Going to Tailor for a Suit?

[John Ep]

i'm thinking about going to a tailor to have a suit made....from i understand i can get a good one here for a reasonable price (maybe around $500, does that sound like a good price?) i just want want a basic charcoal grey that can be worn all year.

does anybody have any tips or suggestions on doing this?

thanks!

[chldfknungrnd764]

i'm thinking about going to a tailor to have a suit made....from i understand i can get a good one here for a reasonable price (maybe around $500, does that sound like a good price?) i just want want a basic charcoal grey that can be worn all year.

does anybody have any tips or suggestions on doing this?

thanks!

What size are you?

[martino]

tailor made is the way to go for suits for sure. Price ranges depending on the fabric you go with

[chldfknungrnd764]

tailor made is the way to go for suits for sure. Price ranges depending on the fabric you go with

I would love to go for that.

Rochester Big and Tall is pretty cool for my needs.

[John Ep]

i'm 6 ft., and umm....lets say 200 lbs.

i would like a light weight wool, ideally that can be worn year around, but that might be asking too much cause its really cold here in winter and really hot in summer.

[John Ep]

oh, and i'm in seoul, s. korea...

[TAC]

...

[chldfknungrnd764]

oh, and i'm in seoul, s. korea...

If you're in Korea I'd go for it.

I had some nice suits made in Korea after Operation Team Spirit.

[joesuuf]

I have never priced a tailor. However, I would ask for samples that I could see and feel. References should also be provided on request.

Is $500 the range you usually stay in for store bought suits?

[joesuuf]

If you're in Korea I'd go for it.

I had some nice suits made in Korea after Operation Team Spirit.

I've read articles in GQ about excellent cheap, super cheap tailors in Thailand. Other magazines as well that mention other places in Asia.

[chldfknungrnd764]

I've read articles in GQ about excellent cheap, super cheap tailors in Thailand. Other magazines as well that mention other places in Asia.

There are good tailors in Korea.

A lot of troops get major suits made while in the Far East.

There are good material samples too, it's a tempting trip to a tailor.

[John Ep]

so what is the process?

can i just bring in a picture and say "please make this style"?

i think obama's suits perfect, a little fitted but doesn't make him look like a mod. i need it for professional/teaching situations.

[chldfknungrnd764]

so what is the process?

can i just bring in a picture and say "please make this style"?

i think obama's suits perfect, a little fitted but doesn't make him look like a mod. i need it for professional/teaching situations.

A picture helps.

Make sure you ask around before you pick a tailor.

[MarkK]

Ask around, I had suits made in Hong Kong. Get a good tailor and trust him.

[chldfknungrnd764]

Ask around, I had suits made in Hong Kong. Get a good tailor and trust him.

[John Ep]

i could wait and go to hong kong....

so how much should i roughly expect to pay? i just threw the $500 out there, but to be honest, the last time i got a suit was 10 years ago, and my mom paid for it.

[chldfknungrnd764]

i could wait and go to hong kong....

so how much should i roughly expect to pay? i just threw the $500 out there, but to be honest, the last time i got a suit was 10 years ago, and my mom paid for it.

You can get a tailored suit for way less than $500 over there, shop around first.

[julian_kelly]

i'm thinking about going to a tailor to have a suit made....from i understand i can get a good one here for a reasonable price (maybe around $500, does that sound like a good price?) i just want want a basic charcoal grey that can be worn all year.

does anybody have any tips or suggestions on doing this?

thanks!

First off, you can’t beat a tailored suit. Once you get one, you won't want to got back to off the rack, so you’re moving into a realm of clothing that you’re gonna enjoy

$500 is the low end price point for a custom suit which is probably made to measure (MTM). With entry level MTM, you basically deal with a suit that’s a basic style and you can make some changes, i.e., lapels, rolls, buttons, pockets, amount of break in pants, stitching, etc.

For example, one MTM style may be a sack suit which is the basic corporate america suit with a boxy shaped coat, medium width pants and minimal styling. Another style may be a neopolitan style which is slim fitting in the jacket, no pads in the shoulders and slim in the pants. The goal is to know which styles your tailor offers. So if you want a full cut in the jacket and pants, you’re not gonna go to a tailor that doesn’t offer that type of suit. To avoid this, go to the tailor with pictures of the styles you want and see if they can accommodate you. Not all tailors can do all styles.

MTM suits can go from $500 to a few grand, depending on who’s making them; but you can get a good solid suit from $600-$800 …1,000 high end. You can get a solid good looking MTM suit for around $500, but if you wear your suits a lot then you want to go up in price to get better fabric.

