Several years ago, after a bit of prodding, my father allowed me into his closet to select a few items to add to my wardrobe -- as I walked in his closet, there before me I found a fascinating history of gentlemen’s fashion over the last forty years -- among other things, ties, belts, and lapels that fluctuated significantly in width. I first turned to the ties, the pocket squares, the belts, and the cuff links. I culled through the bevy of options, and walked away with quite a selection – in fact, I wear one of the ties (with birddogs on it) at least once each month and one of the sterling belt buckles has become a standard for me.
A problem arose, however, when I began to consider my father’s odd jackets, dinner jackets, and suits – none of them fit as my father is about six or seven inches taller than I am. Thus, I decided not to spend much time going through that particular section of my father’s closet.
As I was about to turn to his scarves, the suit pictured hereabove caught my eye! I have always loved houndstooth, and I am fond of the tan color of this particular houndstooth. This suit is made of a lovely heavy wool material – perfect for a nippy autumn evening or a cold winter day. I immediately had the vaguest recollection of viewing a photograph of the Duke of Windsor wearing a suit made of a similar houndstooth fabric – however, the houndstooth was gray or black. I then further recalled that the Duke of Windsor was quite fond of altering and wearing clothing from his overbearing but well-dressed father, King George V. In fact, there is a rather recognizable tartan jacket worn by the Duke of Windsor that had once belonged to his father.
So I decided to take home the houndstooth suit, and it has been hanging in my closet ever since -- I am now considering altering it – what are your thoughts? The jacket’s lapels are quite wide; the jacket’s armholes are too low for my liking; the jacket’s pocket flaps are longer than I prefer; and the pant’s belt loops are quite wide (belts must have been very wide when my father purchased this suit). So, should I alter my father’s suit with a view towards wearing it this autumn? Thank you in advance for what I am certain will be thoughtful suggestions
6 comments:
Absolutely! I think it's a great way to update a well-loved piece. What's the point of passing down a great item if you can't use it? It's such a handsome suit and just think of all the happy thoughts you will have of your father each time you to wear it.
KK
Just my two cents -- it sounds/looks like the suit needs an awful lot of alteration to make it work. If you have a superb tailor, who can undertake the work and do an equally superb job, then alter away. Otherwise, pass.
Best Regards,
Ulrich von B.
If you father is a good 6-7 inches taller than you, I have a feeling that it is going to be quite difficult for a tailor to alter it that much and still maintain its integrity. The jacket will need to be completely reconstructed, which is not a normal job for most tailors and not one that many are comfortable undertaking.
Yes, those are some wide lapels. I also notice that the pants look like bell bottoms and definitely have some flare going on. I think your best bet is to toss it into the goodwill bin and hope that some thrifster finds what he's looking for.
I must agree with Ulrich and Matthew. The size disparity may be too great for successful alterations.
Damn it Jim. I'm a tailor. Not a miracle worker. It sounds like you're Dad is either a long or extra long and you're a regular or long. In either case, the tailoring will not work out.
Matthew is right. The jacket will need to be completely reconstructed. The pants will need to be adjusted so that the inseam works. It's too big of a job.
No- don't do it, wayyy to big for you.
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