Tom Mahon: An Englishcut in New York - Page 12

Is there anything he doesn't grumble about? But yeah, I think he has had a couple of FUBARs, and to be fair, me too, but nothing that's relationship-damaging.

--Andre

^^FUBARs are not relationship damaging? You are either way too loyal or not motivated to find a better tailor. Is it the case that people should expect FUBARs once you use bespoke on a relatively regular basis?

I don't expect it...but,I feel that I've led a sheltered bespoke life.


- B

I have 4 suits in various stages with Tom and I will be happy to post the results when they arrive. Shit do you guys need to get a life or what? He has always been gracious and very down to earth. He has never once given me the feeling that I was lucky to have suits made by him it has always been the other way around. Relax guys.

There are no better tailors. But there are worse ones. Many of them. One of mine is in jail. Another was a thief. One of Manton's even got the shoulder pitch wrong.

FUBAR is an exaggeration, but there will be occasional slip-ups. With travelling tailors, it takes a bit longer to notice the problem, and then get them fixed. You can iterate with a local guy faster to get them fixed, but mistakes happen in either case.

--Andre

It is interesting how one person can missunderstand somehting and a thread has an unnecessary reaction.

In the past when there were lots of tailors the "drape" was made by many. And the varations were many. The soft unpadded shoulder that the front part goes over the shoulder, as some do, is in some ways like padded shoulders, because it has the extra canvas going over the shoulder, which is another layer like pads. Pads are perhaps softer, by nature, than canvas? If the canvas goes over, isn't that structure? There are all kinds of methods to debate about with pros and cons going many ways.

Like the fronts of Mahon's coats. Not sure what to think about the backs. He makes a unique product.

Oh Snap!

Technically any "tailored" garment is going to have "structure". Drape is a kind of structure, not anti-structure. If you look at Jefferyd's blog you will see in one of Steed's suits the canvas goes right to the armhole, yet still has drape. It seems that this is a common misconception.

It has been really hard to find a good tailor here in New York, whenever I would say "drape", or "soft" they always interpreted it as unlined, or uncanvassed. I would and walk out.

pure gold.

I still firmly believe that it's wisest go to a tailor who's cut and style you like, rather than trying to force a tailor to make something outside of their comfort zone... WW Chan seem to be one of the only tailors that I have seen who seem to be able to adapt a range of styles within a broad umbrella...If you want A&S drape why don't you use one the expats?

That's one of the reasons why I have not commissioned anything from them. The other being I am young and I am trying to feel out my style and find my thing. I want something I will love for many years, not a fad. Trying to get away from fads and fashion forward as I am beginning to feel immature wearing my "designer" suits.

Next time Edwin is in town we will have a sit down.

This is actually what Tom Mahon said that evening: he postulated that higher participation in the national military service resulted in more men with better posture then, compared to now.

Yes, seeing him "connect the dots" free hand was like magic to someone like me who's only used to wearing the finished product and has zero knowledge about the craft of bespoke tailoring itself. I remember when Tom was being asked during the demonstration why he was marking out the proportions of the suit at such seemingly random points, his response was, "Because it looks nice", which suggests a reliance on a sense of balance and proportion that has been honed by many years of experience, and is difficult to explain.

+1.