26 Oct, 2014

Bespoke Dinner Suit

Desmond Merrion

Four real hand-made button holes, and a pure silk gauntlet cuff.

Bespoke Dinner Suit

I have a black tie function to attend at the end of November and need a new bespoke dinner suit making. To be honest, I need to be making myself a bespoke dinner suit as much as I need a hole in my head at this moment in time with my work commitments, but there is no way that I am going to a formal function incorrectly dressed.

So, I got myself ordered a lovely piece of Super 120’s and Cashmere with a very small pattern to the cloth and got dug into it with my shears the other week. The coat style I settled on is a shawl collar with a strong belly to the lapel, I have only ever had shawl collar bespoke dinner suits for myself. I don’t like notch lapel versions because they just aren’t formal enough, and double-breasted just aren’t me.

The coat has side vents, and besom or jetted pockets, the pipings being made from the same pure silk as the shawl collar and an out breast welt pocket also made in said pure silk. I also decided to go the whole hog from a style point of view and added a small silk gauntlet cuff to each of my sleeves. In for a penny, in for a pound as the saying goes.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of ugly old me wearing the coat at work last week. Before anyone chelps up, yes, yes, I won’t be wearing those checked trousers or that particular tie with the suit, I was at work simply trying the coat on for fit !

The coat wasn’t pressed either, so it needs a light touch up to be completely finished. But overall the fit is really good (as you would expect) and I am happy with the fruits of my labour. Take a look at my picture and then look at your suit. A suit should fit you cleanly with no pulls or drags, loose areas or tight areas. my coat fits perfectly and there isn’t a crease or a twist on the sleeves, neither should there be on yours ! I also like a very strong rope sleeve head, which this coat has, and a defined natural shoulder. I hate the padded shoulders I so often see with RTW or ‘tailored’ suits that have been sent to a factory to be made. The chest of this coat also has a nice moulded shape and form, it is not flat and hollow, it is concave…..like a chest should be.