Things you wish you knew on first visit with Tailor

[lowndes]

I will be meeting with Gordon Yao on his upcoming trip to San Francisco for measurements and discussing the details of suits I will get made up. In late summer I'll be in Hong Kong for the fitting process. This will be my first foray into custom clothing. I was wondering if members could share their wisdom on what they wish they knew on their first visit with their tailor? Look forward to hearing the tips.

[carl browne]

As a general strategy, it's good to put yourself in a position where you want exactly what your tailor wants to give you. If the tailor has a distinct house style, make certain that it's the style that appeals most to you. Be honest with yourself. We're all aware of the new bride who is deeply in love with her husband but wants to change everything about him. This ends in tears. Make everything as simple as possible for your first commission. Go with plain cloth. Your tailor will be dialing in your body, making all kinds of slight adjustments, don't make him deal with a complicated pattern on top of everything else (though a good tailor won't ever complain about this if you do). Give some honest thought to your body, and discuss what details will be most flattering on you. You may fancy trousers with turn-ups, for example, but if you have short legs, they won't do you any good. Never try too hard to emulate someone else: the suit that looked so dashing on Cary Grant in "North by Northwest" could easily make you look utterly foolish. Remember, that suit was made for Grant, a very thin dark man in late middle age, with long legs, narrow shoulders, thick neck and an enormous head. Your suit will be made for YOU, to accommodate YOUR physical quirks.

Have fun. Of all of life's little pleasures, this is one of the best.

Under no circumstances should you do anything until you hear from Costi.

C

[Simon A]

I have suits made by Gordon, he is a very pleasant man and very good at his job. He makes a nice jacket, very comfortable with high armholes (if you ask for it) and as little or as much shoulder padding as you wish for. He is one of only a handful of tailors in Hong Kong still to make jackets with canvassed construction instead of fused construction.

If you chat with him about the purpose of the garment you are bespeaking, and the kind of image you want to project, that will help set the scene for him. He has clients asking for all kinds of suits; very structured ex-military styles, very slim modern cuts, US-style sack suits, and of course some London Lounge devotees ask him for 3-roll-2's with natural shoulders and some drape. So you will need to be specific.

If you take some pictures with you, that will make it easier for him to visualise what you want; he also carries sketches of different cuts and details to help you. Of course you will never look the same as the old Apparel Arts sketches (I think those fellows have 42 inch chests and 26 inch waists, and their dimpled jawlines all seem to be carved out of granite) but a general impression will help him to craft a suit that will help you develop the style you aspire to, with your own personal attributes.

You need to stipulate the small details that you wish for, and make sure he writes it all down. I would suggest you ask to see the buttons that he has on hand. If there are details you don't want, such as coin pockets within coat pockets, then stipulate that too. It is worth asking his opinion on anything you are unsure of, he has good taste and doesn't want to send you home in something that is inappropriate to your needs. He has a very good understanding of how fabrics perform (in heat, humidity, cold, wind, how they will "travel", and how durable they are) and it is worth quizzing him on this when you are choosing fabrics.

There is a lot of discussion on this forum about choosing slightly heavier fabrics with better drape (and better durability), and it is worth reading more about that before ordering the suit.

Gordon travels with Nelson Chin, a tailor from Ascot Chang Bespoke Shirtmakers, from Hong Kong. It may be worth placing an order for a few new shirts with him; once one starts wearing jackets with small armholes (if you so choose), you may find that some of your MTM shirts with standard armholes now are too short in the sleeve (as the jacket brings the shirt cuff up an inch or so from where it was before). This bespoke business is deadly, the more one buys, the more one "needs"...

Have fun!

[shredder]

We're all aware of the new bride who is deeply in love with her husband but wants to change everything about him.

Carl, that is the second funniest thing I've read this week!! Thanks!

Lowndes, it's best not to expect perfection on your first commission (or, in fact, ever). Don't let perfection get in the way of the good.

s

[Merc]

All excellent advice.

