Have you ever gotten into a heated argument with a "tailor"?

[Lincsong]

Well, a couple weeks ago, I buy a sport jacket and want to have the thing alterered. So the store's tailor comes out and I indicate to her that I want a little bit of cuff showing. She refuses to do it. I tell her to pull it up a little more, she refuses. Finally, she shuts up and "acquieces". I tell her I want the waist brought in a little, she says it doesn't need it. So I pick up the jacket a week later and like a fool I didn't try it on at the store. Two weeks later I take the jacket out of town and put it on. Oh look, it's too big in the waist and the sleeves are too long. So when I get back in town I go back to the store and ask for the manager and flat out told the guy I was pissed at that idiot who did the exact opposite of what I wanted done. So the manager was very accomodating and followed me back there. He went and got a different tailor, and guess what? This clown gives me the same crap as the woman. The manager said; "he said he doesn't want it that way, do it the way he wants it". It's not just at this store either. I've gone to an independent tailor in town and he's done the same with pants, hems the pants too short so that I have to wear the waist down to them butt like some street vermin. What's the matter with these clowns? They all think they're Armani or something.

 

[DamianM]

well why would any tailor refuse to do their job is my question.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That's my question as well. Isn't the point of being in any sort of service to make sure your customer is happy?

 

[Patrick Hall]

I suspect it's a question of competency. The kind of tailors who work at menswear chains are often limited in what they can do. Take a sleeve up from the wrist, hem trousers - that's about the extent of their abilities. Rather than admit that what you have asked is beyond what they know how to do, they try to talk you out of asking for it instead. I have had the best luck finding an independent tailor whose expertise I trust, and then taking what I buy at the menswear chain to them to have the garments finished out.

 

[Lincsong]

I'm thinking either the guy is incompetent or he's paid hourly, so why bring in extra work if he can sit behind the sewing machine "looking" busy. But, I've had this type of thing with 3 other independent tailors in the Bay Area. Two of these three were actual tailors who have the talent to make an entire suit. At one South Bay tailor,I bought the suit, he had the waist so low, that when I called him out on it he said; "oh you wear them that high???"

 

[Lincsong]

well why would any tailor refuse to do their job is my question.

Exactly. I'm thinking the clown is paid hourly, so he figures why bring in extra work if he doesn't have to bring in extra work.

 

[Edward]

More likely they're just conforming to a contemporary fashion norm, and incapable ofcomprehending there are those who don't wish to do the same. Pretty standard in clothing retail in my experience, alas.

 

[Shangas]

The one major argument I had with a tailor (or rather, which my father had), was when I bought my white linen sport-coat:

It was on sale. It was already reduced. It was "SMALL", and it was the last one left, when I bought it at a ZARA shop in Barcelona. I was looking for something unique, and that one just popped out.

I tried it on and it fit perfectly, apart from the sleeves. My dad says: "Buy it any way. When we're in Singapore, we can get the tailor to alter it for us".

So we buy it, and I get it back to Singapore...

Now we take it to the tailor. He's a youngish guy, maybe early 30s? He's one of a team of like, three people. So I put it on, and my dad shows the tailor the length that we're trying to achieve with the cuffs. The tailor pins it in, and then I put it back on, and my dad goes: "No. That's not short enough. At least another centimeter".

And the tailor says: "I can't. If I do, the moment you dry-clean this thing, it'll shrink too much".

My dad says: "It's TOO LONG".

"It's fine long! Once it's through the cleaner, it'll shrink!"

My dad wasn't happy, and neither was I, partially because time was an issue. I wanted it done ONCE and I wanted it done RIGHT. The moment I got home from my holiday, I was attending an important event (a cousin's wedding), and I had it in mind to wear this to the wedding.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the guy's stubbornness screwed up my plans. He didn't take up the sleeves enough, which meant that they had to be taken up again, which meant that I didn't get my jacket back before I left, which meant I couldn't show it to my cousin at his wedding. And it was a summer-wedding, which is why I wanted to wear it there.

Since we've had the alteration done, it's gone to two dry-cleanings, and it hasn't shrunk so much as an inch.

 

[reetpleat]

I am confused about the pants length. True, most men wear their pants a lot lower these days. But wouldn't any competent tailor have you try them on, stand on a stool and pin them for perfect length? If so, then you must wear the waist where you normally do at the pinning. If not, well, I am confused as to how any tailor can do a hem without pinning. When I wore a lot of vintage, I was always a consistent 27 inch inseam. But I would never consider having a new pair hemmed to that length without at least trying them on and having them pinned, because occasionally, the fit was such that it was not exactly 27 inches. On newer pants, I would expect it to vary even more. Did he have you try them on and pin them?

 

[Picard1138]

I have found this to be the case as well. It's difficult to find a good tailor. I have two suits out at two different tailors right now, and we'll see the results. I ask for 1.5" to 2" cuffs in my trousers because I like the look. I have gotten a flat out "No" several times, or trousers that wind up with the wrong break, and then not enough material left after cutting to fix it. If anyone knows a good tailor for alterations in Philadelphia, please let me know, as my patience is wearing thin.

Likewise, I have yet to find a good drycleaner that knows how to press suits, or wash shirts properly. Then again, most drycleaners send their garments out, so really I'm probably dealing with the same place no matter where I go.

-Max

 

[Chasseur]

More likely they're just conforming to a contemporary fashion norm, and incapable ofcomprehending there are those who don't wish to do the same. Pretty standard in clothing retail in my experience, alas.

