So, it’s that time of year when everyone is walking around in a coat (except for you warmer climate readers ::glares::)…which means I’m confronted every.single.day with one of my huge pet peeves:
People who leave the tacking in on the vents of their coat. (Of course, this pertains to many jackets (suit or not) and pleated, slit and vented skirts. This applies to both men and women. I have seen it all.)
For whatever reason, I can’t not notice this and every single time I want to run up to the person in question and let them know they ought to take that little “X” stitch out. That it’s a temporary stitch, meant to keep the garment in question all nice and neat while in production, in transport, hanging up the store and then hanging on your body when you try it on and strike a pose in the mirror.
Since I can’t figure out the right way one ought to make such a suggestion, and since it would probably be even more strange of me to dash over to them with a little pair of scissors and yank it off whilst emitting a small squeal of glee, I’ve wound up scooting around behind them trying to snap a picture of the sartorial mishap. Sometimes this works better than others.
Onward!
Some of these tacks are just temporarily meant to hold a vent together. The vent’s presence in your garment is intended to allow for movement and comfort while wearing – dashing around, sitting up and sitting down, striding down the street and up and down steps. Kind of like a slit in a tight skirt (where, ahem, I’ve also seen some ladies leave in those little “X” tacks), they allow for a wider range of motion in an otherwise somewhat constricting garment.
When you don’t take this tack out, the coat/jacket/skirt will wind up bunching and gapping in a strange way when you move. It can be kind of hard to capture on camera, but trust me, it’s there. SO very there. Take that “X” out and rock that sophisticated coat.
Some of the tacks are also holding down pleats that are usually intended for both aesthetic AND movement purposes. When you don’t take the tacks out, something like what’s going on in the picture above happens. A chic, fun, kick-y feature of the coat now looks, well….awkward…to say the least. Even more awkward in a skirt/dress. Move freely and let that coat/skirt/dress swing around you as it was intended. Pretty pretty please. With a cherry on top.
Additionally, the pockets in some jackets – especially those of suits – and some pants as well, come tacked closed. If you can fit a finger in there, notice the stitching is pretty loose and can feel a pocket pouch, it’s safe to say that you can take those stitches out. Personally, I’ve plucked them out with my fingers, but you can also use scissors or seam rippers.
Ask my former roommate how excited I was when, after I told him about these little mishaps, he let me inspect and take out the tacking in a nice corduroy blazer of his. I was jazzed. Very, very.
What can I say, I’m easily (or dork-ily) amused.
Now, go check your coats, jackets, pants, skirt and dresses and save a girl a little anxiety.
thoroughly modern tilly 