After the discussion of Irish linen on LL and its virtues, I decided that I needed a linen suit for the sweltering days of summer. I have been forced to go with my wife to Romania for her brother's wedding, a country I know well. Someone on style Forum alluded to a good tailor in Bucharest, and after considerable effort I located this tailor. I went to Centofanti to look at linen. The Holland and Sherry Irish linen was nice, but even nicer was Drapers Irish linen (the colors were slightly more distinctive and the weave perhaps slightly tighter).
I ordered Drapers linen to be sent to Romania (through Jodek, their American agent). Big mistake. For those trying to duplicate this experiment, carry the material with you. Cost: 641 dollars for enough linen for a suit. Duty I had to pay was 50 dollars.
The tailor requires 2 fittings after the initial measurements. Cost:: 170 dollars (!). He provides silk linings but there are no bone buttons in Romania. I did not have time to find these in the USA between the time I discovered this issue and my departure.
Sartorial issues in Bucharest: the men here are amongst the worst-dressed in the Western world. But the real problem is the scorching heat and sweltering humidity, with a general lack of air conditioning. This combined with my overweight in a land of slim people makes me feel quite ungainly. I found one men's clothing shop with Western quality goods (Brioni and Lorenzini shirts) but it had a poor selection and prices were the same as NYC. Jackets were from Brioni and Corneliani in the dullest, ugliest colors imaginable. Otherwise, there is absolutely nothing to buy, and I mean nothing. Even perfume was double the price I would pay at the Frankfurt airport.
Bucharest, Romania
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Guest
Actually, perhaps I spoke too quickly. I had a second fitting (how do you count this, after the first encounter?). The tailor seems very knowledgeable. The fabric I had sent is beautiful.
I found a lovely designer (Doina Levintza) for women whose husband custom makes leather goods in any color you wish. He uses the best quality skins (he claims from the same tanneries as Hermes) and the workmanship seems good. I am going to get a wallet, keyfob, shoehorn, empty-pocket (what is the word for a tray where one puts change?), and shoulder bag all in matching navy with light blue interior. My wife is going to get a beautiful purse and shoes, also special order. What attracted me about the designer was the chearful unpretentiousness of the designs, very warm and uplifting in a city that can seem dreary.
I also stopped in the Scabal store here, easily the best men's store in Bucharest. The saleswoman was very knowledgeable. The fabrics of the RTW items were indeed lovely, much nicer than anything else in Bucharest. They were fused and expensive. But they have a MTM program that is not more expensive in which one can specify canvas construction. I know that most of you will not be interested in those, but for sartorial inspiration they were very nice. The most interesting thing for me was the fact that they had a full selection of Scabal fabrics for sale, at very high prices, maybe twice what they would cost in the USA. And amongst the Scabal offerings included very good quality Irish linen similar to what I went to great trouble to bring to Romania, though at twice the cost I paid. So far as I know there are no alternative sources
I actually do not entirely agree with the fabric house rankings Michael posted, I think that one can find good and bad fabrics from each company, they are after all all from the same mills. I think Scabal is wonderful, indeed I settled on a Scabal fabric for my first suit from Centofanti.
I found a lovely designer (Doina Levintza) for women whose husband custom makes leather goods in any color you wish. He uses the best quality skins (he claims from the same tanneries as Hermes) and the workmanship seems good. I am going to get a wallet, keyfob, shoehorn, empty-pocket (what is the word for a tray where one puts change?), and shoulder bag all in matching navy with light blue interior. My wife is going to get a beautiful purse and shoes, also special order. What attracted me about the designer was the chearful unpretentiousness of the designs, very warm and uplifting in a city that can seem dreary.
