Some people have asked what's a collar gap and whether this issue can be fixed. So here's a thread on something basic you can check, whether you're buying tailored clothing or casualwear. 🧵
A collar gap is when the jacket's collar stands off your neck. See the gap on Jimmy Kimmell's white dinner jacket. A properly tailored jacket will have a neck that stays seated on the neck, especially when you're standing with your arms down (see the second man, Mark Cho)
A collar gap shouldn't show up when you're standing still (if it does, don't buy the coat). But it also shouldn't show up when you're doing normal, everyday motions. Compare the collars on Jordan Peterson and Bill Nighy here, both in similar poses.
The best tailoring will result in a seated collar even when you're doing extreme motions.
When ppl first learn of collar gaps, they often call out small infractions. This is not a useful understanding of the concept. Sometimes the coat needs adjusting, or your neck is tilted forward. Nighy's suit here is beautiful, but a small gap shows up elsewhere. Be reasonable.
The goal should be to avoid the most egregious of examples, like Ye's suit here.
Can you fix a collar gap? It depends on what's causing the issue. It could be that your jacket’s shoulders are more sloped than your own, or that the chest is too tight.
Or it could be that your posture is more stooped than the jacket allows. Whether these things can be fixed depends on the cause, the severity of the problem, and how the coat is constructed. No way to know without going to see a skilled tailor.
If your coat lifts off your neck when you move your arms, it may be that your armholes are too low. The distance between the lowest part of your armhole to the center of the back of your neck can control how much movement you get from a coat.
I know some people at this point are saying, "Ok well I don't wear suits or sport coats." Collar gaps can also show up in casualwear! See these two black leather motorcycle jackets. The Ramones are wearing a jacket that's seated on the neck; the other man has a collar lifting up.
Some casualwear styles, such as the mountain parka, are designed in such a way that the collar is never meant to be seated on the neck. Consider the style before judging whether the collar is intended to stay seated on the neck.
The idea that the collar should hug your neck is a pretty basic concept in a lot of patternmaking. It stretches from classic casualwear to dark avant-garde. Pay attention to it next time you're buying outerwear, so you don't get stuck with something you dislike later.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
When I was on a menswear forum, navy trousers were of great controversy. Discussions about them lasted many years, resulting in long-lasting rivalries. Sometimes people refrained from speaking about them out of fear of dredging up old debates.
First, I should state at the outset that there's no way to have this conversation without, in some way, speaking crudely about certain classes of people. I make no judgements about their worth or dignity. I am only describing the semiotics of men's dress.
Second, everything depends on your goals. Dress is not a science, so there are no overriding laws. Everything is contextual to culture. More on this later
Before we start, here are two outfits involving green sport coats. Which do you like better? Please choose before moving on.
I get this question a lot. I don't have strong views on how transmasc people should dress, but since I often get the question, I've thought about it a bit. Will share some thoughts in this thread. 🧵
My general feeling is that this question often approaches the idea of style from a perspective I don't share. I don't believe in approaching dress first from the perspective of body type. For instance, there are a lot of guides online that break down body types like this.
I disagree with this perspective because they always seem to be about forcing the person into one narrow ideal. So if you're short, they tell you how to wear certain things to give the illusion of height. Or if you're heavy, they say how you can dress to hide your weight.
I don't think people such as Hegesth are intentionally choosing to dress like this to signal they're "not like the swamp." I think we're simply in a generational change in terms of taste. Will show some examples. 🧵
A hundred years ago, men's dress was governed by time, place, and occasion (TPO). If you were of a certain social position and had to do a certain thing, you were expected to wear certain outfits. If you didn't know these rules, a tailor would tell you.
Over the course of the 20th century, these rules loosened, partly because society became more accepting of different social groups and their lifestyles (which is a good thing). By the close of the 20th century, the rise of business casual swept tailoring out of offices
Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, says that he would use a US manufacturer for his company's t-shirts. However, he feels the US company doesn't meet his quality standards and they "must maintain quality."
So what constitutes a quality t-shirt? Let's find out. 🧵
For reference, I'm comparing Sticker Mule's t-shirts (made in Nicaragua) to Bayside Apparel (fully made in the US from fiber to finish). Sticker Mule charges $19 for their t-shirts. Organizations that print on Bayside blanks sell their merch for $27.
I should state at the outset that to properly determine quality, I would need to send these t-shirts to a lab, which I'm unable to do because I don't own a Sticker Mule t-shirt. Additionally, quality can be subjective, as it depends on your preferences.
It's very hard to find a suit jacket that can be worn with jeans, assuming you mean the kind of suits that would be worn for business. Let me show you. 🧵
What do we mean by "suit?" The term suit simply means that the jacket and pants were cut from the same cloth. You can have corduroy suits or linen suits. But when most people say suit, they mean the kind of outfits that would be worn for business, funerals, and court.
Such materials are typically dark in color and slick in feel. Historically, men wore these things with white dress shirts, dark ties, and black oxford shoes to do business in London. This history is why this outfit telegraphs "I'm here for serious business."
I disagree. In this thread, I will tell you what's wrong with Stephen Miller's outfits. Hopefully, this will help you judge whether a suit fits when you're shopping for one. 🧵
For context, here is the video that @FischerKing64 is responding to. Can you spot the issue with this suit?
It appears that Miller has spent a considerable sum upgrading his wardrobe since his time in Trump's first administration. I suspect these are all made-to-measure suits because they look new and come in a wide variety of materials. Unfortunately, all of them exhibit a collar gap.