Does Tom Ford do classic, or just trendy?

[jeff13007]



This.  I don't understand people who pay $3,000+ for an OTR piece with a label when you can have a suit made for you by a skilled tailor for roughly the same price.  I realize that not everyone lives near a tailor who is capable of high quality work, but that's a lot of money to spend on something that isn't *exactly* what you want.

Its actually going to be closer to 5k lol. But take note that if you go the bespoke route and don't already have a relationship with a tailor you might not be getting "exactly what you want" either. Many i times i had an idea in my head and the resulting custom work was not exactly what i pictured. The benefits of OTR is that you can actually see the product and decide weather you want to buy it or not, the downside is that Bespoke from 3k upwards will usually result in a much better fit but for some like myself its only a marginally better fit. I was lucky in that i was extremely happy with my bespoke from steed but my NSM although beautiful pieces of work are not exactly what i had in mind, which is why i go back and forth between OTR and bespoke.

 

[size 38R]

I have no doubt that your statement is true. But then you of all people should know that any MTM/bespoke under $1000 will not be anywhere near the level of the aforementioned brands. For example to get near Brioni in terms of quality and fabric you are looking at closer to 3-4k which ill give to you is still less than the 5k+ starting price of Brioni but its far and away from "less than $1000"

when it comes to quality, things to consider are... Fabric, construction, and level of detail. fit is a given.
recently i asked a few tailors "how much to make me a suit??" and had quotes from $600-$1000. with varying levels of construction and detail.
-it all depends on what they charge for their services.
prices on fabrics can vary. and i have chosen cloth by Dormeuil. from which i can get the required length of material for around $300.
plus the lining. (can be cheap or expensive,up to you.)

even if i went all-out, it would be around $1,500. so seriously, ask around. test their work by getting something waaay too big re-made to fit.and check out their wares.
This website should prove inspirational. http://www.dormeuil.com/en/cloth-collection/detailed-collection/

good luck with your choice.

 

[Quarks]



I had an issue like this when i did MTO, on the RTW version of the style i was getting i needed to get the collar lowered to get rid of a collar roll, but for my MTO it wasn't necessary even though it was the exact same RTW model. Well hopefully you are able to get the style you want, honestly I'm not sure a big fan of their newer models, i wouldn't mind getting another Base A/weatherby/spencer or whatever their "classic" design is called, but if its discontinued i think I'm just gonna go back to Steed for my next suit.

I feel the same. If the newer models were to take over the collection, I would seek elsewhere.
I would either MTO if still available on the Base A or T, or find another brand altogether. That would suck.

 

[unbelragazzo]

Fit is definitely not "a given."

 

[jeff13007]



when it comes to quality, things to consider are... Fabric, construction, and level of detail. fit is a given.
recently i asked a few tailors "how much to make me a suit??" and had quotes from $600-$1000. with varying levels of construction and detail.
-it all depends on what they charge for their services.
prices on fabrics can vary. and i have chosen cloth by Dormeuil. from which i can get the required length of material for around $300.
plus the lining. (can be cheap or expensive,up to you.)

even if i went all-out, it would be around $1,500.  so seriously, ask around. test their work by getting something waaay too big re-made to fit.and check out their wares.
This website should prove inspirational.      http://www.dormeuil.com/en/cloth-collection/detailed-collection/

good luck with your choice.

Im not saying they don't exist. Im just saying its very unlikely you will get Brioni level work for 1.5k. I have found some tailors that do better or the same as RTW Brioni but like i previously stated they are closer to 3-4k as opposed to 1.5k. If you can actually find one for that price level and I'm not being sarcastic when saying this, please share it with the rest of us because that would certainly be a great find.

 

[Quarks]



considering Tom Ford?   classic? 

-consider others.
just saying, the hype is not justified. many companies can give you better.
And if you went the route of buying fabric of your choice, and working with a quality tailor local to you, the results should be amazing.
print a few pictures of styles you like, select fabrics, and get measured.
you should end up with a full quality,MTM, blazer/SC. with all the options(Flannel,150's,pick stitching,silk lining,working cuffs,etc) for less than $1000.

so, you could get a "Personal Statement", or pay for a brand.

And before the brand whores burn me, i have owned Tom Ford,  Brioni, E.Zegna, Isaia. and others. now going the custom route for my next suit.

