Seems pretty simple doesn't it? Your mom taught you this with one arm tied behind her back. You shook your head in assent. And yet to this day, your wife and banker would be so happy if you could do it.
Its like this..
A guy is standing in line to buy his girl a diamond, and the slick salesmen is chomping at the bit to make the sale. When the salesman leaves the case for a minute, another man in line whispers to the guy, "Hey buddy, I am jeweler. That's no diamond this creep is trying to sell you. Its cubic zirconia! If you want a fake diamond, it will cost you 1/1000 the price and they sell them on the other side of the store. Watch out. Make sure you get what you pay for!"
The guy smiles and buys the fake diamond anyway. "I don't care if it is real or not, as long as it sparkles."
If you are paying for any premium service or product, know what you are getting. Be smart, alert, on your tippy toes. Keep your ego out of it. Study, listen, then trust and verify.....
It seems so simple. And it is.
Cheers
Get the product or service you pay for..
Ha!
Not so fast there, Alden.
There are plenty of shysters out there who use the high price model to sell their poor quality product.
Unwary, uneducated consumers often equate price with quality. Sometimes true, but not necessarily so.
It’s just really hard for an amateur to understand quality. Perhaps in broad generalities, yes, but not with detailed knowledge. What’s going on under the hood? Only a good tailor, or a dedicated aficionado can really deconstruct a suit, IMO, and comment on its quality.
The best that I personally can hope for is just using my general eye for how good or not a suit looks on me; not much else.
A high priced tailor’s suit can look bad on me (and has) while a lower priced suit can look pretty damn good (and has).
I’m looking for a semi-retired Italian tailor living in the sticks who’ll make for me just because he loves his work and wants to continue working. And uses 1950s pricing. Ha! Know anybody? I think that your shirts, Alden, must have been made by such a tailor.
I should have stuck with Loris Vestrucci in Florence after trying on his clothes there. You’ll remember Alden that you introduced me to the shirt maker Leonardo Bugelli in Florence who in turn introduced me to Loris.
I spent a memorable morning with Loris, a real deal old timer, and we smoked a toscanello together while having an espresso in his shop. He was very reasonably priced in those days. I remember that I posted here on LL some pictures of my visit to Loris; I don’t know where they are.
Anyway, now I read that a new tailoring firm has been born using the brand Loris Vestrucci; owned by Salvatore Ambrose, of all people (!) and Tommaso Melani of Stefano Bemer. Geez. How bad can it get?? A slick website has been introduced. Compton over at PS promotes the new brand.
Now you have a larcenous Neapolitan buying into a class act old time Florentine bespoke tailor - Loris - and appropriating his name, brand and stellar reputation.
You just know what is going to happen to the price and the quality. You just know it.
Not so fast there, Alden.
There are plenty of shysters out there who use the high price model to sell their poor quality product.
Unwary, uneducated consumers often equate price with quality. Sometimes true, but not necessarily so.
It’s just really hard for an amateur to understand quality. Perhaps in broad generalities, yes, but not with detailed knowledge. What’s going on under the hood? Only a good tailor, or a dedicated aficionado can really deconstruct a suit, IMO, and comment on its quality.
The best that I personally can hope for is just using my general eye for how good or not a suit looks on me; not much else.
A high priced tailor’s suit can look bad on me (and has) while a lower priced suit can look pretty damn good (and has).
I’m looking for a semi-retired Italian tailor living in the sticks who’ll make for me just because he loves his work and wants to continue working. And uses 1950s pricing. Ha! Know anybody? I think that your shirts, Alden, must have been made by such a tailor.
I should have stuck with Loris Vestrucci in Florence after trying on his clothes there. You’ll remember Alden that you introduced me to the shirt maker Leonardo Bugelli in Florence who in turn introduced me to Loris.
I spent a memorable morning with Loris, a real deal old timer, and we smoked a toscanello together while having an espresso in his shop. He was very reasonably priced in those days. I remember that I posted here on LL some pictures of my visit to Loris; I don’t know where they are.
Anyway, now I read that a new tailoring firm has been born using the brand Loris Vestrucci; owned by Salvatore Ambrose, of all people (!) and Tommaso Melani of Stefano Bemer. Geez. How bad can it get?? A slick website has been introduced. Compton over at PS promotes the new brand.
Now you have a larcenous Neapolitan buying into a class act old time Florentine bespoke tailor - Loris - and appropriating his name, brand and stellar reputation.
You just know what is going to happen to the price and the quality. You just know it.
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Screaminmarlon
- Posts: 920
- Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:56 am
- Location: Milan, Italy
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Think of what happened to Domenico Caraceni...
Sometimes going to the sticks is not bad (if you enjoy the process and the end result, not just the latter)
Sometimes going to the sticks is not bad (if you enjoy the process and the end result, not just the latter)
UC
I remember your visit to Bugelli and to Loris very well. I remember the pictures of the Florentine overcoat, right, orange with the fox collar? Very dashing in Florence. Yes you should have stayed with Loris, he was very good, a stubborn old koot, but he could cut and sew, and he had a great eye. He once had a trouser maker to die for, a lady, but she retired before you got there. (And speaking of trousers, I was a client of Antonio Ambrosi, who, at one point asked me to help his son. Sorry I did. Never believe a word the blogger clowns say.)