I also stopped in the Scabal store here, easily the best men's store in Bucharest. The saleswoman was very knowledgeable. The fabrics of the RTW items were indeed lovely, much nicer than anything else in Bucharest. They were fused and expensive. But they have a MTM program that is not more expensive in which one can specify canvas construction. I know that most of you will not be interested in those, but for sartorial inspiration they were very nice. The most interesting thing for me was the fact that they had a full selection of Scabal fabrics for sale, at very high prices, maybe twice what they would cost in the USA. And amongst the Scabal offerings included very good quality Irish linen similar to what I went to great trouble to bring to Romania, though at twice the cost I paid. So far as I know there are no alternative sources
I actually do not entirely agree with the fabric house rankings Michael posted, I think that one can find good and bad fabrics from each company, they are after all all from the same mills. I think Scabal is wonderful, indeed I settled on a Scabal fabric for my first suit from Centofanti.
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Guest
Well, there is more to my Bucharest bespoke adventure than I first described. I found a nice neighborhood in Bucharest with some nice shops. There was a fabric store and I stopped in to check to see if they had any decent fabrics. You have to understand that there are lots of fabric shops here, but they do not have swatches or order fabrics, what they have is what they sell, and they sell fabrics clearly intended for women's clothing. So in I walked and this place had several fabrics from Barbaris, three winter-weight flannels and two summer weight suitings. I spoke to a man there and told him about my suit being made by Negrila. He agreed that Negrila is one of the two best tailors in Bucharest, he described another named Marinescu, and insisted he was even better. Negrila was very busy and I did not want to disturb him, so on a whim I purchased all five fabrics, enough for three odd pants and two suits, total 400 dollars. The fabric guy called Marinescu who was a few blocks away. He agreed to meet us immediately (which he did) and he will finish everything before my departure June 11: total, 400 dollars, so 800 dollars for two suiits and three odd trousers. So I guess I will have a good idea of the potential of Romanian tailoring when I finish here. Tomorrow we have an appointment with a leather craftsman who will custom make a bag, wallet, key fob, coin tray, and shoe horn in matching leather (navy blue on outside with powder blue on inside), for me, and a pair of shoes and bag for my wife.
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Guest
Those of you who have not been to Romania or Eastern Europe will not understand some of my remarks.
First of all, Bucharest is incrementally nicer (more Mitteleuropa) than before, when it was dominated by a sick, oriental flavor. Fewer wild dogs and much fewer gypsies.
I spoke too soon about shopping here. While it is indeed very limited, there are certain things that are very nice, principally unique woman's garments, handbags, and shoes, displayed in lovely boutiques, all by Romanian designers. The prices are very reasonable as you would expect, but these are neither knock-offs nor Asian throw-aways, they are unique and fashionable creations, so you will be selective. The boutique culture here is much richer, for instance, than that in Philadelphia, though that is hardly saying anything.
The opticians here are very sophisticated and helpful, but prices are high and ordering lenses is much slower than in the USA.
Food gets better and better. As usual, the best choices are Romanian home-style foods, either snacks or pastries. But there are some good ethnic choices. I found very good Szechuan and Indian restaurants, and all reports suggest there are good Italian and other restaurants. Prices at such places are stratospheric by Romanian standards and I spent slightly more in Bucharest for each of these meals than I would have spent in Philadelphia, for example. The best food in Romania outside people's homes is experienced in Romanian bistro-type restaurants, fast-food joints that specialize in Romanian food, bakeries, and pastry shops. These choices are all cheap.
Tailors are inexpensive here. First indications are that the best are quite sophisticated. They do not speak English at all. They appear to need two weeks to make suits. They cost about 150 dollars CMT. As I have said before, fabric is a problem so bring your own. An alternative is a shop on Calea Victoriei called Ruxandra or a shop on Mosilor called Brocade (sic?). They may have men's fabrics from Barbaris in stock. Scabal, at the Marriot, is stratospherically expensive for fabric, which takes 1 week to order (reportedly). None of these, either tailors or shops, takes anything but cash (except Scabal). And no one at these places speaks English or French, just Romanian.
So far as luxury purchases there are the usual suspects, at very high prices. Standouts include Lancel, with lovely belts and luggage in cute colors at high (but fair) prices. But the best deals are at local designers. The husband of Romania's most famous designer custom-makes leather goods, ladies' shoes, and bags and their attelier is a well-known fashion stop in Bucharest.
