Bespoke Odd Trousers

[SouthPender]

I have held off, for the time being, proceeding with having a bespoke suit made by a local Vancouver tailor because of the twin perceptions that (a) there are no local tailors with the requisite skill to produce the quality level I want and (b) things can go terribly wrong with a less-than-topflight tailor, with the result being a garment that falls well short of a good RTW or MTM version.

However, I'm now wondering about having several pairs of odd trousers made by a local tailor--the best that I could find. My question here concerns whether there are sufficiently fewer features requiring an expert's eye and experience with trousers, than with a jacket, that the result from even a middling tailor could be expected to be better than RTW-with-alterations. The tailor in question has a reasonably good selection of wool fabrics and offers trousers at prices that rival the better RTW available to me here--roughly the Zanella, Incotex, Canali level of quality (not that these three are exactly the same in this regard). With RTW, I usually find trousers somewhat too baggy and require alteration involving the back and crotch seams. The results have been acceptable, but I'm now pondering bespoke. Does the same dependence on talent and expertise apply with trousers as with complete suits, or are trousers so much less complex that just about any bespoke result would be an improvement?

[Huzir]

In my experience, very good trousers can indeed be made by tailors who might not be particularly good at coats. That said, truly terrible tailors will make terrible trousers that are much worse than RTW.

After two decades of fidelity I deserted my childhood tailor for one who makes much better coats -- but I quickly realised that the new one's trousers just weren't as good. So now I have my trousers made by my original tailor and the coats of the suits made by the new one.

So you might want to try and arrange to be in the tailor's shop when an existing customer comes in to try on a pair of trousers. If it looks reasonably flattering on the fellow, then you may be reasonably confident in having the tailor make for you. You might even want to stockpile extra fabric in order to make the top half of a suit once you find an able coatmaker!

[iammatt]

Trousers are quite difficult, as it is very hard to apply your own eye to a pair on your body. You really have to have a maker that you can trust. I would imagine that an excellent tailor shop will not be significantly more expensive than an average on, as trousers are generally sewm by machine. I think Huzir's advice of looking at other clients is a great one.

I would also caution that many tailors in the United States are used to making full cut pants as that is the norm here. I would be wary of using a tailor that is not used to making a slimmer pant, if that is what you want. In Europe, pant legs are generally a bit more tapered, so the tailors are good with that. I don't know where you are, but you might want to wait until you are overseas or at least in New York, and search out a tailor who tends to make the cut of pants you desire. From there, I am sure he will be able to make a good pair just for you.

[Cantabrigian]

As hinted at thusfar, do you know if the tailor you are thinking of using has a particular house style? For instance, if he is used to making rather full cut trousers, you may want to look elsewhere.

It isn't simply a question of being a reasonably good tailor; it is also a question of being good at doing what you are looking for.

[TVD]

Trousers are as much of a minefield as a coat. Less so in terms of workmanship, but as much if not more as far as cut is concerned. However, pricing issues also enter. Savile Row houses seem to have priced trousers (about GBP 600) out of sensibility. One accepts it as part of a suit, but otherwise it is just too daunting.

There is no other way than trying, no matter how much preparation has been done. I also think that you should take the plunge on the suit if one of the tailors you have visited was ablo to show you workmanship you liked. Remember that the travel / additional stay somewhere like NY or London to visit a tailor will amount to a Vancouver suit. Caution is a good thing, but soemtimes courage and trust is also required.

[SouthPender]

Thank you all. Although I haven't been able to detect what would be exactly a house style with the tailor in question, he was trained in Italy, probably in the late 50s and 60s, starting as a boy, and has the prototypical Italian sensibilities with regard to cut and style. Thus, I suspect that somewhat narrower trousers would be consistent with his view of things. I think my concern is more with quality of workmanship, and my experience at this point is insufficient to be able to judge this adequately. One thing I thought I could do was to provide him with what are probably my best trousers vis-a-vis cut, style, and fit and ask him to begin with them as an initial pattern, then modifying this pattern to achieve what I would see as improvements before any cutting took place. My thinking here is that it would be easier to attain my goal starting there, with some altering of the first iteration, than it would be to alter RTW trousers to approximate the goal.

[zjpj]

Despite my reluctance to hijack the thread and take it temporarily in a different direction, I wonder if I can ask a further question about bespoke trousers.

My waist size fluctuates quite a bit, an inch or even two. It depends on whether I've exercised lately, or even whether I have just eaten a large meal. Indeed, my waist size can fluctuate quite a bit even before and after a large meal. I despise pants that are too large, particularly when it results in a rumpled waist band with the belt tightened sufficiently. But a waistband that is too tight is also very uncomfortable.

The "perfect" trouser fit is thus quite elusive for me. I tend to wear brace trousers with suits, because the belt issue is irrelevant and waist size is even, to some extent less relevant, as the waist can be a bit looser. But casual odd trousers must still be belted. And so the problem is not inescapable.

How do others deal with this problem?

[Concordia]

Wear a sweater over the braces.

[zjpj]

Not for summer wear, unfortunately.

[jasstoltz]

Wouldn't an adjustable waist trouser with side tabs solve the problem? I haven't had these made yet, but my understand is they allow for a good deal of fluctuation.

[alden]

Dear Zipj,

Braces.

Braces are worn with trousers fit a little on the big side. They hang perfectly well in this manner. If you gain a bit of volume, the trousers are wearable as well except that the braces will no longer have as much function as your belly.

The other solution is side buttons or straps that can be relieved or cinched depending on your abdominal largesse.

Cheers

[zjpj]

Regarding side tabs, it seems that there can be three possible placements that I have seen:
1. on the waistband
2. half on the waistband and half below
3. below the waistband

Which is preferable and why?

[Will]

I never thought about the tab location before. Mine are all on the waistband, which I wear high in the English style.

[Guest]

Ah obesity and odd trousers, two subjects dear to my heart!

Belted trousers are both easier to fit
and more forgiving of change, of this I am quite certain. Western style pockets with a flat front are yet more for forgiving.

Whatever you do, you can pursue perfect measurements and these can be easily copied by excellent tailors elsewhere.

[Trilby]

I have also only ever seen side tabs that are on the waistband. However, there seem to be two different types -- one that is sewn directly onto the waistband and one that is "cut into" the waistband. With the first type, the tabs are simply pieces of cloth (usually with curved ends and that are cut in a tapered shape) that are sewn straight onto the waistband. The other sort uses straight, rectangular tabs that fit into a sort of gap in the waistband on either side of the waist. Not a great explanation, I know, although I hope that anyone who has seen these will recognize what I am describing.

I also like casual trousers with side tabs that operate with D-rings, rather than buckles.