Has anyone had any experience with this company? I've seen them advertise in the Robb Report and other publications, but am weary because I'm wondering how they can produce bespoke at such a reasonable price compared to other tailoring firms on and off the row.
http://www.astorandblack.com/about
Best Regards,
Cufflink79
Astor & Black Question
They had a rep who visited Penn a year or so ago, aiming I think at business school students. It is not bespoke (they are careful to say "hand-made, custom clothes") but MTM. It appears to be a sort of franchise model, or rather they are hiring to establish reps in many cities. The rep who was taking appointments at Penn was very young and wore an A&B suit that did not fit very well, but had contrasting buttonhole twist. I don't remember whether he said he would do the measuring or whether there was another person who would do that. I got the distinct impression that it was not a trained cutter or tailor who would do the measuring. Although they claim to use only full floating canvases, hand-stitched, their web site says nothing about where the garments are cut and assembled. Since the founder, David Schottenstein, purchased factories in Hong Kong and founded A&B when he was 20 (he's 25 now), I'd guess they are made in HK.
Their web site lists many testimonials from celebrities and business leaders, many of which suggest that A&B was the client's first experience with "custom" or MTM clothing. It seems quite possible by this point in time that the quality of the work is fine as far as it goes, and if the rep who measures you and writes up the order is experienced enough to know how to specify, select, and modify the cut to suit your figuration, you might get a perfectly decent MTM suit (with the benefits and limitations that implies). However, from his responses to my questions, the personable young man I spoke with did not seem like such an experienced person. Out of curiosity, I'd be interested to hear whether anyone has actually taken delivery of an A&B suit. This article on Schottenstein suggests that the slumping economy and the general decline of tailored-clothing stores means that A&S could find and hire experienced salesmen/fitters. It's an interesting model--sort of like WW Chan, if the salesmen/fitters were as knowledgeable, and with the added convenience of a local salesperson who will come to you.
Their web site lists many testimonials from celebrities and business leaders, many of which suggest that A&B was the client's first experience with "custom" or MTM clothing. It seems quite possible by this point in time that the quality of the work is fine as far as it goes, and if the rep who measures you and writes up the order is experienced enough to know how to specify, select, and modify the cut to suit your figuration, you might get a perfectly decent MTM suit (with the benefits and limitations that implies). However, from his responses to my questions, the personable young man I spoke with did not seem like such an experienced person. Out of curiosity, I'd be interested to hear whether anyone has actually taken delivery of an A&B suit. This article on Schottenstein suggests that the slumping economy and the general decline of tailored-clothing stores means that A&S could find and hire experienced salesmen/fitters. It's an interesting model--sort of like WW Chan, if the salesmen/fitters were as knowledgeable, and with the added convenience of a local salesperson who will come to you.
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Simon A
The entrepreneur in question may have bought factories in Hong Kong, but it doesn't mean the work is all done in Hong Kong. A "factory" in Hong Kong is a space of more than 800 square feet in a fifteen-storey industrial building.
The price Astor and Black charge for a three suit Bronze package is much less than the CTM fee charged by reputable Hong Kong tailors, so it is unlikely that these are made in Hong Kong. The Scabal cloth suit package, including shirts and ties, is slightly more than what one of the top half-dozen tailors in Hong Kong would charge, including the cost of the fabric. These HK tailors do 100% of their work in Hong Kong, where skilled labour costs are not far off European or US levels, and where factory rental is very expensive.
Usually if an artisan does all their work in a high cost jurisdiction, like the UK, Italy or Hong Kong, then they will advertise that fact.
If the customer is happy with the suit, it fits well and wears for a long time, and he feels it was good value for money, that is the key issue.
The price Astor and Black charge for a three suit Bronze package is much less than the CTM fee charged by reputable Hong Kong tailors, so it is unlikely that these are made in Hong Kong. The Scabal cloth suit package, including shirts and ties, is slightly more than what one of the top half-dozen tailors in Hong Kong would charge, including the cost of the fabric. These HK tailors do 100% of their work in Hong Kong, where skilled labour costs are not far off European or US levels, and where factory rental is very expensive.
Usually if an artisan does all their work in a high cost jurisdiction, like the UK, Italy or Hong Kong, then they will advertise that fact.
If the customer is happy with the suit, it fits well and wears for a long time, and he feels it was good value for money, that is the key issue.
Simon A., these are salient points. And indeed some or all of the making may happen in the Chinese mainland or elsewhere. But since the top HK tailors presumably include the salary/experience of the cutter and the time and labor to needed to make a pattern and do one or more fittings in their prices, it also seemed plausible to me that A&B might still be able to use HK making in a more streamlined model that simply adjusts block patterns and (as far as I know) does not include any fittings after the initial measuring-up. It might be that A&B's clientele would not recognize HK as a positive differentiator for quality of make, so they choose not to advertise it. But this is all pure speculation on my part, and it would be interesting to hear from someone with more direct experience.
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