58panheadfan
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This was the part in the original thread that bothered me too. I didn't realize he was making a second jacket for Jeo at the time so I had found the wording odd without understanding that bit of context. But as you said how was it simultaneously unavoidable and something that could be remedied in the future? I am really glad the second jacket came out great and overall Jeo still enjoys the first one as well.
This is all very helpful information for anyone interested going forward, thank you for sharing. And I say this is as someone who will most likely order a chevalier in the near future and Im thankful for Carlos and Jeo sharing their experiences. The customer service response does give me pause, I admit.
A lot of this reminds me of conversations I have with my tailor in regard to the rise of IG and social media. There's often a great deal of discussion online about how much hand stitching one maker has versus another and if one does more than another they are therefore superior almost like it's a math equation. But ultimately it's the overall experience and for me specifically, the fit and how I feel wearing the suit. I would be more inclined to look past a few bad stitches for a near perfect fit as that in my opinion is the hardest thing to replicate/achieve from any maker or OTR. So when I find someone who can do that I'm hooked. This isn't to excuse the stitching on Jeo's jacket or the response he received as my tailor would never let a suit with obvious flaws in top stitching out the door and I believe it's easier to hide other mistakes in cloth just another aspect to think about. When a bespoke product fits there's nothing better and when it doesn't it's a disaster which is why expectations for customer service are so important in the initial leap of faith.
I've followed Himel for a long time across social media and I enjoy his newer youtube videos. What I have always admired are his designs and how great the jackets look on all of his customers in all shapes and sizes. Carlos' Chevalier is one of the better fitting jackets I've seen. I have a couple of second hand Himel jackets and I quite like them(I've never heavily examined the stitching but I've also not noticed anything in daily use) but as I mentioned above, fit is my ultimate goal and I'll need to go custom. There are many flaws on Jeo's original jacket I would be willing to look past for a perfect fit but I completely understand someone who wouldn't and there are a couple I would not be ok with. I have OTR leather jackets from high end Japanese repro companies and the stitching is flawless but the fit leaves a lot to be desired and the price point is similar, I'd prefer both the perfect stitching and the fit but if I had to choose I'd go fit every time. But I have to believe in the customer service and I am very appreciative of these threads that I am more informed in the decision I would be making.
Excellent post! I can say that those who gossip viciously about a few crooked seams often present themselves in poorly fitting clothes on the social media platforms.