A Decent Tailor in Philadelphia?

[Alex68]

I just took a suit and a separate jacket to D&B tailors, and they were excellent. I've had work done at Cappelli's, which is very good as well, and also at Centofanti, which, after the master's death and the apprentice's departure is still apparently being run by one or more relatives. All are old-school types of tailors; in addition to the quality work on display in all three places, Centofanti and D&B have opera music playing in the background. Centofanti is the one to which I won't return, as after a few good interactions I had a couple of sub-par experiences. (I'm sure that they're still a cut above normal tailors, but I was looking for truly exceptional.) D&B is going to be my regular place.

At D&B, I was first fitted by a very nice older gentleman (not the famed Gabe D'Annunzio), left my clothes there, and departed. After I had driven a couple of blocks, my cell phone rang. It was one of the women who run the front of the store: Gabe had just come back, and asked whether I was still close enough to the shop to come back so that he could do the measurements personally. I had the time, so I circled around and came back in. He was incredibly nice. He wanted to meet me and go over the fit since it was my first time in his shop.

Later in the week I called to ask whether they could have the alterations done a day earlier than we had agreed, and Gabe told me that he would get it done.

I picked up the jacket and the suit today, and they look great. Gabe remembered my name and greeted me like a friend-- that never happened at the other establishments-- and came over to see that the fit was right.

And by the way, while it's certainly not cheap, I found D&B's prices to be quite reasonable. We all know that you get what you pay for.

I travel 20-25 minutes to get to D&B, but I know that some customers travel much farther. I can see why. I'm a professor, so I don't have as much occasion to wear suits (or the wherewithal to afford beautiful ones) as many of the people here, but as much as the next guy I appreciate being treated right. D&B was a fun experience.

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

I thought I'd bump this by rounding up what I've read here and on Ask Andy about bespoke tailors in the Philly area. Feel free to chime in or correct.

I am leaving the MTM shops like Ernesto's and Enzo's out of this, since they don't do bespoke, and there are lots of complaints on the fora about their MTM and alterations services.

Gabriele D'Annunzio of D&B Tailors in Newtown Square. Alterations, MTM, and bespoke tailoring, as well as bespoke couture for women (I think). Lots of fora reports of good experiences with D'Annunzio's alterations. Coach Jay Wright of Villanova's NCAA champion basketball team wears their semi-bespoke, to much acclaim. D'Annunzio's bespoke is expensive (several thousands for a 2pc suit, including cloth).


John Di Pietro of Di Pietro Custom Tailors on South Broad Street. Bespoke cutter and tailor, MTM shirts. AAAC member MrRogers was using him for bespoke about 8 years ago and was happy.

John Cappelli of Cappelli Custom Tailors in Wayne. Alterations and two-fittings bespoke; possibly also women's couture by John's mother. John may be the only bespoke tailor in the area who's under 55. He took over the business from his dad, who started it in 1964. Several fora reports of good experiences with their alterations; AAAC member The Rambler copped to owning a number of their (bespoke?) garments, and being happy with them.

Armando Barbarino in Cherry Hill, NJ. Not a lot of reported experiences, but an AAAC member reported in 2006 that he'd had two good bespoke suits from them.

Eugene's Tailor Shop, S. 17th Street. Alterations and bespoke tailoring and couture for men and women. Not sure if they do MTM. Women's tailoring and couture seems to be equally important to their business as bespoke men's tailoring. A member of SF and AAAC (Hacking jacket) says he's tried them with good results, but he doesn't think they're as good as what he's gotten from Savile Row.

Domenico Maglio of Domenico's Formal Wear on Frankford Avenue. Offers bespoke and MTM. Can't find any fora reports of experiences.

Thomas Tillman Bespoke of Germantown Avenue. Can't find any fora reports of experiences, but lots of photos of his work here. Excellent website.

Lettieri Brothers Custom Men's Suits on S. Bancroft. Bespoke; can't find any fora reports.

Ermilio Clothiers on 642 Haverford Road in Haverford. Bespoke sporting and riding wear, apparently will also do town clothes. No fora reports of experiences, though AAAC members report having talked with Bob Ermilio, the owner. Katie Ermilio, the daughter, has an affiliated line of couture, but I am not sure that it is bespoke.

