The London Lounge

Dear Gentlemen:

I've been considering for some time having shirts made at Seize sur Vingt in New York. I believe that this particular desire is driven much by the positive press they've received over the last few years.

In my short time at the Lounge I've begun to question if my appreciation of this store isn't more an issue of fashion than of quality. Has anybody here had any dealings with them, or can steer me in a better direction?


http://www.16sur20.com/mensmain.html

definitley style over workmanship. Go to Paris or Geneva. The shirts you mentioned are cut for the slim

If you are lucky enough (in sartorial terms at least) to live in New York, there are plenty of good shirtmakers available to you. See the thread on Italian shirts in NYC in this very forum.

SSV do not look to be bad garments per se, but not worth the money when such alternatives are available. I feel that perhaps their Continental name is some attempt to create a sense of elegance which the garment itself does not impart.

Regards,

Eden

Perhaps we should bear in mind the name of the store. I understand that it derives from a grade or mark in French schools and corresponds to an A-/B+ or something like that. Maybe Alden or someone with knowledge of the French school system could shed some more light on this.

Dear Gentlemen:

Firstly, thank you for your thoughts.

There are many fine recomendations for Italian shirts in the other thread. Aside from the Worth and Worth mention in the Neapolitan thread, I am at a bit of a loss for good entry level shirts in New York. I don't have a favorite shirt that i can send to be copied and feel that i would be better off meeting with somebody on my maiden voyage, which is why SsV seemed an attractive alternative.

Do any of you have better recommendations for moderately priced shirts in New York?

I have had shirts made by Seize Sur Vingt. It was a huge and costly mistake. They really do not know how to measure. Also, several of the fabrics I selected were not the same as the shirts delivered. In general, a horrible experience.

Doccol91,

Thank you for the personal feedback. I had been greatly worried about the meassuring and it seems that you and the others have proved fine in keeping me from making a sartorial mistake.

Sorry for your experience, but thank you for the lesson.

Gentlemen, from personal experience I may inform you that the French grading system, while based on a 20/20 scale, is not nearly so generous as the American. French professors use the bottom half of the scale with alacrity. A 10/20 is "Passable", but applies to work which might get a B in the States. 12-13/20 is "Assez Bien", corresponding to that A-/B+ penumbra. 14-16/20 is "Bien", and is quite hard to get. Anything over 16/20 is a rarity, a bit like getting an A+ in the US. So Seize sur Vingt represents the limits of the probable and is a very good grade indeed.

E. Tage Larsen wrote: Do any of you have better recommendations for moderately priced shirts in New York?

I realize that I'm a bit lat to the party, but what is your definition of moderately-priced? And are you looking for a true bespoke experience or just for MTM?

As for SSV, I've ordered a couple of off-the-rack shirts from them. The fabrics are interesting, and the quality of construction is good; but the fabrics aren't color-fast. That's a problem.

Thanks for the clarification on the French grading system, RJMan. It's gratifying to hear that they have not fallen prey to Anglo-Saxon grade inflation.

"As for SSV, I've ordered a couple of off-the-rack shirts from them. The fabrics are interesting, and the quality of construction is good; but the fabrics aren't color-fast. That's a problem."

That's not a good thing. Not at all.

Dear JCusey, I've sort of been interested in sampling Paris shirt makers in midtown. I'm not certain if the long thread on them was here or over at AA. Alex seemed to rate them well-enough and i understand it to be a true bespoke service as opposed to MTM.

It's not too late. I was going to hold off until February or March when I had better time to devote to it - i'm certain to micromanage once i take the plunge. And of course, it would be nice to shed some Christmas weight.

Also, i thought that the title Seize-sur-Vingt was a reference to their street address at one time. I don't remember where i read that or i'd go back and double check.