Waistcoat fit

[Ancienne Alliance]

My 2 cents : A waistcoat will fit you even better if it is cut in the biais. The fabric thus just follows the mouvements of your body.

AND, tartan in the biais is just sooo dashing !


Best,

Robert

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Ryan, if you are considering having a shirt made-to-measure, unless you have someone local to do it for you, may I suggest here:
http://www.shirtsyourway.org/

Proceeds from there benefit the museum!

And Robert, good thought on the bias tartan waistcoats. You know, I had never considered that, but perhaps the fashion of waistcoats with tartan on the bias came about from a desire for a more form-fitting waistcoat. After all, the reason the tartan cadadh were traditionally on the bias was to allow for a more snug fit across the lower leg. Good thought!

[biblemonkey]

I have always regarded a firm fit in a waistcoat as a sign of gentlemanly good taste. On the other hand there are some who buy a size too small rather than get the right size and let a tailor fit it to them a little better and they look like they are wearing kids clothes. There is a fine line between proper fit and too tight.

[creagdhubh]

Tobus,

No, you are most certainly not way off base. I tend to wear my waistcoats fairly snug, well I should say, they fit me properly and are not too large. If your waistcoat fits well, you can always utilize the rear adjuster to either tighten or loosen your waistcoat as you prefer. A waistcoat that is way too large looks sloppy to my eye. So, I am 'with you' on this topic mate!

Below are some of my own examples of how I think a waistcoat should fit with Highland attire - specifically Highland day attire. Naturally, the waistcoats I am wearing below are all bespoke by Kinloch-Anderson, so they are indeed made to my measurments, which there is no doubt, makes a difference versus their 'off-the-peg' counterparts - there is absolutely nothing wrong with the latter, as I own several 'off-the-peg' waistcoats, and jackets.






Cheers,

[CopperNGold]

In our off-the-rack mentality here in the U.S., it's difficult to make the leap to tailoring to fit, but you'll be happier and look better if you can spend the time and money to tailor.

Also, a bulky or oversized waistcoat will conflict with the line of the jacket. Maybe purchasing fewer, but well-thought-out, shirts and waistcoats that are tailored to fit you is the answer.

I agree, Robert, that a cut on the bias waistcoat is a dashing look!

[piperdbh]

Never rule out the possibility that a painting might not accurately portray all the details of its subject. Painters have been known to "adjust" various characteristics of the people they are paid to paint.

[Dixiecat]

One of the few custom sewing projects that I did for another person was shirtmaking. That was for the ex (and no, I'm not taking applicants for the position...) It's been 4.5yrs since we separated and I know he's still wearing the shirts I made him because of the fit and fabric I used. It's relatively easy to alter a good shirt pattern for neck, bicep, back, chest, waist and arm length. If anyone were interested in sewing their own shirts, I highly recommend the book 'Shirtmaking' by David Page Coffin. He also has a dvd on this subject.

creagdhubh: your arms are too far back. bring them forward of your head, you should be able to see your arms.

[piperdbh]

I agree with my northern neighbor's post above. Shirtmaking has lots of information about all sorts of things, in addition to making shirts.

[RAF]

Kyle, nice photos of the waistcoat in action! They do fit you well - no riding up when you raise your arms and no gapping in the armholes at the back.

[Tobus]

Interesting replies. I have to agree with all who state that tailored or form-fitted clothing always looks better. I started making that transition some time ago, slowly phasing out all the "off the rack" clothes in my wardrobe with ones that are more suited to my body shape.

I'm not exactly skinny, and have a bit of a 'pudge factor' to my belly, but all the regular shirts I find at most clothing stores are WAY too large in the stomach. They may fit me in the neck, arm length, shoulders, and even the chest. But the middle section is always too large, as if the "standard" cut of shirts these days is for morbidly obese people. I've had to go to wearing slim-fitting shirts that are tapered just to make them fit me well. It's annoying, having my shirt pooching out all around me because it's too large in the belly.

Anyway, I brought this up about waistcoats, but it definitely applies to everything else. Clothes just seem way too baggy and loose these days. I can't really blame it on the "off the rack" sizing scheme. I think it has more to do with the fact that style has changed over the last couple of decades, whether we intended it to or not. People seem to be more interested in comfort and covering up their expanding middle sections. Snug-fitting clothing may look better, but it's not always the most comfortable. And to many, comfort is king (which is why we see people wearing jogging pants and house shoes in public!). And I think by this point, even when people want to look nice, they forget that clothes which look best are not necessarily going to be "comfy". At least, not in the sense that they will hang loosely and offer complete relaxation like a pair of baggy elastic-waist shorts and an untucked t-shirt.

I'll admit that when I'm wearing well-fitted clothing, I have to be a little more self-conscious about my posture. Instead of letting my stomach pooch out and stress the buttons on a shirt or waistcoat, I find myself sitting more erect and, well, sucking in my gut a little.