Prom 2012 - Do Gentlemen Wear Coral?.., M4321

          This is one of the best photos available to me. 

I usual stay away from making anything related to the gentlemen who escort the princesses to the prom.  This time I gave the nod to make the vest and bow tie for my cousin's date.

I selected McCall's 4321.  The vest has a clean sophisticated look. It's a great complement to most tuxedo jacket.  The bow tie looked simple and easy to make.  Perfect for completing the gentleman's evening attire.

In review:
Pattern Description:
Men's Lined Vests, Bow Tie and Cummerbund: Vest A and B have collar and back belt; vest B has contrast collar; vest C and D have welts, shawl collar, front button closure, adjustable back neck button closure and back elastic with clip; bow tie E has two sections and back clasp; cummerbund F has pleated front, back lining and back elastic with clasp.

Pattern Sizing:
Small - XX-Large; I used size medium with modifications. Views A and E
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes.  Except for the omission of the collar on the vest.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
A piece of cake with the exception of stitching the back (3) and stopping at the circle. The circle was about two inches from the edge. I didn't get that.  So I stop about 5/8" from the bottom of the edge of the center back seam.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the fact that the design was clean and would not take away from the style or design of the jacket. I didn't know what style of tux the young man would wear. So this pattern was simple enough to complement most styles. And it sewed up quickly. This is the first time I've sewn a bow tie. No pain there either.

Fabric Used:
silk dupioni and bemberg lining.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
View A - Vest. At first I thought I needed to do a prominent shoulder blade (PSB) adjustment. But the gaping at the armholes didn't quite match with the PSB adjustment. So I looked through my Palmer/Pletsch fit book for the correct solution. And ended up doing a round back adjustment. Additionally, I needed to trim about a 1/4 inch from the side seams, and I omitted the collar. View E - Bow Tie. I searched at a few stores trying to find the hook, eye and slide for it. Finally, I went to Vogue (Roosevelt Rd). They only had 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4". The tie was about 1" wide. So I had to trim it to make it fit through the closures.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I will sew both again. And yes I do recommend this pattern to others.

All photos on the vest and bow tie are here.
 
Conclusion: This was an easy pattern to sew. The pieces went together with no problem. The clean look of the vest is a great complement to evening attire. The bow tie literally took less than an hour to sew.