Jantzen v MyTailor.com; 1st shirts

[matadorpoeta]

there are several old threads about mytailor.com

here's one that has my experience: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...t=mytailor.com

do a search for more.

 

[Dapper Dandy]

Originally Posted by yanks2182

Anyone else have experience with Mytalior?

I have one shirt from MyTailor (a.k.a. Hemrajani Brothers), but no shirt from Jantzen to compare it against. I once ordered a Jantzen shirt, but never received it and gave up. maybe I should try again...

Anyways, the MyTailor shirt I got was a mid-range white herringbone. I went to a hotel to meet the tailor and got measured for the shirt. Fit is very good, as is the fabric. I do wish the French cuffs weren't so stiff, and a gauntlet button has fallen off, but those are pretty small quibbles with an otherwise good shirt. MyTailor doesn't have the wild choices that Jantzen has- it tends to have more conservative fabrics. All in all, I think I paid $75 for a great-fitting white herringbone shirt, and customer service was excellent. I would go back, but I'd like to try Jantzen (for shirts) and Chan (for suits) prior to going back.

 

[Tomasso]

Originally Posted by 5thave

How the hell is the method "problematic at its core?"

I'm sorry that you do not see the value in having easy access to the maker. There is a tremendous advantage for a maker to have the ability to lay his hands on the customer. He can actually feel where adjustments need to be made. This is the best way to have a shirt fitted. Any method less than this will be fraught with problems.

 

[5thave]

The point of comparison is not having an internet order versus a hands-on tailor experience. That is not disputable; obviously meeting with a tailor is better not only for fit but also for selecting the fabric as you can see and feel it. The point of this thread is comparing Jantzen v. Mytailor through internet measurements. Your post ("Comparing Jantzen vs. My Tailor, on the basis of an internet order, is of little substantive value. The method is problematic at it's core.&quot clearly shows that you feel comparing these two shirtmakers via internet orders is not worthwhile. This comparison of between internet shirtmakers (not between internet orders versus meeting a tailor) is a very even and worthy comparison. The hands-on tailoring experience has no place in this discussion. You should read the original post as well as your own before sharing your asinine thoughts with us. Yeah, meeting up with a tailor is better inputting internet measurements for someone thousands of miles away. Tell us more nuggets of wisdom we don't know.

 

[Tomasso]

Originally Posted by 5thave

The point of this thread is comparing Jantzen v. Mytailor through internet measurements. Your post ("Comparing Jantzen vs. My Tailor, on the basis of an internet order, is of little substantive value. The method is problematic at it's core.") clearly shows that you feel comparing these two shirtmakers via internet orders is not worthwhile.

The foolproof way to use a Jantzen type operation is to send them a properly fitted shirt to copy. You don't seem interested. You just want to compare numbers.

You go ahead and spin your wheels.

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by pkincy

I measured my body as instructed. And in fact the instructions were very similar and I submitted the same measurements to each within a 1/4 inch.

I did check measure a shirt that fit well but ultimately decided that measurements from my body made with a seamstress tape was the best way.

I will wear the Jantzen tomorrow. It is now ironed and I promise to keep you posted.

Perry

Please do, and thank you.

 

[dah328]

Originally Posted by Tomasso

The foolproof way to use a Jantzen type operation is to send them a properly fitted shirt to copy.
Just as another data point, I did that with Jantzen. The resulting shirt was perhaps wearable, but certainly not very close to the measurements of the original.

 

[odoreater]

Personally, I don't think the method is problematic at its core because of the law of diminishing marginal returns. Perhaps I'm not going to get a 100% perfect shirt form mytailor, but I can get pretty damn close and to the casual observer, the difference will not be too evident. So, unless you have some kind of crazy deformity a la the Hunchback of Notre Dame, then I don't really see a reason why you can't get a reasonably well fitting shirt from mytailor. Even if it has minor imperfections, you can still get a shirt that is substantially better than a RTW shirt.

Having said that, I have a bunch of shirts from mytailor and I think they're pretty good. Sure my CEGO shirts are much nicer and fit better, but, when I like to play around with details just to see what will happen, I use mytailor. Also, I like waiting for stuff in the mail.

 

[montmorency]

I have shirts from mytailor and from Jantzen. Mytailor is the internet name for Hemrajani Brothers. They make frequent trips to the US and visit an extensive list of places, much more than Chan. Their customer service is excellent. Joe Hemrajani, who I met and ordered shirts from, is not only a nice guy, but very responsive, as is his whole operation. He brings a large number of swatch books with him.

My self measured shirts from Jantzen fit me much better than the shirts that mytailor made for me. I only ordered once from mytailor, so I don't know how shirts would come out after they have seen what adjustments are needed. Basically, the mytailor shirts are looser than I like. I think that the reason is that mytailor thought that I might have them professionally laundered and factored in a lot of shrinkage room, but I have washed them myself and hang dried them (althought I put their shirts in the dryer a couple of times to try to shrink them). The shirts I orderd from mytailor were in the $55-$65 range. I am not impressed with the fabrics. I prefer the fabrics on the shirts I have ordered from Jantzen. I think the workmanship on Jantzen is also better, as are the buttons.

