AMA: Bespoke Tailor Edition!

[towerbespoke]

While there are some roped shoulder fans here, I think this forum is also overwhelmingly in favor of "bald" or "natural" shoulders. They are less in-your-face and more appropriate for everyday wear

Just to re-iterate, the original question was:

"Could you describe your styling a bit? Do you draw primarily on English, Italian, or American tailoring? Firm/structured or soft?"

I simply described what I prefer to cut as it is the most technically challenging and I believe is the most impressive. In no way am I forcing this upon the members of the forum and I fully understand the differences between the cuts. I would rather post pictures or start a conversation of all available styles so that new members don't feel as if this forum only caters to men who like a very specific style.

Again, I am here to answer questions that you have had about your tailors or previously made garments to help everyone have a leg up over normal consumers.


https://www.styleforum.net/threads/shoulder-expression.245858/

This Sexton shoulder is off-putting to me personally

 

[jrd617]

You asked the question what the utility of natural shoulders was, so I answered...

Don't let GBR phase you. He's a dickhead. I roll my eyes at 95% of his posts, and laugh at the other 5% when he makes a genuinely funny comment

 

[towerbespoke]

You asked the question what the utility of natural shoulders was, so I answered...

Don't let GBR phase you. He's a dickhead. I roll my eyes at 95% of his posts, and laugh at the other 5% when he makes a genuinely funny comment

Believe you me, he's not getting to me. I've dealt with worse and am sure there will be more. As far as utility is concerned, there is none. Purely a style choice.

 

[beargonefishing]

How many suits do you make a year? Home much time, roughly, does each suit take? How much of price is determined by cloth, I.e. beside the amount of cloth and lining, are there upgrade or customization options that factor into the price? If so, what?

 

[towerbespoke]

How many suits do you make a year? Home much time, roughly, does each suit take? How much of price is determined by cloth, I.e. beside the amount of cloth and lining, are there upgrade or customization options that factor into the price? If so, what?

My goodness! Sorry I'm late to this reply! It's been awhile.

Roughly, a suit takes me about 2 weeks of constant work. What does that mean? Per customer I draft an individual pattern, chalk, threadmark, ironwork, make the canvas/undercollar/waistband/cut trimmings and assemble the pieces. Then the suit sits for the customer to try and depending on my schedule and the timelines of other work may sit for a week or so.

After the initial basted fit, everything is ripped and smoothed and re-cut accordingly. Pockets are now installed, lapels padded and perhaps turned depending if you'd like another look at the shape. The trousers are then made up but not completely finished (final length, waist circumference etc)

If I didn't need fittings and worked straight (which I don't do from professional experience) it would be about 2 weeks, however, factoring in fittings and such, will take upwards of 8-10 weeks.

As I am a one-man-band, the price is determined by how long the processes take. I don't have a tiered way of making suits. Especially now in Toronto I don't believe this should be an option as terms are thrown around such as "semi-bespoke" which makes the hair on my neck stand on end haha.

I price my work by labour only. If you would like a more expensive cloth, it is just tacked onto the total. On the surface, this may seem odd, only because a majority of houses charged a tiered amount for the cloth you pick. Unless the cloth is an absolute hassle to work with or is an enormous check, this shouldn't be the case.

It's similar to an "uncorking fee" at restaurants. So because the contents are worth more means I should pay more for the labour to open it?

All of my work is transparent on my social media (which I am forbidden from posting here). I do most operations by hand that are of value to the finished product, OR that are aesthetically pleasing. There's not much I will upcharge for, but that may be a specific question for a specific answer. The one thing I will not do is swap out a handmade canvas for a ready-made for a discount. Certain things are paramount for a unique garment and contribute to their look and performance.

I hope I've answered your questions... let me know if you have more,

Ian

 

[comrade]

Excellent explanation of your bespoke process.
Very educational while at the same time revealing
the soul of a dedicated artisan.

 

[CloudLi]

My goodness! Sorry I'm late to this reply! It's been awhile.

Roughly, a suit takes me about 2 weeks of constant work. What does that mean? Per customer I draft an individual pattern, chalk, threadmark, ironwork, make the canvas/undercollar/waistband/cut trimmings and assemble the pieces. Then the suit sits for the customer to try and depending on my schedule and the timelines of other work may sit for a week or so.

After the initial basted fit, everything is ripped and smoothed and re-cut accordingly. Pockets are now installed, lapels padded and perhaps turned depending if you'd like another look at the shape. The trousers are then made up but not completely finished (final length, waist circumference etc)

If I didn't need fittings and worked straight (which I don't do from professional experience) it would be about 2 weeks, however, factoring in fittings and such, will take upwards of 8-10 weeks.

As I am a one-man-band, the price is determined by how long the processes take. I don't have a tiered way of making suits. Especially now in Toronto I don't believe this should be an option as terms are thrown around such as "semi-bespoke" which makes the hair on my neck stand on end haha.

I price my work by labour only. If you would like a more expensive cloth, it is just tacked onto the total. On the surface, this may seem odd, only because a majority of houses charged a tiered amount for the cloth you pick. Unless the cloth is an absolute hassle to work with or is an enormous check, this shouldn't be the case.

It's similar to an "uncorking fee" at restaurants. So because the contents are worth more means I should pay more for the labour to open it?

All of my work is transparent on my social media (which I am forbidden from posting here). I do most operations by hand that are of value to the finished product, OR that are aesthetically pleasing. There's not much I will upcharge for, but that may be a specific question for a specific answer. The one thing I will not do is swap out a handmade canvas for a ready-made for a discount. Certain things are paramount for a unique garment and contribute to their look and performance.