The best Romanian book store is now Carturesti just off Magheru: the best English one is at the Marriott. Carturesti is very special. It serves tea and sells tea-related supplies as well. My wife met Romania's most famous songwriter as he walked out.
There are two malls and several arcades. The oldest is Bucuresti Mall. Its best qualities are a nice theater and food court. The newer mall, Plaza, also has a nice theater and food court, but is more out of the way. It also has a large music/electronics/book store that is the best compact disc and DVD store now. This is nothing like Tower in the US but if you are trying to find European favorites this is the most comfortable. The only store I found that has the famous contraband Metropolitan Opera recordings was Humanitas, also near Magheru, for those of you who are the true opera buffs.
A unique store is Havana, at the Hilton, which sells Cuban cigars and beautiful Dupont lighters. This is supposedly the best selection of Cubans in Eastern Europe.
I will have further reports as I receive my orders and investigate certain possiblities.
First of all, Bucharest is incrementally nicer (more Mitteleuropa) than before, when it was dominated by a sick, oriental flavor. Fewer wild dogs and much fewer gypsies.
I spoke too soon about shopping here. While it is indeed very limited, there are certain things that are very nice, principally unique woman's garments, handbags, and shoes, displayed in lovely boutiques, all by Romanian designers. The prices are very reasonable as you would expect, but these are neither knock-offs nor Asian throw-aways, they are unique and fashionable creations, so you will be selective. The boutique culture here is much richer, for instance, than that in Philadelphia, though that is hardly saying anything.
The opticians here are very sophisticated and helpful, but prices are high and ordering lenses is much slower than in the USA.
Food gets better and better. As usual, the best choices are Romanian home-style foods, either snacks or pastries. But there are some good ethnic choices. I found very good Szechuan and Indian restaurants, and all reports suggest there are good Italian and other restaurants. Prices at such places are stratospheric by Romanian standards and I spent slightly more in Bucharest for each of these meals than I would have spent in Philadelphia, for example. The best food in Romania outside people's homes is experienced in Romanian bistro-type restaurants, fast-food joints that specialize in Romanian food, bakeries, and pastry shops. These choices are all cheap.
Tailors are inexpensive here. First indications are that the best are quite sophisticated. They do not speak English at all. They appear to need two weeks to make suits. They cost about 150 dollars CMT. As I have said before, fabric is a problem so bring your own. An alternative is a shop on Calea Victoriei called Ruxandra or a shop on Mosilor called Brocade (sic?). They may have men's fabrics from Barbaris in stock. Scabal, at the Marriot, is stratospherically expensive for fabric, which takes 1 week to order (reportedly). None of these, either tailors or shops, takes anything but cash (except Scabal). And no one at these places speaks English or French, just Romanian.
So far as luxury purchases there are the usual suspects, at very high prices. Standouts include Lancel, with lovely belts and luggage in cute colors at high (but fair) prices. But the best deals are at local designers. The husband of Romania's most famous designer custom-makes leather goods, ladies' shoes, and bags and their attelier is a well-known fashion stop in Bucharest.
The best Romanian book store is now Carturesti just off Magheru: the best English one is at the Marriott. Carturesti is very special. It serves tea and sells tea-related supplies as well. My wife met Romania's most famous songwriter as he walked out.
There are two malls and several arcades. The oldest is Bucuresti Mall. Its best qualities are a nice theater and food court. The newer mall, Plaza, also has a nice theater and food court, but is more out of the way. It also has a large music/electronics/book store that is the best compact disc and DVD store now. This is nothing like Tower in the US but if you are trying to find European favorites this is the most comfortable. The only store I found that has the famous contraband Metropolitan Opera recordings was Humanitas, also near Magheru, for those of you who are the true opera buffs.
A unique store is Havana, at the Hilton, which sells Cuban cigars and beautiful Dupont lighters. This is supposedly the best selection of Cubans in Eastern Europe.
