Put two navy jackets side by side with the same lapel, the same button stance and the same length, and they can still look like they came from different houses. The difference is often below the button: how the fronts curve away toward the hem. Tailors call these the quarters. Open quarters sweep away from the button in a generous curve; closed quarters run almost straight down, so the fronts nearly meet at the hem.
For a private-label brand the quarters are part of the house style. They are also rarely written down, which is why a reference jacket and the first sample can disagree.
Open, moderate and closed
Open quarters: a pronounced curve from the button to the hem. Reads relaxed and often pairs with a softer shoulder and a shorter jacket.
Moderate: a gentle curve; the most common commercial choice.
Closed quarters: fronts run nearly straight; reads formal and structured.
Double-breasted jackets usually have square, closed fronts by design; their own lock points are in double-breasted sample lock.
The front-cut field card
Quarters style: open, moderate or closed — words plus a front photo of the reference.
Front edge curve: where the curve starts — distance below the button.
Hem gap: gap between the fronts at the hem, buttoned — measured flat on the base size.
Button stance: height of the waist button — from the shoulder point or back neck.
Jacket length: finished length at centre back — base size.
Front hem corner: rounded or cut square — words and photo.
Grading: what scales with size — curve start and hem gap grade with chest.
Quarters, stance and lapel work together
Raise the button and open the quarters and the jacket reads younger and lighter; lower the button and close the quarters and it reads more formal. Change one without the others and the jacket can look off even when each measurement is within tolerance. Button stance is covered in one- and two-button stance, and lapel choice in notch, peak and shawl lapels. Write all three on the same card.
House block first
If the brand already has a house block, the quarters belong to it, not to each order. Approve the curve once on the sealed sample and write "quarters as on sealed sample" on later orders. Why a house block matters for consistent fronts is in house block vs client MTM.
Check on the sample
Lay the sample buttoned on a table next to the reference, base size against base size. Compare the curve start, the hem gap and the corner. Then put the sample on a body: open quarters on a fuller figure can spread wider than intended, which is worth noting before the run.
MTM and bulk
On bulk from 50 per style, the card goes into the tech pack and the sealed sample record, and the grading line decides how the curve moves across sizes. On MTM from 1, the quarters are part of the house style note, and a client who wants something different has it written on that order. The sample takes 7–14 days; production takes 14–21 days after measurements, cloth and construction are locked. Production days are not delivery days. How the steps run from sample to production is on our process page; bulk programmes on our suit manufacturer China page.
Send a front photo of your reference jacket and the base-size values on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 and we reply with what is still open.
FAQ
What are Shi Yuan's order tracks and clocks? Shi Yuan Suit Factory (Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi, Tianjin, est. 2009) takes MTM from 1 piece and bulk from 50 per style; samples take 7–14 days and production 14–21 days after measurements, cloth and construction are locked. WhatsApp +65 8013 8838.
Do open quarters make a jacket shorter? They can make it look shorter because more of the trousers show. Length is still set at centre back.
Can MTM clients choose quarters? Yes, as a written choice on the order; otherwise the house style applies.
Which is more forgiving on a fuller figure? Moderate quarters usually; check on the sample.
Who makes this
Shi Yuan (Suit Factory) — legal entity Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., factory at Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi District, Tianjin, Est. 2009. Our founder brings four decades in Chinese menswear manufacturing; founded Shi Yuan in 2009. acumenwear.com is the export domain for Shi Yuan Suit Factory. Order threads: WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 · houzhenying226@gmail.com. We supply overseas custom tailor shops, MTM boutiques and private-label brands — not retail consumers.
Shi Yuan Suit Factory is not affiliated with Tianjin Shiyuan Clothing Co., Ltd.
Next step: sample or inquiry
Send a front photo of your reference jacket, buttoned, with the base-size values. Message us on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 with your country, monthly volume and whether this is MTM or bulk, or email houzhenying226@gmail.com. We reply with the sample route and what we still need from you.
Last checked: 2026-10-30. Figures on this page were checked against Shi Yuan's own published terms (sample policy and process pages). Anything not listed here is confirmed in writing on the order thread.
