Hideki Okisaka: Master '30s tailor !

[BellyTank]

Probably the has-been Rockabilly kids- maturing into the 1930s...

Probably not the Professionals...

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[MudInYerEye]

]
P.S. I may be Chinese, but I don't wanna hear "japs" thrown around so lightly. Hafta stand up for my Asian cousins.

Man, that's like an Irishman sticking up for the English. This is clearly a new world we live in.
The Word removed--Edit Matt Deckard reference was just a joke in reference to the original post of this thread. I hold the Japanese in the HIGHEST regard amongst peoples of this world.

 

[resortes805]

ummmm...yeah ditto on Ray's comment, I'm actually part Korean and even I wince when the "J" word is thrown around since most people can't tell us apart anyway (*cough* Memoirs of a Geisha *cough* ) But this is the suits section and I digress....

As Matt said, these suits are very similar to the custom work that Jorge from La Bomba sells. Here are a few pics that used to be on the la Bomba website...

I actually like the broader lapels and more longish cut of the coats...in my opinion these are more like 40's suits with the best of 30's styling, which is right up my alley.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I just talked to Jorge today... I'm going to have a few new pairs of trowsers made. Since I lost weight I have a closet full of trowsers that are too large to be reduced in size.

He's very Hollywood in style... hopefully I can get him to lean a little more toward Brooks Brothers 1930's.

 

[MudInYerEye]

ummmm...yeah ditto on Ray's comment, I'm actually part Korean and even I wince when the "J" word is thrown around since most people can't tell us apart anyway (*cough* Memoirs of a Geisha *cough* )

Exactly who does most "most people" and "us" refer to anyway?
I must direct you to my previous post. In addition, if I have offended any JAPANESE people, then please accept my humblest apology. Please note this apology is not directed towards non-Japanese who seek to censor the free thought or speech of others they feel politcally or morally superior to.

 

[Matt Deckard]

The racial epithets (and they are seen as such) have been removed from this thread. We are here to talk about suits, not to debate the use of derogatory labels.

 

[LaMedicine]

Hmm, well, I am Japanese. I did notice some words here, but I kinda figured, well..., oh..... [huh] There was a thread elsewhere on all this (which I stayed out of) which made me figure, depending on the generation, the perception changes....so, many many years later, it may well become on par with "Yanks" and "Dixie", or whatever.
That said, my first reaction was an "uh-oh." The second is above.
So, Matt, thank you for your consideration.

Now, back to the original assignment.
From the web page, it seems that this Mr. Okisaka works out of his home, which is located in the North-east area of Tokyo (from the phone no.), as the explanation where the pics were taken says his office cum home. I searched the internet, but it seems he has nothing up except that particular page linked here. From that, I guess he's an independent tailor who probably will carter to any order...modern, repros, whatever, that his customers require. I can't say what the cost would be, but here's a link to one of the foremost tailors in Japan, listing the price of their products which includes the material, which should give you some idea of how much they may cost.
http://www.ginyama.co.jp/products/style_jacket.html
Top page of Ginza Yamagataya's web site.
http://www.ginyama.co.jp/index.html
Top page of their online shop.
http://store.yahoo.co.jp/gy-online/
(I am sorry they're all in Japanese, they don't seem to have an English page, so y'all'll have to get by with online translators.)

As far as who would order such suits, it probably isn't necessarily someone who is interested in a particular era, nor wanna bes. Anyone, business people, corporate executives included, who think such style as smart would not hesitate ordering such a suit if it matched their taste. So long as you are dressed tastefully, and fit for the occasion, whether the style evokes memories of years gone by, or some futuristic times, you can get by with just about anything.

 

[geo]

I got that site from the contact page of Marc Guyot:

http://www.marcguyot.com

Marc Guyot makes made-to-measure shoes, suits and jackets in the "Apparel Arts" style costing 800 Euros for a suit and 600 for a jacket. His shop in Paris is called "Cape Cod". I've never seen it, but I sure will if I ever get to Paris.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Thank you again, Geo! Guyot = dandy.

