Pick Stitching - A Sign Of Quality Men's Suits? Mens Clothing Build - Suit Fabric - Fashion Advice
Uploaded by RealMenRealStyle on 20.09.2011
Transcript:
Pick Stitching - A Sign Of Quality Men's Suits_ Mens Clothing Build - Suit Fabric - Fashion
Advice
Hi. I'm Antonio Centeno, the founder of Real Men Real Style. Today I'm going to be talking
about suit details. And can you tell quality by the little bit of stitching on the lapels
and near the button holes? And this was a question asked of me. And so if you havenít
already, make sure to subscribe our YouTube channel. The link is right ñ actually, you
can just click on subscribe right up there. And that way, these videos will be delivered
right to your inbox. In addition, if you enjoy this video, I would appreciate it. If you
would like it, like the button right below. And finally, if you want to read more, if
you want to learn more about menís style, thereís a link to an article right below
here. So go ahead and click on that article. Iíll always try to send you to a very useful
piece of content which will help further explain what I talk about here in the videos.
The question I received. I read most of the seven deadly style sins. Thatís my free eBook,
by the way. Itís been very helpful. The only questions I still have at this time are, is
stitching around the edges of the lapel a sign of visual quality when it comes to a
jacket? Whether itís cheap or expensive or this is just a preference. Number two, is
stitching that appears around the buttons of the jacket cuffs that makes it look like
thereís actual button holes for all four buttons a sign of a quality jacket.
Okay. So, what the gentleman asks specifically, no, those are not signs of a quality jacket.
They are also not signs of a bad quality jacket. Theyíre just small signs. And itís kind
of like whenever youíre looking at quality clothing, thereís not one factor that it
is normally going to determine if itís a going a good quality jacket. There are actually
many factors. And if it violates one of those factors, it could immediately be discounted
as a poor quality. I mean, if a jacket is made from a hundred percent polyester, then
most of the time Iím going to discount that as a low quality jacket.
However, perhaps youíre going for a performance jacket. Iíve seen one out there which is
designed specifically to be right in dawn and to behave and crumple it up and ñ for
it to pop right back. So, in that case, I guess it is a quality jacket because thatís
what the people looking to put this together were going for. But in most cases, the little
things like those ñ heís talking about the pick stitching right here on the jacket lapels.
And heís also talking about some of the coloring, the stitching around the button holes. And
I donít know if you can see this. Weíll try to zoom in. But I actually have got my
jacket, so itís got working button holes.
Now, working button holes are normally a sign of quality because it means that the jacket
sleeve length can just barely be adjusted. It can be adjusted but not much. And so, it
normally signals that this jacket sleeve was made for the man. It was actually made to
his size. It wasnít bought off the rack and then adjust it. And usually, if you buy a
jacket off the rack, you can just adjust the sleeves up to two inches sometimes.
But with this jacket, the most you would be able to adjust that, I would say, maybe half
an inch, anything more than three inches is going to lose some of the proportions and
not look right. So in that case, working button holes are often a sign of quality, but theyíre
not a determining factor because you can get something. And quality, again, is very subjective.
You can have somebody on the side of the row who makes handmade suits that range in the
$4,000 range. And he will say a made-to-measure suit that perhaps only cost, you know, $400
to $500. Thatís not only a sign of quality. It is one sign though.
The other signs are going to be, you know, the fit of the jacket. Does it actually fit
to wear? Is it designed for his body type? And again, this is, you know, if the jacket
is made for the person. Another thing is going to be the fabric. What is the quality of the
fabric? And this is something thatís hard for a lot of men to be able to determine.
You can tell a really bad fabric from a good fabric. But to be able to tell a good fabric
from a great fabric, that requires a trained eye, and oftentimes, youíre going to have
to send it to a lab. Well, they will actually do a chemical and burn test to determine the
percentage makeup of wool versus polyester versus other blends that they can put in there.
