tails basted up

Here is the tailcoat in question basted up for a first fitting. Time was of the essence so we didn't even bother to put the breast pocket in right away.

The chest canvas is just basted in and the edges basted back. The collar is basted on.

There is some extra seam allowance on the waist of the body that allows for possible lengthening.

The skirt is hand basted to the waistline so that I can remove it easily if needed. The sleeves are lined and just basted in as well.

I like to have the CB of the skirt section basted back so it hangs edge to edge for the first fitting. It will then become apparent whether the tails are crossing over or pulling apart or sitting straight. If they aren't sitting straight it could be that the upper body isn't sitting properly - the fronts may be falling away and need to be lifted, or it could be that the waistline or the skirt needs adjustment. I leave about 3 1/2" of hem allowance too, just in case the designer wants longer tails

The coat doesn't really fit the stand very well. Many of our stands are based on an average height of 5' 8" - 5' 10", so the waist length is only around 17". This coat is for someone 6'4" tall so the coat waist is sitting on the upper hip area of the stand which is about 4 1/2" bigger then the person in question.

Therefore I cannot tell on the stand whether the tails will sit properly. I will need to be patient and wait for the fitting.