To make a long story short, I have been having custom items made by a well known Washington D.C. tailor for the past six years. His name has appeared in this board a few times. I recently wanted to have a new pair of trousers in a medium gray pattern made. I visited the tailor and was told that prices for custom trousers have now gone up. About 3-4 years ago I paid around $400 for a pair. The price was now raised to $520 or more depending on the fabric.
Because I was happy with the quality of the work of this tailor and am aware that prices, in general, have gone up; I agreed to this price. I was given a fabric book that the tailor said was excellent Italian fabric. I selected one fabric I particularly liked; a gray pattern; to have the pants made. There was no label on the fabric book, but was told by the tailor that the fabric was more expensive that what he is currently selling for $520 a pair, but that he would sell it to me for the same price. I generally trust him, so I agreed. In hindsight I should have made a note of exactly what the fabric was. Upon leaving, the tailor persuaded me to have two more pairs of pants made to update my wardrobe. I picked out a navy with a wide light purple pinstripe and a darkish brown from the same fabric book.
I was measured and about a month later received a call that my pants were ready. When I arrived, I was told that only two pairs of trousers were made. Apparently, the gray pattern fabric I wanted and the reason I visited, was "out of stock", so the tailor decided to just make the other two pairs without telling me that the primary fabric I wanted was not being made.
The two pairs fit great as they usually do, but I had my heart set on the gray pattern fabric. I was a little upset that this tailor just decided to order the other two pairs without telling me. In addition, the pants in the brown fabric I selected came back looking green? I definitely recognize the pattern as being the same from the fabric book but am convinced that the fabric in the book was more brown and not the green that the pants are in? Has this ever happened to anyone because green doesn't really suit me and now I have a $525 pair of green pants?
To check this, I asked the tailor to see the book of fabric and compare. He looked for it but claimed that it was likely thrown away as it was an "old book", hence the reason for the one fabric being out of stock? He showed me another book that was labeled Tip Top Fabrics Royal Collection Super 120's 10.5oz and said that this is a "better" fabric made by the same people and that I could select a gray pattern in this book that he would make for the same price; $520. He also showed me a book labeled Tallia di Delfino Super 130's and said that this was also a much better fabric but that he would make me a pants in gray for the same price; $520.
So I went home and I was able to find some information about the 3 trouser fabrics I ordered:
They had the numbers: D1099, D1072 and D1113, so I called Tip Top Fabrics, gave them the numbers and was told the fabrics are:
Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC); all 9-10 oz, the Gray is super 110; the brown (or green?) a super 120 and the navy a super 130. And I was told that they are ALL IN STOCK!?! and are all $50/yard.
So, my questions are this:
(1) I definitely like the style of the patterns in the VBC book I saw but I know VBC is not typically a highly rated as some of the English fabrics. Is this type of fabric that I should be paying $520 for a pair of trousers? If so, then I may go back to this tailor and have him make the pants in gray.
(2) On the other hand, while I love the quality of the pants this particular tailor makes, $520 per pair does seem a little outrageous. And the experience of this tailor not telling me about the gray being out of stock or lying about it and just making the other two pairs has rubbed me the wrong way.
But going with another tailor concerns me. I one had a pair of M2M trousers made by another local tailor using these same pants and they are awful (they look like balloon pants).
Does anyone have any recommendations about another local tailor who may make custom trousers in a more reasonable price range ($300-400)? I have many sample pants previously made, but how easy is it for a tailor to replicate someone else's pattern without issues? Because I don't think I can handle any more balloon pants...
Because I was happy with the quality of the work of this tailor and am aware that prices, in general, have gone up; I agreed to this price. I was given a fabric book that the tailor said was excellent Italian fabric. I selected one fabric I particularly liked; a gray pattern; to have the pants made. There was no label on the fabric book, but was told by the tailor that the fabric was more expensive that what he is currently selling for $520 a pair, but that he would sell it to me for the same price. I generally trust him, so I agreed. In hindsight I should have made a note of exactly what the fabric was. Upon leaving, the tailor persuaded me to have two more pairs of pants made to update my wardrobe. I picked out a navy with a wide light purple pinstripe and a darkish brown from the same fabric book.
I was measured and about a month later received a call that my pants were ready. When I arrived, I was told that only two pairs of trousers were made. Apparently, the gray pattern fabric I wanted and the reason I visited, was "out of stock", so the tailor decided to just make the other two pairs without telling me that the primary fabric I wanted was not being made.
The two pairs fit great as they usually do, but I had my heart set on the gray pattern fabric. I was a little upset that this tailor just decided to order the other two pairs without telling me. In addition, the pants in the brown fabric I selected came back looking green? I definitely recognize the pattern as being the same from the fabric book but am convinced that the fabric in the book was more brown and not the green that the pants are in? Has this ever happened to anyone because green doesn't really suit me and now I have a $525 pair of green pants?
To check this, I asked the tailor to see the book of fabric and compare. He looked for it but claimed that it was likely thrown away as it was an "old book", hence the reason for the one fabric being out of stock? He showed me another book that was labeled Tip Top Fabrics Royal Collection Super 120's 10.5oz and said that this is a "better" fabric made by the same people and that I could select a gray pattern in this book that he would make for the same price; $520. He also showed me a book labeled Tallia di Delfino Super 130's and said that this was also a much better fabric but that he would make me a pants in gray for the same price; $520.
So I went home and I was able to find some information about the 3 trouser fabrics I ordered:
They had the numbers: D1099, D1072 and D1113, so I called Tip Top Fabrics, gave them the numbers and was told the fabrics are:
Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC); all 9-10 oz, the Gray is super 110; the brown (or green?) a super 120 and the navy a super 130. And I was told that they are ALL IN STOCK!?! and are all $50/yard.
So, my questions are this:
(1) I definitely like the style of the patterns in the VBC book I saw but I know VBC is not typically a highly rated as some of the English fabrics. Is this type of fabric that I should be paying $520 for a pair of trousers? If so, then I may go back to this tailor and have him make the pants in gray.
(2) On the other hand, while I love the quality of the pants this particular tailor makes, $520 per pair does seem a little outrageous. And the experience of this tailor not telling me about the gray being out of stock or lying about it and just making the other two pairs has rubbed me the wrong way.
But going with another tailor concerns me. I one had a pair of M2M trousers made by another local tailor using these same pants and they are awful (they look like balloon pants).
Does anyone have any recommendations about another local tailor who may make custom trousers in a more reasonable price range ($300-400)? I have many sample pants previously made, but how easy is it for a tailor to replicate someone else's pattern without issues? Because I don't think I can handle any more balloon pants...