I will have further reports as I receive my orders and investigate certain possiblities.
Thank you, David.
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Guest
Very nice report, David.
I would add, for the record, that Italy moved, only in the last year, about 50.000 job positions in Romania, alone in the clothing industry.
The label still says: made in Italy.
Giona.
I would add, for the record, that Italy moved, only in the last year, about 50.000 job positions in Romania, alone in the clothing industry.
The label still says: made in Italy.
Giona.
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Guest
The second fabric store is Brocart. It carries Zegna and "Gianfranco Ferre" fabrics, whatever that means. I purchased two lightweight Zegna worsteds and Negrila will make me two more pants. Cost chez Centofanti for CMT suit, about 2000 dollars. Cost at Negrila, about 200 dollars. Don't get me wrong, Centofanti is worth every penny (I am wearing a jacket he made in Cloth Club POW flannel now). But this has been fun and instructive and a great way to get some things I really needed, lightweight suits for the dog days of summer. Plus, Centofanti really taught me a lot about how to have clothes made. I know Terry has spoken about he does not want pay for someone's taste, but I gained a lot from each garment I had Centofanti make me. If one can possibly afford it, I would recommend anyone's beginning at this price point, even before they get RTW.
By the way, there is plenty of Romanian junk and plenty of Italian junk, a lot of it for sale here. I know of the "made in Italy" scam, but the place of manufacture means so little to me at this point.
By the way, there is plenty of Romanian junk and plenty of Italian junk, a lot of it for sale here. I know of the "made in Italy" scam, but the place of manufacture means so little to me at this point.
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Guest
I was thinking of writing an elaborate report on the results of my endeavors in Romania, which includes a leather set, three suits, and five trousers, all bespoke. But I note there is very little response to my initial posts. Can someone indicate whether I should write a more elaborate description of my outfits and purchases?
Please do write, David: in detail: names, addresses, times and actions in the processes, prices, etc. And, please, include photographs -- we'd like to see how everything looks on you.
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Guest
Okay:
My experience was very interesting for what it taught me about tailoring, about transition in post-Communist society, and about what is possible in bespoke tailoring. If I share this experience, please do not take this as an exhortation to go to Romania to get cheap clothes, nor as a condemnation of the comparatively expensive Western tailors' fees. Salaries and the cost of labor cannot be compared to those in Italy, England, or the USA.
With that caveat, this is what I did. I planned to have a suit made by a tailor who was mentioned on Style Forum. Not his name, but his existence. I went to considerable lengths to find him and I did before I left. I ordered Irish linen from Kodeks/Drapers in California, who had it shipped directly from Italy to Romania. That fabric was expensive, 650 dollars plus 50 dollars duty I had to pay in Romania. I went through considerable suffering at the UPS center and I do not recommend ever sending anything to Romania, I should have carried it with me. I had tried to obtain bone buttons before I left, to no avail, because I knew that the tailor in Romania would only have plastic buttons.
When I arrived and picked up the fabric I went to the tailor, whose contact information is the following:
Gheorghe Negrila (1 Constantin Exarhu 407-4425-0233)
After the initial measurements, he required two fittings. CMT cost about 150 dollars. I will post pictures.
good points of Negrila: lots of handpicking, excellent fit and finish, Irish linen is everything Terry Teplitz claimed it to be, he is very personable and sophisticated in person, much more so than he seemed on the phone
bad points of Negrila: shoulders not precisely to my taste, front dart through left pockets could have been interupted more elegantly, shoulder seams could have been patterned to be less abrupt
I did not think I could find good fabric in Romania, but I did, and I located several Barbaris fabrics for suits and trousers at Ruxandra and some Zegna fabrics at Brocart.
Chapter 2 to follow.
My experience was very interesting for what it taught me about tailoring, about transition in post-Communist society, and about what is possible in bespoke tailoring. If I share this experience, please do not take this as an exhortation to go to Romania to get cheap clothes, nor as a condemnation of the comparatively expensive Western tailors' fees. Salaries and the cost of labor cannot be compared to those in Italy, England, or the USA.