Last, but the most controversial: Centofanti Custom Tailors in Ardmore. Many reports from the clothing fora of bad experiences with their alterations, even before the maestro, Joseph Centofanti, basically stopped running the shop. That was probably about eight years ago (he died in 2011, at 93). No reports of bespoke experience post-Joe Centofanti, or since apprentice Joe Genuardi left to become head tailor at Martin Greenfield and then set up his own bespoke shop in Hoboken. It's a pity, since Joseph Centofanti was turning out stuff like this in the 1970s (from Cutter and Tailor forum). (That's Joe Centofanti wearing his own work; note that it is harder to tailor for yourself than somebody else. You can see where the towering reputation came from.)

Feel free to correct or chime in.

(Edited to add Maglio, Tillman, Lettieri, and Ermilio.)

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

Any recent experiences with custom tailors in the Philly region? See my post above. Have all the Philly members left the building?

 

[classicalthunde]

anyone have any recommendations for good tailors on the Jersey side of Philly? Just picked up a Brooks Brothers 1818 suit on their 40% off, but don't want to trust it to their house tailors based upon previous experiences...

 

[GenuardiTailor]

Hello Gentlemen,
I just wanted to provide an accurate link to my shop in Hoboken that is mentioned above. We are making full bespoke garments in the traditional bench-made fashion right here in our shop. Please take a look at our site if you are interested genuarditailor.com You can also find images of some works in progress via instagram @genuarditailor

Many Thanks,
Joseph Genuardi

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

Thanks, Joe! That saddle-shouldered coat on your website looks great. You are a worthy heir to Maestro Centofanti. How I wish we could lure you back to Philly! Anyway, best of luck in Hoboken.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Hello Gentlemen,
I just wanted to provide an accurate link to my shop in Hoboken that is mentioned above. We are making full bespoke garments in the traditional bench-made fashion right here in our shop. Please take a look at our site if you are interested genuarditailor.com You can also find images of some works in progress via instagram @genuarditailor

Many Thanks,
Joseph Genuardi

 

[GenuardiTailor]

Thanks, Joe! That saddle-shouldered coat on your website looks great. You are a worthy heir to Maestro Centofanti. How I wish we could lure you back to Philly! Anyway, best of luck in Hoboken.

Thanks very much. I grew up in the Philadelphia area and have great affinity for it. Working at Centofanti with Joe and the other tailors was an unbelievably rewarding experience. The workmanship as well as the customers were top of the line. In fact, part of the reason I set up shop in New Jersey was to be accessible, not just to New Yorkers. We are only 90 minutes from Philly. A lot of guys feel it's worth the trip.
Best Regards,
Joseph

 

[misterflood]

Bumping this old thread because I am looking for a good alterations tailor in the Philadelphia area. I am considering Armen's in Manayunk. I have an mtm suit that needs some work.

For a tailor that can do the job right I'm willing to drive 30-45 minutes, so if D&B is the safest bet that is fine. Also, I am on the jersey side so recommendations in the Princeton area are also welcome

 

[Encathol Epistemia]

I think that adding to an ongoing, if recently inactive, thread is probably more appropriate than starting a new one to have to myself, but I beg everybody's pardon if its a breach of etiquette.

I live in Center City and am interested in, even excited about, having some bespoke garments made for me over the next few years. Clothes off the rack are always a significant compromise as my aesthetic sensibilities are pretty resolutely anachronistic as well as prone to occasional eccentricity and my physical construction is such that never quite fits rightly. I'm certainly not going to be able to get what I want from Boyd's, which I really wanted to like, but has proven to be something of a disappointment.

My immediate interest is in some new shirts and trousers to wear to the office, but I'd also like some suits, odd vests and a few other garments made. I have a number of things that I'd like planned out, but there's a lot of uncertainty in that I have little idea of just what any of it might cost. (I have what I believe to be sufficient fiscal resources, but they're far from unlimited and even if they were, I would want to lay my expected expenditures out)

What I'm at a loss as to is where I should go for any of this. On one hand, I would ideally be able to walk to my tailor, or at least not travel very far, but on the other hand, the magnitude of the investment is such that I should be willing to go to some trouble to find the right people and decades of decline along with shifts in menswear seem to have run the sort of craftsmen that I'd need out of town.

As such, I'd welcome information and guidance on whom to patronize and how to approach this generally. I've had a lot of custom hats made over the years, but clothes for the rest of the body appears to be something else altogether. I'm also not sure as to the appropriate volume of work; I'd actually like several things made this year, if it proves feasible, and over the coming few years.

