Hand-Sewn vs Machine-Sewn: Which Hand Work Matters in a Suit

Many people assume a great suit is sewn entirely by hand. None is. Every tailor, on Savile Row, in Naples or anywhere else, sews the long straight seams by machine, because a machine does that job faster, straighter and at least as strongly. What separates a hand-tailored jacket from a factory one is where the hand work goes: into the lapels, the collar, the sleeves, the lining and the buttonholes, the places where fabric has to be shaped rather than simply joined. Knowing which hand work matters tells you what you are paying for and what to check before you buy.

Is a bespoke suit sewn entirely by hand?

No. A bespoke suit is cut from a pattern drafted for you and built with hand work wherever it shapes the garment, but the long, straight seams are sewn by machine. That includes the side seams and back seam of the jacket, the sleeve seams and the legs of the trousers. The Savile Row Bespoke Association expects its members to put at least 50 hours of hand work into a typical two-piece suit, and most of those hours go into the jacket.

Machines take the long seams for good reasons. A machine lockstitch runs a straight seam evenly at a steady tension in a fraction of the time, and a seam that runs straight for two feet is exactly where a hand stitch gains nothing. Sewing those seams by hand would add hours and risk small inaccuracies, with no benefit you could see or feel.

Where does hand sewing make a real difference?

Hand sewing makes a difference wherever the fabric has to be curved, eased or left free to move. A machine joins two flat layers at a fixed tension. A tailor's hand can hold the layers in a curve while stitching, work extra fabric evenly into a smaller space and set the tension stitch by stitch. Five places in a jacket benefit most.

1. Lapels and collar: pad stitching

Pad stitching joins the canvas to the lapel and the under collar with rows of small diagonal stitches. A coatmaker working by hand holds the lapel curled over the fingers while sewing, so the layers are fixed in a curve and the lapel keeps a soft roll for the life of the jacket. Hand padding a collar and a pair of lapels can take around two thousand stitches and well over an hour. A padding machine does the same job in a couple of minutes, but it sews the layers flat, and machine-padded lapels tend to be stiffer, with a roll that is more likely to fade with wear.

Not every top tailor pads everything by hand. Some Savile Row houses pad the chest by hand and the lapels by machine; others insist on doing both by hand. A well-cut jacket with machine-padded lapels can look excellent when new. The difference shows over years of wear and pressing, when a hand-padded lapel keeps its roll and a machine-padded one is more likely to flatten. Our guide to fused vs canvas construction explains the canvas these stitches attach to.

2. Attaching the collar

Fine tailors attach the collar by hand. The tension at which the collar is sewn to the neck affects how the whole front of the jacket sits, and a hand-sewn under collar can be eased so it lies close around the neck and shoulders. Factories usually attach it by machine. Lift the collar of a good jacket and you will usually find a dense felt called melton underneath; on a hand-made coat it often shows rows of small pad stitches.

3. Setting the sleeves

The top of a sleeve, the sleeve head, is cut larger than the armhole it goes into, and the extra fabric has to be eased in evenly so the sleeve hangs cleanly and the arm can move. This is the classic case for hand work. Many tailors hand-baste the sleeve first to place the ease exactly, then sew the final seam by machine for strength, and some sew the underarm by hand for a little more freedom. In Naples, tailors ease a deliberately full sleeve head in by hand and leave small ripples along the seam, the signature of the spalla camicia shoulder.

4. Felling the lining

Felling is the small, close hand stitch that attaches the lining to the facings, the hem and the sleeve ends. Done by hand, the tension can be adjusted stitch by stitch, so the lining moves with you instead of pulling on the outer fabric. Better makers also attach the lining loosely by hand at the armhole, which adds freedom when you reach forward. A machine-sewn lining works, but it is tighter and less forgiving. Our guide to suit linings covers the materials.

5. Buttonholes and buttons

A hand buttonhole is cut first, then worked in silk twist over a cord called a gimp, with each stitch knotted at the edge. It can take a skilled finisher up to about half an hour; a machine makes one in seconds, usually stitching first and cutting the slit afterward. Hand buttonholes have a slightly raised edge and small irregularities, and the back is usually less neat than the front. On a hand-finished suit the buttons are sewn on by hand with a wrapped thread shank, so they sit above the fabric and fasten easily. For the most decorative version, see Milanese buttonholes and pick stitching.

Where is machine sewing just as good?

Machines are as good as hands, and often better, wherever a seam is long, straight and under steady strain. Bespoke tailors use them in exactly these places.

• Long jacket seams. Side seams, the center back seam and the sleeve seams are machine-sewn by virtually every tailor.
• Trouser seams and waistband. The legs, the seat and the waistband join are machine work in bespoke too; hand work on trousers is mostly finishing. See how suit trousers are made.
• Darts and pocket bags. Straight, hidden and functional, they gain nothing from hand stitching.
• Lining seams. The long seams within the lining are machine-sewn even at houses that hand-finish everything else.
• Edges. Some workrooms sew the jacket edges by machine for a crisp, clean edge.
• Patch pockets. Sewing a patch pocket on by hand adds character, not durability.

Is hand stitching stronger than machine stitching?

Usually not. A machine lockstitch on a straight seam is tighter and more uniform than a hand stitch, which is why tailors use machines for the seams that take the most strain. Hand work rarely makes a garment more durable. What it adds is shape and give: tailors who favor it say hand-sewn seams are a little more flexible and settle to the wearer's body over the first months of wear.

Hand work can still help a suit last, but indirectly. A hand-padded lapel holds its roll through years of pressing. The canvassed front that hand work usually goes with can be reshaped with steam rather than bubbling like a glued one. Those are good reasons to value hand work, but seam strength is not one of them.

How can you tell if a suit is hand sewn?

You can check most hand work in a couple of minutes without unpicking anything. Look for small irregularities: a hand stitch is never quite as even as a machine one.

Is hand work worth paying for?

Hand work is worth paying for where it changes how the jacket looks and wears, and much less so where it is decoration. Put your money in this order: a cut that fits your shoulders, a canvassed front, hand work in the collar, lapels and sleeves, then hand buttonholes and finishing. Visible pick stitching comes last. Our guide to why bespoke suits are expensive shows how the hours add up.

The tailor's view: what to ask

A good tailor or salesperson can tell you exactly which operations are done by hand. A vague answer is an answer too.

Hand work is one part of a well-made suit, alongside the cut, the canvas and the fabric. For the full sequence of how a hand-tailored coat comes together, read how a bespoke suit is made, and see the houses that do it best in our ranking of the best tailors in London.

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