When’s the right time to use a tailor and not? Here’s a few tips:

• Rather find the right model from the start. Should you fall in love with a suit that just doesn’t fit, it probably wasn’t meant to be.
• Don’t change too many things, and don’t change too much. It’ll show, and it won’t look good.
• Details made in a coarse thread might leave marks on fine fabric.
• Rather take in than let out. Letting out means that the stitches from the seam might leave marks on the fabric that’ll show.
• There’s no adjusting the sleeve width on suits. It just won’t work.
• Shortening the sleeves? Do not have the space between where the sleeve ends and the buttons start shortened without moving the buttons and all the details up the sleeve accordingly. It’s easily done, but find a tailor that has the right equipment to remake the buttonhole stitches.
• If you’ve got a two slit jacket taken in too much, the bottom rear ‘tail’ might start pointing out towards the sides.
• You can’t make new slits, if you’re not happy with the setup as it is.

That’s all for now!

Oscar Jacobsson - AW2009

I scavenged the web looking for proper images of the one suit model I wanted to present, but ended up hi-jacking these two from the Oscar Jacobsson website. They sure look like Floyd. Floyd is a semi-slim model, with classic elements. It’s been around for a while, and for a good reason. It’s got spacious sleeves with much room for big arm muscles as well as quite a good drop down towards the waist.

Being a classic OJ model, it leaves you the option - on some of the carry-over fabrics - to split the suit. This is an excellent benefit should the size of your trousers not ‘match’ the size of your jacket.

All in all, this is a great model for the well trained, well built, broad shouldered man who wants a comfortable suit without looking like a nightclub bouncer. It’s slimming, yet leaves room for all those muscles.

Hugo by Hugo Boss - AW2009

This is the classic Hugo suit Aiko/Heise in a grey virgin wool. Very sharp drop gives a sleek, trendy look. The topstitched lapels, as well as the slightly sturdier material, offers the wearer to use the jacket as a blazer, a quality valuable for those who don’t have a chest full of gold to spend on workwear (or a separate blazer).

The shoulders are slightly more padded than your average suit jacket, which helps the supposed target group - skinny, trendy guys - to achieve a more masculine silhouette. This does however pose a problem for the slightly well build, as the padded shoulder will make their own shoulders pop out more visibly along the sides. Clearly, this isn’t a suit that’s very forgiving.

The Aiko/Heise-suit is a model that’ll stick around for a while, and is usually available in many different qualities.