Suit Pyschology

Drawing from the early posts I made and research I’ve done in regards to a tailored jacket I wanted to talk about something which came to mind and has since been floating around.
Why does someone spend so much more an a suit if rarely it can be told by people, only the few who no suits, its like a music industry example, vinyl use in dj’ing has died down dramatically since the digital era, its know more a collectable media I think. What was once told to me; “what’s the point, you don’t use it outside of home, you barely touch it at home, the only people that will take notice and appreciate it are other dj’s”… which how often come to your house. But I know personally there is still something that makes you desire it and makes you feel good about having it. Maybe its because you have a physical object, one with a graphic vinyl sleeve, a piece of history, a reflection of the time. Maybe it’s a thought that it’s limited and possibly desired by others out there.
Alright so coming back from the slight tangent…
So what is goes through the customers or wear’s mind, what poses them to purchase such a highly priced suit. Do they truly think a great majority of people will take more notice, where as most untrained will notice the luxury fabrics etc. I read somewhere that maybe its to stand out at work and feel of higher value authority. It seems that there is a common thought that a good suit will help you get the job, or make a good impression. As much as I think a nice suit against a poorly fitted aged jacket has an influence and can make a difference there is probably little need o spend over a grand to achieve this sharpness.
From observations it also seems that stepping into a suit gives the wearer a confidence boost,, Why? Is it a sign of social status, profession? In majority I think it indicates an office job…
So there I’ve finally vented my thoughts, so don’t be surprised if I randomly post or refer back to suit psychology in future posts

Discovering Andrew Mackenzie - f/w 09

Andrew Mackenzie is a designer who's collection i stumbled across a few weeks ago.

He caught my eye when I was looking at a collection of jackets which where made up of a series of crossing over panels and collars in an asymmetrical form. Later I looked at previous collections he had done and I noticed on one of the pieces that the jett pocket travelled across to contrast fabrics which I thought was quite cool, but when I looked into it more it was evident the two contrast fabrics signify two different garments; one a vest the other the jacket. It intrigued me how the two where joined, considering that it seems the top of the vest travels of into a separate layer and sits underneath the jacket; where as the bottom is sewn in a seam. I think it would be interesting to inspect the garment closer and see where the sewing finishes, how far the jacket continues and even how much of it is attached.

It’s also interesting to see how he his played on the lapel style creating what looks like a collared shirt around the neck but joins into a notch lapel which positioned lower. I also like the variation on the pocket flaps and there shape along with the hem line on the jacket. Especially the idea that when the vest and jacket are combined they have two varied hem lengths which in a way flow in two another and create an illusion layering effect, which is also the case in the jacket which utilises a contrast fabric for the vest but then again for the lapel on the actual jacket body.

The theme of combing the vest and jacket into one piece and using the jetts to combine the two was predominate in this f/w09 collection. It was utilised but altered in variations which saw different lapel styles, pockets and flaps, buttoning methods and additions such as military tabs. Each jacket had a complementing pair of pants which was in one of the jacket fabrics and the combinations varied from the adoptable black to a combination which included a vibrant tartan.

WHY CANVAS OVER FUSED

Firstly the canvas is designed to mould through wear giving the suit a better shape overtime. One of the reasons this is achieved is that the heat and moisture emitted from your body interact with the canvass to transfer the information (i.e. body contours)
Where as the use of fusing is primarily for its stiffening properties and it maintains no memory. The biggest disadvantage of utilising fusing is its hydrophobic nature which is necessary so moisture won’t break through and unstick the layers, but means on those hot days where you tend to sweat a little the it has no where to escape and is forced to sit on your skin; opposite of a canvas, which turns the moisture into beneficence.
The fusing is hydrophobic, water repellent; so on a hot day moisture won’t break inside and cause it to become unstuck. Therefore if the moisture can’t go through it is forced to sit on your skin. The fusing also effects the way the suit moves.. you can tell in the lines when you move and stretch that it looks different then the movement of a canvassed jacket. This property creating a slight flaw in a half canvasses suit; for the reason that the upper body will move differently to the lower body; though at least you do have the canvas in the most important section to get the right shaping.
Also because the canvas is tacked it can float, allowing it to position itself with the body whereas the fusing is stuck in its place.

THE CHEST PIECE

MATERIALS
The canvas front can comprise of various materials ranging from haircloth, felt, domettem and others. These materials ultimately effect how the garment feels, sits and the shape it takes on. Rarely used Camel Hair is apparently better then horsehair for its softer hand, making it more comfortable but its price tag often results in the fabric being constructed from a blend. Horsehair in itself can cost a fortune varying on the amount used and a fully canvased suit using horsehair can cost up to $80,000, therefore is also often blended. Horsehair is great for the properties it holds, it will shape to the contours of your chest after a few wears, creating a three-dimensional shape. In a blend horsehair is inserted into the weft picks, which are then counted per inch, and determines its quality and resilience.
Today, many suit manufacturers use cotton blend or synthetic canvasses, these can be made of such fibres as Rayon & Viscose which ultimately lower their costs of production.