 

I have seen MTM/ Bespoke gone wrong. Committing a few thousand dollars to get it all wrong and not wear able to wear it, is more than a kick in the nuts. (If someone offers me a MTM/ bespoke for under a thousand, I would run as far away as my legs can possibly carry me.)
What you said seemed so easy but the process of making a suit is far more complicated than that. To me, getting a suit made is like getting a hair cut at a new salon or barber. You never know what you are gonna end up with. Making suits is a journey, it gets better in time. It has trials & errors. I have no intention to spend enormous amount of time (& money) to find my own algorithm of perfecting a suit, and after painstakingly having 10 tailored suits later, to have the suit I finally want. What do I do with the previous 10? Put it in a museum?

I have suits from E. Zegna and thats the second best I have come across, having tried many across the board, Brioni, Kiton, Pal Zileri, Canali, etc, you name it. Not one of them were cut to the way I want it to be. Most of them, the waist of the jackets are too loose, button stance too high, shoulders too narrow, too wide, lapels too thin or too highly positioned, pants fitting were poor despite tailoring them, they all just don't seem quite right. I just don't feel right in them. You know it when you tried that many suits over the years. I have spent thousands on suits I have been unhappy with.

Imagine when I first tried Tom Ford, smirking about the hype. Unexpectedly it took me by surprise how well everything came together. Even the pants fitted they way I always wanted it be but just could not conveyed it to anyone. It is almost Tom Ford knew how I wanted it to be. It is ridiculous. Stupendously ridiculous. But this is exactly how a pair of pants should fit. That's my insanity towards great fitting pants. I was sold to TF when the pants fitted, and how it came together so well with the suit jacket. Pants has always always been my biggest hurdles. I am meticulous in spotting the slightest discrepancy when it comes to pants and I can be difficult when dealing with tailors - they all hate me.

OTR Tom Ford fitted me well with slight adjustments if needed. Why should I devote a trial of time and money to get something close to it? I don't want to come across as blowing the horn for TF, not like it needs any with the hype from the celebrities.
I can see why others enjoy MTM/ Bespoke. To others, it is more than making a perfect suit. It is the journey it takes, the service, the relationship that evolved with the tailor, or whatever that may be. When they wear their MTM/Bespoke suit, it takes back to the painstaking journey of creating one, and they wear the suit, they wear it with tremendous pride. My keen eye for what I want in a suit does not coincide well with any tailor (I have been) at this point. I have found my grail. Till my taste evolves, I stick by them for now.

But I won't dismiss MTM/ bespoke just yet.

 

[size 38R]

Granted, my TF fit like a glove, but others have too. as a straight up 38R, it's easy to see the difference in cuts. so without making this a price war with snobs disagreeing. the o.p was asking about a OTR Tom Ford. and i said he could get tailored for cheaper. Agree?
and yes my next suit purchase will be MTM. by an experienced suitmaker. at around $1000. with my input on what i want. BTW my maker is OLD and has 30+ years of doing it behind them.
so i am confident of the fit and style. as i like traditional. f#*k it. i'll just go back to my sewing machine and make myself a waistcoat.

 

[unbelragazzo]

I definitely do not agree that you're likely to get something similar to a TF suit from a $1k MTM job.

 

[size 38R]

I definitely do not agree that you're likely to get something similar to a TF suit from a $1k MTM job.

i have read your articles and have great respect.
but, did you read what i said carefully?

"the o.p was asking about a OTR Tom Ford. and i said he could get tailored for cheaper. Agree? "

or do you mean "a really expensive zegna?"

my suit will be comparable to anything sub 3k. with fabric from aforementioned company(Dormeuil). and I, also suspect the o.p. would be happy with such.
hence, i suggest looking into fabrics and having an item made to his specifications. so, subject to what he wants, and cost of fabric+ construction. it is possible to have exactly what he wants (a S/C) at that price.(3k)
- and even sub 1k. if he can get it made for $600-$700. which many tailors can do. all he needs to do is look around, and i will pm him with suggestions to help.
work with your tailor, always be nice, and pay upfront. because if you pay more than 3k for a MTM................you pay too much.

 

[jeff13007]



Granted, my TF fit like a glove, but others have too. as a straight up 38R, it's easy to see the difference in cuts. so without making this a price war with snobs disagreeing. the o.p was asking about a OTR Tom Ford. and i said he could get tailored for cheaper. Agree?   
and yes my next suit purchase will be MTM. by an experienced suitmaker. at around $1000. with my input on what i want. BTW my maker is OLD and has 30+ years of doing it behind them.
so i am confident of the fit and style. as i like traditional. f#*k it. i'll just go back to my sewing machine and make myself a waistcoat.

