Dress Line "Suits"

I would like to introduce the star of our menu, the "Made-to-Order Suit." The Dressing Lab offers a style which serves as a base for this suit, and it is tailored with meticulous adjustments to cater to each individual's body type and preferences. This suit is truly a personalized creation, crafted with precision and care.

Our house style, to put it in words, draws inspiration from the Italian style. We manifest the softness of Italian tailoring through the hands of Japanese craftsmen. Much like a suit tailored by an Italian "Sarto", ours exhibit a soft, lightweight, and rounded form, yet with the precision and thoroughness typical of Japanese tailoring, resulting in a refined finish. Moreover, one of the outstanding qualities of our Japanese craftsmen is the ability to tailor a suit to your desired measurements, a crucial aspect in custom-made clothing.

Our made-to-order suits are crafted in Japan's top tailoring factories, employing a "full canvas" specification. This traditional and premium method utilizes a canvas made from horsehair (referred to as a "baste"), extending from the shoulder to the hem. Because our process involves a repetitive cycle of ironing and resting, it takes a bit of time to complete a suit. However, the time invested results in a distinctively three-dimensional and rounded finish. One of the characteristics of our suits is their durability and shape retention, a testament to the time spent during the ironing process to form the suit.

The advantage of a full canvas construction lies in its structured finish and semi-permanent form retention. While the choice of canvas can introduce some drawbacks, such as stiffness and weight, when compared to a fused or half-canvas, our approach is to select a canvas that is light, soft, and has excellent recovery properties. This ensures a balance between the three-dimensional nature unique to a full canvas construction and the light, soft feel that makes the presence of the canvas almost unnoticeable.

"Natural Shoulder" and "Rollino Collar"

Our suits feature a shoulder line that is naturally soft, achieved by not using shoulder pads and relying solely on the canvas. The shoulder is not too sloped, allowing for a perfect balance between a light feel and a sharp appearance. Notably, shoulder pads can feel surprisingly hot, especially in warm weather. By using just canvas, the suit is not only lighter but also has excellent breathability, keeping you cool.

Please also take note of the remarkable "roll" in the upper collar. The collar rises powerfully from the natural shoulder line and fits snugly around the neck. This not only adds an aesthetic appeal but also ensures an exceptional fit from the neck to the shoulders. This is achieved through a tailoring technique known as the "Rollino" collar. Though it sounds somewhat alarming, in tailoring parlance, the term "killing" refers to using an iron to manipulate the fabric. The Rollino collar is not made from fabric that is pre-cut to the curved shape of the upper collar, but instead, is made by shaping a straight piece of fabric into a curved upper collar using an iron. This results in a three-dimensional collar with excellent recovery properties, significantly enhancing the fit.

The construction of the collar in our suits will be especially beneficial for those who face the issue of a "floating collar". A floating collar - when the jacket's collar separates from the neck - can be due not only to the quality of tailoring but also to the wearer's physique, such as individuals with a pronounced chest or a rounded back. The combination of the Rollino collar and body adjustments resolves the issue of a floating collar. Moreover, by distributing the jacket's weight across the shoulders and neck, the suit feels incredibly light and easy to move in, ensuring that even after a full day of wear, you do not feel fatigued, which is a significant advantage.

Sleeve Attachment and Armholes

Regarding the attachment of the sleeves, we opt for a softer and thinner canvas at the sleeve head (the highest part where the sleeve is attached) to ensure a smooth transition from the natural shoulder line, allowing the sleeves to fall naturally. This is a subtle attention to detail aimed at achieving a comfortable fit and a light appearance.

While the silhouette appears sleek, there is actually a substantial amount of "ease" (hidden allowance for movement created mainly around the jacket's shoulders through pressing) meticulously incorporated into the shoulders and sleeves. From the beginning to the end of the tailoring process, there is a conscientious effort in shaping the front shoulder (a space crafted in the jacket to accommodate the protruding part of the shoulder), which in tandem with the ease, ensures a comfortable fit without any constricting stress, thus achieving an ideal wearing experience. Additionally, the armholes are shaped like an oval bean and are kept to the minimum necessary size, ensuring ample range of motion while achieving an optimal fit.

