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Considering leaving my tailor - Page 2

post #16 of 30
8/29/12 at 12:31am
Why did you keep going back to him if you were consistently not happy with what he was making for you? Or were you happy at the time and just realized now that its not for you? Also another thing just because it is SF approved does not mean its for everyone. I had one NSM suit made and while it was beautifully made the style just didn't suit me, i found that i prefer longer jackets but still like the soft shoulder so i went with steed and have been happy with the suit i got from them since. My point is i did that after 1 suit, why are you asking 3 suits later?
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post #17 of 30
8/29/12 at 12:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff13007 View Post

Why did you keep going back to him if you were consistently not happy with what he was making for you? Or were you happy at the time and just realized now that its not for you? Also another thing just because it is SF approved does not mean its for everyone. I had one NSM suit made and while it was beautifully made the style just didn't suit me, i found that i prefer longer jackets but still like the soft shoulder so i went with steed and have been happy with the suit i got from them since. My point is i did that after 1 suit, why are you asking 3 suits later?

 

SF myth 101: bespoke is a process and it takes a few iterations to get everything perfect.  or something like that lol

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post #18 of 30
8/29/12 at 12:44am
Is there a chance that you were too certain of what you wanted? If the tailor is good he should be able to create what it in your head, and if that image sucks, then the resultant suit will suck. Consider going back to him wearing your RTW that you love and asking him to note the proportions and dimensions.

In many bespoke cases the main detractor is the communication between client and tailor; a tailor can [for example] cut trousers as long or short as he likes, thus any imperfect trouser is not due to a lack of skill but a lack of communicating the desired effect. Now that you have an almost-rock-solid idea of how you would like a suit to turn out, you can start from that and make your normal bespoke tweaks and choices.
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post #19 of 30
8/29/12 at 12:57am
I believed OP is getting there, it takes time and error to know what looks the best, I personally like the second suit the best, better resolution might helps. I think the RTW one is ok. In terms of the cut it is ok, just needs some recommendation to the tailor e.g. Losses upper arm...

Keep going and learn.
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post #20 of 30
8/29/12 at 7:34am
Bespoke #2 is the best and by far. It certainly has alot of potential. The rtw is nothing more than ok but certainly not impressive or eye catching

Communication is key and perhaps for this reason alone you should move on to another tailor that is closer to what you want/like to make communication easier.

And if you are not sure what you want specifically the first time than yes bespoke is a process.
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post #21 of 30
8/29/12 at 7:57am

the 2nd suit is better.

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post #22 of 30
8/29/12 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renault78law View Post

Um, this is a tried and true bespoke operation. SF approved to the max. Does that change your answer as far as what I should do next?

sorry, too vague an answer on your part.

"SF approval" does not denote the tailor's taste and style sensibility. It donotes a look that SF'ers like. The tried and true I referred to earlier have both the technical skill (handwork) necessary and the style sense to direct you to a silhouette that's flattering to you.

So either you truly had one of these tailors, and thru fault of your own, steered him to make the high-buttoning monstronsities we see in picture #1, or you had a technically competent tailor who has no taste.
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post #23 of 30
8/29/12 at 1:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renault78law View Post

Um, this is a tried and true bespoke operation. SF approved to the max. Does that change your answer as far as what I should do next?

 

If you don't like the results, whether SF likes them or not is completely irrelevant.

 

FWIW, I personally quite like the general shape/style of suit #2. Just needs a bit of tidying up around the sleeves and trousers, but not all that much. But my opinion shouldn't mean squat to you. If you don't like the results, and you & the tailor aren't getting results you're happy with after several commissions, maybe things simply aren't going to work out with this tailor. Experiment more if you want, but at some point you shouldn't be afraid to just cut your losses. Sometimes things just don't pan out right in terms of the creative dynamic.

