There are two kinds of tailors, in my opinion, and I am planning to switch.
You see, most men do not have many special requirements for their clothes. They want garments that are well cut and fit. That is as far as it goes, and most very good tailors develop a house style to serve those customers. They become so accustomed to turning out the same, for example, 6x2 double breasteds that they lose their ability to make anything more than minor changes. So if a client wants a 4x1, just for the sake of argument, he gets either a refusal (usually accompanied by a turned up nose as if to say the request is in something less than impeccable taste despite having been worn by a significant fraction of the English aristocracy) or delivery of the same 6x2 that the tailor is accustomed to making.
Now, this is perfectly understandable. The first type of tailor has a perfected pattern for his 6x2 and can turn them out when semi-conscious. He may not have so much as made a 4x1 before, and doing so would mean time spent experimenting with the pattern and perhaps even wasting cloth in order to get it right. Time being money, he would rather cut another 6x2.
The second type of tailor will also make a perfectly fine 6x2 double breasted, though he will usually charge a bit more for it. And the premium exists in large part because the second type of tailor stands ready to make what the customer requests. 4x1 DB? Of course, sir, and would you like that with patch pockets?
This willingness to cut the odd patch, flap and bellows pocket is what separates the two types of tailors in my book. And now that I have accumulated what by any reasonable standard is a surfeit of conventional bespoke clothing, my wants grow increasingly exotic. So this year I will be venturing further afield in a search for a new relationship with someone who will make what I want, and do it impeccably.
So the next time I visit London, I plan to seek out Terry Haste, the former head cutter at Huntsman that author Nick Foulkes swears by (and Nick certainly possesses an assortment of one of a kind clothes to complement his proper London worsteds). I will take a look at Richard Anderson, also ex-Huntsman. I will visit Tommy Caraceni in Rome, though I doubt if those logistics will work out. And I plan a trip to Naples in the spring to visit London House, home base for Mariano Rubinacci (in the photograph).
I will have my 4x1 DB. I just need the second type of tailor.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Two Kinds of Tailors
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18 comments:
You might consider meeting Joshua Byrne of Byrne & Burge. He used to cut at Henry Poole, but left when he felt that his ideals and theirs did not match. He is clearly the kind of tailor you are after.
His website is www.byrnesofmayfair.com
I have no affiliation other than that of happy client who came in with some unusual requests and got exactly what I was hoping for and more.
I've gathered that some firms won't go far from their house style, most notably Anderson & Sheppard. I think Caraceni would be a good choice for your 4 on 1 as it is much more a continental style than English. The English much prefer the 4 on 2 for their 4-button double breasted suits.
Breaking up is hard to do. But if your tailor isn't willing to provide the garment requested, so be it.
I'm a fairly easy fit off the rack. A Brooks Brothers Fitzgerald cut suit, for example, requires little more than a shortening of the sleeves to look custom made on me.
When I DO go custom, its because I'm looking for something that they're not carrying (in the last case, a SB peak lapel with a double breasted peak lapel vest). I found a tailor happy to make me whatever I wanted. If they're not, why bother with them?
Centofanti in Ardmore PA will accommodate as well.
Tim,
I inadvertantly rejected your comment. Blame my BlackBerry.
The "relationship" with the tailor..is like with Your cardiologist:
1)He knows U very well,
2)He has materials that U like (Scabal,Holland and Sherry 4 example..)
...usually is Italian/French or English and (sometimes)the same tailor of Your Grand Father.
My tailor lives in Umbria (Italy)
I can speak very highly of Richard Anderson. I've had a few odd jackets made by him for me. At each fitting, I was asked what I wanted and how I wanted it.
Good luck with your search!
Yes, it is very hard to find a good tailor. Now and days there all selective in what they do, cause they don’t keep their skills up. And it is the men’s fault because they do not know what they want done or know what to get done to a suit. The tailor should suggest, or the customer should know. My tailors all hated me because I knew exactly what I wanted, n when they did it wrong I made them re do it or I left to find a new one.
Tailors are like a relationship, it is a give and take. You need a reg tailor for your simple quick fixes, cause there cheap and that is what they do. Then you have to look and invest for one who will do the extreme work, and making your so so suit fit like a custom. I have a tailor I go to here in Jersey, she does all my big stuff, and I have referred her all my friends or pple I meet who ask for a good tailor because they see the workmanship in a well fitting suit, which is obviously work of a great master tailor. If you want a great tailor in Northern NJ, Contact me so you won’t have to travel to NYC.
Will, I'm still griping about my Caraceni suit after ten years. It was a "worse than your ex-wife" kind of experience for me. I forgot the ex; the suit still bugs me. They're nice enough, but no one in Rome really likes their work anymore. Save time, and head to Naples. You'll have more fun!
And not simply that I’m long-winded? ;-)
I’ve kept a draft, following, should you wish to include it.
While my experience with tailors is tiny compared to yours, you echo my experience; it’s usually easier to change tailors than to substantially change the cut a tailor prefers. Experiments to do so have only provided garments with which neither the tailor or I was particularly satisfied.
It’s interesting that another reader would suggest a former Poole cutter since writers on the subject have consistently suggested Poole was probably best able among the Savile Row houses to incorporate a client’s vision. And I guess I’m a little surprised that you might find a former Huntsman cutter a likely source for your preferences, having closely followed your photos of recently commissioned tailoring.
But irrespective of where you land, your journey cannot help but be fascinating and fun. Often those garments I’ve found myself best pleased by are what I regard as happy accidents. These are those where in stretching to attempt to realize my vision the result is a harmonious synthesis that neither the tailor nor I exactly intended.
This is a pretty powerful post, in that it is implicitly a critique of the tailors you've been using. I'm sorry to hear that Mahon, Harvey, et al. won't do this kind of work for you.
Weejun, actually Peter Harvey does this kind of work for me regularly. But that's one house style and for some things I need another.
An incredible shade of blue in Signor Rubinacci's suit !
How about trying Chris Despos a little closer to home.
That's a good suggestion, Codeforever. I hear excellent things about Despos and I think he's willing to try most things. I'm sure many of ASW's readers would be interested in hearing a review of Despos' work.
Will, when i read your entry the first tailor that came to mind was Edwin DeBoise of Steed and formerly of A&S. While he lacks the notoriety of the artisans you listed, his work with Vox of SF (I'm thinking especially of the infamous Swiss Army Suit) tells me that he's eminently flexible and enjoys working on "projects."
Cheers,
Tim G.
I would have recommended Vincent Nicolosi in New York City who made a couple of suits for me in the nineties, but alas, he is not in business anymore.
Who says so? Vincent is still at his place, at 501 Madison Ave.
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