Germanicos- Bespoke Suits

Well folks I am going to renew this thread. Ordered a Germanicos "gold' package suit. $2200. Lots of measurements done but not by the actual tailor. First (only?) fitting happening in two days time. Now, I've had plenty of real bespoke made before eg Cutler, Zink etc. So you'll get an honest unbiased view. At this time my working hypothesis is that it's 'semi bespoke' ie I did get to choose style that you can't with MTM but the process does seem truncated.

We shall see.

Well, the suit arrived and I had a fitting on Saturday.

Not too bad in terms of fit, although a standard issue with my shoulder wasn't addressed.

Style - not what I wanted, too fitted and button stance too high. But I won't hold it against them for a first suit with a new tailor.

Construction - sees OK.

Overall:
This is a semi-bespoke service. It goes beyond MTM in terms of flexibility and fit. But its not a full, painstaking, bespoke process, with, especially, a missing first fitting having impact.

Would I go there again? Not at the $2200 (Gold) rate. Maybe at the Silver ($1600) rate. The main difference being that the Silver is mainly constructed in Portugal, as opposed to Melbourne for the Gold and above. Given that I'm not in Melbourne, it doesn't really bother me whether the work's done there or not.

But its not all over yet - lets wait and see how the suit wears and what, if any, after service is provided if problems develop,

I also had a casual shirt made by Germanicos.

The first shirt for a customer must be the "premium" option which is ~$290 AUD

My consultation was with Michael Tellis.

I was after something inherently casual and good for winter, I flipped through all of the fabric books and opted for a heavyweight grey oxford fabric with irregularities from one of the books they don't use too often. I'm not sure of the weight, but I think it's at least 6.5oz, maybe heavier.

Michael said I was the first customer to ask for a shirt that wouldn't be worn with a suit or jacket, and also the first to order a heavyweight shirting fabric. He admitted they'd never ordered the fabric I chose before.

I believe 14 or 15 measurements were taken, as well as photos of front back and both sides. I chose the options I wanted on their iPad app, and Michael suggested I go with their "Regular fit" and suggested black stitching for the buttonholes.

I'm not 100% sure if my shirt was made in Melbourne or not, but Michael did say that their offsite inhouse tailors are located in Pascoe Vale.

It took 5 weeks for the shirt to be completed.

I asked for Mother of Pearl buttons, but instead I was given black on white pearlescent buttons made from a resin (I think). I can see why they were chosen as they match the shirt and the black buttonhole stitching. I would have preferred the use of a natural material but I didn't explicitly state that.

The shirt seems well constructed. French seams, very neat stitching and good stitch density. The collar and cuff are quite stiff from the french fuse they used and there is also french fuse used in the placket.

Michael said that I should take the shirt home, wear it and wash it a few times before coming back for adjustments.

Unfortunately out of the box, the shirt armholes are too high and cause a few issues with arm movement. It's also too tight in the chest and upper back. The fabric itself is quite stiff and doesn't have much give to it, I haven't worn it out yet but I'm going to give it a few wears over the coming weeks and then take it back.

Michael did say that if I wasn't happy with the shirt, that they'd make me another one - so I will probably be going back in and asking for that because of the overall tightness. Now at least I know what I want the most - full range of arm movement. I will report back after I go in for "adjustments" and see what they're willing to do.

I agree with mzmart about this being a semi-bespoke service. They do say they make a pattern from scratch, however the cutter and shirt maker are not the same person and at least for a shirt, for non-VIP customers, there is no fitting - just measurements and final product plus adjustments. As I said I have not been in for my adjustments yet, so I will let you guys know how that goes after I go see them again.

My preference would be for the pieces that need to be re-made to be remade with a lower armhole, more room in the chest and upper back, more tapering at the lower back and I think due to the fabric weight, I will wear the shirt out instead of tucked, so a shorter hem at the back.

Just to round this off. Shoulder fixed and suit taken home. Nice enough final fit. Got the style a bit wrong but that's my fault for not being insistent. Yeah Ok overall. But ......a bit overpriced. Overall rating 7/10.

Thought I'd add to this thread as I just purchased a jacket from Germanicos and these forums helped sway me. Note that this is just my experience and YMMV ....