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post #24 of 30
8/29/12 at 2:44pm
He does not deserve the indulgence that you have extended to him by this showing. I am sure that with a little effort you can replace him
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post #25 of 30
8/29/12 at 2:49pm
If you've lost confidence in the tailor (and I would have at suit #1, and I hope I would not have left the shop with it in that state), then it is highly unlikely to re-emerge.

Move on.

I'd be genuinely interested to hear if this experience is online or long-distance. There is no substitute for you for looking the guy in the eye while doing business with him. And it helps him just as much to get to know what you really want. No number of emails can do that.

My dinner suit has two pairs of trousers because the coat at the first effort was such a hash that as soon as I put it on the tailor knew he had to remake it, but gave me the acceptable trousers at no cost before doing the whole thing again from scratch by way of mild recompense. And I somewhere have an old tweed SC that got to final and then needed its sleeves completely remade because of bad stitching on the cuff buttons, because I insisted on it and the guy could not crediby defend the obviously shoddy workmanship.

There is no substitute for standing in front of the chap and running through the defects. It is a mutual learning experience that can reap benefits for both.
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post #26 of 30
8/29/12 at 3:23pm
Do you plan on breaking the news to him or her in person, on the phone or via email?
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post #27 of 30
8/29/12 at 3:41pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all your comments guys. Yeah, I think I probably should have perfected the first suit before ordering another. The way it went down was that they were going to make corrections to the first, and I ordered the second at the same time. I thought everything would just work out. Live and learn! I should have been more patient. That was my mistake, as was my request for a high stance and short coat (which I conceded in my OP). But the shoulder and the quarters were not done at my direction, and I don't really think they are acceptable on any level. You guys are right, no tailor should have let me walk out with that, and now I'm convinced I should do something about it.

I agree that #2 came out pretty good. With this in mind, when I needed a third, I thought it could only get better. Whether the first and/or second bespoke garmet can be scrapped for the sake of "the process", I disagree with that statement. I think it is reasonable to expect that your first garment will be, at a minimum, serviceable and that things should get "better" as you refine things over time. Communication is key, and I think you guys are right that he and I are not communicating well (and we meet face to face, btw, though not nearly enough).

I'm going to address this with them and see how they respond. Like I said before, this is a tried and true operation, and if they want to earn any more of by business, they are going to have to address these before we take any steps forward.
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post #28 of 30
8/29/12 at 7:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renault78law View Post

Thanks for all your comments guys. Yeah, I think I probably should have perfected the first suit before ordering another. The way it went down was that they were going to make corrections to the first, and I ordered the second at the same time. I thought everything would just work out. Live and learn! I should have been more patient. That was my mistake, as was my request for a high stance and short coat (which I conceded in my OP). But the shoulder and the quarters were not done at my direction, and I don't really think they are acceptable on any level. You guys are right, no tailor should have let me walk out with that, and now I'm convinced I should do something about it.
I agree that #2 came out pretty good. With this in mind, when I needed a third, I thought it could only get better. Whether the first and/or second bespoke garmet can be scrapped for the sake of "the process", I disagree with that statement. I think it is reasonable to expect that your first garment will be, at a minimum, serviceable and that things should get "better" as you refine things over time. Communication is key, and I think you guys are right that he and I are not communicating well (and we meet face to face, btw, though not nearly enough).
I'm going to address this with them and see how they respond. Like I said before, this is a tried and true operation, and if they want to earn any more of by business, they are going to have to address these before we take any steps forward.

On number three did you ask for the shoulder to be narrower? I think either the shoulder is too weak or theres too much in the hips, or the balance could be off. I agree that i like number two the best.
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post #29 of 30
8/29/12 at 10:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Reeves View Post

On number three did you ask for the shoulder to be narrower? I think either the shoulder is too weak or theres too much in the hips, or the balance could be off. I agree that i like number two the best.
No, I believe the shoulder got progressively wider on each iteration. Are you suggesting that the shoulder requires more structure?
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post #30 of 30
8/30/12 at 1:48pm

I prefer the second image and would agree on the notion that it should take several fittings to get the fit right with a bespoke suit .

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