How should I pick a Bespoke Tailor

[Bespoke1214]

Hello All I am currently very interested in choosing a tailor for a 2 piece fitted bespoke suit with quite a structured look but I feel unsure on which tailor to choose, I would be very grateful if you could recommend some tailors to me and maybe explain what their typical cut and look is.

Thank you

Regards

[jklu]

The first question is where you are located.

In New York, William Fioravanti and Leonard Logsdail have a structured silhouette, the first Roman-style and the second English military.

Savile Row has many tailors who work in this style, with nuanced differences: Dege, Welsh & Jefferies, Huntsman, Richard Anderson, Kilgour, Meyer & Mortimer, for example; most if not all travel.

Brioni bespoke is available in Italy. I'm sure, but am not familiar with, other tailors working in this vein in Italy.

French suits seem to be very structured and columnar to me. In Paris, you may visit Cifonelli. Although London is only a couple hours away and possibly has better options.

From manton on Style Forum:

"The classic “Roman” silhouette” as exemplified by Brioni: Structured shoulders, on the natural shoulderline. An obsessively clean and structured chest. A very lean silhouette overall. Close and flared skirt. A great SB, 2 button silhouette." The description would fit Fioravanti's work well, too.

"English military (e.g., Kiglour, Dege, Logsdail) or "equestrian" (Hunstman): very enlongating overall; structured shoulder on the natural line. Roped (Kilgour, Logsdail). Lots of structure on the chest. Clean chest. Very lean; high gorge, high waist. Wasp waist, flared skirt, one-button stance (Huntsman). Narrowish lapels, true three button (i.e., two to button) stance (Kilgour)."

Dege is more stiffly military than Huntsman and Kilgour (I hope others can discuss W&J, M&M, and other firms). Huntsman also has a higher silhouette than Dege. Kilgour is structured but seems to be heading away from a military look towards a leaner, more internationally youthful silhouette.

[Mark Seitelman]

A few issues:

1. How much do you want to spend?

2. What is your occupation and lifestyle?

3. Do you have any friends who can give you recommendations?

If you live in NYC, then you should attend one of our meetings to get the "scoop" on tailors. Check the East Coast Chapter page.

Good luck.

[Bespoke1214]

Hi I am located in England so I feel I would definately choose one of the tailors in or around Savile Row. As I said in my post earlier I would like a fitted 2 button structured bespoke suit with quite wide lapels and a real tailored look to the suit. I am sorry if I am not using the correct tailoring terms, the three I have thought of are Kilgour, Henry Poole & Dege

Regards

[TVD]

Joshua Byrne at Henry Poole cuts my suits. Pop in and have a chat with him. Both Poole and Dege should very easily be able to do what you are asking for. Poole has a slightly softer House style, but Joshua likes a very clean look and just did a beautifully guards type DB suit at my request. Their prices are very reasonbable.

Kilgour now does entry level suits tailored in China. I am not sure how flexible their cut is on these. Their true bespoke seems considerably more expensive.

Visit all the likely candidates, ask to see a few things in the making, and chose whichever cutter you like most. This is pretty much like a marriage, so think long term.

[Concordia]

Kilgour's Shanghai suits are actually cut in London, and are quite comparable to the London-made in terms of style. They will also do a basted fitting in London, so you have a decent shot at making any changes you might need in consultation with your London fitter/cutter. Workmanship is good-- far better than even good HK.

The London suits are also good, but cost quite a lot these days.

[TVD]

You are right, but the more fittings you have the closer you get to full price bespoke at Dege, Poole and all the other stallwards of the Row.

What would interest me is whether the same cutters in London cut the Shanghai and the SR made suits. The approach to cutting a suit for fittings and no fittings is different, I believe. The latter is a feat of one-upmanship that most Savile Row cutters would rather avoid. Too much risk, or too loose a fit. Having said that, when time requires it, and it can be pulled off, it is a point of great pride.

[Concordia]

Yes-- the multiple fittings option isn't so different from the "off-the-row" or independent pricing. The main virtue of those extra fittings is that they allow your pattern to be set so you can get the markedly cheaper, no-basted-fitting version. They will, of course, do alterations if necessary on that product, and their fitters are quite good.

I believe the cutters are the same. I.e., I have always had John McCabe as my cutter, and I'm pretty sure he cuts whether the bundle goes to Shangai or Soho. Last year a suit made in London and a similar one made in Shanghai were nearly indistinguishable on the basis of cut. Some workmanship details might have given away the Chinese product, but you'd have to look hard. The first no-fitting suit under this arrangement is arriving shortly, and I have reasonably high hopes. If everything comes off well it should ensure a good source of less-expensive summer jackets.

[novice]

Just curious to know whether the suit under no-fitting arrangements had arrived, and, if so, what was your reaction to the product

[Concordia]

It came, and is very good. About 1/8 inch needs to come off the front of the sleeve cuff, but I'll send that back to them in June (it's a flannel suit and I enjoy wearing it too much to surrender it now).

Bouttoniere not to the highest standard, but other buttonholes are indistinguishable from good London work.

[Thomas I. Kim]

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