don't hulk your frock coat.

[aimeekitty]

In a foolish effort to start/finish a set of costumes for Mitch and I before the cherry blossoms bloom... I've been sewing at night after work. The main garment for Mitch's From Far Away costume is almost done. Mitch is IMPOSSIBLE to make any type of upper-body garment for. (pants are almost as bad but workable.) I SWEAR. I measured him, fit him several times, and still, his upper back muscles are too mighty for the shirt I made him. I put gussets into the underarm,... but I don't know what else I can do (really too late at this point to do anything, but curious about what to do for future garments). If I made the shoulders farther out it would look dumb. If I make the shirt sleeve wider, it would look dumb. (my only thought is to put a pleat in the center back... but I can't do that with everything... what am I supposed to do?) There must be something that can be done as there are plenty of guys who are larger than Mitch who are fit for clothing. I guess I should probably start taking measurements off his suits...? because they fit him fine. Maybe that would be a better starting point.

And you can ask him not to HULK a shirt all you want. I'll be staring right at him and he'll pull his shoulders forward or over his head or pretend he has a sword... and strain the seams. (Love you, babe...) He's totally split his shirts and pants before. I've overlocked and double stitched the problem areas... I think that's about all I can do at this point.

I feel like I need to take a fitting/muslin class just for how to make stuff for Mitch because, apparently it is entirely different than making things to fit myself.
The obvious solution is for Mitch to never wear shirts, which he's totally fine with, mostly.
But what am I supposed to do when I make him a frock coat or something? OY! DON'T HULK your embroidered frockcoat, Mister!

Comments

[discofish.livejournal.com]

I wonder if you could find appropriate fabrics that have a bit of stretch? That would make it much harder to rip a seam just by hulking... But of course if the fit doesn't look right, it still won't look right. Hrm.

[batchix.livejournal.com]

i'm built like that... i have massive shoulders and most fitted garments just don't work. I have given up and just stick to t-shirts or jersey knit stuff. i swear, if it fits one place it's a guarantee it won't fit somewhere else!

What about purposely making a muslin that's too big and start working in instead of out? that won't help now obviously, but maybe for future projects?

D's problem is he busts the seams on the crotch of his pants. It's because he has a habit of doing taekwondo kicks at random. but it's still pretty amusing.

[xbaudelaire.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! XD
This whole entry reads like a sitcom written to re-brand the hulk in a domestic, loving environment. <3 <3

[singingraisin.livejournal.com]

I did a very little bit of fitting things on guys during a costume course, but I don't recall there being any vastly different issues from making costumes for myself.

I think I'd probably do like I do for myself when I need a really fitted shirt: use stretch fabrics wherever possible. They make some good stretch suitings and stuff that should just give you a bit more ease.

Beyond that, I'm not sure exactly how you work now, but maybe use clothes that Mitch doesn't HULK out of as reference? (Assuming any exist, of course.) Things don't really need to be clinging to be tailored... Maybe have him do all his flexing in a pinned muslin with huge seam allowances, and adjust as necessary?


Or just forbid him from moving. They do that with actors all the time. :D

[singingraisin.livejournal.com]

... I would watch that.

[drclock.livejournal.com]

I to have the problem of large back muscle expansion. You really have to build a little extra in the back, I don't know what pattern you are using, but cut the back panels a little bigger on the back toward the collar and the sleeves, and then you can still have them tapper down. Splitting the difference between the two usually hides it a little and makes is a little less noticeable. How many pieces are on the back? It seems strange, but especially if he is wearing a vest of a frock coat, it wont be noticeable.

[diadiadia.livejournal.com]

Easiest solution in the world: do a ruboff of a suit that fits him well and can be used as a base for a lot of other stuff. Have you ever done a ruboff before? There are a few ways of doing it: usually I'll lay the garment on paper and pin/weight it so that one individual pattern piece lies flat and can be traced with a tracing wheel, then shift it and trace off all of the pieces. It's a little tougher do to that with sleeves, but if you start with a well-fit body a sleeve will be cake. Another way is to take muslin and pin it directly to the garment, approximating for each pattern piece, and then tracing through with chalk.

Does that make any sense? It's the only way I can really do custom and well-fitting menswear, personally, so it might work for you!

[pogo101.livejournal.com]

HULK RIP PRETTY-MAN CLOTHES

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

yeah, that's what I was thinking I needed to do! I feel like I'm in remedial sewing times. :D Thanks, I'll do that!

Mockups

[hazelchaz]

Mockup fabric versions? I've got some canvas around here, you could have a bunch of it. Or buy a bunch of gawd-awful sheets at the thrift store, Pick a weekend when he's doing chores around the house and otherwise bending and stretching and ask him to wear the prototype version of the outfit before you commit to using the nice fabric.

Re: Mockups

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

I always do muslin (mockups) before I sew the garment, but basically, I need to figure out how to make it look fitted, but still allow for his range of movement.

With me, it's not that much of a problem, but his upper back muscles create a much larger um... changing size area than mine.

[macbeemer.livejournal.com]

Boys are hard!

You've gotten some great suggestions so far; there's really not much for me to add. diadiadia's solution is the one I'd most recommend. But another option is when you work off a purchased pattern, make it bigger (to the measurements of his rounded shoulders) and then tailor it in at the seams around the waist.

[twjudy.livejournal.com]

Well, since you are almost done with the costume, it's a bit too late to do some of the suggestions above :( One thing you can do for hte current costume, that won't change the look or require recutting, is to bury a box pleat in the back seam (a la Doctor coat). At rest it should be invisible, but will give him some easy for his hulky moments, lol.

[twjudy.livejournal.com]

errr ease, not easy.

[angelsamui.livejournal.com]

D'awww muscular husband!

[jinyo.livejournal.com]

Instead of sewing him a shirt, try body painting!
=D

[calalillith.livejournal.com]

*snickering* sorry.. I appreciate the difficulty you're experiencing, but your post is just hilarious :)

[iamchubbybunny.livejournal.com]

HAHHAAHHA THIS!

[sakurae.livejournal.com]

He just can't help but flexing at every opportunity, can he? LOL

I think I like Jinyo's idea the best.

[larasgirl.livejournal.com]

That is TOO cute and hilarious.

[utenatai.livejournal.com]

/thirded!