But ñ so when it comes to fabric, you normally want to go for at least something is going
to be in the super 100s. I think thatís a good quality fabric. Although, you know, super
120, super 130, super 140s, these super numbers to even make it more confusing, there isnít
a set system. So, every company, one company super 120, can equal another company super
130. Yeah. They just ñ it doesnít mesh exactly.
The other thing is going to be built. And this is ñ so if I look at a jacket, Iíll
look at the shoulders, maybe ñ I donít really do this ñ well, if Iím looking something
at the store. But if I have the jacket and I have permission, I can cut it open and I
can look at the inside of the jacket and I can look at where itís hand-sewn, if itís
got a floating canvas, if it has a half canvas, if it has a lot of machine work, has it been
fused on the inside.
So there are all these things that I can look at as a professional to determine the high
level of the quality of the jacket. But most people are not going to be able to do this.
So how are you going to be able to determine if this is a quality jacket? One, look at
whoís selling you the jacket. So, you want to trust the person that youíre buying from.
And thatís the great thing about most box stores, is it for them, itís not worth ripping
you off and selling you something low, you know. Well, they ñ youíre often going to
get what you pay for, but realize that, okay, if you go to Nordstrom, you go to Neiman Marcus.
Youíre going to get a different level of quality than if you shop for a suit or a jacket
at Sears. Just ñ they buy from different people, whole different world. And so, in
that case, youíre spending more money, youíre getting higher quality. But if you go to a
menís wear store, a specific one, you know, the Menís Wearhouse, JoS A. Banks, those
are entry level. There are usually most medium-sized towns. They have actually a specialty men
store and maybe itís owned by a local merchant.
Those are where youíre going to find even better quality. And often, I think get a better
deal. The best deal that you can find in my opinion is travelling to either London, Milan,
Hong Kong or Bangkok. And finding a great tailor that you can work with, who can build
you something from scratch. Now, Bangkok, Hong Kong, youíre going to have to be much
more careful. But London, Milan, youíre going to have a lot more ñ youíre going to have
a lot more play. You know, you can trust many of the guys there versus in Bangkok and Hong
Kong. Youíve got to be careful. They will just ñ they will cheap the shirt right off
your back. But ñ okay. So, to answer the question again, these little details are not
determining factors of quality. Quality is much ñ thereís much more to it.
And so, I wish I could give you a, you know, give you an easy answer on that, but thatís
the best I can do. Take care. This has been Antonio Centeno with Real Men Real Style.
Bye-bye.
Advice
Hi. I'm Antonio Centeno, the founder of Real Men Real Style. Today I'm going to be talking
about suit details. And can you tell quality by the little bit of stitching on the lapels
and near the button holes? And this was a question asked of me. And so if you havenít
already, make sure to subscribe our YouTube channel. The link is right ñ actually, you
can just click on subscribe right up there. And that way, these videos will be delivered
right to your inbox. In addition, if you enjoy this video, I would appreciate it. If you
would like it, like the button right below. And finally, if you want to read more, if
you want to learn more about menís style, thereís a link to an article right below
here. So go ahead and click on that article. Iíll always try to send you to a very useful
piece of content which will help further explain what I talk about here in the videos.
The question I received. I read most of the seven deadly style sins. Thatís my free eBook,
by the way. Itís been very helpful. The only questions I still have at this time are, is
stitching around the edges of the lapel a sign of visual quality when it comes to a
jacket? Whether itís cheap or expensive or this is just a preference. Number two, is
stitching that appears around the buttons of the jacket cuffs that makes it look like
thereís actual button holes for all four buttons a sign of a quality jacket.
Okay. So, what the gentleman asks specifically, no, those are not signs of a quality jacket.
They are also not signs of a bad quality jacket. Theyíre just small signs. And itís kind
of like whenever youíre looking at quality clothing, thereís not one factor that it
is normally going to determine if itís a going a good quality jacket. There are actually
many factors. And if it violates one of those factors, it could immediately be discounted
as a poor quality. I mean, if a jacket is made from a hundred percent polyester, then
most of the time Iím going to discount that as a low quality jacket.
However, perhaps youíre going for a performance jacket. Iíve seen one out there which is
designed specifically to be right in dawn and to behave and crumple it up and ñ for
it to pop right back. So, in that case, I guess it is a quality jacket because thatís
what the people looking to put this together were going for. But in most cases, the little
things like those ñ heís talking about the pick stitching right here on the jacket lapels.
