That feeling after the first bespoke commission

[pur_sang]

I have done it, taken that plunge, finally! I have ordered my first bespoke suit...

Now it's the waiting, having that funny feeling, not knowing whether I made the right decision with the style, with the cut, with the maker... and the combination of the possibility of having a very bad result and parting with a large amount of the green stuff...

and you guys call this fun? haha, but i just cannot wait to see the results...

also, taken the plunge for my first bespoke shirt too... =)

[alden]

and you guys call this fun? haha, but i just cannot wait to see the results

I hope you never lose that sense of excitement. That is the fun. And you can relax because there are no answers. You will find your way. And things will be better each time or, at least, they will be different.

Congratulations

[Greger]

The higher cost is the time the tailors fiddle over the details that never show up in rtw or m2m. Details of fit, style and personal wants. Some tailors are very good at fitting rtw or m2m, but they are limited because of darts, pockets, sometimes the collar and other reasons. Styles can be fine tuned at the fittings, so the garment can even look better (these are done before any permanet sewing, so at fitting #1 somethings can be done, but maybe not at fitting #2 as the garment is worked throught from stage to stage). There are reasonable personal wants- ask your tailor to see what is in the ball park if you have some wants.

[Costi]

Pur_sang, you are in love! All the worries, the hopes, the anticipation before the first date - is that any fun, either?
You did the right thing, sterile discussion leads nowhere, you need to act and experience.

[pur_sang]

At this point, my personal wants are limited, although I do have a look that I want to achieve, which I believe I have communicated well enough since one of the young cutters there sported a look I liked very much.

I believe Costi is right, I start to think what is the fun in buying off the rack, where you can just see something you like and buy it... the process, the anticipation and the uncertainty is the fun, and your dating analogy is very fitting.

[pur_sang]

Also, I agree with Costi, and I have expressed numerous times in other posts that I believe I have to try it to decide whether bespoke tailoring is for me, or whether the less romantic easier off the rack option is better.

So I am very happy to have taken the plunge. I have had experience with Ambrosi previously, which I am happy for the most part (amazing craftsmanship, beautiful silhouette, though a little on the tight side at the waist that needs fixing), so now with the shirt and suit commission, I'm almost there. It's very interesting also for the guys out there who are waiting on the sidelines, I think once you do it, the whole process is not as complicated (or am I naive?) as one would think. It's amazing how quick the cutters do all the measurements. I feel I really need to educate myself on cloth though, I had no idea what pattern I wanted, what cloth I wanted, weights etc. which they will help you with, but ultimately decided by you.

[carl browne]

pur_sang:

Now you are ruined for life!

From now on, nothing but bespoke will do.

Don't fret over your decisions. Do you like your tailor? Do you admire his work? Well, then, you have nothing to worry about. It is a certainty that your first commission won't be quite as good as subsequent ones, but it will be far better than anything you're used to.

I find bespoke can be a money saver. You'll no longer be tempted to go into department stores and buy a lot of junk you don't need and which won't last. And if you see something on the rack you like, rest assured your tailor will be able to make a vastly improved version of it for you. I'm reminded of the Beethove quote: "I liked your opera. I think I’ll set it to music!"

Will you have bespoke shirts also? I have a wonderful understanding with my wife. My measurements are on file at Turnbull and Asser and on birthdays and holidays she orders a shirt or two for me.

The premium you pay for bespoke means you'll have fewer clothes for a while, but they'll fit you perfectly, and they'll be EXACTLY what you want. If you order heavier cloth, you won't be replacing your bespoke outfits very often, and you'll be surprised at how quickly your wardrobe will build up! In the mean time, learn about cloth; this forum is invaluable for that.

C

[pur_sang]

Carl, what a great arrangement you have with your wife!

I did order my first bespoke shirt too, in fact, my girlfriend bought it for me as a gift, so I guess I can convince her to make it a tradition, haha!

[Costi]

You'll no longer be tempted to go into department stores and buy a lot of junk you don't need and which won't last. And if you see something on the rack you like, rest assured your tailor will be able to make a vastly improved version of it for you.

Yes, it is liberating to walk around department stores and say to yourself: "I don't need anything, I don't want anything". You are like a painter who has been struggling to work with a hundred colours because he never had pure primaries on his palette to mix and make his own: you are free to focus on Style, as your mind needn't be bothered with what is possible and available anymore, because everything is possible. So now you can no longer blame the stores or the designers, it's your exclusive responsibility to put your Style into action, to give your inner compass a tap and wake it to guide you over the open ocean. You are free... to choose your chains (even Ulysses knew he needed them in order to save his freedom).

[alden]

Costi

I got it and raise you:

“Do you know how it is when you are walking through the streets at night and you see those little neon lights burning in the department stores, and no matter how exhausted you or your VISA card is, you are drawn towards them? For me, there are no little neon lights!”

Michael

[pur_sang]

Totally agree, I can't look at a suit or a shirt in a department store anymore and WANT it... I just came back from Paris, Milan and Florence, and the only thing I bought was a sweater and two pairs of shoes (driving shoes)... things where there are no bespoke options widely available, well, at least not that I know of...

[Costi]

... things where there are no bespoke options widely available, well, at least not that I know of...

Just give it a little time, pur_sang, that will surely change!

[Costi]

For me, there are no little neon lights!”

Hehe!
NO little neon lights, or no LITTLE neon lights?

[cdo]

It is a certainty that your first commission won't be quite as good as subsequent ones

I don't necessarily agree with that comment. I still consider that my first A&S coat (jacket) is the best one that they made for me despite the 'safe' choice of cloth and style. If you like what you are eventually given, be sure that your cutter use the same coatmaking tailor for subsequent coats because the results will be noticeable otherwise.

Other than that, don't be too hasty in judging your garment once you receive it - wear it, let it settle down and don't let the unreachable idea of perfection ruin a good, serviceable garment from being worn.

- C

[J.S. Groot]

...things where there are no bespoke options widely available, well, at least not that I know of...

Once you get into bespoke it'll eat you whole. When you've experienced the freedom available and the quality of the product, be it in terms of fit or construction or whatever else, there's no going back. Soon you will not be able to buy anything off the rack, gloves, shoes, bags, scarves or whatever, because the plaid were not exactly the size you were looking for, the tone of the tone of the leather is a tad on the wrong side, it's 1" too short to wear it as you wanted.... It's a lovely slippery slope

cheers,
j.