Haberdashing Profile

[11.12.2007 | Mercer Island]
Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher

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9 responses to: "Haberdashing Profile"

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher says: States I have visited:

Sunday, March 9, 2008 Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher says: http://biznik.com/join/jeff-collins

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher says:

Monday, November 19, 2007 Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher says: Martha, I have found the best experience in working with salespeople is in dealing with someone who doesn’t need your business, but does care about & wants your business. My Best, Jeff Collins Professional Haberdasher www.MyHaberdasher.com ________________________________________________________

Monday, November 19, 2007 Martha says: Thank you, Jeff. It is very kind of you to provide this help. Those of us, who want to look good, or help our men to, don’t quite know whom to trust. I do usually trust our clothier as far as style, but I bear in mind that he has sales to make! MM _____________________________________________________

Monday, November 19, 2007 Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher says: Martha, The three button roll to center is not so much a matter of function but rather a personal preference. The only thing it has over a two button suit is that you can button the top button by itself or top two buttons and have it look like a three button suit. However the look it is made for is acheived by only using the center button. Often times in producing a 42 regular a manufacturer here in the US will add 1/2" to the chest for comfort. Some Italian factories might add 3/4". The suit you inquired about looks to be a true 42" chest but also with a slimmer waist in the jacket. This accentuates the wearer having a moderate chest and trim waist. It can look rather flattering. However there doesnt' appear to be any extra room for the shoulders so make sure he knows this suit is about achieving a certain look, not necessarily about comfort. My most style conscious clients understand and accept this fact. There are a few things that can be done to gain comfort in creating a custom suit but off the rack is what it is. Another thing to keep in mind is most 42 regulars come with a 36" waisted trouser. Most trousers can be adjusted 1.5 to 2" in or out. More than that is not recommended for bringing in and usually not possible for letting out. One way to overcome this is to purchase from a Suit Separates line. This will allow you to buy the 42 coat with any size pant from the same fabric. The real trick in picking an off the rack trouser is in matching the seat measurement to the person's actual seat size, not the waist. If your son has a 42" seat then the 36" trouser should be purchased and taken in at the waist. If his seat is closer to 40" then a 34" waisted trouser is more appropriate. Rather than buying online and hoping it fits, a trip to the store to try on garments would be your best bet. Then if they don't have the style he wants or the price you are looking for you can go back to purchasing online after gaining some information. By the way, you will mostly find two button coats at stores right now because they are currently in style. Three button is still widely worn, just not what the designers are pushing. Your son would do well with either choice. A two button coat will be a bit more flattering for your husband's new girth. The good news is manufacturers are mostly using a slightly higher button stance than a few years ago, further helping create a slimmer look... lucky him. My Best, Jeff Collins Professional Haberdasher www.MyHaberdasher.com _______________________________________________________

Monday, November 19, 2007 Martha says: Dear Jeff, Thank you for your quick and helpful response. Why would one buy a three-button suit with a rolling lapel, when one could buy a two-button suit? My son is slim, but not thin. He has a slightly athletic build, with broad shoulders, having been a cheerleader for a couple of years in college. He is 5' 10' and is long waisted. The RL model in the photo does not look very broad to me. I prefer the Italian suit look, but my husband is tall and thin, a 42L (but getting a touch broader in the middle now, at 52 years. Best regards, MM _______________________________________________________

Monday, November 19, 2007 Jeff Collins, Professional Haberdasher says: Martha, Thank you for the question. Your son is referring to a 3-Button coat that looks like a two button coat when only the center button is buttoned. The pressing of the lapel is done during the manufacturing process to create a softer lapel with this rolling effect built into its memory. While this lapel style isn't widely spread across manufacturers, it is well known in the industry. Brooks Brothers is commonly recognized for producing a roll to the center 3-button coat. Ralph Lauren certainly makes this style as well but with a trim fit as opposed to the boxier fit of a Brooks Brothers. So with RL it is imperative that your son’s body style be lean. Anyone with a significant amount of size to them would feel a bit crammed into this suit. RL’s lapels are narrower, the pants have a trimmer fit and the rise is usually shortened when compared to other makers. Your best bet at fitting into one of their suits is if you look like the model wearing it. I have an account with Ralph Lauren but usually prefer to make custom suits because then the style of a garment is merely a matter of choosing features. Sizing then incorporates 24 measurements as opposed to the two main measurements used for picking an off the rack garment (chest & waist). Also the pricing of custom making a suit can be very similar to that of regular retail for off the rack. And with the higher end designer suits, custom will often save you money while at the same time giving you a superior fit and make. However if you have discount stores that happen to have the suit he wants, in the size he needs then designer labels can often be found at a bargain. Also I wanted to say that a suit makes a great gift for someone graduating high school or college. I bought a new suit for each occassion (my mom bought the first one). Sometimes it can be a good idea to give the gift in the form of a gift certificate as opposed to knowing his size & buying one. This allows him the experience of shopping for professional attire. I have made many outfits for graduating seniors. One piece of advice would be to make sure he gets the whole outfit, not just the suit. Also purchase new ties, don't try to get by with your husbands old ties from the 1990's. Why put old tires on a new car? ;-) If you need a referral to a local clothier please let me know. Take care. My Best, Jeff Collins Professional Haberdasher www.MyHaberdasher.com p.s. for examples of the two designers above cut & paste these links: RL - http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2051655&cp=&fbn=Division%7CMen%7CSee+All&f=PAD%2FDivision%2FMen&kw=three-button+jacket&parentPage=search BB - http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=576&Parent_Id=216&Product_Id=1209508&default_color=Black ___________________________________________________________

Monday, November 19, 2007 Martha says: Dear Jeff, My son, who will graduate from college in May, would like for me to buy him a new suit for Christmas. He wants me order a suit from Ralph Lauren because he says that he likes the 'rolling lapel' of RL suits. What is this, and do other vendors use this lapel style? Thank you, MM P.s. We are in Texas. 3

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