The swelled edge, also called a welted edge or quarter-inch stitching, is a traditional detail found on many of James Bond’s blazers, sports coats, sports suits and outer coats. It gives the edges a piped effect by stitching away from the edges. When a jacket has swelled edges the edges on the lapels, collar, foreparts, pocket flaps, patch pockets and breast pocket welt have this detail. Sometimes the rear vent or vents also have swelled edges. This type of edge looks sporty, and today it can look a bit more old fashioned while a more subtly pick-stitched edge or a bluff edge (without any stitching) might look more modern.
Swelled edges are often said to be stitched 1/4 inch from the edge, but they are usually slightly further from the edge at 5/16 inch. The extra 16th of an inch makes a tremendous visual difference. Shirt collars and cuffs are commonly stitched 1/4 inch from the edge, but because jackets and coats are made of heavier cloth at a larger scale the stitching needs to be slightly further from the edge to look proportionate. Sometimes swelled edges are stitched at 3/8 inch, which can make wider lapels and taller pocket flaps look more balanced, and it can also look more proportionate on a larger man. Outer coats are often stitched with the edges at 3/8 inch to balance the heavier cloth and a coat’s larger proportions. Some coats may have the edges stitched at 1/2 inch for the same reasons, or if the desire is to draw attention to the edges.
Swelled edges are not the same as typical pick stitching, which is much more subtle and sewn very close to the edge. The usual pick stitching on the edge is practically invisible (when done well), while swelled edges are meant to be seen. Swelled edges are often sewn with the same stitch as a pick-stitched edge, just further from the edge, though sometimes a heavier thread or a more noticeable stitch is used to draw more attention to the edges. Like pick stitching close to the edge, swelled edges help to reinforce the edge. G. Bruce Boyer explained on Ivy Style, “the additional stitching along the lapel helps the coat keep its shape by holding the cloth – both the inside and outside layers — together when wet”. While most people don’t wear their jackets in the rain, this purpose of swelled edges is still very important when it comes to outer coats.
Double-stitched edges, which many Neapolitan tailors use on sportier garments, should not be confused for swelled edges. Double stitched edges are stitched both on the edge and further in from the edge so there is a double row of stitching. The stitching on the edge, however, prevents these edges from swelling, while the stitching itself highlights the edges.
Swelled edges are always appropriate on a blazer or sports coat. They can also look great on sportier suits and on most overcoats. When on a suit it is most appropriate with sportier, more textured cloths like tweed, linen, hopsack, corduroy, poplin and rougher silks. They are also commonly used on flannel suits to give them a sportier look, though flannel suits look much dressier without them. They usually look inappropriate on dressier suits of worsted wool, mohair and wool blends and finer silks. Because of their utilitarian nature, swelled edges are appropriate on all outer coats—casual, sporty and formal—though the most formal coats are best without swelled edges.
While swelled edges can enhance the look of a sporty garment, they are never necessary and it’s okay to not like them. They can be added to a coat or a sporty jacket that has a bluff edge if you do like them. They should not be added to a dressier suit in an attempt to make it into a sportier suit or a sports coat. A jacket’s cloth is ultimately what makes it sporty, not details like swelled edges or contrasting buttons.
Swelled edges were very popular from the 1960s through the 1980s, when you could sometimes find them on dressier suits, particularly in America. American Ivy League-style clothier J. Press still uses them on some of their worsted wool suits, but their undarted, natural-shoulder cut is less formal than a English-style suit and thus the sportier edges don’t look as out of place.
Do swelled edges ever have reinforcement in the bound part of the cloth, the way roped sleeves will have a roll of cloth in them to keep them standing?
When the cloth is folded underneath at the edge, it bulks up the edge for the swelled look. It’s why the swelling is more pronounced on a heavy tweed than on lightweight linen.
The Diamonds Are Forever blazer looks better in my opinion with swelled edges. More sporty and casual. Even through he wears the blazer with charcoal trousers that hardly contrast with the jacket.
Do you think its alright to take an odd suit jacket and create the blazer look by adding gold buttons?
I ask because I purchased a Fitzgerald Golden Fleece suit jacket at a deep discount because the trousers were destroyed by a carpet cleaner who fell asleep at the switch.
You can usually turn a solid navy suit jacket into a blazer by adding gold buttons, but some cloths work better than others in doing so.
On a side note,
Is the one button suit jacket now your signature style?
I saw it again on one of your most recent photographs
Yes, it’s one of my favourite styles.
Didn’t the tan sports coat in LALD also have swelled edges? I agree that this styling detail does work best with sports coats because it enhances the sporty, more casual nature of the garment.
Regarding the silk suit from Golden Gun, I agree that the addition of the stitching was probably as superfluous as the villain’s third papilla and a fashion feature but it worked ok on such a suit because it’s not a truly “formal” suit, if that makes sense! It’s silk and worn for general day wear around Hong Kong rather than a business setting. Anyway, it’s Sir Roger who was wearing it so it’s got to be right…..
Yes, they’re on the jacket in Live and Let Die.
This picture of the Goldfinger suit looks terrific… but did you digitally change the whole color scheme of the picture here ? The shirt looks like a very light grey shade -actually pretty attractive- and the suit seems a dark blue-grey rather than navy !
Yes, I turned up the lights to better show the details of the suit. The colour is a light shade of navy, not a dark navy. The shirt is white with grey stripes, which is why it doesn’t look like a pure white.