A Quandary

[Baron Kurtz]

Not that it'll really sway my opinions, but i thought i'd get other's general feelings on a specific type of alteration.

I have an amazing French suit from the early 1930s. The jacket fits me great and so do the trousers, but the cuffs are just batsh*t crazy. They're 24" around. Real clown pants. I look like a damn swing dance re-enactor when i wear 'em with my size 6.5 (US) feet. I think i'm going to have them tapered down to a standard 1930s 20-21". It's either that or sell the suit, and i don't have a black one that fits better so i don't want to sell it.

Thoughts?

bk

 

[billyspew]

Not that it'll really sway my opinions, but i thought i'd get other's general feelings on a specific type of alteration.

I have an amazing French suit from the early 1930s. The jacket fits me great and so do the trousers, but the cuffs are just batsh*t crazy. They're 24" around. Real clown pants. I look like a damn swing dance re-enactor when i wear 'em with my size 6.5 (US) feet. I think i'm going to have them tapered down to a standard 1930s 20-21". It's either that or sell the suit, and i don't have a black one that fits better so i don't want to sell it.

Thoughts?

bk

Do it. Doubt many people would want to wear them with 24" cuffs anyway, so it might as well be you who modifies and wears the suit.

Cheers,

Bill

 

[anon`]

I'd bring them in. It can be done without losing any fabric, and a competent tailor can effect a very natural appearance (that is to say, as though that's how they were originally cut). You may have to fiddle with the crease, however.

 

[Feraud]

Take the cuffs in.

 

[scotrace]

Agreed - unless the suit represents some specific, rare animal. It'd be a shame to chop up a 1920's "jazz suit," for example, as they aren't common. But if it's just a suit that has, for some reason you cannot divine, been made up with too-big legs, then by all means, correct it so it's wearable.

 

[Charlie Huang]

worthlesswithoutpics

 

[Baron Kurtz]

well, it's doomed to worthlessness then as i ain't a postin' no pics.

bk

 

[Orgetorix]

I'd say have them altered, but tell the tailor not to cut away any of the fabric from the seams. That way it can be restored to its original state later.

 

[Paisley]

They're 24" around. Real clown pants. I look like a damn swing dance re-enactor when i wear 'em...
bk

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates this look. Those things look like skirts for your legs.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I would keep them this way. Partly because it i's my taste and partly because they don't make em like this anymore.
All I see in the stores are skinny legged, tight trousers.

Maybe I could imagine worse things than being mistaken for a "damn swing dance re-enactor" ( I don't even dance lindy hop)

 

[Baron Kurtz]

If they were pretty much anything other than black i wouldn't think about altering them. If they were any kind of casual colour, anyway. I have a pair of cream flannels from the 20s that are this wide, and they don't look ridiculous like these ones. I'm literally talking about taking them down to 20"; it's not like i'm going to have them pegged - another ridiculous look, IMO.

But for a very conservative business suit, I can't put it better than I did earlier: batsh*t crazy. You should see them when it's windy! shakeshead I can almost hear the French tailor "are you sure that's what you want me to make, sir?"

bk

 

[Mysterious Mose]

Maybe monsieur Guano had really big feet.

 

[thunderw21]

Do it. Otherwise they'll just be rotting away in the closet. 20" is still a good circumference.

 

[anon`]

I would keep them this way. Partly because it i's my taste and partly because they don't make em like this anymore.
All I see in the stores are skinny legged, tight trousers.

Maybe I could imagine worse things than being mistaken for a "damn swing dance re-enactor" ( I don't even dance lindy hop)

I wear, on the average, about a 10.5 (US) size shoe. I also have one of "those" early '30s German suits, whose trousers are 22" at the cuff. This combination works just fine.

Knock four sizes off the shoes, though, and even these cuffs would swallow up the feet and look just plain silly. I can't imagine how ridiculous 24" cuffs must want to look!

A slight nip down to 20" would work wonderfully in the Baron's case, I should think.