Under collar attachment

A suit’s under collar lies on top of the outer fabric and so requires a special and somewhat difficult zigzag seam to attach it. Although this is most often done by machine, in our handmade suits you’ll find the under collar is finished by hand. A fine detail, it ensures the under collar rests easily on your neck and shoulder line without causing tension for a better fit.

Collar turn back

The turn back is the small piece of fabric turned around your jacket’s under collar, only visible when your collar is up. It is not as common these days. Most people never notice it and many don’t know its purpose, but it is a great little detail that is a sign of a well-made suit. Its function is to slightly alter the angle of your jacket collar (if you desire), as well as hide the contrasting under collar from view when the suit is worn. The collar edge is finished with fine cross stitches made by hand.

Flower loop

A flower loop, or boutonnière loop, is a handmade detail only found on high-end and pre-1950s suits. It has a purely functional purpose: to keep a flower in place on the lapel of your tuxedo or wedding suit. It can only be completed by hand, as it is crafted with purl stitches wound around the thread. A flower loop will show your attention to fine details and prove useful if you want to leave your date a romantic souvenir at the end of the evening.

Chest pocket

A handmade chest pocket on a jacket is an eye catcher. A pocket made by hand seems to almost float on the fabric, without a single visible stitch. The stitches are made so subtly that they hide underneath the edges of the pocket. A detail of real beauty.

Pick stitching (1/2)

Pick stitching is made using one single thread and needle, often to secure the inside seams from turning at the edges of a jacket (such as a lapel or collar). Historically, machines weren’t able to replicate such a single thread and needle’ stitch. However in the 1950s, the company American Machine Foundry patented a sewing machine that could. It uses a ‘floating’ needle and runs extremely slowly. This type of machine-made pick stitch was soon referred to as an AMF stitch. During

Pick stitching (2/2)

the same period, the company Union Special patented a similar machine named Columbia. Instead of the ‘floating’ needle, it used a chain stitch technique. Much faster than the AMF machine, the Columbia has a visible chain stitch on the backside and is only used in places where the backside is hidden (like the lining). Regardless, handmade pick stitching is much more refined and visible than machine-made pick stitching. The stitches lay on the fabric as a little dot, handmade pick stitching is valued for its beauty of character.

Cuff fold finish

There are two techniques for finishing the corner inside your cuff. In the easier version, a diagonal seam is visible and excess fabric cut away, so lengthening the sleeve becomes difficult for a tailor. In this version, the sartorial version, the cuff has a fold and is finished with hand stitching. The fold gives body to the top vent and will afford you the option of lengthening the sleeve, should this be desired in future.

Bottom facing/hem

The small edge of fabric found inside the bottom of your jacket, where the facing and the hem meet. This is finished by hand, so the lining can still be attached with a fold. The hand finishing allows more leeway in the lining and lowers stress on the garment when using the pockets, which gives the jacket more shape and durability.

Bartacks

A bartack is a stitch used to reinforce vulnerable points in a suit. In spots where the fabric is prone to wear and tear, a bartack is stitched to help secure the area. It’s a small detail that when done by hand will set your jacket apart from those with clean machine-made bartacks.

Lining at the armhole

To keep your jacket lining in place it is attached to the outer fabric in certain points. The armhole is one of these points. As you can imagine, a handmade stitch is more loosely stitched than a machine’s and allows a skilled tailor to adjust the tension with every single stitch. With this approach, hand finishing provides more movement of the arm, almost as if there were stretch added to the lining.

Lining at the hem (cuff & bottom 1/2)

In our handmade suits, the lining is attached by hand in multiple places to ensure even more comfort and movability. Not only the armhole, but the cuff hem and bottom hem too.

Lining at the hem (cuff & bottom 2/2)

Button attachment

Buttons have been attached by hand in all our makes. Why? Have a look at the backside of our button attachment, it is the most clean finish you will find out there. There is no machine that can imitate this. Next to it, our buttons have a shank, something that can only be done by winding around by hand. The shank makes for easy fastening of a button, and strengthens the attachment and lifespan of a button.

Buttonholes

Handmade buttonholes are a thing of beauty. In the hands of a skilled tailor, they can really make a jacket stand out among the rest. A machine-made buttonhole only takes 5 seconds, whereas a handmade buttonhole takes even the best tailor around 10 minutes to finish. Properly sewn, they add a level of detail you will be proud of.

Label attachement

To truly emphasise the beauty of a label it should be attached by hand. The cross stitches where the edges of a label are attached to the lining accentuate the sartorial prestige of the jacket and the brand.