Has custom made lost status?

[Jovan]

manton, you make probably the most compelling points even for those who don't necessarily have "odd" body types. You really can tell the difference in things like that.

Like I said in one of my threads just now, the difference between James Bond wearing Savile Row and later wearing off the rack (albeit well made) is quite apparent. My friends agree that somehow he used to be better attired. They, unlike us, don't even have a trained eye in that sort of thing. And it's not because the '60s necessarily had "better" style than today or "things just aren't like they used to be," it's because the clothes looked far more natural on him, whatever you may think of narrow ties and lapels. Being Sean Connery helps a bit, of course.

 

[Fletch]

Sanitate is the only one. Ascot Chang is more of a shirtmaker than a tailor, and the stuff is in any case all made in Hong Kong.

I'll not gainsay you any further on this point - a few shops have vanished in the last decade anyway. I've been in and around NY 18 years, but my acquaintance with the high end market is pretty nodding these days anyway, as you might have guessed when I said an RL Purple could be had for $1,200.

I'll give you this - I do like the fit of that suit. I can't see from your pic, but I'll guess that the blade of the trou extends smoothly from the skirt of the jacket, without much of a nip-down in width. That detail looks just plain wrong to a lot of lower priced tailors, because why you want coat so tiiight?

 

[manton]

I'll not gainsay you any further on this point - a few shops have vanished in the last decade anyway.

The only actual tailor I can recall with storefront space aside from Sanitate was Murray Bittman on 41st, right across from the library. I've been getting clothes in NY since 1992, and never came across another one. Even Murray moved into an office building around '97 or '98. (He died last year.)

I'll give you this - I do like the fit of that suit. I can't see from your pic, but I'll guess that the blade of the trou extends smoothly from the skirt of the jacket, without much of a nip-down in width. That detail looks just plain wrong to a lot of lower priced tailors, because why you want coat so tiiight

22" knee, 19.25" cuff. The skirt of the coat is indeed quite trim, but not tight at all, and in any case the vents take care of any potential constriction.

 

[reetpleat]

peak.

Why? Probably a combination of many factors. Back in the day, a custom suit was more expensive than a RTW suit, but the gap was smaller. (This is to leave aside for the moment the price of extremely high-end RTW). Labor costs have driven that gap up considerably.

I am sure that is true, but the difference is bigger too in quality. Maybe I am going to the wrong stores, but when I see modern designer suits, even expensive ones I guess, they in no way compare to a vintage suit, even from the sixties, let alone the forties.

If I wore modern suits all the time for work or something, and had any money at all for it, I would have to get custom just to have acceptable quality.

Frankly, the only modern clothes I can usually stand to wear are gap and banana republic and some abercrombie and fitch shirts, because they make decent quality sturdy cotton stuff.

But I have yet to find a decent modern sweater for less than a hundred bucks that does not pill all over the place.

Oh well.

 

[Will]

Dont forget the odd balls like myself - still relatively young, but due to size and proportions not within the 'norm' in need of a good tailor or doomed to wear "good enough" from the MTM events and trunk shows at RL and others. This requires some budgeting and the usual dance for approval from the women in my life. I do miss the days pre Marks and Spencer when BB had a good custom shop. I still have two of those suits and, for the price, they are very well made.

BBC discontinued custom in 1963. You can't be all that young.

 

[vonwotan]

Will - the Brooks Brothers Custom shop (although primarily sewn in Queens) was still around even after M&S took them over but sadly, by then, it was much diminished and the crew of italian tailors from 44th street left. The last suit I had made there was in 1990 - perhaps more a hybrid of MTM and bespoke. I wish I remembered the head tailor's name - he always insisted on calling me doctor or professor - and was very particular about the fit of my suits. Even the one from 1990 has high armholes, and is more a drape silhouette than their off the peg sack suits.

BBC discontinued custom in 1963. You can't be all that young.

 

[manton]

BB actually discontinued custom later than that. I believe it was 1976 that they announced the closure and stopped taking new clients, and 1980 that they made their last garment for a "grandfathered" client, and the last of the custom tailors left the company.

 

[vonwotan]

Interesting - that makes me wonder. Were the later suits all purely MTM? If that is the case, they must have found an odd sized pattern for me. My navy suit, while rather boring style wise, fits nearly as well as several bespoke suits.

Then again, at the time, I relied quite heavily on my father's and my tailors' advice and would not have known the differnce between true bespoke and MTM.

 

[Marty M.]

Custom and Made to Measure are still here.

The only actual tailor I can recall with storefront space aside from Sanitate was Murray Bittman on 41st, right across from the library. I've been getting clothes in NY since 1992, and never came across another one. Even Murray moved into an office building around '97 or '98. (He died last year.)