I'm Brisbane based and ordered a mid range sports jacket ~$1150. My first 'bespoke' item so was unsure of what to expect - they don't have a Brisbane shopfront but rather fly someone up or use a local rep for measurements and fittings. Anyway ...

- First measurements done in early Aug. 20 odd measurements taken, cloth & liner chosen from books, styles and wants discussed, and 50% deposit paid. Rep very friendly, promises of a beautiful jacket made, insisted that a full pattern is custom made onshore.

- First fitting in late Sep. Very surprised to see all the finishes were added - button holes in the front and sleeves cut with buttons on, liner sewn etc. Major problems with fit though. 2" too short, front buttons too high, shoulders with way too much padding. Photos & video taken and sent back to Melbourne to fix so no problems there.

- Second fitting in late Oct. Jacket was re-cut as changes required were too large. Again however, all finishes were added before fitting on my. Length corrected and button holes moved lower but not low enough for my odd proportions. Shoulders still too padded. Off to the local tailor for adjustments.

- Third fitting (now November). Shoulders still not right, sleeve length off. Small adjustments made & back to the local tailor.

- Fourth fitting. Shoulders still not right, jacket now too tight around the lats. Back to Melbourne to remove more padding and fix shoulders.

- Fifth fitting. Shoulders and lats nailed. Feels really good on the upper body but arms have been cut straight and fit like tents. Off to local tailor.

- Sixth fitting. Arms thinned. Pretty good fit but upper arms and waist still too baggy for my preference. Told this can't be fixed without affecting the nice fit of shoulders/back. Accepted jacket and paid in full as am moving overseas in 2 days. Unfortunately, noticed later that day that after one of the sleeve adjustments, the cuffs are crooked and sleeve lengths are different by 1cm. Local rep now on holidays and I'm moving overseas this week so maybe this can be fixed when I return on holidays next year :0

Is it a good jacket? Well, the material and finishes are lovely and it fits my shoulders like nothing OTR ever has. Do I love it? No - the sleeve issue, waist cut and button position mean I wont wear it nearly as much as I otherwise would (and that was the justification for dropping $1150 on a sports jacket). The panels would need to be re-cut to fix these issues I don't like and I don't see that happening.

Would I recommend them or use them again? Not based on this experience, and not while they don't do a baste fitting. Bespoke is a process, not a product, so I think all these issues could have been avoided by doing a baste fitting first. Once button holes are cut, the scope for correcting a poor fit are very limited. Germanicos don't do a baste (or at least wouldn't with me) so if you have a non-standard body shape like me, make sure you choose a tailor who does.

Despite what they say, they seem pretty shady to me (a bit like P Johnson), pretty sure all of their suits and shirts are made overseas in a factory somewhere and their service is definitely not bespoke, it's just made to measure. They were my first experience in custom tailoring and so far it's been the worst one of the three I've commissioned garments from.

Currently I'm using Steve Calder. His stuff is *definitely* made in italy with a good amount of hand-finishing for Australia, and I'm quite happy with the trousers I've had made. I'm thinking of getting a jacket this summer.

Hi guys,
My experience with Germanicos bespoke suit was magnificent. I've had several suits tailor made in Sydney and Melbourne from other tailors and I really enjoy wearing Dormeuil fabric suits. For me Germanicos offers the best priced Dormeuil bespoke suits in the country. I got my 15.7 bunch fabric from Dormeuil suit for $2,750 which I thought was very reasonable. Other bespoke tailors were quoting me in excess of $5,000 for the same fabric suit.

I met with John from Melbourne office and this guy must be the most knowledgeable guy on suits in the country.

I had 3 fittings after my initial consultation and the whole process took roughly 6 weeks with the fittings included.

At each fitting the master tailor came out and performed the fitting with me, they adjusted in Melbourne workroom and the end result is my best suit in my wardrobe.

I am in the market for a bespoke overcoat now and was wondering if any of you guys have purchased one from Germanicos and your experience with this?

Thanks

RBucknell said:

Hi guys,
My experience with Germanicos bespoke suit was magnificent. I've had several suits tailor made in Sydney and Melbourne from other tailors and I really enjoy wearing Dormeuil fabric suits. For me Germanicos offers the best priced Dormeuil bespoke suits in the country. I got my 15.7 bunch fabric from Dormeuil suit for $2,750 which I thought was very reasonable. Other bespoke tailors were quoting me in excess of $5,000 for the same fabric suit.