With that said, if Jantzen were no longer an option, I would order shirts again from mytailor. I am also seriously considering having them make a suit for me bercause I am not satisfied with the other available options and I believe that Joe Hemrajani's dedication to customer service would result in my satisfaction.

 

[pkincy]

Today I wore the Jantzen shirt and it was a 13 hour day. Some of the things that were a bit offputting about the Jantzen shirt actually helped in the long day. The shirt (#22) fabric is a relatively heavy twill and the french cuffs and the collar seemed (admittedly not yet laundered) a bit stiff. But the shirt wore very well today. The heavier fabric resisted wrinkling beautifully, the collar stayed nice, the tie stayed taut, the sleeves felt right, the monogram was in the perfect place on the cuff, and the cuff size was perfect showing just the perfect (1/3 inch for me) amount of shirt below my suit sleeve.

So this is the Clydesdale to the MyTailor quarter horse, and the Borrelli thouroughbred. But at the end of the day, I gotta say it is a lot of shirt for the value. Now the MyTailor shirt came at better than double the price (99 plus shipping and duty=111) and is noticeable a better cloth but I did like the performance of the Jantzen today. The only real fitting difference I note after 13 hours of wearing is that the MyTailor back handles my slightly forward shoulder slope without a roll at the back of the collar and the Jantzen has a slight wrinkle or fold. And neither shirts were requested for any forward slope in the shoulder...only a slightly sloping shoulder.

The very different fabrics could easily be making much of the difference here.

I do think that MyTailor just nailed the size perfectly. But Jantzen is darned close. And all this with an absolute self measuring with a seamstress tape and a mirror. So for a first attempt at self measuring and MTM (I did do bespoke shirts from HK 25 years ago when that was part of my territory), I am very very pleased with the results. So I can heartily recommend to anyone to try either of these MTM shirtmakers.

I promise I will also do a Kabbaz if I can make it to NY for the week to 10 days it must take.<g>

I will wear the MyTailor shirt tomorrow and get the Jantzen laundered. Luckily I have a local laundry/dry cleaner that does an absolutely wonderful job on premises. I will keep you posted on how they hold up on their 1st wearing after being laundered.

Perry

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by pkincy

I will wear the MyTailor shirt tomorrow and get the Jantzen laundered. Luckily I have a local laundry/dry cleaner that does an absolutely wonderful job on premises. I will keep you posted on how they hold up on their 1st wearing after being laundered.

Perry

Thanks for the thoughtful post, Perry. Nice to see how your opinion is evolving. I look forward to the updates.

 

[pkincy]

Wore the MyTailor shirt for the third time and first post laundry. It is still perfect. I love the fabric and the cut and the fit.

I am very long waisted and most shirts I have that are 16 neck are 32-33 inches long. Both the Jantzen and the MyTailor I speced at 34 and it makes all the difference in the world on the shirt not riding up and out of my belt as I wear it. So it makes for a much more comfortable wearing.

The fit I would still characterize as better than Jantzen due to the absolute flatness of the fit across my back and shoulders compared to the slight roll or wrinkle in the high middle of the back/below the neck in the Jantzen. That being the only difference however as they both fit very well and with a suit coat on the roll is not an issue nor can I feel any tightness there as I wear the shirt.

I certainly would not hesitate to self measure and get a shirt from either. However my expectation at this time is my "fire for effect" order will be to MyTailor.com. However the difference between $50 delivered and $150 (this shirt was only $100 delivered but my reoorder will step up in fabrics significantly) delivered is not terribly important to me at this point in life. And it may be the deal maker/breaker for others.

BTW, the excellent fit and wearability of a custom made garment (whether it be MTM or bespoke) is great enough that I may point a vacation towards London or HK in the next year or two.

Enjoy,
Perry

 

[odoreater]

Perry, how do you compare the construction of the collars of the mytailor shirt and the jantzen. I thought the collar on my first mytailor was not that great because it was very cardboard-y (for lack of a better word). Subsequent collars have been better, but still not great compared to other custom shirts that I have.

 

[pkincy]

The collar of the Jantzen is very substantial. In fact so much so that it was a bit offputting when I first opened the shirt. It wore nicely however. I am going to be reviewing that in some detail after its laundry (I pick it up today).

The MyTailor shirt collar is, I think deliberately, not as stiffened.

And I will withhold my "fire for effect" order and decision until I get 3-4 wearings out of each shirt.

It is not a sprint but a marathon.

Perry

 

[pkincy]

Well, I have worn both shirts a number of times now and will reorder from MyTailor.

However both are excellent even astounding value! So as advice I would allow your price point comfort to dictate your choice.

If you are very comfortable paying $100 go for the MyTailor in better fabrics. If price is real important, buy Jantzen and you will get great value.

Perry