There are three possibilities that I'm particularly interested in; largely because they would be very conveniently accessible for me:

Henry A. Davidsen: They are the most conspicuous when I search for Philadelphia tailors. They have a relatively complete website and seem pretty good at promoting themselves. They seem like they could be what I want, but I'm just unsure about what they provide. Their white label and black label suiting services are clearly made to measure, but their blue label and purple label are described in a way that seems like they're proper bespoke, but doesn't quite come out and straightforwardly say it. The concern also appears to have been founded by a business major and they emphasize their 'image consulting' services, which both make me a little uncertain. I've also found rather little opinion written about them; I've found a review of their white label services, but not much else.

Wayne Edwards Workshop: I've gathered that Wayne Edwards was formerly a pretty well-regarded menswear retailer that closed for a few years, then reopened with 'custom' clothes added to their services. Proprietor Wayne Glassman's LinkedIn profile is evidently a, "Certified Master Designer," of the Custom Tailors Design Association, but mentions, "Never wanting to represent himself as a Master Tailor," so I expect that it is a made-to-measure service. I retain some uncertainty as I've found almost no information about it.

Eugene's Tailor Shop: They seem to speak the right language so far as their services and would be a breeze to get to. A dearth of reliable information strikes once again and some of the Yelp reviews as well as the shop's responses to the two negative reviews seem a little suspect to me. (Yelp is probably terrible for this, but I'm grasping at what straws there are)

John DiPietro Custom Tailor: I've noticed him already mentioned and he seems perhaps most likely to be close to what I'm hoping for and I couldn't really complain about a short ride on the Broad Street Subway to go see him. I've come across considerable praise for his work, but I've come up thin on detail. I suppose part of it is the perils of being so deep into the internet age; I'd feel like I was walking almost blind and unaware into his shop.

There's also Commonwealth Proper, which seems like a more 'fashion-forward' brother of Henry A. Davidsen and to tell the truth, I'm rather 'fashion-backward', which makes them unappealing.

Ultimately, I might accept that I'll have to travel to Hoboken to get some things made by Genuardi or something, but whatever the case, I'd like more to grab onto in making decisions about this.

 

[classicalthunde]

I think that adding to an ongoing, if recently inactive, thread is probably more appropriate than starting a new one to have to myself, but I beg everybody's pardon if its a breach of etiquette.

I live in Center City and am interested in, even excited about, having some bespoke garments made for me over the next few years. Clothes off the rack are always a significant compromise as my aesthetic sensibilities are pretty resolutely anachronistic as well as prone to occasional eccentricity and my physical construction is such that never quite fits rightly. I'm certainly not going to be able to get what I want from Boyd's, which I really wanted to like, but has proven to be something of a disappointment.

My immediate interest is in some new shirts and trousers to wear to the office, but I'd also like some suits, odd vests and a few other garments made. I have a number of things that I'd like planned out, but there's a lot of uncertainty in that I have little idea of just what any of it might cost. (I have what I believe to be sufficient fiscal resources, but they're far from unlimited and even if they were, I would want to lay my expected expenditures out)

What I'm at a loss as to is where I should go for any of this. On one hand, I would ideally be able to walk to my tailor, or at least not travel very far, but on the other hand, the magnitude of the investment is such that I should be willing to go to some trouble to find the right people and decades of decline along with shifts in menswear seem to have run the sort of craftsmen that I'd need out of town.

As such, I'd welcome information and guidance on whom to patronize and how to approach this generally. I've had a lot of custom hats made over the years, but clothes for the rest of the body appears to be something else altogether. I'm also not sure as to the appropriate volume of work; I'd actually like several things made this year, if it proves feasible, and over the coming few years.

There are three possibilities that I'm particularly interested in; largely because they would be very conveniently accessible for me:

Henry A. Davidsen: They are the most conspicuous when I search for Philadelphia tailors. They have a relatively complete website and seem pretty good at promoting themselves. They seem like they could be what I want, but I'm just unsure about what they provide. Their white label and black label suiting services are clearly made to measure, but their blue label and purple label are described in a way that seems like they're proper bespoke, but doesn't quite come out and straightforwardly say it. The concern also appears to have been founded by a business major and they emphasize their 'image consulting' services, which both make me a little uncertain. I've also found rather little opinion written about them; I've found a review of their white label services, but not much else.

Wayne Edwards Workshop: I've gathered that Wayne Edwards was formerly a pretty well-regarded menswear retailer that closed for a few years, then reopened with 'custom' clothes added to their services. Proprietor Wayne Glassman's LinkedIn profile is evidently a, "Certified Master Designer," of the Custom Tailors Design Association, but mentions, "Never wanting to represent himself as a Master Tailor," so I expect that it is a made-to-measure service. I retain some uncertainty as I've found almost no information about it.