22" knee, 19.25" cuff. The skirt of the coat is indeed quite trim, but not tight at all, and in any case the vents take care of any potential constriction.

New york still has a few very skilled craftsman, William Fioravanti and Len Logsdale are two of my favorites. You can check out the Custom Tailors and Designers Association (CTDA) website at www.ctda.com For information on Tailors in your area. While on the site check out the "Find a Tailor" tab.
Marty

 

[manton]

New york still has a few very skilled craftsman, William Fioravanti and Len Logsdale are two of my favorites. You can check out the Custom Tailors and Designers Association (CTDA) website at www.ctda.com For information on Tailors in your area. While on the site check out the "Find a Tailor" tab.
Marty

Yes, I know. We were discussing who maintains streetfront space, not who is still in business.

 

[Will]

Interesting - that makes me wonder. Were the later suits all purely MTM? If that is the case, they must have found an odd sized pattern for me. My navy suit, while rather boring style wise, fits nearly as well as several bespoke suits.

They were still using my bespoke measurements for MTM into the 1990s.

 

[Will]

BB actually discontinued custom later than that. I believe it was 1976 that they announced the closure and stopped taking new clients, and 1980 that they made their last garment for a "grandfathered" client, and the last of the custom tailors left the company.

You're right, it was 1976 not 1963. The salesman at the Chicago Michigan Avenue store that waited on me all through my childhood retired in 1963.

 

[vonwotan]

I guess that explains it. After reading the comments I went back in to the closets and turned out the pockets on two suits, each dated 1990. They fit too well to be MTM. Do you happen to remember the head tailor's name, or know what became of him? A rather slender older Italian gentleman. I don't know if he did this with other customers, but he always addressed me as "doctor" or "professor".

After that I went to Bhambi's, William Yu (in HK), and a few others looking workwear alternatives - I'm pretty hard on my clothes. I tried a few like A&S in London and went with my cousins to Naples. In the end, one A&S and a couple in Naples and I never returned to Savile Row. The drape silouhette just felt right. When my budget permits I still make the trek from our family home to Naples to get something special. Unfortunately the prices these days really up there!

They were still using my bespoke measurements for MTM into the 1990s.

 

[vonwotan]

My apologies. All of my BB experinece was at 44th St. in Manhattan and in my NYcentric world view only just realized that you would not have known their head tailor in NYC. I heard from a friend recently that he may have come out of retirement to help during their recent MTM promotions.

You're right, it was 1976 not 1963. The salesman at the Chicago Michigan Avenue store that waited on me all through my childhood retired in 1963.

 

[farnham54]

Unfortunatley many places that offer 'custom' suits are seriously a) pretentious or b) lacking.

Take my father for an example. My grandfather was a higher up in Allied Irish Banks, so my father grew up rather well off. He never had a suit that wasn't tailored by a fellow they used to call "Bunches", as he'd say "You sit tight lad i'll go git me bunches" and he'd come back with the fabric choices.

Fast forward 35 years; my father is a Geologist. Specifically, he specializes in Gold. As one can imagine, it's a feast or famine industry, depending on the price of gold.

Well, after a 10 year downturn, things took an upswing, so my dad went off to get himself a new suit (wearing his old suits that were 10 + years old and had a lot of miles in them). Off to Harry Rosen he went.

First, they turned their nose up at him. He walked in and had a seat in the section of the store devoted to 'custom' clothing. After half an hour (my dad is patient for an Irishman!) he went to the desk and, in his words, 'politley asked when he could get service' (Again, my dad is an Irishman, so when they DO run out of patience--you just decide how polite it may have been ).

After trying for another half an hour to convince him that a custom suit wasn't really what my dad wanted, take an off-the-rack option instead, my father lost patience. He started rhyming off his knowledge of tailored suits ("Look, I want a bespoke suit that has these measurments in this type of fabric with these aspects of my physique taken into account"). When the young fellow manning the store realized my dad knew what he was talking about, he called the manager who took over the case.

Long story short, 2 MONTHS later, my father went in for his FIRST fitting of this suit (one expected it to be done by then). It was TERRIBLE. Simply ghastly craftsmanship, fabric discrepencies (same pattern, different fabric on one sleeve) etc. Absolutley no excuse. My dad took a look at it, turned, and walked out.

If this is the custom suit experience that a man can expect, no wonder why he goes to an off-the-rack merchant who still feels 'the customer is always right'.

To Harry Rosens' credit, my father called the head office and they scheduled an appointment with their 'master tailor' who flew in from Montreal for the occasion; he knew what he was doing but did little of the actual work. My father recieved two suits for the price of one (the second suit being the terrible one mentioned above). Still, though, my grey MyCustomTailor.com suit shows FAR superior workmanship and fit for a FRACTION of the price.

Cheers
Craig