The London Lounge

I am about to get my second fitting with a very well regarded Saville Row tailor. It's my first suit with this house. My tailor indicated that he expects to finish the suit in only two fittings. Is this normal? or is this a case of my tailor looking to move onto the next job? I recall an English gentleman once admonished me while on the way to England for my first fitting, "don't let them do it in only two fittings." Is there truth to this?

I suspect that gentleman was either joking or trying to be interesting. If things go well, 2 fittings are enough, even for a first suit. If things go wrong, 5 fittings won't be enough to fix all mistakes. What does the suit look like to you? Take a look in the mirror, instead of counting fittings...

Dear Dempsy,

two fittings is not necessarily a bad thing. It depends on how this particular tailor works. I am with Thomas Mahon who is coming out of A&S. My first suit from him was done in 2 fittings only, and the 2 consecutive suits the same. Suit no 1 fits, 2 and 3 arrive this week, but second fitting was fine and required very small changes.

After a couple of months of wearing, we will check all suits again. A&S skips always skips the basted fitting. So if Dempsy is with A&S, Stephen Hitchcock, Thomas Mahon or Edwin Deboise, they might all work the same way.

When I was interviewing SR tailors two years ago, some said that they required four to five fittings for the first suit. So I was first astonished as well when some said they would require less fittings. Mr. Mahon did calm me down, by saying that an SR tailor more or less gives a life long guarantee on the making of his suit, and my physique was not challenging. A part from ups and downs in waist circumference after a good night out

Thomas Mahon explains the fittings on his blog: http://www.englishcut.com/2005/02/09/th ... -fittings/

Cheers, David

Listen to Costi.

Why waste time with extra fittings if it is not necessary. Only worry if you do not trust your tailor!!!!

I would focus on judging how the completed suit fits, rather than ensuring you've received your money's worth of fittings.

I have had outstanding suits made with 2 fittings, and godless abominations with 5+ fittings.

David, thank you for the helpful link. Thomas explains the fittings process nicely.

Costi, LL and Badden, thank you for your perspective. I certainly have no reason to distrust my tailor as he and the firm he works for have a sterling reputation. I was pleased with the first fitting - it seemed to be well balanced and fairly close fitting already.

Thanks again.

You need 3-5 fittings for a first suit. Take your time. What's the rush?

No Italian tailor would think to do a proper job in less than that.

Don't let a tailor give you the bum's rush. He won't get it right in 2 fittings but will tell you to "come back in 3 months once the suit settles" for minor adjustments and send you off with your ill fitting suit. Ha!

Don't settle for such nonsense: insist on as many fittings as necessary for you, the paying client, to be satisfied, keeping in mind that you will need at least 3 suits made by the same tailor before he gets your pattern just right.

Be flexible but know your mind. If your tailor gets it right in 2 fittings, fine; but if he does not, return for as many fittings as you think you need.

Soon to pick up my first 2 SR commissions (I blame this forum for sucking me in to the vortex of bespoke!) 4 fittings and 3 fittings respectively.

The answers above all are very true. It depends a lot on the tailor. As Badden pointed out, there are tailors who have the talent to fit a client in a fit and there are others who are hopeless no matter the number of fittings.

It also depends on the client and his physique. There are clients who are as standard as a 1040 and there are others who would require major reconstructive surgery. They don’t require the same number of fittings.

Get the fittings that you and your tailor agree are necessary, but as a default, trust your tailor’s judgment. A good tailor cares as much for the way you look as you do. You are wearing his signature. And forcing a good tailor to waste his (and your) time with unnecessary work will not endure you in his heart or onto his client list. Great tailors, because their numbers are dwindling as we speak and they are a rare endangered species, are the ones becoming choosey about who is fit to be fit or not.

And finally, I have to say that the fittings issue is the real drawback to the travelling tailor scheme so popular these days. How can you expect good results from fittings that occur over a period of many months or years? Will the tailor even remember you? I suggest that readers search out every other kind of bespoke service and use the travelers as a last resort.

Cheers

I have clients who insist on extra fittings. No big deal. My job is not only to make a suit, but to make him happy. Most times, though, it is me who tells the client if this is necessary. But if you are told by anyone that it is impossible to fit a suit properly in less than 4 or 5 fittings I suggest you recommend that person try another tailor. Sometimes, yes, it is necessary. Every time???

If you do not trust your tailor to tell you the truth about the number of fittings necessary, if you think he is just brushing you off and that you do, indeed, require this. Go elsewhere.

My (Italian born) tailor for about 2 years always tells me that he could make me a jacket without a baste fiiting as he has by now nailed down my pattern (and I am an easy fit). Nevertheless he always does 2 fittings.
One of his main arguments is that otherwise we would not see each other that often .

Pretty much the same here, Richard. I could just as well go without fittings (almost), and certainly one fitting would suffice in most cases, but we enjoy playing with the suit in various phases, trying things out, chatting, laughing about it. Sometimes we even do sleeve fittings (for the spoil of it) And that's because I live close by and it's easy for me to pay visits. That's most of the fun!
It's not about the quest for perfection (which doesn't exist), it's about the refinement of imperfection.

Alden,

I think you make a good point, the travelling tailor scheme is less than ideal for the reasons you say.
I would much prefer to work with a tailor in my home city, and I have, but to not much success. Unfortunately, my city doesn't have anyone on par with say, a Mr. Logsdail. Here, there are a limited # of tailors to begin with and the ones who offer bespoke just aren't in the business of making a suit at the quality found in London or New York, and certain other US cities, such as Chicago. Thus, I'm in a situation where I either travel to my tailor or my tailor travels to me. At least the SR guys travel to me. The bigger issue is the exchange rate:)

I appreciate everyone's input.

i like 2.5 fittings
2 and then dont finish the sleeve button holes until the very end so we can recheck sleeve length one last time

Costi wrote:It's not about the quest for perfection (which doesn't exist), it's about the refinement of imperfection.

Well said!