Yep this is my experience as well. If they normally do jobs for people who want "normal stuff" ie sleeves that go down to the knuckles of the hand, pools of fabric at the trouser bottoms with the trousers belted low, they will really resist doing anything different. I have one alteration lady I use locally and it took us some time to reach an understanding that I want to show a little shirt cuff and I only want a slight trouser break. Once you get this relationship going try to sustain it good for you and also for their business. If they won't do it for you find someone who will.

Having said that beyond just simple alterations I've had similar issues with attempts at using bespoke tailors as well. If customs have never asked for fitted armholes before they'll really resist your requests for them...

 

[Rudie]

I have only good things to say about my alterations tailor. He was trained as a bespoke tailor in the former GDR. He does exactly what I ask him to do, no complaints right from the start. He really knows his stuff.

 

[Cochese]

I am confused about the pants length. True, most men wear their pants a lot lower these days. But wouldn't any competent tailor have you try them on, stand on a stool and pin them for perfect length? If so, then you must wear the waist where you normally do at the pinning. If not, well, I am confused as to how any tailor can do a hem without pinning. When I wore a lot of vintage, I was always a consistent 27 inch inseam. But I would never consider having a new pair hemmed to that length without at least trying them on and having them pinned, because occasionally, the fit was such that it was not exactly 27 inches. On newer pants, I would expect it to vary even more. Did he have you try them on and pin them?

Agree with this. I had to have alterations done for the first time outside of when I got my original suit fitted. I bought the wrong size on both the pants and the jacket due to pricing, and the first thing he told me to do was to put it on. A week later, my bargain suit looks and feels fantastic, even better than my really nice one.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Like most things they just don't make or do things like they use to.

 

[Corky]

My experiences with the tailors at Brooks Brothers have all been positive.

Now and then when I get alterations done at a dry cleaners or at a tailors where you walk in off the street, the person doing the measuring only knows one way to measure a trouser cuff, so you wind up with a pair of pants with cuffs with breaks that look like the ones I wore when I was wearing jeans hanging down over cowboy boots in the 1970's.

 

[Lincsong]

Yep this is my experience as well. If they normally do jobs for people who want "normal stuff" ie sleeves that go down to the knuckles of the hand, pools of fabric at the trouser bottoms with the trousers belted low, they will really resist doing anything different. I have one alteration lady I use locally and it took us some time to reach an understanding that I want to show a little shirt cuff and I only want a slight trouser break. Once you get this relationship going try to sustain it good for you and also for their business. If they won't do it for you find someone who will.

Having said that beyond just simple alterations I've had similar issues with attempts at using bespoke tailors as well. If customs have never asked for fitted armholes before they'll really resist your requests for them...

Thank-you. I have to say, it's like talking to a wall with some of these people. Glad you finally found someone who values your business. Most of these illiterates shouldn't even be in the business if they're refusing to give the customer what he wants, especially since he not only is paying for the tailoring but wearing the clothes.

 

[Lincsong]

I am confused about the pants length. True, most men wear their pants a lot lower these days. But wouldn't any competent tailor have you try them on, stand on a stool and pin them for perfect length? If so, then you must wear the waist where you normally do at the pinning. If not, well, I am confused as to how any tailor can do a hem without pinning. When I wore a lot of vintage, I was always a consistent 27 inch inseam. But I would never consider having a new pair hemmed to that length without at least trying them on and having them pinned, because occasionally, the fit was such that it was not exactly 27 inches. On newer pants, I would expect it to vary even more. Did he have you try them on and pin them?

But most of these tailors are incompent. I've had a couple where I thought they had it done correctly, then when I came back the fools purposely hemmed them wrong and then didn't have enough material to bring it down. It seems to be an occupational mental illness.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

On a brighter note, I recently had to have a tuxedo tailored for a wedding. The lady owns a little shop and she's probably in her 60's, by my guess. She did a great job, and the waist was higher, which is how I wear my pants. The sleeves of the jacket were also perfect, as well as the length of the legs on the pants. My only complaint was the shoes were too small, and she had no control over that!

 

[Guttersnipe]

Lincsong - Out of curiosity, at what stores did you encounter these issues?

I've generally had good luck with store tailors are the following local business: Saks Mens Store (SF); Brooks Brothers (SF); Hound Clothiers (SF); Cable Car Clothiers (SF); Hickey Freeman (SF, now closed I believe). However, even when complimentary tailoring is included at larger chain stores, like Nordstrom's, Bloomingdale's, or Macy's, I still opt to take items elsewhere and pay to have alterations done correctly. Above all, though, Tailors at places like Jos. A Banks and The Men's Warehouse should be avoided like the plague!

If you like, PM me and I can recommend some first rate Bay Area alternations tailors, one of whom is even in the East Bay (since I know you are "friscophobic"). You have to promise not to call anyone I recommend illiterate/incompetent/fools, though . . .

 

[John in Covina]

Next time bring a tazer. I go to a guy in San Gabriel or the tailor in the shop just south of the West Covina shoppng Mall the street fresh & easy is on a little west of Vincent. Both are great and will do what you want. If you talk about the styles from the 40's and 50's they are old enough to understand and have done work for older people. So they aren't stuck with recent stupid fads and lousy styling. They recognize quality when they see it and will always comment favorably on maintaining standards.

i knew things really sucked when the tux shop in the mall had no peak lapel tuxes and most were displayed sans tie.