Love Thy Tailor As Thyself

The Inspiring Tale of a Suit's Extreme Makeover 

If you ever find yourself with the desire to see what happens to the human body when confronted simultaneously with absolute horror and uncontrollable rage as it careens into the mental breaking point of stress, simply stroll into a Men's Warehouse during this time of the year and request that each of your 12 groomsmen be fitted for their tuxedos, which must be tailored and pressed immediately for an early morning wedding. In such a case, you'll have to excuse me for sidestepping the box of scissors sailing towards your head accompanied by the barrage of safety pins and foul language. Why? Because, gentlemen, it's "Bridal Christmas," after all--the single most busy and suicidal time of the year for every salt of the earth, sore-fingered seamstress on the planet.

Therefore it was with much care and consideration that I decided to take my new suit (which I purchased as the groomsmen attire for my best friend's wedding) to a local tailor nearly 5 weeks in advance.  Why so early, you ask?  Well simply take a look at how the suit fit me straight off the rack a few weeks ago:

(Please excuse the crudeness of these photos. Thankfully, this blog does not often rely on such pitiful excuses for artistic, original photography unless the occasion calls for it.)

 So while it's certainly not the worst fit in gentleman history, the suit here definitely wore me, rather than the opposite.  Although the beautiful color and elegant notch lapels give note to its stylish potential, there is simply too much sag n' bag--making the entire look appear slightly out-of-date, and leaving much to be desired in the "effortlessly cool" department.

Luckily, the five weeks passed by quickly and it was finally time for my suit's big reveal to me and the other members of my wardrobe with its fresh, new look:

As it  was in no condition to drive home after its major surgery,  I decided to give my new suit a lift back to my house after its ordeal with the tailor.  Upon trying it on however, I was pleasantly astonished at the difference.  What was once a drooping, sack of fabric tossed upon a physique similar to that of a coat rack, had now transformed into a streamlined, dastardly sharp suit of armor that made me feel like an American elite...and what's more Mad Men-era American than frying franks outdoors on the grill in a suit with a manly pose?  I dare say, not much!

Alterations Performed:

1. First, I had my tailor taper the trousers, taking all the extra fabric in around my stilt-like legs.  This, by far, made the most dramatic difference.
2. Next, she took in the waist of the jacket, making it hug my torso much better than the previous little-boy-enveloped-in-Dad's-jacket look.
3. Finally, my tailor and I decided to raise the shoulders a bit.  This has nothing to do with altering the shoulder pads (if a tailor tells you they can do this, it's a lie, DON'T Do It!), rather this involved decreasing the amount of fabric from the collar of the jacket to the seam on the shoulder.  It raises the entire profile of the jacket and also shortens the length of the sleeves just enough to show off the perfect amount of cuff.

What do you think of my suit's transformation?