Waiting time for custom-made apparel

So how long should one have to wait before receiving something custom made
(if you've been a customer for the past several years)?

What's a long wait...how long before you get upset?
I've been pretty patient for five months now.

I'm curious about people's experiences...shoes, pants, shirts, etc.



El Guerrouj said:

So how long should one have to wait before receiving something custom made
(if you've been a customer for the past several years)?
What's a long wait...how long before you get upset?
I've been pretty patient for five months now.
I'm curious about people's experiences...shoes, pants, shirts, etc.

Click to expand...

There is no general answer. Depends upon what you have ordered, from whom and how busy the supplier is.

It is a pretty dumb question and you give no context.



GBR said:

There is no general answer. Depends upon what you have ordered, from whom and how busy the supplier is.
It is a pretty dumb question and you give no context.

Click to expand...

+1

you really have to give some kind of context

- NYC shirt maker
- been customer since 2007
- have ordered ~15 shirts
- ordered another 4 in Nov. '11
- received first shirt in Jan. 12 - completely different from all past shirts in terms of fit and details; sent it back
- received remake of first shirt Feb/Mar - still off in terms of fit...completely off; eventually will send this back
- have sent reference shirts (previously made shirts)
- so now at 5 months

Surely five months is taking the piss. About time to start saying.. Where's me shirt!!...and finding another shirtmaker.

A few weeks - 3-4 should be enough.

Depending on what type of apparel you're having made. But usually it takes just weeks - if takes months there might be a problem with it. Best to constantly communicate with your tailor.

I usually get shirts within 5 weeks, but the last batch ordered in late November are yet to arrive.

Suits usually within 3 months, but I'm still waiting to be called for the first fitting of the two I commissioned in early January.



El Guerrouj said:

- NYC shirt maker
- been customer since 2007
- have ordered ~15 shirts
- ordered another 4 in Nov. '11
- received first shirt in Jan. 12 - completely different from all past shirts in terms of fit and details; sent it back
- received remake of first shirt Feb/Mar - still off in terms of fit...completely off; eventually will send this back
- have sent reference shirts (previously made shirts)
- so now at 5 months

Click to expand...

well, you are at five months, but only because there have been two send backs. the turn around you are detailing (1-2 months) is pretty typical (at least in my experience) for shirts. that said, it sounds like you are having fit issues and maybe what you want i a shirt is either (1) not being accurately expressed to your shirt maker or (2) not something your shirt maker can manage. In either case, it may be time to rethink your approach.

I don't believe that there's anything wrong with my approach.
I've had perfectly fitting shirts made before from the shirt maker.

All I did in November was to order four more of the same.
I assumed it wouldn't be a problem because the shirt maker should have the pattern, right?

Nope - the shirt maker said that my pattern was lost.
I found this a bit odd, so I said ok, I'll send you my old shirts, which fit perfectly. Please make a pattern from that.
This was months ago.

So perhaps I'm missing something.
I assumed that a shirt maker can make a pattern from a current shirt....

If everything goes well, it would take no more than 6 weeks.



El Guerrouj said:

I don't believe that there's anything wrong with my approach.
I've had perfectly fitting shirts made before from the shirt maker.
All I did in November was to order four more of the same.
I assumed it wouldn't be a problem because the shirt maker should have the pattern, right?
Nope - the shirt maker said that my pattern was lost.
I found this a bit odd, so I said ok, I'll send you my old shirts, which fit perfectly. Please make a pattern from that.
This was months ago.
So perhaps I'm missing something.
I assumed that a shirt maker can make a pattern from a current shirt....

Click to expand...

There's a lot wrong with your approach- you should have changed your shirt maker by now.

GBR said:

There's a lot wrong with your approach- you should have changed your shirt maker by now.

Click to expand...

+1

OK. We're now at 7 months and I have no shirts.

I asked for a refund (~$1k) back in April...haven't got that either.
Called last week again requesting refund...still nothing.

What should I do?