Shirts and capitalism
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:00 am
After reading and learning from LL for the past few months, I have finally become a member. It is a pleasure to be with you all.
I have questions regarding design of dress shirts. About a year ago I bought my first custom shirts (two, to be exact) from a local shop in New Jersey after many dissatisfying RTW experiences. My chief concern had been collar design. So many decent RTW shirts are simply trashed by poorly designed collars. I was simply looking for a basic spread collar with NO tie space and decent point length (3 inches). I could never find this on shirts for $100 or less once I added another restriction: no chest pocket. (I became obsessed with the search for no tie space/no chest pocket shirts after a little too much Flusser worship, but that’s another post.) It was easy to find my shirt at $150 or more (not to mention better designed collars without regard to tie space), but by that point I could take that much money and put it towards custom. There may be some legitimate questions as to whether my local shop is truly “custom/bespoke,” but I was happy with the results, I could afford it, and I didn’t have to buy more than one. Add the fact that my guy was willing to put my newly designed collar on any shits I wished, allowing me to turn my Polo Ralph Lauren shirts (the only widely available no chest pocket shirt in the United States) into useful items. Needless to say, I have a number of white shirts and contrast collared shirts.
I have since come across a decently skilled young alterations tailor who claims he can make copies of my custom shirt at a better price than the original including materials. I’m tempted to let him have a go at it, but wonder how easy it will be to get the collar right. Is it simply a matter of exact measurements? My custom shirts were done in a factory, so my assumption is that this fellow should be at least as good as those workers (all these craftspeople, including this fellow, are South American in origin and training, for what that’s worth).
Also, where can I get decent collar/cuff lining? I’m not really trying to purchase enough to last the rest of my life, so a reasonably small buy is what I’m after.
One last question: the french cuffs on my custom shirt seem to have some design/measurement problem. After a handful of washings, the lining ripples as if there is just a bit too much lining for the size of the cuff. This is strange because it did no such thing (ripple) straight out of the box, so to speak. I have always laundered and ironed the shirt myself, following the maker’s instructions. Did the cotton shrink at a different rate than the lining? I’m sure the shop will replace the cuffs at no cost, but am curious as to why this happened in the first place. No such problem with the collar, nor have I ever had such a problem with any of my RTW double cuffs.
Before I leave off, let me say that I know some might ask why I just don’t continue with my local shop. I will, as well as try some of the New York shops. I am simply young and without deep pockets at the moment. At the same time, it is more appealing to pay the guy or gal on the floor of the factory directly, as it were.
I have questions regarding design of dress shirts. About a year ago I bought my first custom shirts (two, to be exact) from a local shop in New Jersey after many dissatisfying RTW experiences. My chief concern had been collar design. So many decent RTW shirts are simply trashed by poorly designed collars. I was simply looking for a basic spread collar with NO tie space and decent point length (3 inches). I could never find this on shirts for $100 or less once I added another restriction: no chest pocket. (I became obsessed with the search for no tie space/no chest pocket shirts after a little too much Flusser worship, but that’s another post.) It was easy to find my shirt at $150 or more (not to mention better designed collars without regard to tie space), but by that point I could take that much money and put it towards custom. There may be some legitimate questions as to whether my local shop is truly “custom/bespoke,” but I was happy with the results, I could afford it, and I didn’t have to buy more than one. Add the fact that my guy was willing to put my newly designed collar on any shits I wished, allowing me to turn my Polo Ralph Lauren shirts (the only widely available no chest pocket shirt in the United States) into useful items. Needless to say, I have a number of white shirts and contrast collared shirts.
I have since come across a decently skilled young alterations tailor who claims he can make copies of my custom shirt at a better price than the original including materials. I’m tempted to let him have a go at it, but wonder how easy it will be to get the collar right. Is it simply a matter of exact measurements? My custom shirts were done in a factory, so my assumption is that this fellow should be at least as good as those workers (all these craftspeople, including this fellow, are South American in origin and training, for what that’s worth).
Also, where can I get decent collar/cuff lining? I’m not really trying to purchase enough to last the rest of my life, so a reasonably small buy is what I’m after.
One last question: the french cuffs on my custom shirt seem to have some design/measurement problem. After a handful of washings, the lining ripples as if there is just a bit too much lining for the size of the cuff. This is strange because it did no such thing (ripple) straight out of the box, so to speak. I have always laundered and ironed the shirt myself, following the maker’s instructions. Did the cotton shrink at a different rate than the lining? I’m sure the shop will replace the cuffs at no cost, but am curious as to why this happened in the first place. No such problem with the collar, nor have I ever had such a problem with any of my RTW double cuffs.
Before I leave off, let me say that I know some might ask why I just don’t continue with my local shop. I will, as well as try some of the New York shops. I am simply young and without deep pockets at the moment. At the same time, it is more appealing to pay the guy or gal on the floor of the factory directly, as it were.