CONSTRUCTION
There are many ways to construct the canvas, depending of the desired result. Suffice it to say that all layers are attached together using either machine or hand padding these can then be soaked in water overnight, then hung to dry to pre-shrink before being basted into the coat.
It is also important how these are attached; chest pieces can be fused on or tacked in, by tacking pieces into position this allows for slightly more mobility thus better moulding. Within the chest there will be one, two or three layers of felt, wool, cotton or horsehair in some combination. A standard English suit will have a layer of horsehair running all the way behind the forepart of the suit, with a layer of felt in the upper half. Those two are sewn loosely together with basting stitches and then attached, again loosely. Italians are known for creating less structured suits due to the warmer conditions therefore may consist of fewer layers.

http://stylecrave.com/2010-05-10/how-a-suit-is-canvassed/

types of structure

FULL CANVASSED – the canvas front structure is first pad stitched together consisting of the desired layers from chosen materials. It is then basted into the jacket front covering the majority of the jacket and giving it the greatest possible stability

HALF CANVASSED – the fusing is used to support the section where the canvas does not reach, the fusing is extended past the canvas only so there is no evidence of the finished line of fusing and is excluded in the lapel. The canvas stops just below the pocket.

A fused jacket is own that has had glue applied to stiffen in an attempt to simulate canvas.

PADDED LAPPEL – is fused in the same manor as a half canvassed jacket. The difference being the lapel canvas is inserted under the fusible as it is being fused allowing the lapel to be padded so the chest piece can be attached separately. This method allows the maker to avoid the use of basting any sections of the jacket

FULLY FUSED – there is no wool canvas and the chest piece is applied using the same method as for the padded lapel

To tell if a garment is fused or canvassed pinch the fabric and you can feel either if there is a floating piece in between the lining and outer fabric. If it is half canvassed you can fold it at the lapel break point and feel for the changed in surface between the bottom half and top half of the body. If this is the case you will feel the halt of the canvas piece and a change in surface texture. You can also test the lapel by examining the underside of for little pricks which would indicate pad stitching.

UNDERSTANDING THE JACKET

1. SPLIT COLAR: This is designed to provide a snug and clean fit around the collar. It also ensures the coat has a balanced lightweight effect on your neck and shoulders to control the foreparts.

2. SHOULDER PAD: used to mould and maintain the shape and lines of the sleeve

3. CHEST PIECE: Commonly made from two pieces of canvas to produce a naturally curved shape for the shest and shoulder, usually also accompanied by a layer of felt which is attatched to soften the chest piece and create a greater comfort for the wearer.

4. SLEEVE HEAD: Like the shoulder pad, two layers of canvas are used to mould and maintain the structure of the sleeve head.

5. BIAS AND STRAIGHT TAPES: used to support and reinforce seams.

6. THE BRIDAL LINE: this is where the lapel rolls. The bridal line tape is drawn to help naturally curve the lapel roll.

7. LAPEL AND FACING: in the lapel and facing a thin layer of using is used to create long lasting shape. The fusing is also used in the outer breast welt, collar and sleeve cuff.

8. THE SLEEVE LINING: This is sewn and fixed of the coat, attatching the armhole lining. This ensures that the lining in this area has more durability, help with superior sleeve drape and a quality tailored finish.

Materials... The true value fo a suit

The materials being the cause
What are these materials which are casuing such exuberant price tags on a bespoke suit.
Well what i found was the world's most expensive suit. Designed by Alexander Amosu, theone off creation took more than 80hours and 5,000 indivual stitches to make. The suit is embellished with nine 18-carat gold and pave set diamond buttons but what else makes it special is the fabric used to make the piece.

The cloth titles vanquish II is seen as one of the world's most luxurious, made from vicuña and qiviuk blended with pashmina.
What are these furry friends you ask:
"Vicuna is a rare wild South American Camelid which only produces enough wool for shearing every three years"
"Qiviuk is the world’s most expensive wool, gathered from the Arctic muskox, which sheds its coat once a year"
"Pashmina is a goat from the high mountain plateaus of the Himalaya’s"

Additionally, "Due to the rarity of these fibres and the care which is taken to safeguard the well-being of the animals that produce them (these animals are not hunted but cared for in their natural environments), only enough wool can be gathered to make 300 suits in the world

But what about in the lower levels of the market, those which stil fetch in the high thousands but come without the diamonds and gold..
The wool quality is determined in terms of 100's which specify the fines of the fabric interms of how many strands of wool there are in a 10mm by 10mm square. Tailores stated that even though a wool of 220 or so if finer and maybe more luxurious its actually inappropriate and doesnt make the best quality suit.

"Master tailor and "Power look" avatar William Fioravanti, for instance, charges clients who walk into his Manhattan showroom up to $10,500 to create a bespoke suit in Super 220 merino wool, of which he says $5,000 covers the cost of four meters of cloth
entry-level bespoke in Super 100 wool, on New York's Upper East Side, bespoke suit maker Jon Green won't get the fabric rolling for anything less than $5,100 (taxes not included)."

"There's a certain type of customer who thinks fabrics like vicuna are better, but such an expensive suit is not necessarily what I would recommend," says Jay Kos, whose made-to-measure suits start at $3,800 in his eponymous shops in New York. (Like llamas, vicunas are members of the camelid family and live in South America.) "Something in the $4,400 range will have better quality, better drape and a better fit than a suit at twice the price. A true gentleman who appreciates fine clothing is going to go for something classic like an English woolen."
Indeed, bespoke suit-maker Leonard Logsdail, who came to New York by way of Savile Row more than a decade ago, won't even work with such exorbitant fabrics, making his top suit price $5,500. "I only keep Super 180s and Super 200s around as a talking point, because they don't have any guts."

http://www.luxurylaunches.com/fashion/worlds_most_expensive_suit_priced_at_102500_is_up_for_grabs.php
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6397866/
most expensive suit http://www.letitflow.com/worlds-most-expensive-items-of-clothing/
vicuana image http://www.bar-q-diamond.com/Information/llamafacts.htm - middle right
quivik http://www.maruyasu-fil.co.jp/category/1377524.html - middle left
pashmina http://www.pashmina-pashminas.co.uk/usd/ - bottom