With that caveat, this is what I did. I planned to have a suit made by a tailor who was mentioned on Style Forum. Not his name, but his existence. I went to considerable lengths to find him and I did before I left. I ordered Irish linen from Kodeks/Drapers in California, who had it shipped directly from Italy to Romania. That fabric was expensive, 650 dollars plus 50 dollars duty I had to pay in Romania. I went through considerable suffering at the UPS center and I do not recommend ever sending anything to Romania, I should have carried it with me. I had tried to obtain bone buttons before I left, to no avail, because I knew that the tailor in Romania would only have plastic buttons.
When I arrived and picked up the fabric I went to the tailor, whose contact information is the following:
Gheorghe Negrila (1 Constantin Exarhu 407-4425-0233)
After the initial measurements, he required two fittings. CMT cost about 150 dollars. I will post pictures.
good points of Negrila: lots of handpicking, excellent fit and finish, Irish linen is everything Terry Teplitz claimed it to be, he is very personable and sophisticated in person, much more so than he seemed on the phone
bad points of Negrila: shoulders not precisely to my taste, front dart through left pockets could have been interupted more elegantly, shoulder seams could have been patterned to be less abrupt
I did not think I could find good fabric in Romania, but I did, and I located several Barbaris fabrics for suits and trousers at Ruxandra and some Zegna fabrics at Brocart.
Chapter 2 to follow.
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Guest
The people at Ruxandra (the fabric store) recommended another tailor besides Negrila, Marinescu. They agreed that these are the two best tailors in Bucharest, but they preferred Marinescu. I got the feeling there is some resentment of Negrila because he specializes in foreigners, and perhaps he charges slightly more money as a result. In any event, the shop owner called Marinescu and I went right over. I ultimately had Marinescu make me two suits and five pairs of pants. With fabric, each suit cost maybe 300 dollars and each trousers cost 100 dollars. Marinescu told me something I did not believe, that a small amount of polyester is added to all wool fabrics despite their labelling (though this might be true in Romania), and he told me something I do believe, that one of my Barbaris suitings that I purchased is manufactured in Romania despite its being labelled as Italian.
good points of Marinescu: very sophisticated and knowledgeable, beautiful fit, shoulders more modern than Negrila
bad points: didn't put on functioning buttonholes on cuffs (I noticed when he delivered the suits but we had to leave the following morning early), bad pattern matching on one suit's sleeves
For anyone attempting to duplicate my adventure, note
1) I have lost Marinescu's contact information due to a Palm Pilot failure. He is at the Instituta De Moda
2) Neither of these tailors speak any English or French (we communicated in Romanian).
3) No bone buttons in Romania. Bring your own.
4) They only accept cash and have no bank accounts.
5) Both tailors required two fittings (they needed three), accepted payment at any time, and used full canvas construction.
My last bespoke adventure involves a leather workshop: its owner is Dan Coma, the husband of Romania's most prominant designer now, Doina Levintza. I ordered a satchel, key fob, wallet, shoe horn, and coin tray (which can be flattened for travel) all in a blue two-tone leather scheme I selected. My wife had a handbag cuastom-made in orange leather, and also bought one ready-made. The total for everything was about 900 dollars. My only problem was that the satchel I ordered turned out to be the size of a carry-on bag, while I had intended it for every day use. I may order an additional briefcase, toiletry bag, and eyeglasses case, because I was so happy with the goods and their prices. Dan Coma speaks French and Romanian (we spoke in both) but the woman on his phone speaks English very well. His contact information is:
Dacoma dacoma@pcnet.ro 4 Constantin Prezan 40212229559
His shop also custom-makes lady's shoes, which we did not order because we did not have the time to have them made, and his wife designs beautiful bespoke dresses, which we also passed on though they were so beautiful I was begging my wife to get one: cost, 800 dollars.
