Advice on buying fabrics in Switzerland

[GBer]

Passing through Switzerland and want to get advice on where and how to best purchase fabrics for shirting and suits. I've always seen fabrics made in Switzerland touted on higher end clothing. Is it possible for an individual to purchase them? Or is it limited to someone who will buy large bolts? I have no experience in doing this, so help would be appreciated.

Are there showrooms where I can see the bolts of fabric? I am hoping to see a large selection to choose from.

I assume for a 2 pc suit I need about 3.5 to 5 m
for shirting = ?

Does anyone have experience doing this in Switzerland?

Do you get value for the price? Heard the pricing in Switzerland is not the best for value. Or is it recommended to get the fabric elsewhere (e.g. US, England)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[holymadness]

Hey I heard you were passing through Switzerland and also Germany. Maybe you should buy some shoe care products and suiting fabric when you're there.

 

[GBer]

Just trying to help the Euro economy

 

[holymadness]

I hear the treasury is accepting donations.

 

[W.R.]

Originally Posted by holymadness

I hear the treasury is accepting donations.

I am also accepting donations.

 

[holymadness]

Hey, what a coincidence, me too! I bet I could also round up about 100 people who could really benefit from your stimulus plan.

 

[GBer]

Originally Posted by holymadness

Hey, what a coincidence, me too! I bet I could also round up about 100 people who could really benefit from your stimulus plan.

I hear Sarko is offering some cash and a plane flight home. Why don't you take his offer?

 

[holymadness]

It's lonely being the only gypsy with 2500 posts on a fashion forum. I need my high-speed.

 

[tazmaniac]

I'll try again to give you some advice: forget it. There are no stores that cater to the CMT-crowd (because there is no such thing in Switzerland) and if you were to buy Alumo fabrics at a shirtmaker's, you'd pay the markup. I wouldn't know about Swiss suiting cloth, but the answer stays the same regardless. On top of that, the Swiss Franc is very strong at the moment vs. the Euro and the Pound.

 

[tazmaniac]

And on a sidenote: stop starting so many threads.

 

[Shirtmaven]

the swiss do not produce suiting fabric.
I have not been to switzerland in years.
there may be over the counter fabric stores.
not sure if they will stock high count shirting or just things for home decor and women's fabrics.

 

[tazmaniac]

Originally Posted by Shirtmaven

not sure if they will stock high count shirting or just things for home decor and women's fabrics.
+1 Women's fabrics and stuff for upholstery is easy to get hold of. I know a shirtmaker in Zurich that has bolts of shirting fabrics in the store, but I don't know the mill and, as I said, it will not be cheap enough to be worthwile. Alumo itself is in the canton of Appenzell, which is not exactly centrally located, and I don't think they sell to the public. They won't even give out sample books, even if you offer to pay for them (I asked them once).

 

[GBer]

Originally Posted by tazmaniac

I'll try again to give you some advice: forget it. There are no stores that cater to the CMT-crowd (because there is no such thing in Switzerland) and if you were to buy Alumo fabrics at a shirtmaker's, you'd pay the markup. I wouldn't know about Swiss suiting cloth, but the answer stays the same regardless. On top of that, the Swiss Franc is very strong at the moment vs. the Euro and the Pound.

Thanks, had no idea. At parity with the dollar too.

 

[GBer]

Originally Posted by tazmaniac

Alumo itself is in the canton of Appenzell

Interesting, I am visiting a company near there. Is Alumo one of the large fabric makers in Switzerland?

Can you provide the name of the shirtmaker you mentioned earlier?

 

[tazmaniac]

I'd say Alumo are the most well-known for high quality shirting: http://www.alba-creation.ch/alumo/de/home.htm Shirtmaker is this one: Wellis Chemiserie Forchstrasse 2 8008 Zürich 044 422 92 75