The Vanity of an Ancient King

Met with Mr. Ned today on my lunch hour. The place is REALLY cool. There are *SO* many bolts of various fabrics from which to choose. It was a bit overwhelming. I told him how I was going to be wearing it, and some of the troubles I've had with past suits. I asked a lot of questions, and he was very patient with me, answering all to my satisfaction. I had an idea of what I was looking for, but I also knew there were a lot of "unknown unknowns", and Mr. Ned filled in the gaps, based on what I was looking for.

I asked about stripe matching, and I got a very good answer that satisfied my engineering side. Basically, you can't have a matching stripe (if you have narrower stripes), as the fabric panels would have to be stretched to accomodate that, which would warp the stripes as they went down the garment. That is clearly not where you want to be. It's somewhat more possible to do it with a very wide stripe, but the best way to do that is to line it up in the middle, so there is minimal drift on the ends, assuming the stripe is kept straight as it drapes down the panel.

Fabric selection was first. Originally, I thought I could make the jacket do "double duty" in a "dressed-down" fashion (paired with jeans, or somesuch). We decided that wasn't really the way to go with that, and a separate jacket will work better for such things. This allowed me to consider a larger range of fabrics. I finally settled on a 100% wool 120 fabric in charcoal grey, with a chalk stripe, about 1cm apart. Wider stripes are for heavier men, and would wind up looking a bit silly on my frame (he actually showed me this by draping the fabrics over me). For the lining, I chose a beautiful purple satin. I wanted something with a "bang", as the outside is rather conservative.

I went with a chalk stripe over a classic pinstripe, as the pinstripe is a stronger contrast, and at a distance, the pinstripe gave me a bit of a headache (a little visual feedback), whereas the chalk stripe gave a bit of contrast, but blended harmoniously with the primary colour.

After the fabric was chosen, I got measured. Looooots of measurements. As I knew, although now confirmed, I am a difficult fit. Wide up top, thin in the waist, then wider in the hips. My back is wider than my chest, which means the normal proportions for the fabric panels are going to be 'off' from standard. He mentioned I'll require more than the usual 3 fittings. This isn't a problem, as I am only a few blocks away, and there are no extra charges for the additional time.

I asked for a form-fit, rather than loose or otherwise. I told him I really only fluctuate about ±5lbs depending on my gym cycle, but he said that probably won't matter too much. I did mention that the arms may get a bit bigger ;). I also wanted 2 buttons, a high, notched lapel, double vents, working (cuff) buttons, and a ticket pocket (which I actually use!). The trousers will be 2-pocket rear, 2-pocket front–slightly in front of the seam, flat front, no cuffs, and belt loops, not bracer buttons (I never wear bracers with a suit).

The one thing they don't make are shirts. I asked, thinking he'd know someone, and he gave me the name of a fellow who happens to be across the street. I'm going to look him up after the suit.

So in a couple of weeks, I go back for my full-canvas fitting. Pics then =)