The Tag Tutorial
Once upon a time, not so long ago, my husband mumbled a question to me in the wee hours of an early morning. I am a night owl, so I did not remember anything he was asking me. Although, a few words I vaguely heard, something about his new suits and its tags. Fast forward a few weeks and he was trying suits on at a store I worked at. I hear him ask the men's sales associate I worked with, "Jen told me to leave these manufacturers tags on right?", an innocent question from a rookie suit guy. There were a few moments of silence and some chuckles and then all eyes were on me. You told me the other morning to keep these tags on, I even told my co-workers after they recommended taking them off. He wore one of his new sport coats to work with the tags on and was embarrassed. At this moment, his face was bright red and I was trying my best to hold my explosion of laughter. I raised my eyebrows and really had no recollection of such a conversation. Then I realized that this must have been the early morning conversation that I wasn't really apart of. Ha!
This is the label I am talking about, the standard is tacked on the left sleeve. The key word here is "tacked", which in sewing-land means temporary and is supposed to be removed before wearing.
It's the guarantee that no one has altered or worn before. Side Note, I have seen some clever tack jobs to appear as has un-worn. Unless you have a crazy obsession with keeping the plastic on your new couch, it mirrors the same habit. So, lesson learned to all of my fellows, ask your wife while she coherent, and always remove the tag on your jackets and suits.
The Importance of the Tag:
Do you remember my previous post about the invention of style? How Charles Worth was the first to sew his name on garments? The label is valuable because it helps consumers know the authenticity of what they are buying and proclaim fabric blends that will lay on the skin. The designer tag has been around since the 19th century and is considered to be the "signature" of guarantee for many.
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This is an essential item that completes the purchase and demonstrates authenticity to the consumer.
Why it's so Confusing:
It just looks so fancy that we think it should stay on the sleeve and not be removed. However, friends I am telling you to take it off.
It is understandable that many first time buyers, which happen to be mostly men do not know any better. This makes sense as to why my husband was so clueless and was relying on me to help him. In most cases, the tailor will remove after he or she completes any alterations
If you are buying a suit, or coat you want to have any loose stiches removed along with opening pockets or vents that are sewn shut.
The How To:
Frist, You will need a seam ripper or small sewing scissors.
It's great to steam the pinholes after you remove the stitching on safe fabrics such as wool blends. Side note, steamers are great for removing silk pinholes.
Lastly, if you don't have either please just take to the tailor because you can damage fine garments if not removed correctly.
Insert the seam ripper over the tag and through the thread to ensure safe removal.
Seeing these tags makes me chuckle every time!
The moral of our style story is remove the tags with the help of a professional and do ask your wife important questions while sleeping. Trust me, we want our men to be in the know and not commit a fashion crime.
