• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

MTM shirts in LA: Freddie Vandecasteele

LARon

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,024
Reaction score
2
Several months back a thread over on AAAC sang the praises of Freddie Vandecasteele, a Belgian ex-pat chemisier working in Los Angeles. As part of my commitment to support local talent, I looked him up and recently commissioned four shirts, and took delivery just this week.

I now add my voice to the chorus of Freddie supporters. His fabric selection is excellent and his recommended choices are dead on; fine hand and excellent coloring. His shirts are as fine as any I've had made, and in the recent past I've used Hamilton (through Barney's), Brooks Brothers, Borrelli and Kiton (although I must say, the Kitons are a cut above -- for which you pay several hundred dollars more, per shirt!).

What's more, Freddy is very good natured, pleasant to be around and very accomodating and willing to make whatever adjustments need be made -- with lightening fast turn aroud; he completed my last two shirts in just a couple of days, after learning how I wanted my spread collar tweaked. My average price for the four shirts was around $190 each.

Should you be in the market, in SoCal, for high quality MTM shirts I strongly urge you to consider Freddie Vandecasteele; he's a longtime pro, with a knack for customer service.
 

Mute

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
1,205
Reaction score
127
Is it MTM or does he do a pattern just for you?
 

LARon

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,024
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by Mute
Is it MTM or does he do a pattern just for you?

He takes your measurements and, in my case, had me try on a sample to guage body-fit preference, but I don't think he makes a special pattern (at least I never saw any).
 

Mute

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
1,205
Reaction score
127
Thanks for the info. I'm planning on trying a few shirts with Freddie.
 

raley

Senior Member
Joined
May 22, 2004
Messages
779
Reaction score
0
What is Hamilton, if you don't mind me asking. Are those the guys based in Houston - how did you like those shirts if so?
 

Tomasso

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
4,067
Reaction score
19
Originally Posted by LARon
As part of my commitment to support local talent

How about Anto? They sound like the real deal.
 

LARon

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,024
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by Tomasso
How about Anto? They sound like the real deal.

Leaving aside the implication that Freddie is not "the real deal" (which I'm sure you didn't mean, but could easily be inferred from your choice of words), I did check with Anto but ultimately went with Freddie for two reasons.

First, a firm as estalished as Anto runs on auto pilot, and has more than enough business for mine to matter. As an example, they have a six shirt minimum -- no exceptions -- with prices starting at 270 per shirt (for the most basic fabrics); which means you're looking at a bill of at least 2000 just for showing up.

Because I wanted only three shirts they wouldn't work with me. (Doesn't mean I won't go back when I need six shirts, but it forced me to have to look elsewhere -- which is my point: they already have so much business that they didn't need mine.)

Second, supporting local artisans necessarily means giving those who are less well known a chance. If everybody went to the same and single source, where would new influences, competition or a thriving market come from?

Also, because Freddie's been doing this for many years -- as I understand his father did before him -- why wouldn't I go to him? (other than just not knowing about him -- which is exactly why I started this thread.)
 

LARon

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,024
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by raley
What is Hamilton, if you don't mind me asking. Are those the guys based in Houston - how did you like those shirts if so?

Hamilton is an old line shirt-maker. They're Barney's MTM vendor. I think they also used to make Brooks Brothers' MTM shirts as well, some years ago. I seem to recall my Brooks salesman telling me some years ago that they switched, but I can't remember to whom.

I'm not sure where Hamilton is based, but Houston doesn't sound right (maybe, but I thought they were somewherer in the Northeast).
 

Shirtmaven

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Dec 26, 2003
Messages
3,791
Reaction score
1,005
I will work backwards.

Hamilton is in Houston. I think they have been in business longer then any other shirtmaker in the USA. theymake an excelelnt shirt. I am not sure how the pricing in Houston differs from the pricing at Barneys, but I would think that the Barneys markup is quite high.
I do not think Hamilton ever made shirts for Brooks. Brooks used to use Inividualized shirt.
Anto does have a large business and makes beautiful shirts. they do have plenty of business, but not so much as not not need new customers, they just would rather not start with customers who want to meet their minimum.

Freddy is a great guy. I would think there is a paper pattern somewhere for you. and yes, he can use your business and appreciates it.

Carl
 

Freddy Vandecasteele

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Messages
109
Reaction score
13
Thank you Mister "LARon"
It is easy to make a nice shirt for a gentlemen like you.
My dad was a tailor,and I also attended evening school in Brussels for 5 years, I also worked and went to school in Paris.That was for tailoring.
I make a new paper pattern for all customers, that I adjust as requested.
Freddy Vandecasteele
 

LARon

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,024
Reaction score
2
Originally Posted by Shirtmaven
I will work backwards.

Hamilton is in Houston. I think they have been in business longer then any other shirtmaker in the USA. theymake an excelelnt shirt. I am not sure how the pricing in Houston differs from the pricing at Barneys, but I would think that the Barneys markup is quite high.
I do not think Hamilton ever made shirts for Brooks. Brooks used to use Inividualized shirt.
Anto does have a large business and makes beautiful shirts. they do have plenty of business, but not so much as not not need new customers, they just would rather not start with customers who want to meet their minimum.

Freddy is a great guy. I would think there is a paper pattern somewhere for you. and yes, he can use your business and appreciates it.

Carl



Can't argue with the master -- CEGO that is.
 

Tomasso

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
4,067
Reaction score
19
Originally Posted by Freddy Vandecasteele
I make a new paper pattern for all customers, that I adjust as requested.
This is the real deal. MTM is something less.
 

Stax

Senior Member
Joined
May 31, 2006
Messages
834
Reaction score
3
Thanks for the heads-up. I need to make a trip to LA!
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,172
Messages
10,579,192
Members
223,886
Latest member
spyke-52
Top