I'm a bit of a lurker on forums (I read posts but rarely ever comment or post).
I've practised drafting the coat several times using standard measurements and practised drafting the waistcoat once using standard measurements.
I was now intending to try drafting a waistcoat based on my actual measurements and herein lies my problem. I'm a touch on the "rather obese side" so standard measurements don't help me. I'm 5'10", my neck measurement is 18.5", my chest measurement is 52", and my waist/belly is 54".
My question is should I:
(a) use 54" as the measurement to work with and then add a dart near the underarm to pull the chest to the 52" measurement, as in the photo below? (Which would look something similar to the notes on the blog for a portly cut draft)
or,
(b) alter the side seam between the back and front to accommodate the 2" change similar to the picture below?
A while back I purchased a cheap waistcoat to wear with my sport coat. Because of my measurements, I had to purchase a waistcoat with a 56" chest to accommodate my stomach. To make it fit me better, I took it in underneath the arm. So to my mind, altering the side seam on the draft to make my own waistcoat seems like the best option.
Thanks in advance for any advice that can be offered.
Thanks for taking care of this one Benjamin. I have yet to add a zero drop for the waistcoat and coat system in the book but the method you suggest would be the same as I will be using.
@Benjamin Thanks for the suggestion. I had actually considered having the front of the waistcoat on an angle similar to the pictures you posted as being a potential third option.
Hi Thomas.
Let me preface this by disclaiming that I don't know a lot about waistcoats. You should definitely wait for Rory to provide some guidance before you proceed, unless you're happy with trail and error (which does in fact have its own rewards, I believe...)
In answer to your query: I would suggest that both of your approaches are incorrect. You might have better luck following the general layout of the draft below, which I have borrowed from a German tailoring textbook:
See how the belly area is placed forward of the chest, which matches how it falls on a corpulent figure? The neckline and shoulder slopes backwards (what might be called a 'crooked' cut). This should work better on your physique, as I imagine it.
Notice that one problem with corpulent figures is that the front hem can be too loose. The draft above deals with this excess by inserting a dart under the front tip of the pocket, to take up some of the excess cloth, and to create a bulge in the belly area. As you see in the second image, you can displace this dart into the pocket mouth if you prefer (probably a bit advanced if you are a beginner).
As I said, if Rory suggests a different approach you should ignore my advice and follow his directions, but this might give you something to think about in the meantime.