And heís also talking about some of the coloring, the stitching around the button holes. And
I donít know if you can see this. Weíll try to zoom in. But I actually have got my
jacket, so itís got working button holes.
Now, working button holes are normally a sign of quality because it means that the jacket
sleeve length can just barely be adjusted. It can be adjusted but not much. And so, it
normally signals that this jacket sleeve was made for the man. It was actually made to
his size. It wasnít bought off the rack and then adjust it. And usually, if you buy a
jacket off the rack, you can just adjust the sleeves up to two inches sometimes.
But with this jacket, the most you would be able to adjust that, I would say, maybe half
an inch, anything more than three inches is going to lose some of the proportions and
not look right. So in that case, working button holes are often a sign of quality, but theyíre
not a determining factor because you can get something. And quality, again, is very subjective.
You can have somebody on the side of the row who makes handmade suits that range in the
$4,000 range. And he will say a made-to-measure suit that perhaps only cost, you know, $400
to $500. Thatís not only a sign of quality. It is one sign though.
The other signs are going to be, you know, the fit of the jacket. Does it actually fit
to wear? Is it designed for his body type? And again, this is, you know, if the jacket
is made for the person. Another thing is going to be the fabric. What is the quality of the
fabric? And this is something thatís hard for a lot of men to be able to determine.
You can tell a really bad fabric from a good fabric. But to be able to tell a good fabric
from a great fabric, that requires a trained eye, and oftentimes, youíre going to have
to send it to a lab. Well, they will actually do a chemical and burn test to determine the
percentage makeup of wool versus polyester versus other blends that they can put in there.
But ñ so when it comes to fabric, you normally want to go for at least something is going
to be in the super 100s. I think thatís a good quality fabric. Although, you know, super
120, super 130, super 140s, these super numbers to even make it more confusing, there isnít
a set system. So, every company, one company super 120, can equal another company super
130. Yeah. They just ñ it doesnít mesh exactly.
The other thing is going to be built. And this is ñ so if I look at a jacket, Iíll
look at the shoulders, maybe ñ I donít really do this ñ well, if Iím looking something
at the store. But if I have the jacket and I have permission, I can cut it open and I
can look at the inside of the jacket and I can look at where itís hand-sewn, if itís
got a floating canvas, if it has a half canvas, if it has a lot of machine work, has it been
fused on the inside.
So there are all these things that I can look at as a professional to determine the high
level of the quality of the jacket. But most people are not going to be able to do this.
So how are you going to be able to determine if this is a quality jacket? One, look at
whoís selling you the jacket. So, you want to trust the person that youíre buying from.
And thatís the great thing about most box stores, is it for them, itís not worth ripping
you off and selling you something low, you know. Well, they ñ youíre often going to
get what you pay for, but realize that, okay, if you go to Nordstrom, you go to Neiman Marcus.
Youíre going to get a different level of quality than if you shop for a suit or a jacket
at Sears. Just ñ they buy from different people, whole different world. And so, in
that case, youíre spending more money, youíre getting higher quality. But if you go to a
menís wear store, a specific one, you know, the Menís Wearhouse, JoS A. Banks, those
are entry level. There are usually most medium-sized towns. They have actually a specialty men
store and maybe itís owned by a local merchant.
Those are where youíre going to find even better quality. And often, I think get a better
deal. The best deal that you can find in my opinion is travelling to either London, Milan,
Hong Kong or Bangkok. And finding a great tailor that you can work with, who can build
you something from scratch. Now, Bangkok, Hong Kong, youíre going to have to be much
more careful. But London, Milan, youíre going to have a lot more ñ youíre going to have
a lot more play. You know, you can trust many of the guys there versus in Bangkok and Hong
Kong. Youíve got to be careful. They will just ñ they will cheap the shirt right off
your back. But ñ okay. So, to answer the question again, these little details are not
determining factors of quality. Quality is much ñ thereís much more to it.
And so, I wish I could give you a, you know, give you an easy answer on that, but thatís
the best I can do. Take care. This has been Antonio Centeno with Real Men Real Style.
Bye-bye.