2. Leaving it till the last minute
Yes, we know you’ re insanely busy and buying clothing( let alone suits) ranks about as high on your list of priorities as getting your prostate checked. However, if you’ re shopping within 2 months of your wedding date, you’ re already setting yourself up for failure.
Whether you’ re shopping online, with a traveling tailor, or with a local tailor, a custom-tailored suit will take 4-8 weeks. That’ s factoring in the time it takes to hand-make your garments and alter them for a perfect fit afterwards. We won’ t even go into the nightmare stories of clients who have come in a panic after their self-measured online orders had to go back for a remake! A common misconception about tailored suits is that they’ ll be a perfect fit each time due to the submission of measurements. While true in theory, inconsistencies usually happen at the measurement stage( God forbid if you attempt measuring yourself!) or in the tailoring itself.
Which leads to the time allowance for alterations. A suit jacket is typically made up of 9 major exterior panels( not to mention over a dozen interior components), all measured and cut to maintain a perfect balance that is devoid of unsightly and uncomfortable creases. So taking it to the dry cleaner who offers same-day hems would not serve you. That would be like taking your Aston Martin to a Jiffy Lube for an engine tuning.
Any reputable & skilled Alterations Tailor will have a minimum 1 week turnaround, and possibly two to four times that during the busy summer months when wedding garment traffic is highest.
Wait till T-minus 1 month and rentals( and unaltered Off-The- Rack suits) might become your only option. Even then, selection will be very limited as most grooms have already booked.
3. Not taking climate into consideration
Remember what I said earlier about sweating your balls off? It’ s a very real problem. This is supposed to be a day of fun and celebration, instead of constantly checking your watch to see when you can finally change out of that sauna suit you chose to rent / buy for bottom dollar.
Take a look at the Materials Label on your next suit. Is the lining made from polyester or some other synthetic material that comes out as a plastic filament? Based on what mass-production has been offering to customers, there’ s an 85 % chance that it is. You might as well roll Saran-Wrap around your body, as that’ s about as much breathability you’ re going to get. Polyester in the exterior suiting as well? Let’ s double up that kitchen wrap!
Natural fibres like wool, cotton, silk and linen are used in some of the most extreme climates still, due to their natural temperature-regulating properties and breathability. Wool is especially prized for its ability to regulate temperatures while maintaining relatively wrinkle-resistant. For some clients, I’ ll even recommend lightweight or tropical wools that are designed for and milled in such a way that businessmen in Tokyo can still wear their ubiquitous black suits in the humid summertime temperatures of 35 º C. Bemberg linings are made from recycled cotton fibres and have been tested extensively to be more breathable than pure cotton or silk.
If you’ re going to be in an air-conditioned space the entire day, out of the sun, and you don’ t get hot easily, I’ d still recommend staying away from any synthetic blends. Many will generate static electricity as you move, which ruins the drape of your suit and will make those handshakes with your new in-laws that much more awkward.
WEDDING ISSUE 04.2017 | AAARZU | 55