Hello everyone, hope you're doing great by this new year !
My today's weird technical question is about what we call the lapel "roll". To give a brief definition, it is the fact that the base of the lapel is not pressed against the body of the coat but is rolling far from the coat front. I tried to achieve this look found on many south-east Asian jacket (South Korea, Taiwan).
Example from "assisibespokehouse" instagram :
I have several ideas about the subject on which you maybe have some opinion :
First, in the book "Tailoring Suits, the professional way" by Clarence Poulin (available on this site), it is drawn and write, page 90, that the "roll" is achieved by "wide" stitches. Is it correct according to you or are small stitches a better way to achieved this "rolled" look ?
Second, should the sewing stitches be loose or tight ? On a fitting stage jacket I made some very wide and loose padding stitches and it achieved a very rolled look, but it was with a baste thread on a try-on jacket so is this the clever way to get the "roll" or a misconception ?
Third, the vast majority of the time we sew this "rolled" look on unbuttoned jacket, so there is the question, is a "rolled" look is possible on buttoned jacket or even a very "rolled" lapel style jacket when button looks like every other ?
Thanks a lot for your times and answers !
Georges Duroy
The roll of a lapel is created by the way you hold it when pad-stitching. The stitches 'merely' hold that shape in place.
As for the 'open' roll of a jacket's lapel, it's a consequence of canvas being placed towards the bias. As mentioned in another thread, Scholte cut the front canvas towards the bias to create a softer, less structured feel. However, when unbuttoned, the canvas alone couldn't support the weight of the lapel and the fronts would roll open, often down to the next button.
In the Duke of Windsor's case, he mostly wore double-breasted coats, which tend to be always buttoned (open, flapping fronts look odd). So roll wasn't an issue; and in many respects it was an inherent flaw of the drape cut. However, Neapolitan tailoring followed on from Scholte and this open, rolled look became a 'casual -cool' thing.
I get the impression that some modern three-roll-two coats are actually constructed conventionally, but made to look like the canvas is on the bias and that the fronts have rolled open. Ironic if true.
There's a very good Steven Hitchcock video by Kirby Allison where he demonstrates the basic principles of canvas being on the bias.