Pink shoes, anyone?

http://www.marcguyot.com/7.aspx

 

[geo]

The shoes are custom-made, so I guess anything goes. Apart from pink shoes, there's also a pair of nice two-tone spectators, where the white part seems to be suede.http://www.marcguyot.com/5.aspx

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Now, back to the original assignment.
From the web page, it seems that this Mr. Okisaka works out of his home ...

Well done, LaMedicine! Thank you kindly for taking the time to translate the Japanese text for us.

I wonder if Mr. Okisaka can write in English? He seems to be able to read it, based on the number of old Esquire magazines cited on his website.

 

[shindeco]

I wonder if Mr. Okisaka can write in English? He seems to be able to read it, based on the number of old Esquire magazines cited on his website.[/QUOTE]

You're assuming he buys them for the articles!

 

[Matt Deckard]

I don't think many people buy the vintage esquires for the articles.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Actually, Esquire had some fantastic articles! It was an upscale, expensive magazine for its (Depression-era) time, and it paid authors well. Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald contributed some decent short stories to it.

 

[LaMedicine]

Well done, LaMedicine! Thank you kindly for taking the time to translate the Japanese text for us.

I wonder if Mr. Okisaka can write in English? He seems to be able to read it, based on the number of old Esquire magazines cited on his website.

Oops. I'm sorry, I forgot to explain.
The website itself is somebodyelse's, not Mr. Okisaka himself. Obviously, this somebody else (or a group of somebodyelses, since the webmaster's signature is ESKY) is someone who appreciates the '30s style, and has an extensive personal collection. And yes, this person (or persons) would be able to read English quite well, especially if he has had a college education, and even if he has not, his interest in the '30s would inspire him to improve his English, since it is taught in schools here starting in middle school--the equivalent of 7th grade in the US, thru high school--up to 12th grade, so he should know enough English to start out on his "adventures". Whether he can, or is willing to, express himself well in English is another matter, though. (A lot of the Japanese, even though they may be able to speak/write English passbly, will shy away from having an English page, unless they have someone who can do the translations at a professional level, since many Japanese are perfectionsts, and are unwilling to bring into the public eye, something less than perfect.)
Apparently, the webmaster personally knows Mr. Okisaka, and went to his shop to take the pictures of the suits the tailor made, and probably is a good customer of his as well.

 

[Mr. Rover]

E-mail Reply

I e-mailed the web-site a week ago, and the webmaster alias Esky replied today. This is what he wrote:

Removed

The e-mail address was at aol.com so I figured his English would have to be pretty decent. I hope he doesn't mind me posting it for all to see at this forum.

 

[BellyTank]

250,000-350,000 Yen is more like £1200-1700, isn't it...? That's kind of around good London bespoke prices isn't it..? Not a lot more.

It seems from the message Ray received, that Mr. Okisaka prides himself on his individual attention, fabric selection, attention to era-correct detail and hand-sewing and finishing.

That email message looks a lot like what I get when I Babelfish a Japanese web site- Japanese is tough for a machine to translate into meaningful and to-the- point English- it always turns out very poetical, mythical and vague-


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[LaMedicine]

Hm. I was guessing maybe around 2K-4K in dollars, so I wasn't far off. This would be on the relatively priceier end, even here in Japan. Still, corporate managers and executives would be able to afford something in that range.

As for the English...yes, it could have been put thru an online translator. Or, it could have been written by the person replying, but at any rate, I'd say the initial reply was first written in Japanese because the sentences seem to be the result of direct translation from Japanese, rather than being written in English from the beginning. In any case, whomever ESKY is, is used to dealing in English on a daily basis, at least, so it may be fun to entice him into coming here since his knowledge seems to be extensive. That is, if he already isn't here...

 

[BellyTank]

The REAL Esky...

This is the REAL Esky-

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[Marc Chevalier]

I e-mailed the web-site a week ago, and the webmaster alias Esky replied today.

Ray, it's great that you reached out to this fellow. Thank you! One of the best things about the Fedora Lounge is getting see how many of us -- from China to Denmark to Canada and back again -- enjoy '30s style.

I hope the Lounge links itself to the Japanese website, and vice-versa.