Beginnings of a Charvet Habit.... - Page 6

Last time I was there in 2008, they said there were a number of things they could hand-stich--for an added fee. That included the buttonholes, sleeve attachment, and collar attachment. I remember thinking the prices were not astronomical, but high enough that I'd only consider getting the buttonholes done by hand. I do truly hate machine-sewn holes. They feel like crap. They can also do an unfused collar if you ask.

I'm surprised the shirts are not lasting so long. What is the problem? Is the fabric wearing out, or is it the stitching? I should hope the latter would be nearly bulletproof.

Shanked buttons are the only hand made detail I care about in shirts because I like the tactile sensation when they button. I wouldn't mind if they machine shanked a button, so long it was shanked, though I believe such a machine may not exist.

I'm surprised your shirts are not wearing well. I wear my shirts hard and so far it is holding up (only the cotton, the linen I am saving for the summer). OTOH I have developed a taste for hard fabrics that are coarse in the beginning but get softer with wear.

Can't you just select some basic super 100s Alumo there? That stuff should last.

It does. Turnbull & Asser started to use this machine for their shirts some time ago. I'm still not convinced this is the right thing to do, though...

Andrey

I saw no books. There might be Alumo but there are no such labels. I assume you have to ask.

The fabric. I don't want to give the wrong impression or come off too negative on Charvet. It was a lot of fun and it is a very good shirt. Again, we are splitting hairs here. At the end of the day, I simply think that there are better choices for me. I will post some pics of the wear and tear over the long weekend. Probably affects 3 or 4 shirts of 20.

Undoubtedly there are ways to increase durability by limiting your selections. But one of the nice things about Charvet is walking into the fabric room and being limited by nothing other than your own taste.

I've now spent a good portion of the day wondering whether I've simply selected the wrong fabrics. This is bothering me. Poorsod, how did you make your selection?

For anyone who is a fan of Charvet and silk knit ties, I suggest that you try one of theirs. I think they make the very best ones in the world. They are a heavy silk knit. Much more so than the typical Italian versions. They last too.

I have come to realize that I didn't need really soft silky material for my shirts. I have G&R 170s and 200s which feel really nice next to the skin but wrinkle easily. On the other side of spectrum, I have some shirts made from cheap oxford cloth from an Indian mill that is so coarse that I have to wear an undershirt, but wears like steel and keeps it's ironed looks for days. At Charvet, I wanted shirts that are easy to wear and easy to take care of. So I asked for blue fabrics with lots of body. Then I systematically felt all the plain blues and narrowed down to the ones with the optimal combination of body and color.

Getting a feel of how much both a cloth has takes a bit of learning. I find it easier to compare the feel of two different fabrics at the same time. I find it harder to examine one fabric on its own and determine if it is good or not. It's kinda like wine tasting for me. Consider comparing the feel of the fabrics of your shirts that perform well vs those who perform poorly. Perhaps you can learn what to look for in a cloth.

Here are some pictures of wear and tear. All of these shirts are about a year old and all are full bespoke. The red shirt shows holes throughout in a similar place in the fabric. This shirt was worn and washed exactly once before the damage occurred. In defense of charvet, this isn't as much of a "wear and tear" issue as simply selling a defective fabric. I have no doubt they will replace this shirt when I next return. The blue shirt shows fraying at the cuff. In my opinion, it is too soon for that. It has yet to occur on any of my other shirts. I don't think this is a particularly delicate cotton. The white shirt is intended to illustrate what I don't love about the collar. The stiffness and puckering isn't something I'm used to.

You should ask charvet to rectify the issue.

Sure. I will and they will gladly oblige. The service is out of this world. But that doesn't solve the question as to durability and isn't logistically simple.

My Riva shirting seemed bulletproof for the first 2 years or so of wear--then suddenly deteriorated very badly. Always washed at home in lingerie bags and line dried.

If I were to ever use an expensive shirtmaker again, I'd stick to shirtings that have a reputation for lasting. No more Riva or fancy Italian stuff for me.

I'm pretty thrilled with my shirts from napoli su misura. I still use relatively delicate fabrics, but at a third of the cost of what i was spending at charvet, it won't hurt nearly as much if something happens. and they come to me as opposed to me having to go there. and while NSM jackets don't flatter me as much as some others on this board, i think the shirts make me look pretty good. quite frankly, i think if i posted a picture of myself in a shirt by each maker and said "one of these costs 3x of the other - tell me which one" without any further information, the vast majority of people on this board would pick the NSM shirt.
Edited by agjiffy - 2/16/13 at 11:15am