I reiterate -make sure they take notes. Every tailor i've ever met forgets stuff, and ive received a shirt, jacket, pants etc, with a minor item done the opposite of what we had agreed upon because the tailor forgot!

[Scot]

Lowndes, you mentioned "suits". I would start with ONE.

[Cufflink79]

Dear Lowndes:

Good luck on your bespoken journey. Make sure you know what looks good on you and the tailor is works well with you.

Also if you'd certain details like working cuffs, boutonniere loop, or other goodies make sure that you get what you want.

In some cases on Savile Row the working cuffs are real for the first one or tow buttons and the reast are closed, unless you say otherwise.

If your able to when the time comes, please post some photos.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[Costi]

Under no circumstances should you do anything until you hear from Costi.

Lowndes, you received very good advice above, and particularly the idea that you need not worry (about getting things perfect, about not getting them wrong etc.), but rather relax and enjoy. There is no insider secret you are missing - it's your experience and it's best to approach it with an open mind and heart.
Anyone who has ever made pancakes knows that the first one is always good, because you don't expect much from it: you heat the pan, pour a little batter and let it fry. The second is always a disaster, because you are trying to improve and you have a term of comparison: it comes out either too thick, or too thin, or patchy, or overfried. From the third on you usually steady your hand and get consistent results, with the occasional mishap.
This is not the time to get too technical. Let the tailor translate what you want (the feeling, an image, a picture that inspired you) into details and numbers. Explain the broad lines of what you want and ask him how he would do the suit to match it. Then comment on his suggestions and choices, if necessary - rather than specify all sorts of details from the outset.
Resists the temptation (should you feel it) to request details that will make your suit recognizable as unmistakably "bespoke" at a mile's distance. You will wear well a simply detailed, versatile, well-fitting suit for many years (and come to appreciate it more with time), while you may all too soon come to regret the early enthusiasm that swept you when you ordered that quirky suit in that particular shade will all those "bespoke" features.
Good luck and good inspiration!

[lowndes]

Everybody, thank you very much for the insight. I really appreciate it. And the advice is what I was hoping to hear, which is nice.

I have my cloth that I am going to use (Navy Dugdale Broth. English Classic), a couple of pictures of suits I like, and some black horn buttons that I purchased. From there I hope to request several basic features that are major reasons why I am going bespoke to begin with other than just fit. Mainly high armholes, natural shoulder, and double vents. Other than that hopefully Gordon can help guide me in which style will work best on me and go from there.

And Costi, your pancake analogy just hit home because I just made the most delicious pancakes I've had in ages.

[Frog in Suit]

Too many pancakes, I am told, tend to have an expanding effect on one's waistline . You want to wear your bespoke suit for a long time, don't you?

[lowndes]

And actually after further thought what are some of the features that should be left off a first bespoke suit that distinguish it too much?

[Simon A]

lurid multicolour linings, brightly coloured buttonholes, cuff buttons in alternating colours and deliberately left unbuttoned...perhaps many of us have indulged in this type of detail at one stage (Guilty, Your Honour)but i think the novelty wears off fast. If the cut, tailoring and fabric are all good, the other flashy details aren't needed to make an impression.

[lowndes]

Thanks Simon, wasn't planning to any of those thing so hopefully I am in the clear. The craziest I was thinking about getting is having a ticket pocket. Still undecided on that though.

[carl browne]

I'll admit a weakness for lurid linings, but wonder if it's such a good idea. They give me the impression that my shirt and tie should harmonize with them. I know. It shouldn't matter. Who sees the lining anyway? It's a rare flash of color when a breeze gets between the vents, or when I reach into a pocket. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel that I'm painted into a corner. Perhaps treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is needed.

My most successful colored linings match or harmonize with a color picked out of a tweed.

C

[shredder]

I agree with Simon in many ways except in one specific aspect. Whilst I do not disagree with the conclusion, I think one needs to get there on one's own after experimenting with whatever strikes one's fancy at any given moment. The process of discovery and evolution is, to me, a big part of the enjoyment.

s