I hope I've answered your questions... let me know if you have more,

Ian

Is there a rule forbid you from posting here? I followed your instagram but I suppose many people here want to see each step for a bespoke suit

 

[towerbespoke]

Is there a rule forbid you from posting here? I followed your instagram but I suppose many people here want to see each step for a bespoke suit

Not about posting pictures here, but about advertising your social media. I suppose the moderators want to keep this as pure of a forum as possible.

I will definitely try to post new pictures in tandem between here and my instagram.

 

[Odd I/O]

Not about posting pictures here, but about advertising your social media. I suppose the moderators want to keep this as pure of a forum as possible.

I will definitely try to post new pictures in tandem between here and my instagram.

As a fellow Torontonian I curious about the state of the bespoke business in Toronto/GTA. Is there enough business that you can see yourself putting down roots and staying awhile?

Also, what was the most challenging fit issue that you've had to deal with so far in your career and why?

 

[am55]

I really enjoyed Richard Anderson's book on the same subject, and David Reeves' numerous posts here. I understand this is a sensitive question and you may not be able to answer it, but I'd be very interested to hear a breakdown of the economics of bespoke tailoring in the "first world" (in your case Toronto) in as much detail as you are willing to provide. I am not in the business and merely generally interested in how various industries make their bottom line.

Proportionally, where is most of the cost coming in (rent, labour, cancellations/unpaid accounts, inventory, accidents...)? What takes the most time in the suit-making process? Labour-wise, how much is your time and how much is outsourced (say: making trousers), and to whom, and what is their hourly compared to yours? How much stock do you need to keep (cloth-wise but also buttons, etc.)? Do you sell accessories (as for example Dege & Skinner, and even Dormeuil, do) to help the bottom line and how do you source them? Do your customers come from all over the world or is your clientele mostly local? Who buys a bespoke suit today - mostly legal and finance, or creative types as well, and what age distribution? Where do your customers come from - recommendations from existing clients, ads in the papers, the internet?

Philosophically, do you see yourself as a businessman, an artisan, an artist? Do you create, or enable your clients to create? What have you read, studied and found inspiration from in your path to where you are now? What is your creative relationship with the idea of "classic" menswear?

 

[towerbespoke]

I really enjoyed Richard Anderson's book on the same subject, and David Reeves' numerous posts here. I understand this is a sensitive question and you may not be able to answer it, but I'd be very interested to hear a breakdown of the economics of bespoke tailoring in the "first world" (in your case Toronto) in as much detail as you are willing to provide. I am not in the business and merely generally interested in how various industries make their bottom line.

Proportionally, where is most of the cost coming in (rent, labour, cancellations/unpaid accounts, inventory, accidents...)? What takes the most time in the suit-making process? Labour-wise, how much is your time and how much is outsourced (say: making trousers), and to whom, and what is their hourly compared to yours? How much stock do you need to keep (cloth-wise but also buttons, etc.)? Do you sell accessories (as for example Dege & Skinner, and even Dormeuil, do) to help the bottom line and how do you source them? Do your customers come from all over the world or is your clientele mostly local? Who buys a bespoke suit today - mostly legal and finance, or creative types as well, and what age distribution? Where do your customers come from - recommendations from existing clients, ads in the papers, the internet?

Philosophically, do you see yourself as a businessman, an artisan, an artist? Do you create, or enable your clients to create? What have you read, studied and found inspiration from in your path to where you are now? What is your creative relationship with the idea of "classic" menswear?

Boy oh boy, this is alot to address! haha.

I don't believe I have an answer to all of your questions. I assume you want to know the ins-and-outs of the business to justify cost?

 

[towerbespoke]

As a fellow Torontonian I curious about the state of the bespoke business in Toronto/GTA. Is there enough business that you can see yourself putting down roots and staying awhile?

Also, what was the most challenging fit issue that you've had to deal with so far in your career and why?

I was having a conversation last night with my wife about this exactly.

Toronto has many tailors... but none of them make suits haha. I keep seeing newer and newer "front-end" shops popping up that promise a bespoke suit etc etc. As a disclaimer, I am not against these pseudo-tailors because if they fit your price-point then more power to you!

If any of you guys are wondering who in the city is a real tailor, take a look at their gallery of pictures. Do they show construction? Why or why not? Some of these businesses claim to be bespoke, which is a slick buzzword now to get bodies in suits, but where is the substance to back it up?

Ultimately, the suit needs to fit well, but promising certain techniques that can't be photographed because the business doesn't own the shop OR because they never did more advanced/hand processes in the first place.

As far as the most challenging fit so far, was for a gentleman with an extremely rounded back. This poses two major problems,
1.) The back is much longer than normal and;
2.) the shoulders are very heavily sloped.

Compounding this was the amount of ironwork that needed to go into stretching the upper back and then shrinking/bridling the armholes. I don't believe I've ever had to drawstitch that much cloth back onto itself.

Having the back sit SO far up the body also negates the general rules for collars. Typically, a curved collar is better for a square-shouldered man and flat collar for a sloped-shoulder. The idea being that when the collar is attached that the shape of the collar vs. the shape of the neckhole will give you a pleasant looking outcome.
In his case, the much flatter and shaped collar was used to push more length up the back on his neck so it wouldn't slip down his back.

I hope this answers some of your questions,
Ian