Bespoke maintenance and the significance of geography

[sartorius]

It is requently observed herebouts that one of the benefits of bespoke is the ongoing relationship with one's tailor. There have also been debates over what one should expect from one's tailor in the course of that ongoing relationship (e.g. by way of pressing, repairs, adjustments etc.)

As a relative newcomer to bespoke (I took home my first SR commission about 2 years ago) it is already becoming apparent to me how important ongoing maintenance is to a suit. I now have four suits, three pairs of odd trousers and an odd jacket. They all get a good deal of wear. Already it is clear that I am going to need to have them all pressed at least once a year, and probably more often. My linen suit I already have pressed twice yearly. My DJ generally benefits from pressing after every wear.

Given the cost of these various garments I do not think I would ever trust them to be pressed by anyone other than the SR tailor who made them. I have been advised that for a bespoke coat, for example, the shaping of the chest is such that pressing in the wrong way could ruin it.

This being the case, it does (does it not?) necessarily influence one's choice of maker. I'm interested in others' views on this, particularly as various members have suits commissioned from overseas. Perhaps our US members are able to have suits pressed by tailors who travel there regularly? But what of Naples? We know that Rubinacci for example only offers full bespoke in Italy. It does make me question very seriously the practicality of commissioning a garment if I will not easily be able to have it looked after.

Generally, we discuss the merits of tailoring houses without considering the matter of geography and how that could affect (indeed make very difficult) any ongoing relationship. For a relationship in this context surely does involve frequent maintenance and upkeep, which I for one would expect to come as part of the price of the suit when first made.

[Joshua Byrne]

Dear Sartorious,
Regarding the last line of your post;
"For a relationship in this context surely does involve frequent maintenance and upkeep, which I for one would expect to come as part of the price of the suit when first made."
Could I confirm, that you would expect as part of the price of the purchase of a bespoke item, that any on going service costs to be part of the initial price you pay for the item. If this is indeed so, at what point would you suggest that the seller/makers liability is limited. For example, would alterations of size and style be incorporated within this. Furthermore, I would be interested to find out what other members feel with regard to this.
My best
Joshua Byrne

[culverwood]

I would be delighted by any service provided by my tailor without charge after I had bought something from him but I would expect to pay.

[sartorius]

I'm thinking of routine maintenance (e.g. sponging and pressing, within reason) and minor adjustments and repairs. I do in fact get this from my current tailor. He has also from time to time adjusted the odd non-bespoke item which I've asked for as a favour (e.g. finishing the bottoms on RTW trousers, and adjusting the waist and seat).

But my question was more about the importance of maintenance (whether you get it for free or not) and whether therefore geography plays a part in the buying decision. Clearly, if you live in London and buy a bespoke suit from a tailor in Naples, you are probably not expecting the Neopolitan tailor to maintain the garment in future. That to me would be an obstacle to buying from a tailor in Naples because I'm starting to understand the importance of maintenance ito the health and longevity of a bespoke garment.

[couch]

Sartorius, I have been able to purchase occasional sponge and press service for SR-made coats from a local bespoke tailor, Jos. Centofanti, here in Philadelphia. Maestro Centofanti may differ from some firms in that he and his staff offer (top-notch) RTW alterations as a regular service to the public, and I have used them. But I would think (hope) many bespoke tailors today would be willing to sponge and press bespoke garments made by others, for a reasonable price, as a professional courtesy--in the hope that the other tailors would reciprocate when their own customers needed the service in another city. It shows respect for the work of the artisans. If there are tailors near you, it might be worth inquiring.

As you suggest, 50 or 75 years ago, most bespoke customers probably had easy access to their tailors for maintenance, and the more expensive and prestigious firms certainly provided maintenance, including alterations, for the life of the garment as part of the initial cost and an ongoing relationship. You still occasionally find allusions to this practice in articles about the advantages of bespoke. In such a world, it would be understandable for a tailor take offense at a request to maintain a garment made by another firm, since it could be taken as a slight (good enough to press, but not good enough to make for you, sir?). But that was also an age when many customers allowed their accounts to fall considerably in arrears, knowing the competition constrained the tailors' ability to press for payment.

Today the economics of the business are dramatically different, and there are few tailors left. So one hopes the tailoring fraternity would support each other by offering reciprocal maintenance. But the margins are small enough that I at least would expect to pay for most things. Poole charged me for the only garment (trousers) I've had altered after completion (I should have insisted on a snugger waist during the fittings), but have done the occasional spot touch-up press gratis when I've been in London and had a garment in the works. Probably one should establish the policy (cost for any maintenance services) with the maker at the outset; I suspect much depends on the frequency of such service and the amount of business the customer brings the firm.

One expedient is to learn to do occasional basic touch-up pressing yourself. Jefferyd has some good how-to videos on his blog and linked from the cutter and tailor forum. You'd need to acquire a tailor's ham and sleeve roll, and table or ironing board with sleeve board, and a heavy iron, along with press cloths etc. (The videos and text are particularly good at explaining how to avoid distorting the areas shaped during making.) This takes some judicious care and does not replace a full professional pressing, but can help keep the garment looking fresh longer between trips back to the tailor.

I look forward to hearing more from our tailors on this topic.

[Bishop of Briggs]

Huntsman charged me £30 to clean a blazer that needed some tlc, after a soaking at a cricket match, to sort out the lapels etc. There is only one London firm that I would trust to clean it properly - Jeeves of Belgravia.

[sartorius]

One expedient is to learn to do occasional basic touch-up pressing yourself. Jefferyd has some good how-to videos on his blog and linked from the cutter and tailor forum. You'd need to acquire a tailor's ham and sleeve roll, and table or ironing board with sleeve board, and a heavy iron, along with press cloths etc. (The videos and text are particularly good at explaining how to avoid distorting the areas shaped during making.) This takes some judicious care and does not replace a full professional pressing, but can help keep the garment looking fresh longer between trips back to the tailor.

Couch, an interesting suggestion but I have to be honest and say that I don't have the time to attempt pressing garments myself. Nor for that matter would I have the inclination or indeed the confidence to try pressing a four thousand pound suit myself. Another good reason why after sales care is so important.