Losing Weight Before the Wedding: When to Be Measured

If you are losing weight before your wedding, do not wait until you hit your target to be measured, and do not be measured in the middle of a rapid drop either. The sensible approach is to tell your tailor your plan openly, take measurements once your weight has become fairly stable, and save the final fitting to adjust the suit to the body you will actually have on the day. It carries the least risk for you and for the garment.

Why changing weight complicates bespoke work

A made-to-measure tuxedo is cut to the numbers taken at the time of measuring. When your weight changes, the first places to move are usually the stomach, waist and chest, followed by the neck and face. Shoulders and arm length change far less. If your body gets smaller after the suit is cut, the jacket hangs loose, the trousers sag and the outline loses its neatness. If you gain weight, the jacket pulls and the buttons strain.

Losing weight can also alter the shape in places that are hard to correct, especially when the change is large. So what the tailor needs from you is not only today's measurements but also how much you plan to lose and by when.

Tell your tailor the plan

This is the most important step. State clearly where you are now, roughly how much you intend to lose, at what pace and by what date. With that information the tailor can decide whether to cut to your present measurements or to estimate for the body you expect, and can leave extra allowance in the right places.

There is no need to feel awkward, because this is common. Your weight-loss plan is a matter for you and your doctor or dietitian, and the tailor looks after the clothing only. Do not crash-diet in the last stretch before the wedding, which can affect your health and leave too little time for adjustments.

Be measured when your weight is fairly stable

The ideal moment is when your weight has stopped or slowed and you know roughly where you will be on the day. If you are still losing steadily, there are two routes:

• Measure to a figure close to your expected weight, if the tailor agrees and you are confident of reaching it.
• Measure at your present size, then book an extra fitting to adjust as the body changes.

Both need a flexible fitting schedule. Pick a measuring date slightly later than usual but still early enough for the workshop to make and adjust. Order early before the wedding date, and ask a consultant for a concrete schedule. The stages are laid out in preparing your wedding tuxedo, milestone by milestone.

The last fitting is for adjusting

The final fitting lets the tailor see the jacket on your real body. Typical adjustments when weight has changed include taking in or letting out the waist of the jacket and trousers, reshaping the back, adjusting chest width and the trouser waistband, and sometimes the shirt collar. Shoulders usually stay as they are, so if the change is large at the shoulder, correction is much harder.

Wear the shirt, shoes and accessories you will use on the day. If the tailor adjusts twice, do not worry, it is how a suit comes to fit well. Our article on the final tuxedo fitting lists what to check.

Seam allowance for letting out

A properly made bespoke suit usually keeps extra cloth in certain seams, such as the centre back seam of the jacket and the back of the trouser waistband, so there is something to release when needed. Taking in is always easier than letting out, since taking in only means removing cloth, while letting out needs spare cloth already there. When the tailor knows you might go up or down, they can leave a little more allowance in those places.

There are limits. If the change is too big, goes beyond the spare cloth or upsets the balance of shoulder and body, the tailor may have to remake part of the suit or all of it. Do not rely too heavily on last-minute alterations. For more, read adjusting a tuxedo when you gain or lose weight.

Small tips

• Weigh yourself at the same time each day and watch the trend rather than every swing.
• Bring photos of styles you like, but choose a cut with moderate ease.
• Favour cloth with light stretch, which forgives small differences.
• Tell the tailor if your weight changes after a fitting, so adjustments are made in time.

Book a fitting at Mon Amie

At Mon Amie, just tell the consultant your plan at the first visit, and we will measure and leave the right allowance. See our bespoke tuxedo page, then book a fitting to start early.