Manself wrote:All of this prompts the question - where did it all go wrong for London shirtmakers? Surely there was a time when better options were available?
Thomas Girtin's "Makers of Distinction" book (published in 1959, more than 50 years ago) is quite illuminating in this regard.
Did they practiced fittings back then?
Girtin, pg 54 wrote:When fitting takes place, one shirt, out of an order for six or a dozen, will be made as a specimen, and after any necessary adjustments have been made this will serve as the prototype for the rest of the order.
So, a "fitting" then, as it is now, is just a first shirt from one's initial order. Also, note the mentioning of "six or a dozen" -- initial order requirement actually became less strict nowdays!
Thus, one can say that UK shirtmakers do practice fittings -- just at customer's own expense. This system also assumes that a shirtmaker is able to correct all the errors after a single "fitting" -- which, in my experience, is a reasonable assumption.
My guess is that the reason for this "customer-subsidized" fitting is purely economical. You can re-sew a jacket after a fitting; you can't re-sew a shirt -- you have to throw it out and start again. That's why shirtmakers use muslin. But these things (+labour) cost money. UK shirtmakers just make this cost explicit. Also, after a pattern is perfected, there is no need to do any further fittings for shirts.
Did they employed hand sewing back then?
Girtin, pg 54 wrote:Moreover, all seams are -- and for many years have been -- worked with a sewing machine: hand-work is reserved for finishing details such as buttonholes.
Of course, buttonholes are invariably machine-made these days -- that's the only change. Monograms are still hand-made, though.
Some time ago RSS posted a photo of a shirt made by "Bowring Arundel", a legenday shirtmaking atelier. It was made before N&L acquired the company -- long time ago. I can swear the needlework is exactly on the same level as what I have with Budd and Lachter nowdays! Definitely not better.
What we lose from Girtin's days is laundries operated by shirtmakers themselves. Which is a part of service, one migh say. Also, as Manself's and others (and my own!) experience suggests, service is generally quite bad these days. This is very unfortunate.
Apart of service, end result is quite good, in my opinion. Yes, italian and french shirts are better sewn. But at what cost? Last time I checked, Charvet's and Lanvin's bespoke prices started from 500 euros. London shirtmakers are all around 200 GBP. Cloth and buttons are of the same quality. Longevity is also the same.
But yes, the service side definitely can use some improvement.
Andrey
