no blame game

[steve harley]

esteemed gentleman iseek your knowledge and wisdom in regards to asuit commision placed september 2009 after waiting.....2nd fitting coat too short then informed i would have to pay 300 pounds more to rectify and as i supplied cloth could iget another metre cost 60 pounds cost of commision exc cloth 1800 pounds is it unreasonable to feel somewhat aggrieved at the whole situation especially after waiting 5 months your views and advice would be gratefully appreciated

[JRLT]

That does not sound at all reasonable.

Do you mind naming the tailor? Others may have had a similar (or different) experience and be able to advise how best to deal with them.

[steve harley]

not right now when matter is resolved will update, just upset that this has occured and wish no ill on the man. it is just unacceptable thank you for your response.

[Costi]

I may not understand exactly what you are saying, but I have one question: why was the coat too short at the SECOND fitting and what makes the tailor think YOU should pay to remedy this?

[steve harley]

my sentiments entirely,i dont know ishowed him a vintage coat by fagerstorm, and another by hayward to illustrate aspects of both coats that i liked and asked for guidance, frankly iam at my wits end and feel as if i have been treated shoddily, ifeel as if ihave been more than fair 5 months.. after this my faith and confidence have eroded, and isuppose ishould name and shame to protect other lLLmembers, ican honestly say iam passionate about bespoke clothing and not overtly difficult or needy. do you think it unreasonable to ask for refund or any suggestions,advice would aid me greatly THANKS

[couch]

Let me ask Costi's question another way. Was the coat too short at the FIRST fitting?

If so, it might have been better to agree on a solution at that time. There might have been enough inlay to successfully lengthen it, and if not, remaking would still have been easier and you would not have lost the time.

Was it too long at the first fitting?

If so, and you asked the cutter/tailor to shorten it, he may have misunderstood how much you wanted it shortened, and cut too much. Often miscommunication accounts for such errors.

If it was the correct length at the first fitting--or it was too long and you are confident that you both agreed on the amount it should be shortened by--and the firm just screwed up, that's a different case.

Your choices depend on the relationship you want to maintain with the firm and how anxious it is to have your return business. If the error really was the firm's alone, one compromise might be for you to offer to supply the additional cloth at your expense and ask it to reciprocate by supplying the labor to correct the error at its expense. A tailoring firm that hopes for a long-term relationship might agree (indeed might even propose such an arrangement, or even offer to reimburse you for the cloth).

If the error in length is small, say less than an inch, you might choose simply to accept the coat in its present form, and ask the cutter/tailor to alter your pattern so that the next coat is the correct length (you might want to observe this to ensure that it is done). Most bespoke firms produce better coats after the first one in various ways, and you might generously chalk this error up to the refinement process. If the firm uses more than one person's labor on your coat (coatmaker, presser, finisher, etc.) then recutting after the second fitting would involve additional cash outlay that the firm would be naturally reluctant to incur unless absolutely necessary owing to a serious blunder on the firm's part. You might also discuss the possibility of a discount on the next commission as a middle ground.

If you are so unhappy with the result and the relationship that you never want to do business with this firm again, then you might press for a partial or complete refund (in the latter case you might have to surrender the garment[s]), but there's no assurance that you would get it. If the firm is a reputable one and part of the tailoring fraternity (say in London, where many outworkers are shared), you might also consider whether taking a hard line might affect your reception at other firms to which you would want to transfer your business for future commissions.

[steve harley]

thank you so much,coat only too short second fitting!shall i purchase cloth let them rectify even with my shattered faith, confidence,[ witholding 300pounds]then reapraise?
Thank you v much will keep you posted!

[The_Sartorialist]

Perhaps not so much in the interest of naming and shaming, but more simply in the interest of sharing one's own tailoring experiences (which will undoubtedly be dependent on one's own individual circumstances such as Steve's in this case) with other LL readers, it would be useful to know who this tailor may be.

[DFR]

esteemed gentleman iseek your knowledge and wisdom in regards to asuit commision placed september 2009 after waiting.....2nd fitting coat too short then informed i would have to pay 300 pounds more to rectify and as i supplied cloth could iget another metre cost 60 pounds cost of commision exc cloth 1800 pounds is it unreasonable to feel somewhat aggrieved at the whole situation especially after waiting 5 months your views and advice would be gratefully appreciated

I find this impossible to follow with the accuracy required to respond. Could you represent, properly punctuated, rather than the current loose collection of words. Quite how you get to £1800 is not easy to follow.

[Bishop of Briggs]

esteemed gentleman iseek your knowledge and wisdom in regards to asuit commision placed september 2009 after waiting.....2nd fitting coat too short then informed i would have to pay 300 pounds more to rectify and as i supplied cloth could iget another metre cost 60 pounds cost of commision exc cloth 1800 pounds is it unreasonable to feel somewhat aggrieved at the whole situation especially after waiting 5 months your views and advice would be gratefully appreciated

I find this impossible to follow with the accuracy required to respond. Could you represent, properly punctuated, rather than the current loose collection of words. Quite how you get to £1800 is not easy to follow.

£1800 was the original price of the suit, excluding cloth which the OP supplied. He is being charged £300, possibly plus another metre of cloth @ £60, to rectify the mistake that the coat is too short.

The main issue is whether the coat was shortened between first and second fittings. If not, the error should have been spotted at the first fitting. If the OP changed his mind at second fitting, the charge could be reasonable but other members are more qualified to comment.

[steve harley]

thank you for great advice, the coat was adjusted at second fitting i heeded advice and agreed, the consequences leads me to believe the imbalance was not so much the length but the gorge? i am going to reapraise overall feel, look, and balance.At initial measuring few measurements taken ROCK OF EYE/? once again thank you for great help and support...ps anybody recomend a London tailor?



Regards.....

[Costi]

the coat was adjusted at second fitting

Now it's even less clear...

All I understand is you didn't like the coat as it looked on the second fitting (and you were already annoyed with the five month waiting), but I have a feeling you are not quite sure what it is you don't like and even less sure about the causes. A tailor who makes an obvious blunder and then shamelessly blames it on a good customer and makes him pay for it is not a tailor who stays in business for a long time. If you are sure your tailor is such a crook, yes, try to get your money back and never return.
However, beyond your frustration for the situation itself (that you don't like the coat), perhaps there is a deeper level of the story, where both parties (tailor and customer) have a contribution to this unpleasant situation. It is most often so.
Were I in a situation where I had made it perfectly clear what I expected and the tailor agreed but made the garment differently, I would rebut promptly when asked to pay for a re-make, rather than think about it after I get home... Is there the tiniest shadow on your conscience with regard to this affair?

[steve harley]

yes the shadow is there, as far as calling him a crook is a stitch to far!Chancer yes!Ihave decided to view the coat again,now iam over the shock, dissapointment,and try to come to an amicable conclusion, thank you so much for your brilliant advice,will update photos etc hopefully without the aid of trading standards! regards

[Costi]

yes the shadow is there, as far as calling him a crook is a stitch to far!

I am sure it is too much - it just brings the whole situation back into proportion And I appreciate your honest answer (first part). I am glad we were able to help you formulate the best advice yourself: take another objective look at the coat, unbiased by your expectations. And please do post pictures when you can. Fingers crossed!

[steve harley]

your help and advice priceless!