looking for a tailor in my price range...

[tofu]

i'm interested in having a suit made. i've been lurking these forums for a while now and have come across many tailors that you guys have mentioned, but i'm still unsure as to which one would be right for me.

now, a bit of a shift from the norm... i'm looking for a more modern cut suit. narrow notched lapels, snug fit, single button, high armhole, slit pockets.

a good example of what i'm looking for can be seen worn by the much disliked tom cruise in the movie collateral: http://im.rediff.com/movies/2004/aug/09us1.jpg

http://www.baronboutique.com/movie_replica/tom_cruise/tom_collateral.jpg

the quality i'm used to are the suits i've been purchasing from dolce & gabbana, armani, and some banana republic. judging from bespoke threads, the brands i've purchased are really nothing to write home about. i was wondering if i can achieve the look i want in a simillar quality (to what i've been purchasing) for around $500 (which happens to be about how much i pay for my more expensive suits on ebay).

thanks.

-chris


ps: i live in nyc and i am a 38r or 38s

 

[Baron Kurtz]

If you find one for that price, let me know.

I doubt you'll find one, though ...

bk

 

[tofu]

so are you suggesting for that price i'm better off just sticking to "designer" off the rack suits?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

No. designer suits generally suck large amounts of ... well you get the picture. Double the price and go to a tailor (it would require waiting longer before getting the suit. This is what i do. Low budget and all that). One of the NY denizens would be able to help out, i think, with local tailors. Maybe they come as cheap as $500. But i haven't seen anything cheaper than $900 in the US (and i think he was lying to get me into his measuring room, then hit me with a much bigger price).

Good luck! Seriously.

bk

 

[tofu]

ah, okay..

so i'm guessing its best to steer clear of "online tailors" such as mytailor and such?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Well, i can promote mysuitshop.com

The suits i got from there (~150; okay fabrics; decent, but not spectacular tailoring) are all very nice for what they are. They can certainly recreate a look. Though Senator Jack will likely have some different ideas about those guys.

If you have $200-300 to take a risk with an online tailor i'd say go with it. I'm pleased with the results of my mysuitshop experiments. I won't use them again, but that has nothing to do with quality: I'd rather now stick to vintage and (when i have the cash, and access to superior workmen) a tailor i can talk to face to face, as it were.

bk

 

[tofu]

i may give them a try.

now you say the cut came out pretty well? i'd want something atleast on par with the off-the-rack stuff i've been purchasing, since it is considered so crappy by most custom standards.

i'm just worried about bleeding buttons (like that other fellow) and an oddly shaped cut that definitely gives off the impression "cheap suit"

my worst fear about custom tailoring is having uneven proportions and boxy fitting. i'm not so much concerened with such intricate details that can only be picked up by harsh and upclose scrutiny.

you've been very helpful. thanks.

-chris

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Well, i can promote mysuitshop.com

Did you pick one of the shapes on their website, or did you send in a picture? In either case, did you ask for extras like high armholes etc?

 

[Senator Jack]

Other fellow with the bleeding buttons here. Maybe I am being harsh on mycustomtailor (or mysuit or whatever else they call themselves). I just seem to have bad luck in life. I routinely receive merchandise that falls apart or doesn't work: a DVD player that had to be sent back three times, new car parts that fail within a week, and now suits that either don't fit or bleed buttons.

Anyway, I'm trying one more suit with mytailor.com, and then after that, like Baron Kurtz, I'm just going to stick with vintage. The custom route is fine for filling in gaps in your wardrobe (wearable vintage white suits are nearly impossible to find - in any size) but unless you're Mr. Gotrocks, it's just too expensive. Plus, getting a stain on a $100 vintage suit is frustrating enough - on a new $1,000 suit it makes you want to cry.

I can tell you that you're NOT going to find a tailor here in New York that will make you a custom for less than $900. That was the cheapest fabric I found, and when you look through their books, you're going to want something more expensive.

Phil's 1908 has their suits made in Italy, and I can vouch for the quality. Vintage or new, I've never owned another suit that wears like this one. Unfortunately, unless I come into some serious jack, I'll never be able to buy another one. If I do come into a serious amount of jack, my next trip would be back to Luigi's on 22nd and 7th in Chelsea. I had a couple of shirts made there a year and a half ago, and they are the only ones that have held up. The tailors are on staff, and everything is made right there in the shop. They have some beautiful vintage - inspired 3 piece suits for $1,200.

If you're routinely buying rack suits for $500, you may want to consider not buying two (or three) and investing in one great suit that you really want. Again, I'd recommend it being something that you're not ever going to find - vintage or new.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[tofu]

If you're routinely buying rack suits for $500, you may want to consider not buying two (or three) and investing in one great suit that you really want. Again, I'd recommend it being something that you're not ever going to find - vintage or new.

this would probably be the best route for me to take, but to be honest, i would have a really hard time bringing myself to spending $1500 on a suit. perhaps in the future when i come up with an idea for a really unique suit that justifies the pricetag, i will give it a go, but for now, the suit i'm looking for isn't TOO out of the ordinary.

i see you are giving the online tailor another shot. i will probably give it a go myself. not sure which one to choose though..

 

[tofu]

well, i decided to go with mysuitshop.com. i sent them an e-mail and pia (the person who responded) seems fairly confident she can reproduce the look i want judging from the pictures.

hopefully all works out well, and i receive a suit on par or better than my current off the rack suits.

having a bit of trouble deciding on a fabric that matches closest to what i want, but i think a 120's wool/cashmere sharkskin material that i came across seems pretty close. i'll see what she says.

 

[Caledonia]

Sorry to butt in. Just saw your name tofu and loved it!

 

[tofu]

thanks

 

[tofu]

wow.. these people seem a bit over zealous.

i ask about which material would be a closer match, and i get a reponse saying my order has been placed?

although i think they e-mailed the wrong person because my account with them doesnt have any "current orders" or "order history"

 

[Matt Deckard]

Still sorry to hear about the Buttons Jack.

I myself think I'll hold off on getting some vintage suits and try out some of these tailors that are local. getting alot of requests for info and it would be nice if I had it.

So far the only custom custom tailor that knows vintage that I have been to is Jorge Avalos. Time to see more.

 

[otterhound]

I don't know if it is too late for you Tofu, since you already placed your online order, but I have had good luck with a made-to-measure suit from Tom James. I think you might be able to get a suit from them for less than $1,000. My suit from them came with high arm holes and I didn't even have to for them. They have a huge number of options for cut and details.