Pay for the best fabric/weight that you can, especially if you intend to wear the suit often and year-round; the better the fabric, the more it holds its shape and 'sheen' over time. Also, get a suit that’s fully canvassed. Canvassing is a lining in the suit that helps the suit hold its shape and not get wrinkles. A suit that’s canvassed flows better.

Suits on the high end are bespoke, where there basically is no set style and you make the entire suit conceptually from scratch with the best fabrics. Bespoke suits are usually at a minimum $1,500 up to several grand. They are typically entirely hand made where MTM suits are made by machine. In general, MTM is a better value if you’re on a budget, unless you have the loot to set out for bespoke. MTM is like a Honda to Benz… Bespoke is like a Bentley.

Also ask the tailor how many fittings there will be. Some made to measure suits only have one fitting (where the takes your entire measurements one time and sends it off to be made). Two fittings are usually better but take longer. With two sets of measurements, after the tailor takes one set of measurements, he sends the measurements off to the maker and a few weeks later, the unfinished shell of the suit comes back, you try it on, and he tweaks the final measurements to be sent off for the final time. A tailor can get it right in one measuring, but they have to be good, and usually two measurements cost more than one. Nevertheless, one measurement can suffice if the tailor is good.

Also realize that most tailors don’t make suits. They merely take your measurements and send them off somewhere to make them (often overseas); they do minor alterations, but don’t make the entire suit. But there are a few tailors who do make them in house.

Expect to get a suit with one measurement in around 4 to 6 weeks. Proper protocol is to pay half up front and the rest on completion to your satisfaction. One way to get deep discounts on your wares is to give referrals to the tailor. A good tailor will give you a deep discount or free shirts, ties, etc. if you give them a certain number of referrals.

Nevertheless, custom is the way to go, they fit like a glove, hang sweet and you can make them how you want and usually the construction is better then off the rack. You’ll always get a compliment on a custom suit…they look and wear better.

Grey is a good place to start color-wise for you can wear it with anything. To build your basic wardrobe get one grey subtle pinstripe and a second grey of another style -- do the same for blue and finally get one solid black suit; afterwards you can branch out into all the other funky colors and styles, etc.

[chldfknungrnd764]

Good points.

[julian_kelly]

so what is the process?

can i just bring in a picture and say "please make this style"?

i think obama's suits perfect, a little fitted but doesn't make him look like a mod. i need it for professional/teaching situations.

Obama basically wears a sack suit with a lot of suppression in the waist of the coat...meaning the shape is the coat is boxy, has pads in the shoulders, but the waist (rib area of coat) is suppressed slightly and fits semi closely...also he has a semi high button stance on his suits where the top button placement is higher. I read somewhere that he wears Hart Schaffner Marx -- a traditional american style. You can get a similar suit at Brooks Brothers. Suits like George Bush wears are traditional sack suits with little suppression in the waist with a low button stance. Both of those styles are American styles with Bush's being more conservative.

[John Ep]

Thanks!

[mhd]

julian pretty much set it out, i would just add that as with most fine things, the sky is the limit on cost, so, be careful in your decisions, if you make it to hong kong, let me know and i will give you the number to a tailor i have used there. gray is a great color to start with, although, i can't imagine having only one custom suit, in this economy you should be able to bargain and perhaps get three suits, with some shirts, custom of course, thrown in. good luck, i guarantee you will be very pleased with the outcome, it is a very interesting process and if you get someone really into their craft you can come away with a lot more than a beautiful garment

[julian_kelly]

julian pretty much set it out, i would just add that as with most fine things, the sky is the limit on cost, so, be careful in your decisions, if you make it to hong kong, let me know and i will give you the number to a tailor i have used there. gray is a great color to start with, although, i can't imagine having only one custom suit, in this economy you should be able to bargain and perhaps get three suits, with some shirts, custom of course, thrown in. good luck, i guarantee you will be very pleased with the outcome, it is a very interesting process and if you get someone really into their craft you can come away with a lot more than a beautiful garment

This dude makes some of the smoothest suits to me...expensive...like at least $2,000 low end, but fly http://domenicovacca.com/

[julian_kelly]

Thanks!

Didn't realize that youre in Seoul. Im sure you can get some very good prices in your region.

Make sure you do your homework...overall the process is pretty fun.

[John Ep]

thanks again for the advice, maybe should start a Deep House of Style Tips list....anyway, if i go through with it will let you know how it turns out.