The Sewing Place
The Emporia => In the wardrobe => Alterations Advice Please => Topic started by: Andymat on April 26, 2022, 15:46:13 PM
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I have had this suit for ages and ages and it has hardly been used really. It is from the '80s I think as it is double breasted, has shoulder pads, and the trousers have turnips (I think I meant to write turn-ups. damned autocorrect :angry:) and waist pleats. We went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago and I was not allowed to wear it as it was so out of fashion!
Has anyone got any inspirational thoughts as to how I could modify it? Or is it just a matter of saving some of the material for the stash, sending it to the charity shop (is it ever going to be used in it's current state), or scraping it entirely?
Any thoughts would be welcome.
It is from Burtons and is 60% wool, 40% Polyester with viscose lining and says dry clean only.
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Turnips in your trousers :S sounds uncomfortable! Does the suit still fit? Do you like it? Turnips could be removed easily but I'm not sure the pleated front could be altered. I'd think the jacket would need an awful lot of work, probably not worth the effort.
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I don’t think I’d want to bother trying to alter the jacket. It would probably involve taking out the lining to start any alterations. The shoulders are probably very wide compared to today’s. Changing the front from double breasted? The general fit is probably larger than today's. Changing the lapels and the break point I feel might leave a fair amount of creases already set in.
You’d really have to know what you’re doing. I don’t think it’s worth it.
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Put it away a little longer - it's bound to come back on trend sooner or later, if the moths don't get it 0_0
Actually I'm impressed that it still fits - DH recently had to buy a new suit as his had shrunk in the wardrobe during the p**d*m*c :laugh:
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Did you wear it with a Flock of Seagulls mullet ???
Id keep it and wait for (or host) a Back to the Eighties party!!!!
I have a whole wardrobe of outfits I could wear too!
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Turnips in the trousers sounds a bit Worzel Gummidge.
TBH I'd probably donate it to a charity shop .. although look at Joey D of Edinburgh's FB page for ideas about how to deconstruct traditional Harris Tweed jackets.
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Turnips in your trousers :S sounds uncomfortable! Does the suit still fit? Do you like it?
Yes it fits surprisingly! I quite like the material - a fine hounds tooth. I either need to make use of it or it's material or dispose of it somehow.
You’d really have to know what you’re doing. I don’t think it’s worth it.
From what you say it doesn't sound easy at all and I'm pretty well unskilled when it comes to tailoring so I suspect you are right about whether it is worth it.
Did you wear it with a Flock of Seagulls mullet ???
Wish I'd had the courage at the time! Feels a bit more Spandau Ballet - more sophisticated. :)
TBH I'd probably donate it to a charity shop .. although look at Joey D of Edinburgh's FB page for ideas about how to deconstruct traditional Harris Tweed jackets.
Probably will end up this way I suspect - the charity shop, not de-constructed!
Thanks for all your thoughts! Even Iminei's! ;)
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@Andymat There’s an article in Threads about making a woman’s suit from a men’s suit.
https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2020/11/13/mens-suit-repurposing-project-creating-a-1940s-womens-suit
You might be able to do something similar if you had a pattern for a man’s suit.
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Thanks @StitchinTime - that is fabulous. But I am now realising, a lot of work!!
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The turn ups should be quite easy for you to remove however unless you have had more than a little bit of tailoring experience I would advise you not to try attempting to modernise it, you'll only get frustrated and probably loose heart and hopefully not loose your enthusiasm. :grouphug:.
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If you fancy a bit of experimentation maybe make a jump-suit if jacket is fairly close-fitting?
Rough steps:
Convert jacket to single-breasted (could simply cut-off the collar with square ends & possibly round the lower-outer corners to save moving/re-setting collar if you want). Shorten jacket to appropriate point - allowing for joining seams! Remove trouser turn-ups or leave 'em as you prefer. Join jacket to trousers. Jacket pockets may not be in best location for this conversion, simply leave pocket-flaps as a 'feature' to save muckin' around. Consider adding wider belt loops p'raps to take a thicker belt. Choose some contrast buttons or 'alternative fastenings' maybe for the top half fastenings.
Phil
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Seriously?I wouldn't dream of telling my OH he couldn't wear something if he wanted to and it still fitted - and do you really care?
Do blokes stand around at gatherings looking at other blokes suits? Not the ones I know.
If you like it and fits, wear it - please don't become part of the 'throw it away' culture.
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Have you a local theatre group? Their wardrobe might love it.
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That is a thought!
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If you don't like it as it is then uses it as a deconstruct/lesson.
Take it apart and see how it was made, see how the tailoring works and what was used in the construction to make the shape what it is. Attempt to make the trousers and jacket what you would like them to be, if it doesn't work it is no loss as you would not wear it anyway!
Try to make it what you want it to be, it will be a learning curve
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As someone who upcycles a lot, I would throw my vote into the "use the fabric for something else" barrel.
I have seen an image/pin somewhere, where a person used the fabric from an old wool suit, to make a lovely masculine pleated scarf.
Micarah Tewers did a video on upcycling a suit jacket into a regency spencer.
There was a contenstant on Great British Sewing Bee, who used a mens suit to make an overalls style pinafore for a young girl.
Piece the fabric from the back of the jacket and legs together, make yourself a kilt! :laughing: :laughing:
Bleach it white, and then go to your next 80's party as a Talking Heads lead singer.
I would hate it to go to waste.
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Call it Vintage and wear it with pride!
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Seriously?I wouldn't dream of telling my OH he couldn't wear something if he wanted to and it still fitted - and do you really care?
I don’t think donating a 40 year old suit should count as ‘throw it away’ culture.
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I have a friend who volunteers in a charity shop and he says they’re always grateful for men’s clothes as they don’t receive that much.
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I have a friend who volunteers in a charity shop and he says they’re always grateful for men’s clothes as they don’t receive that much.
That’s true, my sister is the manager of a charity shop and they do like to get good quality mens clothes. However do bear in mind that they really like to get things that will sell, so if you think it’s out of date, will anyone buy it? Charity shops also have to pay for anything that gets thrown away by them, so if they get a lot that they can’t sell it reduces the amount they’re making for the charity.
If you’re near a big city, taking it to a specialist vintage clothes shop might be better.
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Deconstructing and remaking isn't really feasable - even if you unpicked every single seam the new pattern would almost certainly have a corner somewhere that won't quite fit on to the existing fabric - unless you are making for a small child. There will also be creases that are pressed in so hard that they are permanent and you can't unpick buttonholes!
Unless you are aiming for a GBSB "alteration challenge" result donating it as vintage is the only real option.
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I admit the poster was looking for alterations suggestions, so it's maybe a bit off topic to have talked about keeping it.
But it is the fashion versus style debate isn't it?
The fashion industry exists by persuading people that something you thought was great before is now 'wrong' and to be smart it has to be longer/shorter/wider/brighter/black whatever . . .
We allow ourselves to be bamboozled into changing things frequently, even though some shapes simply do not suit our body shapes for example, (and yes I know 40 years isn't frequent).
Style on the other hand says "This is what I like, this is what I feel good in, this is a really nicely made piece of clothing and I'm rocking it!"
Just wanted to point out that is a whole other stream of thinking than the one that says - "this was in fashion years ago, so I can't possibly wear it now" - you know?
Leila :)