Waist Pockets that Gently Follow the Curve of the Waist

Our suits feature double besom pockets at the waist. The waist pockets are positioned where the curve of the waist is pronounced, and if the besom pockets were rigid, they would negate the natural curve of the waist. Our double besom pockets are handcrafted, ensuring that there are no abrupt edges, and are finely and uniformly constructed, allowing them to be very soft and conform to the curve of the waist. The absence of any lift in the flaps (welts) and the way the pockets seamlessly blend into the jacket, as if they weren't there, are indicative of high-quality tailoring. The sides of the pockets are reinforced with what is known as D-tacks, which are stitches shaped like the letter D. Waist pockets, often overlooked as a given, are actually a testament to meticulous craftsmanship in our suits.

Barchetta Pocket

Let's talk about the breast pocket. Our custom-made suits feature a "Barchetta pocket" for the breast pocket. "Barchetta," in Italian, means "small boat." Unlike the straight-edged breast pocket known as the "patch pocket," the Barchetta pocket is characterized by its curved shape, with the upper right corner pointed like the bow of a boat. Crafted meticulously by the hands of skilled artisans, the bottom edge of the pocket forms a beautiful curve reminiscent of the hull of a boat. This design was conceived to elegantly follow the three-dimensional volume of the chest, and not only is it a testament to fine tailoring, but the upward slanting form also imparts a strong and graceful appearance. Pairing it with a pocket square (pocket handkerchief) inserted at an angle that aligns with the mouth of the Barchetta pocket further accentuates its beauty.

Forward Pitch & Tapered Sleeves

Let's discuss the sleeves. Particularly in men, when the arm is relaxed and hanging down, the muscles cause it to curve forward so that the palm of the hand is positioned towards the front of the thigh rather than directly to the side of the body. To accommodate this natural positioning of the arm, the sleeves of our suits are tailored with a "forward pitch." This not only allows for greater freedom of movement to the front but also ensures that when the arm is hanging down, the sleeve beautifully follows the contour of the arm. Since each customer has unique arm structures and musculature, we take fittings to ascertain the orientation and thickness of your arms and adjust the sleeves accordingly.

Additionally, the sleeves of our suits are tapered, narrowing gradually from the elbow to the cuff. This creates a tapered line from the sleeve head through the elbow to the cuff, similar to the tapered silhouette of the trousers. This not only adds elegance to the silhouette but also ensures that even when in motion, the cuffs remain in a consistent position without any disorder.

Buttonhole Stitch and Flower Loop

As a detail that can be considered a hallmark of a meticulously tailored jacket, our lapels also feature a buttonhole stitch known as "hachi-zashi" in Japanese. "Hachi-zashi," which translates to "eight-stitches," is named for the figure-eight pattern in which it is sewn. Instead of gluing the interlining to the fabric, this technique involves delicately sewing the interlining to the fabric with threads, creating a soft and natural roll in the lapel. Additionally, we do not forget the extra effort of adding a flower loop, so when you adorn the lapel with a flower, there is a convenient loop to thread the stem through.

Lapel Width and Roll

Regarding the lapels: In our custom-made suits, the width of the lapel can be adjusted according to your preference and body shape, but we generally recommend a slightly wider "Wide Lapel" as a basic option. Depending on the size of your order, the basic width is around 9 cm. This gives a classical and imposing impression, and the X-shaped line running from the wide lapel to the deep front cut has a timeless allure.

As for the lapel roll: As the term "roll" suggests, ideally, the lapel should not be sharply folded, but rather should gently and naturally curve back. The lapel roll in our suits is a highlight. There may be times when the lapel roll gets flattened due to compression in the closet, but there is no need to worry. Since it is shaped with a hair canvas, buttonhole stitches, and ironwork, it can be beautifully revived by simply pressing it.

Balance Between the Vest and Trousers

When proposing a custom-made suit, it is imperative to discuss the relationship between the jacket, vest, and trousers. Originally, the term "suit" referred to a three-piece ensemble consisting of a jacket, vest, and trousers. However, as time went on, the vest was often omitted, leading to the two-piece suit (jacket and trousers) becoming the norm. At our store, we would like you to experience the elegance of a three-piece suit, which we highly recommend. Moreover, it's in the three-piece suit that the custom-made aspect becomes particularly crucial. One must first consider the relationship between the jacket's V-zone and button stance with that of the vest's, as well as the relationship between the length of the vest and the rise of the trousers. Additionally, the wearer's body characteristics play a significant role. Holistically assessing and adjusting these elements requires a high-quality custom-made process with a wide range of allowances, as well as commensurate fitting techniques. We would be delighted if you could savor the flowing unity between the jacket, vest, and trousers in a custom-made suit from The Dressing Lab.