And then there are the shoes, which after the usual year's wait have to be re-made when one of them is too long despite two previous fittings. They were ordered 18 months ago, delivered in their first iteration six months ago, and ready for fitting in November. That means it will be spring at best before they are ready for wear. Two years, if all goes well.
Of course, having things made takes longer when one is unable to travel and needs to wait for the makers to visit. And so I am reminded once again that the visiting artisan process, whether cordwainer, tailor or other craft, works much better when the customer visits the artisan at least half the time instead of waiting passively for his or her periodic local appearances.
Bespoke takes effort on the part of the customer as well as the part of the maker.
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15 comments:
Will, I think that you have just written an indictment of the bespoke process.
When I ordered from Davies I did not have that problem. From order to receipt of the finished suit, the whole process took about 4 months.
I should have added that the occasional problem is the reason that for decades I have used more than one tailor and had only one thing in the works from any of them at a time. Never before have I received two things with problems in the same season, but I suppose it was inevitable.
I don't know who at Davies cut your coat Mark but seems to have more work than he once did.
All true of course. And while one expects of bespoke, if not sublime perfection, at least sleeves of the correct length, would not a competent local alterations tailor be a more desirable alternative for such an apparently simple alteration rather than an additional year’s wait?
Alan Bennett at Davies.
One reason for the quick turn-around is four visits a year to New York City.
You can order in October, have a basted try-on in early January, and get your suit 1 month thereafter.
After going through the Bespoke shoe process of measuring and fitting, I would never do it again. The Price of 1750 pounds was definitely not worth the finished product. The shoe is very nice but certainly not any better fitting or better looking than RTW from a top shoe Manf. which I can fit into very easily and if I don't I don't buy it.
Will: you've just laid out why (appealing though it is)having suits made by the best when you don't live in close proximity to them or visit frequently is simply not viable. Far better for most people to find someone local who can produce an approximation of the best.
This post should be required reading for anyone who has what I call "romantic" notions about bespoke goods. I wave off anyone who for some reason wants to bespeak a suit of coat "just once...for the experience." They are bound to be disappointed and usually step down to the domestic MTM option when I tell them that it takes a cutter three garments to really "get you right."
Your patience and forbearance is admirable. A more hot headed man might have been tempted to say something about Yorktown and thanks for my final suit from you. But that might be rude. :)
Funny thing, an announcement for this internet-only bespoke suit service was in my mailbox right behind today's bespoke post!
http://propersuit.com/store
I know, I know, and instead of the million obvious things one could say, I'll say it's certainly interesting and ambitious how they get the measurements: have your friend mark your body with a sharpie pen and take a tape to it. And it's interesting that these non-standard measurements are then fed to pattern-generating software for custom cutting (that is, it's not traditional made-to-measure).
It would be interesting to see what goes right and wrong with this service. And at that price point, do you get something you'd wear even if it does fit?
@ Will:
I don't know how complex "your" problem of a too long sleeve was/is but wouldn't it be enough to bring it to your tailor in the bay area to shorten it? If he is offended by the task of altering another tailor's imperfect product, you can still go to a high end alterations tailor...
@tonyp
Bespoke shoes make most sense when you design them according to your optical preference (mixed leathers, broguing etc.). If one cannot fancy "unusual" designs, most "ordinary" rtw shoes should fit the average foot.
Johannes, it is usually not a great idea to take a bespoke item to a separate alterations tailor. Required changes need to be taken into account on your pattern so the next item comes out correctly, at least in theory.
In practice the scissors can be off by an eighth from one jacket to another and something that was marginal on one coat will need change on another.
And though there is at least one good alterations tailor in the area there is no-one that I know of capable of making an aceptable coat.
ADG said...
Have to agree. I've had some bespoke disappointments that didn't turn out looking as good as top end off the peg or MTM (Chester Barrie, Canali). Even those who enjoy clothes often aren't able for economic or time reasons to make colossal investments in them.
My Shoemaker is Baroli. it costs 400 euro for any style you want. you get measured and one month later you have Bespoke shoes
Later rather than sooner is par for the course when it comes to bespoke. It is a small price to pay for the experience and freedom of the process. Whatever frustrations brought on by delays now will be long forgotten over the life of a bespoke garment.
They should have somewhere a person can go to have a full-body laser scan that would take highly accurate 3-D measurements of his entire body. And ideally, craftsmen would be schooled in the translation of the measurements into nearly perfect fitting clothes.
I've experience the frustration myself and live with it. It just seems wholly unnecessary in this age.
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