Eugene's Tailor Shop: They seem to speak the right language so far as their services and would be a breeze to get to. A dearth of reliable information strikes once again and some of the Yelp reviews as well as the shop's responses to the two negative reviews seem a little suspect to me. (Yelp is probably terrible for this, but I'm grasping at what straws there are)

John DiPietro Custom Tailor: I've noticed him already mentioned and he seems perhaps most likely to be close to what I'm hoping for and I couldn't really complain about a short ride on the Broad Street Subway to go see him. I've come across considerable praise for his work, but I've come up thin on detail. I suppose part of it is the perils of being so deep into the internet age; I'd feel like I was walking almost blind and unaware into his shop.

There's also Commonwealth Proper, which seems like a more 'fashion-forward' brother of Henry A. Davidsen and to tell the truth, I'm rather 'fashion-backward', which makes them unappealing.

Ultimately, I might accept that I'll have to travel to Hoboken to get some things made by Genuardi or something, but whatever the case, I'd like more to grab onto in making decisions about this.

I haven't heard anything about proper bespoke in Philadelphia, or at least nobody doing proper bespoke in Philly has made an impact large enough to be discussed on SF and other like-minded menswear forums. I'm not really sure of what style you're going for but most likely NYC is going to be where you'll find the most options available, particularly considering the pretty solid rotation of traveling tailors from all over the world visiting the city at some point of the year. Ultimately, I don't think Philly has the demographic to sustain a quality fashion forward bespoke tailor...But so far as quality Philadelphia recommendations go I would suggest also looking into:

• D&B Tailors out in Newtown square (which is where Jay Wright gets his suits)
• I'd ask the people at Boyds if they know of any proper bespoke in the area, or more fashion forward stuff
• Steven Hitchcock seems to come around every now and then
• Benson and Clegg used to visit a couple of times a year (although that may have changed with their cutter)

 

[Encathol Epistemia]

I haven't heard anything about proper bespoke in Philadelphia, or at least nobody doing proper bespoke in Philly has made an impact large enough to be discussed on SF and other like-minded menswear forums. I'm not really sure of what style you're going for but most likely NYC is going to be where you'll find the most options available, particularly considering the pretty solid rotation of traveling tailors from all over the world visiting the city at some point of the year. Ultimately, I don't think Philly has the demographic to sustain a quality fashion forward bespoke tailor...But so far as quality Philadelphia recommendations go I would suggest also looking into:

• D&B Tailors out in Newtown square (which is where Jay Wright gets his suits)
• I'd ask the people at Boyds if they know of any proper bespoke in the area, or more fashion forward stuff
• Steven Hitchcock seems to come around every now and then
• Benson and Clegg used to visit a couple of times a year (although that may have changed with their cutter)

Awful decent of you to reply; as it happens, I've just made arrangements to visit Joseph Genuardi next month. Hoboken isn't as convenient as down the street, or even forty odd minutes on the regional rail, but it's bearable and at least his heritage runs through Philadelphia and he's been very pleasnt in correspondence. (I well know that he has a professional interest in being that way, but that's still a good mark in my book)

I do plan to at least inquire to John DiPietro about a run of trousers and if that works, perhaps a little more.

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

See Encathol's review of John Di Pietro at Ongoing Bespoke Projects.

One correction to my Aug 2016 post: Lettieri is MTM, not bespoke. But fora members say they really work to alter the pattern and correct problem.

 

[classicalthunde]

bumping this thread once again since most of the info is at least a couple years old at this point ...anyone had a recommendation for an alterations tailor in Philadelphia (or the Jersey-side burbs) for slightly more complicated stuff like altering sleeve length from the shoulder and adding additional functional button holes?

 

[birdlives80]

Did Dipietro say he could order any fabric you want, or do CMT if you provided your own fabric?

Awful decent of you to reply; as it happens, I've just made arrangements to visit Joseph Genuardi next month. Hoboken isn't as convenient as down the street, or even forty odd minutes on the regional rail, but it's bearable and at least his heritage runs through Philadelphia and he's been very pleasnt in correspondence. (I well know that he has a professional interest in being that way, but that's still a good mark in my book)

I do plan to at least inquire to John DiPietro about a run of trousers and if that works, perhaps a little more.

 

[Encathol Epistemia]

Did Dipietro say he could order any fabric you want, or do CMT if you provided your own fabric?

I didn't ask at the time, but intend to inquire when I go to retrieve the trousers, which should be next week. When I visited to commission them all I looked at were several rolls of cloth that he had in the shop, which proved satisfactory, so I didn't press for more choices.