Pictures to follow.
good points of Marinescu: very sophisticated and knowledgeable, beautiful fit, shoulders more modern than Negrila
bad points: didn't put on functioning buttonholes on cuffs (I noticed when he delivered the suits but we had to leave the following morning early), bad pattern matching on one suit's sleeves
For anyone attempting to duplicate my adventure, note
1) I have lost Marinescu's contact information due to a Palm Pilot failure. He is at the Instituta De Moda
2) Neither of these tailors speak any English or French (we communicated in Romanian).
3) No bone buttons in Romania. Bring your own.
4) They only accept cash and have no bank accounts.
5) Both tailors required two fittings (they needed three), accepted payment at any time, and used full canvas construction.
My last bespoke adventure involves a leather workshop: its owner is Dan Coma, the husband of Romania's most prominant designer now, Doina Levintza. I ordered a satchel, key fob, wallet, shoe horn, and coin tray (which can be flattened for travel) all in a blue two-tone leather scheme I selected. My wife had a handbag cuastom-made in orange leather, and also bought one ready-made. The total for everything was about 900 dollars. My only problem was that the satchel I ordered turned out to be the size of a carry-on bag, while I had intended it for every day use. I may order an additional briefcase, toiletry bag, and eyeglasses case, because I was so happy with the goods and their prices. Dan Coma speaks French and Romanian (we spoke in both) but the woman on his phone speaks English very well. His contact information is:
Dacoma dacoma@pcnet.ro 4 Constantin Prezan 40212229559
His shop also custom-makes lady's shoes, which we did not order because we did not have the time to have them made, and his wife designs beautiful bespoke dresses, which we also passed on though they were so beautiful I was begging my wife to get one: cost, 800 dollars.
Pictures to follow.
Very interesting, David. To enhance our vicarious enjoyment, would you be so kind as to post photographs (many, showing both details and general appearance) in the Photojournal? I know we'd all gain much by that -- and, thanks!
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tteplitzmd
Very nice report. I would suggest avoiding Draper's via Jodek (Beverly Hills rep) at all costs as the markups are numerous and prohibitive. I actually visited Draper's in Bologna to get a slacks length of worsted, some years ago, and they actually ended up simply giving me the 1 3/8 yards of cloth rather than be bothered with paperwork/payment.
That is not to say they are cordial. They don't want to be bothered with "walk in " clients. That being said, Draper's has magnificent cloths, not widely distributed, many English-like jacketings, and fabulous "luxury" cloth, that are beyond most working men's means.
And, regarding the apparant availability of Barberis' flannels, these are worsted flannels, in a wide palette, very good for travel, I think around 9 ounces, and well distributed in the US (Gladson), Hong Kong, and Europe. It is very important to distinguish Vitale Barberis from the no-relation similar sounding Carlo Barbera (Blancs). Carlo Barbera is I think the finiest Italian mill. Perhaps we could interest Mr. Alden in exploring a commission with Barbera as an alternative to the glen plaid Made In England suitings?
That is not to say they are cordial. They don't want to be bothered with "walk in " clients. That being said, Draper's has magnificent cloths, not widely distributed, many English-like jacketings, and fabulous "luxury" cloth, that are beyond most working men's means.
And, regarding the apparant availability of Barberis' flannels, these are worsted flannels, in a wide palette, very good for travel, I think around 9 ounces, and well distributed in the US (Gladson), Hong Kong, and Europe. It is very important to distinguish Vitale Barberis from the no-relation similar sounding Carlo Barbera (Blancs). Carlo Barbera is I think the finiest Italian mill. Perhaps we could interest Mr. Alden in exploring a commission with Barbera as an alternative to the glen plaid Made In England suitings?
Dr. B. wrote:
Regards,
Nick
Perhaps because you posted your account in "Safari Room." I thought, & I could very well be wrong, that this category was more about travel per se than the sartorial wonders one finds while travelling. Why don't you try moving your posts over to "Dressing?"I note there is very little response to my initial posts.
Regards,
Nick
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