I don't know if this is the right thread but... I have a story pertaining to suits that I thought some of you might find interesting...
My father-in-law was a star athlete for communist Romania (a competition skydiver), who later went on to coach the national team and attain an important position in the party hierarchy. As part of a priveleged class, he got to travel abroad quite frequently and had access to all sorts of interesting things and people.
At one point he came into possession of several bolts of high-quality English woolen cloth (forgive my lack of knowledge of the trade lingo) - two patterns that the then president had chosen during a visit th the UK. The rule then was that for five years, only the president could wear said pattern - it wouldn't do to have any old bumpkin showing up wearing the same threads as the man in charge. How they enforced this, I don't know... One didn't much try their luck during that regime.
In that period, one didn't come into contact with material such as this every day, so my father-in-law held on to the material. He wasn't sure what he would do with it, but perhaps it would come in handy.
I eventually appeared on the scene, and he had a brilliant idea - he would have me several suits made from the material, using one of the same tailors employed by the late president. The tailor happened to be a neighbour. With communism several years gone by this stage, people like him were struggling to make a living. No one ordered suits or alterations any more.
It was my first experience having a suit tailored to my frame/build. Off-the-rack suits never fit well, but these fit me to a T. The tailor even noticed that one shoulder is slightly higher than the other and compensated accordingly in the shoulder padding. I was impressed. Even back when I was in the military, the fella kitting us out for our dress uniforms didn't catch this.
The material that my father-in-law gave me was in pristine condition, especially given its age. It is much different than what I find used in today's suits. It is heavier, stiffer yet smoother. Unlike some of my off-the-racks, after a day of wear all that is required to smooth it out is to let it hang overnight. The weight of the cloth sorts that out.
The tailor's work is also different. As he was from an older generation, he made the suit as they did 40 someodd years ago - no shortcuts. Plus - his old client was a rather demanding individual, so he was well versed in his craft. He was very happy to have the opportunity to make a set of suits, and the money helped. We went back for several fittings, and during this time he shared all sorts of interesting stories with us. It was a great experience.
We're going back to Romania in April/May in time for Easter, and I intend on looking this gentleman up to see if I can commission several other articles of clothing.
Well... hope you found that interesting!
My father-in-law was a star athlete for communist Romania (a competition skydiver), who later went on to coach the national team and attain an important position in the party hierarchy. As part of a priveleged class, he got to travel abroad quite frequently and had access to all sorts of interesting things and people.
At one point he came into possession of several bolts of high-quality English woolen cloth (forgive my lack of knowledge of the trade lingo) - two patterns that the then president had chosen during a visit th the UK. The rule then was that for five years, only the president could wear said pattern - it wouldn't do to have any old bumpkin showing up wearing the same threads as the man in charge. How they enforced this, I don't know... One didn't much try their luck during that regime.
In that period, one didn't come into contact with material such as this every day, so my father-in-law held on to the material. He wasn't sure what he would do with it, but perhaps it would come in handy.
I eventually appeared on the scene, and he had a brilliant idea - he would have me several suits made from the material, using one of the same tailors employed by the late president. The tailor happened to be a neighbour. With communism several years gone by this stage, people like him were struggling to make a living. No one ordered suits or alterations any more.
It was my first experience having a suit tailored to my frame/build. Off-the-rack suits never fit well, but these fit me to a T. The tailor even noticed that one shoulder is slightly higher than the other and compensated accordingly in the shoulder padding. I was impressed. Even back when I was in the military, the fella kitting us out for our dress uniforms didn't catch this.
The material that my father-in-law gave me was in pristine condition, especially given its age. It is much different than what I find used in today's suits. It is heavier, stiffer yet smoother. Unlike some of my off-the-racks, after a day of wear all that is required to smooth it out is to let it hang overnight. The weight of the cloth sorts that out.
The tailor's work is also different. As he was from an older generation, he made the suit as they did 40 someodd years ago - no shortcuts. Plus - his old client was a rather demanding individual, so he was well versed in his craft. He was very happy to have the opportunity to make a set of suits, and the money helped. We went back for several fittings, and during this time he shared all sorts of interesting stories with us. It was a great experience.
We're going back to Romania in April/May in time for Easter, and I intend on looking this gentleman up to see if I can commission several other articles of clothing.
Well... hope you found that interesting!
