In
my previous article on suits (Read here) I touched upon the various methods that are
employed in their manufacturing process and also on what to look for when
buying a suit. In this series of articles I focus a little more on the details
of a good suit. I have decided to make this a series as I feel one that one
comprehensive article might be rather lengthy and could probably result in an
overload of information. On second thoughts one can consider my previous
article as the first in this series!
Suit
Jacket Construction
I
am kick-starting the series with an article on the construction of the suit, or
to be precise, on the construction of the suit jacket. This of course holds
good for blazers and sport jackets too. The suit jacket is the centre piece of
your suit and it is for this reason that I am concentrating on it.
A
suit jacket’s construction has an important bearing on fit. As discussed
previously a good fit is one of the most important elements of a suit. A well
fitting cheap suit is far more flattering than an ill fitting expensive one.
Therefore to achieve a proper fit one must start from the inside out. However a
suit’s construction is not visible to the naked eye as it lies between the
outer fabric of the suit and its lining. So how does one know more about the
construction of a suit that one wishes to purchase? There are a few terms that
are employed in the trade and in this article we take a look and these and try
and unravel what they exactly mean.
First let us take a quick look at the various
components of the construction or the anatomy of a suit. The foundation of the
suit is a layer of cloth, called the canvas, between the outer cloth and the
inner lining. This is usually a blend of wool or cotton and animal hair (usually
horse or camel). Wool and animal hair is used because they can be moulded by a
combination of humidity, pressure and heat while retaining shape much like how
a hot curling iron is used to shape hair. Horse and camel hair are also very
lightweight but resilient. Various grades of canvas and haircloth are available
and are used in combination for the foundation of the suit jacket.
Wool
canvas forms the main foundation layer and smaller pieces of the others are
used to build structure. These pieces are:
Let
us start with the shoulder: the shoulder does two things it straightens and
broadens the natural shape of your shoulders, this is achieved by the use of
shoulder pads which is built up in layers of materials like wool, cotton and
horsehair. The shoulder pads not only visually alter your silhouette it also
creates a shell which allows the shoulder and the top of the arm to move freely
without distorting the line of the jacket.
The shoulder pads extend all along your shoulders, from end to end.
We
now come to the chest: the chest of a suit should give an impression of a
smooth, flat figure. This is achieved by a layer of material called the chest
piece. The chest piece is a semi rigid layer that extends from the shoulder
pads to the front hem and it basically smoothens the line of the chest and the
profile. Sometimes both the
shoulder pads and the chest piece are covered by felt or flannel to prevent the
animal hair from scratching the wearer.
 |
| Shoulder Pads and Chest Piece |
The
next is the lapel: the lapel frames the tie, neck and face and is therefore an
important part of the suit jacket. In a good suit a lot of hand sewing is done
in the interlining along the lapels to keep the line of the collar crisp and
clean.
 |
| Jacket Lapel Interlining |
The
placement of hip pockets and even pocket flaps provide tension to the hips and
sometimes even padding is used in the inner layer to create the ideal shape.
And finally the last but definitely not the least in fact some would say the
most important are the seams and the darts. These need to be crafted in such a
fashion so as to make sure that the suit flatters the wearer.
Now
that we have a grasp of the basics of suit construction the question arises as
to do all suits have the same basic construction or are there shortcuts that
are employed? The answer is yes and unfortunately no salesman or manufacturer
will advertise the construction unless you opt for the bespoke route. So what
are these shortcuts, and what questions do I need to ask to find out the truth?
Enter – the terms - Full (floating) Canvas, Fused and Half Canvas.
The
Canvas is the most important aspect of a suit’s construction as it controls the
overall shape and also helps in the ageing process of the suit. It prevents the
suit from wrinkling easily. To put it simply it results in the suit draping
better and lasting longer.
Full
(floating) Canvas
A
full canvassed suit is a suit in which the suit jacket is constructed with the
canvas fabric spanning the entire inside front panels and lapels. The canvas is
hand stitched to the suit fabric in a loose manner thus also called floating
canvas which allows the suit to move with the wearer. A full canvas suit drapes
more naturally, conforms to the body and looks better. They are expensive as
they require a lot of labour, time and skill to make. Ready to wear and even made
to Measure suits are rarely Full Canvas.
.jpg) |
| Full Canvas |
Fused
A
fused suit has a jacket in which the interlining ( canvas ) is not made from
traditional canvas as described earlier but from a synthetic material that is
fused or stuck , glued to the outer shell of the jacket , both the front panel
and the lapel . The material simply turns to glue when heated .This method is
faster, cheaper and requires no skill and is superbly adapted to mass
manufacturing. Fusing gives the jacket shape but it does not conform to the
body shape of the wearer and also results in unnatural stiffing. The lapels
will also be extremely stiff and it will lack the natural drape of a full
canvassed jacket. Another drawback is that poorly fused jackets can bubble –
the fused interlining comes apart from the suit fabric and air pockets are
created. This can occur even when you dry clean it. However there has been a
vast improvement in fusing technology but even then this can happen. A fused
suit is relatively inexpensive which seems to be its only saving grace.
Half
Canvas
A
Half Canvas suit is a compromise between the extremes of Full Canvas and Fused.
In theses the canvas interlining runs only through the chest and lapels, the
rest of the jacket is fused. In other words the entire length of the front panel
has a thin layer of fusible lining while on the chest area an additional layer
of canvas is stitched. This has several benefits, the canvassing results in a
proper drape over the chest, a nice lapel roll (the lapels are not fused) and
the shoulders (where it is needed most), the canvassing also reduces the
chances of bubbling thus increasing the life span of the suit and there is some
cost saving compared to the Full canvas suit. This is a nice compromise that
appeals to most people and is probably the most convenient way to go.
How
to tell them apart?
The
easiest way is to ask but that does not always guarantee a correct answer, in
fact it might result in a blank stare! One can however fold the jacket in half
and run a hand down to the hem, in case of a half canvas you should be able to
feel the place where the canvas ends. If you don’t feel anything then you can
pinch the lower front area and simultaneously pull the front away from the
facing and feel for the third layer in between. In a fused suit you won’t find
the third layer. This not always foolproof due to the various types of canvases
available , the only option left is to take the suit apart but I would not
recommend that for obvious reasons.
(About the author: *Vikram Nanjappa is a freelance writer on men’s
fashion/style and a photographer)
(Cover Image Credit:Vera Wang)
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