EL72
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2006
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I met Harry Rosen this weekend and thought I'd share the story and some observations:
I have a great Samuelsohn navy sportcoat in very soft wool/cashmere from Rosen that happens to be unlined. The absence of a lining means that there is very little stitching attaching the side pockets (only on top), which continually pull at the seams from the weight of stuff in the pockets (another great reason for patch pockets but I digress). So the fabric at the top edges of the pockets has begun to tear and unravel and I decided to go to the store so they could fix it.
I was wearing said jacket and was going up the escalator (in the Bloor St. flagship) when I notice an older man who nods at me. I recognized Harry and smiled so he introduced himself and shook my hand. He then complimented me on my jacket so I took the opportunity to tell him that the reason I was here was because of an issue with the jacket and he asked to take a look. After seeing the problem, he said they would definitely take care of it. He called the head tailor right away (in the midst of a busy sat. afternoon no less) and discussed ways to repair the jacket. He wrote out a repair ticket and handed the jacket directly to the tailor and told me that since he had bypassed the regular computer system, he would follow-up himself with the tailor and call me directly when the jacket was ready, and gave me his card.
We chatted a bit about the origins of my name and some of the people he knew of Sephardic heritage. He also lamented the fact that he could not find any tailors to replace the few aging Italian gentlemen who are left and how no one in North America wants to be a tailor, compared to Naples where it's viewed as a higher status profession and is still attracting new recruits...
Harry was very pleasant and it was comforting to see a man, in a store that bears his name, who still cared enough about service to help someone out with a jacket that needed mending. He was a real gentleman throughout so I thought I'd share. He also made me want to buy stuff so I browsed a bit and here are a few observations of interest to SF:
Zegna has a new suit cut (Savile fit) that features A LOT of waist suppression, much more than their Milano (or of course Roma) cut. The shoulders are however relatively soft, though not as soft as the Milano. It's a nice hybrid sort of cut but I could barely button the 38R so it will be a tough sell imo.
Tramezza have jacked their prices again and the shoes I saw at Rosen were now $1,300+!! WTF?! They are great shoes and I love Tramezzas but thought it was nuts when they went from $650 to $900+ but $1,300 is just insane imo. I don't know whose paying those prices but the shoes are still the same construction as five years ago so I don't see how they can justify the increase since I don't think the market will bear such a price.
I have a great Samuelsohn navy sportcoat in very soft wool/cashmere from Rosen that happens to be unlined. The absence of a lining means that there is very little stitching attaching the side pockets (only on top), which continually pull at the seams from the weight of stuff in the pockets (another great reason for patch pockets but I digress). So the fabric at the top edges of the pockets has begun to tear and unravel and I decided to go to the store so they could fix it.
I was wearing said jacket and was going up the escalator (in the Bloor St. flagship) when I notice an older man who nods at me. I recognized Harry and smiled so he introduced himself and shook my hand. He then complimented me on my jacket so I took the opportunity to tell him that the reason I was here was because of an issue with the jacket and he asked to take a look. After seeing the problem, he said they would definitely take care of it. He called the head tailor right away (in the midst of a busy sat. afternoon no less) and discussed ways to repair the jacket. He wrote out a repair ticket and handed the jacket directly to the tailor and told me that since he had bypassed the regular computer system, he would follow-up himself with the tailor and call me directly when the jacket was ready, and gave me his card.
We chatted a bit about the origins of my name and some of the people he knew of Sephardic heritage. He also lamented the fact that he could not find any tailors to replace the few aging Italian gentlemen who are left and how no one in North America wants to be a tailor, compared to Naples where it's viewed as a higher status profession and is still attracting new recruits...
Harry was very pleasant and it was comforting to see a man, in a store that bears his name, who still cared enough about service to help someone out with a jacket that needed mending. He was a real gentleman throughout so I thought I'd share. He also made me want to buy stuff so I browsed a bit and here are a few observations of interest to SF:
Zegna has a new suit cut (Savile fit) that features A LOT of waist suppression, much more than their Milano (or of course Roma) cut. The shoulders are however relatively soft, though not as soft as the Milano. It's a nice hybrid sort of cut but I could barely button the 38R so it will be a tough sell imo.
Tramezza have jacked their prices again and the shoes I saw at Rosen were now $1,300+!! WTF?! They are great shoes and I love Tramezzas but thought it was nuts when they went from $650 to $900+ but $1,300 is just insane imo. I don't know whose paying those prices but the shoes are still the same construction as five years ago so I don't see how they can justify the increase since I don't think the market will bear such a price.
