Leg bindings makes big difference

[Byron]

Going brief here but a little evening-up on leg openings required perhaps:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw...gdqbo1_500.jpg

[Torchwatch]

When a suit pattern is designed it is assumed that the fabric will stretch by 70%, (this is adjusted when the actual fabric is tested} there is also an assumption as to the stretch of elastic.
12mm - 15mm elastic may be used for the waist, while 6mm is often used for the leg bindings. The thinner elastic is the more likely to cut into you if it is too short. Cutting the leg elastic too long will of course make a loose floppy suit.
The designer should match the length of the waist elastic against the length of the leg elastic taking account of the style. The resulting suit should fit an average body perfectly and adjust to the skinny and muscular bodies with the same waist.
Unfortunately clothing factories make mistakes, elastic may get cut to the wrong length, be wrongly labelled or just mixed up. A 32" waist suit may get leg elastic from a 36" suit or vice versa.
If your body shape is very different to average and you keep getting this problem it may be best to buy only after trying suits on in shops, mail order is not for you.
Remember always to try a new suit on in the shower before gong public, you can never tell what the fabric and elastic will do when wet, and light suits do tend to go transparent.
As a suit ages the fabric and elastic will permanently stretch and become looser, being thinner the leg elastic will wear faster than the waist, as this happens it is time to get an exciting new suit and place the old one in your personal museum.
If you own a special suit replace it before it is obviously worn and keep it for special occasions.

[JamesSwim]

Originally Posted by Torchwatch

When a suit pattern is designed it is assumed that the fabric will stretch by 70%, (this is adjusted when the actual fabric is tested} there is also an assumption as to the stretch of elastic.
12mm - 15mm elastic may be used for the waist, while 6mm is often used for the leg bindings. The thinner elastic is the more likely to cut into you if it is too short. Cutting the leg elastic too long will of course make a loose floppy suit.
The designer should match the length of the waist elastic against the length of the leg elastic taking account of the style. The resulting suit should fit an average body perfectly and adjust to the skinny and muscular bodies with the same waist.
Unfortunately clothing factories make mistakes, elastic may get cut to the wrong length, be wrongly labelled or just mixed up. A 32" waist suit may get leg elastic from a 36" suit or vice versa.
If your body shape is very different to average and you keep getting this problem it may be best to buy only after trying suits on in shops, mail order is not for you.
Remember always to try a new suit on in the shower before gong public, you can never tell what the fabric and elastic will do when wet, and light suits do tend to go transparent.
As a suit ages the fabric and elastic will permanently stretch and become looser, being thinner the leg elastic will wear faster than the waist, as this happens it is time to get an exciting new suit and place the old one in your personal museum.
If you own a special suit replace it before it is obviously worn and keep it for special occasions.

Thanks for the suggestions & info. I don't have too many problems with bindings cutting into me, but noticed it makes a difference in overall fit. I think shape of bindings & leg opening makes difference too. Here's one more observation:

When a brief-style suit is laid flat, I see that the front is smaller than the back and the front part of leg opening makes a curve to the side.

Some suits have the front leg opening that curves sharply from the bottom to the side seam, making for a narrower pouch in front. Others curve less, making the front and back closer in size. The former makes the front fit more contoured, latter makes the front feel flatter

The seam at the bottom between the leg openings differs too -- some are range from 2 1/2" up to 3 1/2". And that makes a difference too.

So as you said, one needs to try it on. The waist and side seam size just gives you just a hint on the fit.

[MuscleSpeedo]

[quote=JamesSwim]...The seam at the bottom between the leg openings differs too -- some are range from 2 1/2" up to 3 1/2". And that makes a difference too. QUOTE]

Personally, I have found this to be one of the greatest factors in the comfort of a suit. Many suits are too wide in the groin. Most guy's legs meet at a pretty narrow point at the top, don't they? Forcing a lot of fabric to bunch up there makes a suit less comfortable. A narrow groin on a suit makes it much more comfortable, and most guys don't even realize why.

[Byron]

OK - what's the groin-comfort assessment on post#4 ?

[MuscleSpeedo]

Originally Posted by Byron

OK - what's the groin-comfort assessment on post#4 ?

That suit probably has a v-cut or Rio-back seat which would be about a 2 to 2.5 inch groin....very comfortable. If it is a thong or T-back suit, most likely a 1 to 1.5 inch groin.

These are fairly common dimensions for posing suits. What most designers of mainstream men's bikini swimwear have not yet realized is that these groin dimensions would make a 'standard' bikini suit much more comfortable. I have a Speedo with a 3.5 inch groin. That is ridiculously wide.

[Byron]

Agree - just shows we need a ruling body to which all speedo manufacturers must belong and therefore a central point of attention to which all customers' expectations can be addressed (and enforced).
It won't ever happen of course but some don't have a clue about what they make and so many forums contain pleas by speedo-wearers to say "Why don't they make this as...............................?"

[JamesSwim]

Originally Posted by MuscleSpeedo

That suit probably has a v-cut or Rio-back seat which would be about a 2 to 2.5 inch groin....very comfortable. If it is a thong or T-back suit, most likely a 1 to 1.5 inch groin.

These are fairly common dimensions for posing suits. What most designers of mainstream men's bikini swimwear have not yet realized is that these groin dimensions would make a 'standard' bikini suit much more comfortable. I have a Speedo with a 3.5 inch groin. That is ridiculously wide.

I just noticed that I also have a Speedo brand brief with a 4 inch wide groin. So the leg bindings pulls up into the thigh and bunches up. I guess that's why people tend to stick with their favorite brands when they tend to use a pattern or cut that fits.

[NJHunkguy]

Originally Posted by Byron

Going brief here but a little evening-up on leg openings required perhaps:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw...gdqbo1_500.jpg

Love that suit

[Torchwatch]

James, if ever you get to make a suit you will notice that you are taking flat 2 dimensional fabric and creating a 3 dimensional object from it, that is defined by the male body. That is the excitement of the process.
The hardest part of making a suit is sewing in the waist and leg hole elastic so it is of equal tension all the way round. Get that wrong and the suit is ruined.
Your observation that the front of a suit is smaller than the back is correct. A suits back panel covers not only the back but also the sides and creeps around to the front to meet the front panel. I once accidentally sewed 2 back panels together, the resulting suit meeting at the sides and flopping at the front. Having a smaller front panel keeps the stretch fabric nice and taunt.
Adding rear stitching to a suit stops it sagging, the stitching thread cannot stretch while the fabric can, paper lycra suits tended to have rear stitching.
A seam up the front of a suit allows the 2 front panels to be cut on a convex curve creating a pouch. A subtle pouch effect adds more space for the well endowed in a brief suit.