A high-quality tailored suit stands out.
Picture this: you walk into the room – it may be an important meeting, a networking event, or a party – and, as you enter, people are turning to look at you. You’re standing tall, you’re confident without being arrogant; at ease with who you are – and people are taking notice. It’s easy to see that you’re dressed well, in a suit that has been made for you and everybody notes to themselves how stylish and put-together you are, but to those who know fine tailoring, the tiny details are what catch their eye. Allow me to guide you through those details in this latest journal entry.
A rolling lapel
A quality suit should be made for and move with the wearer’s body. The lapel is a good indicator of whether a suit jacket is high quality. It should be lightly padded with a canvas of cotton and horsehair, and at the point where it meets the top button, it should roll – rather than being pressed in to a sharp, flat crease – giving the garment fluidity.
AMF Stitching
The AMF stitch is a small stick on the top of the jacket, around the edges of the lapel and the pockets. AMF is an abbreviation that refers to the machine that creates the stitch, manufactured by the American Machine and Foundry. It is sometimes called pick stitching. What makes this stitch a sign of a luxurious suit is that the machine takes a long time to complete the stitch. Quite literally the opposite of fast fashion.
The Buttonholes
Legend has it that during the late 19th century surgeons, who would wear jackets in the operating theatres, began requesting that their Savile Row tailors make the buttonholes of their sleeves working as opposed to purely decorative. Those au fait with fine tailoring know that kissing buttons on the sleeves (buttons that slightly overlap) indicate that the buttonholes are working, and would wear the first button undone as a marker of this.
Most of these jacket components have one thing in common; they’re more difficult or time-consuming for the tailor to create, therefore more time and attention has to have been paid. My clients will know that care and attention is a core value of Richard George Tailoring, and therefore these indicators of quality tailoring are on every suit jacket that we make.
Whether you’re new to the world of tailoring or an already valued client, we would be delighted to welcome you to our exclusive showroom in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside, by appointment only.
For enquiries, please contact us via email hello@richardgeorge.uk or by telephone 01926 695206
