Quote:
Originally Posted by
gj555 
Not to get into the debate but it really depends on how you define bespoke. I once had a tailor that claimed that there were no real bespoke tailors left in Toronto (regardless how the various "bespoke" and "custom" shops bill themselves). When I asked to clarify, he indicated he did not know of a single tailor in Toronto that did not start off with a standard paper block pattern during cutting and most use quite a bit of sewing machine to save costs.
Other tailors, tailoring houses or mini manufacturers you may be able to find good value at for MTM in Toronto suits include Spiros, Balfour, Aquarius and Raji's (the suit in my post above).
I just went to Raji's. The service was poor. The shop was disorganized and messy. I had to ask three times about shirts before he would give me an answer and then informed me that custom shirts come in a minimum order of 3 (for $600), custom shirts elsewhere start around $130 and can be bought individually.
We went in shopping for a tuxedo and he wouldn't even listen to this request. Shot it down immediately, told me to go for a three piece suit without even consulting what I already have in my wardrobe or how often I would be using a tux.
We were looking at a supers 120 Australian wool (which he said he would normally charge $1200 for a three-piece suit). When we started to look at a few other books (that we had to pull out from under strewn pieces and bolts of fabric) he told me not to even look at the vitale barberis canonico book or this other book as to make a suit with fabrics from those books cost minimum $2500 (and I have been quoted around $1000-$1500 from other places like Sprezzatura- Fifth on King for the same fabrics).
He did not discuss fit at all and all the suits on the mannequins, even pinned, looked terribly boxy.
Needless to say I was unimpressed with Raji's.
Also, John from Balfour once told me, "You don't want to deliver a suit at 100% or even 99% because then you won't make any money. You want to deliver it at 85% so that it's still good and the customer's happy."
While this statement might be the reality of custom made suits, I don't think it is appropriate to tell a customer you are at best aiming for 85%, can you imagine the actual effort that is going into the garment? Always state you are aiming for 100%, but maybe in this day and age the concept of hard work and the best possible delivery is lost.
(that is, if I don't take the plunge there myself)?
