t be afraid to contact us if you need a suit made quicker, we will let you know at the time if it is possible.

 

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