30+ years of making a kia doesn't mean when a carmaker tries to make a ferrari he's gonna be successful. Then again its your own money and i do wish you the best of luck with you commission.

 

[Chrenetique]

Kilgour, among other "military style" Savile Row tailors, can make you a bespoke cut that's akin to Tom Ford's offerings (or the other way round: Tom Ford was inspired by Kilgour and the likes). However, it will cost much more than $1k. Probably as much as a Tom Ford suit ($4k or so).

You will not have Brioni or Tom Ford quality (cut, fabrics, construction, details) for $1k.

 

[jeff13007]



Kilgour, among other "military style" Savile Row tailors, can make you a bespoke cut that's akin to Tom Ford's offerings (or the other way round: Tom Ford was inspired by Kilgour and the likes). However, it will cost much more than $1k. Probably as much as a Tom Ford suit ($4k or so).

You will not have Brioni or Tom Ford quality (cut, fabrics, construction, details) for $1k.

If we are talking about Kilgour's Bespoke and not their Shanghai MTM which i think has been discontinued, i think you are probably looking at closer to 3k UK pounds. Huntsman is around 5-6k now i think but then again they do have the reputation of being the most expensive on the row

 

[unbelragazzo]



"the o.p was asking about a OTR Tom Ford. and i said he could get tailored for cheaper. Agree? " 

or do you mean "a really expensive zegna?" 
my suit will be comparable to anything sub 3k. with fabric from aforementioned company(Dormeuil). and I, also suspect the o.p. would be happy with such.
hence, i suggest looking into fabrics and having an item made to his specifications. so, subject to what he wants, and cost of fabric+ construction. it is possible to have exactly what he wants (a S/C) at that price.(3k)
- and even sub 1k. if he can get it made for $600-$700. which many tailors can do.  all he needs to do is look around, and i will pm him with suggestions to help.
work with your tailor, always be nice, and pay upfront.  because if you pay more than 3k for a MTM................you pay too much.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding...but you're saying he could get something tailored for him (not sure whether you mean MTM or bespoke) for much cheaper than TF? Maybe cheaper than TF, but not that much cheaper. And there's also the significant risk that it will come out looking not as the OP intended. TF is a pretty distinctive style. No houses have that as their house style really. So you'll inevitably be pushing any tailor out of their comfort zone.

For CMT at $6-700, it's possible you could get lucky and get something you like, especially if you have a really strong idea of what you want, and it's close to what the tailor is used to making, and he's willing to listen to you. But it's certainly not the case that you're guaranteed a good fit just because it's MTM.

This has been discussed in numerous threads, but just because it's MTM or bespoke does not mean that you can do whatever you want. You are significantly constrained by the house style of your tailor, and also the million little stylistic decisions he'll have to make without consulting you.

 

[size 38R]

30+ years of making a kia doesn't mean when a carmaker tries to make a ferrari he's gonna be successful. Then again its your own money and i do wish you the best of luck with you commission.

you are right, But 30+ years of making men's suits means they can make a suit.
but the quote above,
-that's like saying " 30 years of making civics, you can't make an NSX" or "30 years of Datsun's can't make a GTR".............. both of these cars eat Ferrari's.

if you don't know what you want, you won't get what you want.
no amount of money paid will satisfy you.
i have an idea of what i want, my tailor has their price.
-and the o.p can get what he wants.if he knows what he wants. or, he can pay too much for a brand name.

 

[size 38R]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding...but you're saying he could get something tailored for him (not sure whether you mean MTM or bespoke) for much cheaper than TF? Maybe cheaper than TF, but not that much cheaper. And there's also the significant risk that it will come out looking not as the OP intended. TF is a pretty distinctive style. No houses have that as their house style really. So you'll inevitably be pushing any tailor out of their comfort zone.

For CMT at $6-700, it's possible you could get lucky and get something you like, especially if you have a really strong idea of what you want, and it's close to what the tailor is used to making, and he's willing to listen to you. But it's certainly not the case that you're guaranteed a good fit just because it's MTM.

This has been discussed in numerous threads, but just because it's MTM or bespoke does not mean that you can do whatever you want. You are significantly constrained by the house style of your tailor, and also the million little stylistic decisions he'll have to make without consulting you.

you are very right, and with good reason. i agree with you 100% . looks like we have an understanding.