I met with John from Melbourne office and this guy must be the most knowledgeable guy on suits in the country.

I had 3 fittings after my initial consultation and the whole process took roughly 6 weeks with the fittings included.

At each fitting the master tailor came out and performed the fitting with me, they adjusted in Melbourne workroom and the end result is my best suit in my wardrobe.

I am in the market for a bespoke overcoat now and was wondering if any of you guys have purchased one from Germanicos and your experience with this?

Thanks

Click to expand...

2 months ago, I purchased a cashmere a overcoat which was knee length. I was referred by a mate in Canberra who has been with Germanicos Tailors for 4 years.

I got this overcoat in their Silver range, price was $1400 including upgraded lining & personalized monogram inside the jacket.
I think I made the right decision, as its very difficult for me get clothes that fit me, I always had to get them altered every time I bought something OTR or M2M. Also, not many places have quality overcoats in natural fibre (most of them are wool-blend or polyester)

Best part about Germanicos is they have a lot of variety to choose from; be it fabrics or overcoat styles. Michael from Melbourne store helped me choose the cashmere fabric and coat style. I have been wearing the coat, fits and feels very comfortable, value for money as its tailored for me and the price includes fittings (I had 2 fittings : 1st to adjust sleeve length as I wanted sleeves to be longer to cover my suit jacket sleeves & 2nd was pick up after alterations)

Recommend Germanicos above other tailors (couple of other tailoring shops in Melbourne, didn't even have overcoat fabrics) I recommend you to choose from the big fabric sample books they have in their Melbourne store.

Recommend them for the following -

1. Choice of fabrics (Suits and Overcoats)
2. Pricing (They have 3 or 4 different categories / range of fabrics)
3. Fittings / Trials - To get the desired fit.
4. Well made - Good stitching and experienced tailors.

Cheers Jamie.

jamie_fitz said:

2 months ago, I purchased a cashmere a overcoat which was knee length. I was referred by a mate in Canberra who has been with Germanicos Tailors for 4 years.

I got this overcoat in their Silver range, price was $1400 including upgraded lining & personalized monogram inside the jacket.
I think I made the right decision, as its very difficult for me get clothes that fit me, I always had to get them altered every time I bought something OTR or M2M. Also, not many places have quality overcoats in natural fibre (most of them are wool-blend or polyester)

Best part about Germanicos is they have a lot of variety to choose from; be it fabrics or overcoat styles. Michael from Melbourne store helped me choose the cashmere fabric and coat style. I have been wearing the coat, fits and feels very comfortable, value for money as its tailored for me and the price includes fittings (I had 2 fittings : 1st to adjust sleeve length as I wanted sleeves to be longer to cover my suit jacket sleeves & 2nd was pick up after alterations)

Recommend Germanicos above other tailors (couple of other tailoring shops in Melbourne, didn't even have overcoat fabrics) I recommend you to choose from the big fabric sample books they have in their Melbourne store.

Recommend them for the following -

1. Choice of fabrics (Suits and Overcoats)
2. Pricing (They have 3 or 4 different categories / range of fabrics)
3. Fittings / Trials - To get the desired fit.
4. Well made - Good stitching and experienced tailors.

Cheers Jamie.

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Thanks for the info Jamie_Fitz!
Actually I couldn't help myself so yesterday I went to the Germanicos store on Lonsdale St, to have a look at some overcoat fabrics. My budget in mind was about $1,500 like you state in your post. These fabrics in the $1,500 range were really nice, but being a sucker for Dormeuil fabric, I pinpointed a unique colour that is a little different to everything off the rack which I absolutely adore. It's 400 grams and pure cashmere. The price of this one is $2,500 but I think it's worth it for Dormeuil and I can't see the overcoat wearing out, as such I feel I'll have this in the wardrobe for so many years. I now am thinking about the design and i've booked an appointment for next Thursday to go through the measurement and design process. Do you have any ideas you could throw my way in regards to overcoat styles? I want something that will be timeless and not go out of fashion in a few years if that helps.
I took a photo of the fabric, ill attach it here for you.
Thanks

The last few posts reek of astroturfing

sensuki said:

The last few posts reek of astroturfing

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I dont even know what astroturfing means hahaha this guy accuses me of! I know what keyboard warrior means though and you reek like one.....