Florence was a hot spot back then. Stefano Bemer was still alive. You had Loris and Bugelli. There were a couple neat stores for vintage cloth. And the master of all masters, Liverano held court in his shop for all worthy subjects. It was a great time. And Florence was not too bad either. And it was pre Pitti fashion shows!!
Yes UC it is hard for an amateur to know how to navigate the treacherous waters of custom clothing especially if they are on a strict budget. But do you know how many thousands we have educated here; young men who have been extremely grateful for the experience. Someday I will publish the thousands of emails I have received from LL members who won the battle of bespoke thanks to LL boot training!
Cheers
I remember your visit to Bugelli and to Loris very well. I remember the pictures of the Florentine overcoat, right, orange with the fox collar? Very dashing in Florence. Yes you should have stayed with Loris, he was very good, a stubborn old koot, but he could cut and sew, and he had a great eye. He once had a trouser maker to die for, a lady, but she retired before you got there. (And speaking of trousers, I was a client of Antonio Ambrosi, who, at one point asked me to help his son. Sorry I did. Never believe a word the blogger clowns say.)
Florence was a hot spot back then. Stefano Bemer was still alive. You had Loris and Bugelli. There were a couple neat stores for vintage cloth. And the master of all masters, Liverano held court in his shop for all worthy subjects. It was a great time. And Florence was not too bad either. And it was pre Pitti fashion shows!!
Yes UC it is hard for an amateur to know how to navigate the treacherous waters of custom clothing especially if they are on a strict budget. But do you know how many thousands we have educated here; young men who have been extremely grateful for the experience. Someday I will publish the thousands of emails I have received from LL members who won the battle of bespoke thanks to LL boot training!
Cheers
UC,
"Tommaso Melani of Stefano Bemer" sounds so bad. I met Stefano a number of times and he was a true gentleman. There really is no trace of Bemer in Melani business. Mario (Stefano's brother) left several years ago when he could no longer stand "quality lower and lower and price higher and higher" Melani model. He is now slowly rebuilding a true Bemer business on Via Maggio. The new Vestrucci shop is just steps away.
I was making a coat at Sartoria Seminara this fall and asked Gianni Seminara directly how this sort of grotesque hybrid emerges. The answer was simple. Old local clients are disappearing. There are two paths remaining. Start travelling or collaboration with Melanis of this world. Gianni now travels. Not to US and probably that is good. I am happy to travel and see him in Florence in his shop, in his natural environment which inspires him to do what he loves. He made me a wonderful coat and 2 pairs of trousers. By the way, I had it lined with light flannel that was available in the shop, but next one should be lined in cashmere. We should make a run of light cashmere specifically for linings. Around 10 oz?
Greg
"Tommaso Melani of Stefano Bemer" sounds so bad. I met Stefano a number of times and he was a true gentleman. There really is no trace of Bemer in Melani business. Mario (Stefano's brother) left several years ago when he could no longer stand "quality lower and lower and price higher and higher" Melani model. He is now slowly rebuilding a true Bemer business on Via Maggio. The new Vestrucci shop is just steps away.
I was making a coat at Sartoria Seminara this fall and asked Gianni Seminara directly how this sort of grotesque hybrid emerges. The answer was simple. Old local clients are disappearing. There are two paths remaining. Start travelling or collaboration with Melanis of this world. Gianni now travels. Not to US and probably that is good. I am happy to travel and see him in Florence in his shop, in his natural environment which inspires him to do what he loves. He made me a wonderful coat and 2 pairs of trousers. By the way, I had it lined with light flannel that was available in the shop, but next one should be lined in cashmere. We should make a run of light cashmere specifically for linings. Around 10 oz?
Greg
That's my tailor...73 years old and still going strong. Flying to The Netherlands every 3 months or so.uppercase wrote: I’m looking for a semi-retired Italian tailor living in the sticks who’ll make for me just because he loves his work and wants to continue working. And uses 1950s pricing. Ha! Know anybody?
And prices without cloth are very reasonable, I would say even better than 1950s pricing
.Everything made by hand, except for straight seams (at back etc.). But hand padded canvas, shoulders attached by hand, button holes hand stitched etc.
But what's most important, I love the guy. He is a real gentlemen. We understand each other, despite a language barrier (he speaks only Italian and I speak only Dutch and English).
I met him the first time in The Netherlands at 1am, left at 2.30am and he still offered me a Espresso, what a guy!
In August I will meet him at his Sartoria just above Milan, I'm already hyped
I got introduced to him by a good acquaintance so that might be the reason why he accepted me as a client.
I will post some pictures of the jacket and trouser that he made for me, but that needs a bit of correction so it's back at his Sartoria.
When I get it I will shoot some pictures for you guys.
I love this simple story. I love this simple guy. Most like him are long gone. Get as much as you can from him using sturdy cloth. Have him leave ample inlay so to have it let our in years to come so that you will always wear his beautiful work. Beautiful post , L.
Thank You
Frank.
Thank You
Frank.
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