Has anyone ever tried having a kart suit tailored? I got a new suit 2 seasons ago and it’s in great shape but it was a bit long to begin with and now I’ve lost a bunch of weight. Let me know if you have any experience with this, please and thanks!
I haven’t, but I’ve looked into it before and it was noted to me that kart suits tend to be harder to tailor as the stitching and material is thicker, fwiw.
Absolutely, I’m having a suit made with my measurements as we speak. The main thing is that when you give your measurements, always give them an extra 2-3 centimeters, if the suit is too tight you’ll not be able to use it, but if it’s a little bit bigger, you will always be able to use it even if you gain some weight, besides a suit that’s a little bit bigger will always be more comfortable.
This is the third time I’m having a suit tailored made, the first time I gave them the measurements exactly as they were, but it came out too tight, so make sure you give them an extra few centimeters in all measurements.
Best bet is probably emailing a tailor nearby to see if they can do it. I have a friend who got the waist on his suit resized by a tailor. May have to talk to several people before you find anyone skilled/willing to do it.
I had one done by torq. I have a wierd shape so I couldn’t find off the rack. The suit is very high quality and I loved being able to have embroidered graphics. I am happy with it.
I would echo @Peter comment about adding a couple extra cm.
Well I guess I’ll check around, thanks everyone!
But, once it’s too small, can’t do anything about it. They can go down but not up. Leave a little extra in the crotch and shoulders imho. We sit pretty squished in our karts.
No, I did not give an extra couple cm when I ordered and regretted it. Fortunately my measurements were pretty good. I went to my suit tailor and had them do all the measurements for the form.
Hi Rick,
I realize you are talking about having an existing suit tailored to fit you better and not a one off from the manufacturer. A few things to consider when you are investigating some of your local shops:
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Kart suits are made for abrasion resistance and so the thread they use must be of a similar material (typically an abrasion resistant nylon, but I have heard of similar resistance in some polyesters). Seams are a weak joint without the right thread.
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Like others have said, a race suit is not a dress suit. It is not meant to drape on the body as such and is mostly worn in a seated (clam-shell) position. Like Dom, I did not allow enough length in the torso to properly accommodate this and now have to leave my collar unfastened to not get choked. As for shoulders, this is another area that unlike a dress suit, your arms will be reaching forward the majority of the time. A little extra room across the back will help. Many manufacturers have stretch panels in areas that need them (under the arms and lower back) and are concealed by overlapping material to maintain protection. I would consider that if your current suit does not have them.
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Cost? There are many kart suit manufactures out there that can Tailor an “off the rack” suit to better fit you for very little extra money. If you cannot find someone to do it for a significant difference in buying new, you may be better off selling the old suit and ordering a new one.
In my case, my height would not allow an off the rack suit. Anything even close would have me swimming in the waist and choking at the collar. I was better off having a suit tailored from the manufacturer. They got it pretty close, but my measurements did not take into account #2 above. By the way, my wife has a Masters in Fashion design and is the one who took my measurements. In hindsight, probably not the best fitting I have ever had.