Ladies suits

[manton]

There is a tailor here who does very high end work, Adrian Jules. They had a shop window that had on display a suit jacket as a "work in progress", to show all of the construction-- it was really marvelous to look at. I've considered calling them to get a price on doing a ladies suit, or even inquiring as to whether or not they do that sort of thing.....i'm frearful though that it's a 'if you have to ask, you can't afford it' scenario, given some of their celebrity clientel.

Honey Doll

I know Jules reasonably well. They are a huge CMT (cut, make & trim) supplier for custom businesses throughout the US. That is, you go into a shop in (say) San Francisco, get measured, the measurer sends the data and the cloth to Jules, who then makes the suit, and sends it back nearly finished to where you ordered it. Some of my older MTM stuff that has a different label was in fact made by them. I even have some of their hangers. (Oops, on the part of the shop I ordered from. The CMT house is supposed to be like the Wizard of Oz, forever behind the curtain.)

I am told reliably that the price for walk-ins is considerably lower than what you will be charged if you go through a middle-man. So ... call and ask!

 

[Lauren]

There's not much, really. Leave aside the trimmings like zippers and pocketings. The canvas typically has three layers: a piece of linen that runs from the shoulder seam to the bottom edge of the coat, and is several inches wide; a piece of stiff horsehair to hold the shape of the chest; and a piece of cotton flannel that covers the horsehair. Otherwise the horse bristles will stick out of the lining and stab you in the chest (this is painful; trust me). These three pieces are sewn together (this is complicated to do oneself) and then attached to the coat front. You can buy the assembly ready-made, but attaching it to the coat front has to be done oneself.

The collar is usually one layer of linen and hymo, pad-stitched together, and then attached to a felt melton undercollar. SHoulderpads can vary widely in terms of thickness, width, materials, and how far over the front and back of the shoulders they go. All of these can also be bought ready-made, and inserted into a coat you make yourself.

I wonder what cloth you are working with that you can skip all this. Heavy stuff? Or are the clothes just more drapey, and that is the style? Me, I like very soft tailioring, and get my stuff that way, but all the basic guts are there.

It's too bad more women's suits are not made this way. Tailoring can do wonders for almost anyone, male of female. Plus, good woolen or worsted cloth is just inimitable.

This is absolutely fascinating!!! I wish they would have taught us all this in school! I would love to see how to do this firsthand and try to do it myself. It would be absolutlely marvelous to learn this art. Are you a tailor yourself, manton?

 

[Honey Doll]

Wow, interesting...

I know Jules reasonably well. They are a huge CMT (cut, make & trim) supplier for custom businesses throughout the US. That is, you go into a shop in (say) San Francisco, get measured, the measurer sends the data and the cloth to Jules, who then makes the suit, and sends it back nearly finished to where you ordered it. Some of my older MTM stuff that has a different label was in fact made by them. I even have some of their hangers. (Oops, on the part of the shop I ordered from. The CMT house is supposed to be like the Wizard of Oz, forever behind the curtain.)

I am told reliably that the price for walk-ins is considerably lower than what you will be charged if you go through a middle-man. So ... call and ask!

Thanks for the tip! Are you a tailor as well? I've enjoyed all your info. Any idea what range might be expected for a custom suit?

Honey Doll

 

[manton]

Are you a tailor yourself, manton?

No, just an obsessive customer.

 

[manton]

Any idea what range might be expected for a custom suit?

Jules suits through middlemen in NY run in the mid- to upper-$2Ks. This is high. In other cities, knock off several hundred bucks. Going to the source? I'm not sure, but $1,500 sounds about right. Which is not a cheap garment by any means. But considering what you get, what you would would have to pay for comparable work elsewhere, and what $1,500 would get you in a department store, it is a good value. Plus, it's almost always better to go to the source for custom clothes. Long distance CMT is not necessarily bad, but when you are measured by the actual cutter, much less gets lost in translation.

 

[Grace]

Few things get my heart pounding faster than a beautifully tailored skirt suit. Especially gabardine. Oh, and pink ones.

I have to share these two skirt suits, that are among my very favorite EVER. Sadly, neither one of them fit me. Both are from the early to mid 40s. You can't see in the picture, but the skirt of the second one is rather high waist, and it goes to a point, both front and back.

 

[jamespowers]

Few things get my heart pounding faster than a beautifully tailored skirt suit. Especially gabardine. Oh, and pink ones.

I have to share these two skirt suits, that are among my very favorite EVER. Sadly, neither one of them fit me. Both are from the early to mid 40s. You can't see in the picture, but the skirt of the second one is rather high waist, and it goes to a point, both front and back.

That pink one is really outstanding. They really had creativity back then.
I just got this one for my wife:

I've never seen a staggered button pattern like it.

Regards,

J

 

[Grace]

Oh, lordy, that black one is divine! Does it have any labels? I really, really like that geometric-y thing going on.

 

[Vanessa]

Now this is a sharp suit.

 

[Lauren]

Agreed. I'm dying for one of those high waisted suits.

 

[mysterygal]

Grace, those suits you posted are fantastic! Here has been my problem: I love suits, but the mister hates them. Why? because he thinks it makes women look like ball crushers (sorry). These one's, are very feminine! Which I have had the hardest time finding one's like these because like it was just mentioned, most women's suits look like men's versions.

 

[Grace]

lol @ 'ballcrushers'.

Womens suits only look like ball crushers if it's an 80s power suits. 40s and
50s suits are softer and more feminine, even the ones with harder,
geometric-y lines.

I've been on a search for a flattering suit for the past 2 years, and have yet to find one.

 

[manton]

Crushing? Maybe not. Intimidating? Certainly -- and meant to be. Cary looks slouchy by comparison. And I like soft tailoring ....

 

[mysterygal]

Crushing? Maybe not. Intimidating? Certainly -- and meant to be. Cary looks slouchy by comparison. And I like soft tailoring ....[/QUOTE]
She looks great :) I think to some men though, intimidating and ah, 'crushing', are in the same category :rolleyes: I really love the softer colors on some of them!

 

[manton]

She looks great I think to some men though, intimidating and ah, 'crushing', are in the same category I really love the softer colors on some of them!

It's the shoulder. Not even the uber-Continental Roman tailors make a shoulder like that for men. It would look ridiculous on a man. But she pulls it off.

 

[Lauren]

That suit is one of my all time favorites in Classic Film- it certainly would look somewhat ridiculous in person, but in black and white on the silver screen! Oh boy! Someday I'll make one similar

 

[manton]

That suit is one of my all time favorites in Classic Film- it certainly would look somewhat ridiculous in person, but in black and white on the silver screen! Oh boy! Someday I'll make one similar

The hat really makes it. Don't skip the hat.

 

[Lauren]

Definately not! the hat IS what makes it! I just love the whole look!

 

[jamespowers]

Oh, lordy, that black one is divine! Does it have any labels? I really, really like that geometric-y thing going on.

Yep, it says Paulette Gross Original on the tag. The texture is a faille.

Regards,

J

 

[manton]

Yep, it says Paulette Gross Original on the tag. The texture is a faille.

Regards,

J

Nice handmade buttonholes.