After undertaking a first fitting, a number of changes and alterations are made in preparation for the second fitting. The entire coat will be ripped apart and adjusted according to my notes from the fitting. Pockets will be added, and the body canvas will be basted back in position along with the cloth.
As with any new client, the first fitting will have fairly generous allowances in cloth which I will slowly trim away until I achieve the fit that I desire. One area in particular that required some attention with this coat was the area near the armhole and shoulder blade region. In this case, there was a bit of extra fullness on the back of the coat near the arm hole. By dropping the shoulder line slightly, I will be able to gather that extra cloth and draw it upward toward the shoulder seam, thus eliminating the excess. You can see the newly chalked shoulder seam line in the photo above. I then carefully check several important measurements and redraw the armhole line.
Pockets are then added to the main foreparts of the coat. This particular cloth with its check design requires extra care to ensure that the lines of the pattern match up whenever possible.
On the inside of the coat, the pockets are reinforced with linen strips and a combination of machine and hand stitching is used to ensure maximum strength in the pocket mouth area. Finally, the finished pocket bag is hand stitched to the inner body canvas for additional support and stability. With this coat I chose to position the front breast pocket bag on the inside of the body canvas for maximum support.
I also pad stitch the lapels of the coat by hand after the first fitting. These pad stitches help the lapel maintain its shape throughout the life of the garment, and they are critical to achieving the beautiful, soft roll of the lapel near the front buttons.
After the second fitting takes place, I will make additional corrections, and I will add the lining and facings.
