Bepoke suit v. bespoke shoes

[Cpal]

OK - I left out some important details as I have been reminded

I have a good number of suits ranging from oxxford off the rack and mtm, local tailor has made me a half dozen or so custom suits (he does the work all by hand, etc. in his shop - good guy in the Philly area if anyone is interested), some zegna's, a Brioni, several Paul Stuarts, etc. so I don't necessarily have an overwhelming need in the new suit dept.

Shoes same general story but none bespoke.  I have Ferragamos, Alden's, AEs, Grensons (from PStuart), Ballys, Churchs, etc..  Wider feet than average so I do need to often take some time to "break in" some of the narrower last shoes but all are now comfortable.

I keep thinking about the purchase of the shoes as it is a process/experience I have not had but with the many glowing recommendations of tailors (Darren, Raphael, etc.) I find myself torn.

I spoke to someone at Oliver Moore (NY) whose shoes are $2,200 first pair and $1,700 thereafter - nobody seems to have heard of them or bought from them though.  A better price than Greens, etc with todays exchange rates.  

I'm leaning to opting for both suit from Darren/Raphael and shoes from Moore as these shoes seem to be a good "deal" relative to Vin & Edgar or Perry - both about $2,800 but I don't want to sacrifice quality/make.

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[jcusey]

I spoke to someone at Oliver Moore (NY) whose shoes are $2,200 first pair and $1,700 thereafter - nobody seems to have heard of them or bought from them though. A better price than Greens, etc with todays exchange rates.

I'd be very interested to hear about what you learn about Oliver Moore. Aside from the blurb in the Vass book, I've never been able to find anything out about them or their shoes.

 

[marc39]

Cpal, do yourself a favor, and put the bespoke shoes on the back burner...and look into Vass RTW shoes. I posted a couple very favorable reviews of my first pair of Vass shoes on Ask Andy. They fit quite comfortably, are built beautifully, and look magnificent. If your feet can be accommodated by Vass RTW, then bespoke shoes represent diminishing returns, in my assessment, and I own shoes from Perry and Lobb/St. James's. I was poised to get even more conspicuous in my shoe consumption with Lobb/Paris bespoke when their fitter comes to NYC in a few weeks, but I'm so impressed with Vass, I'll probably pass on Lobb or other bespoke firms. The stress I'm under while wearing my bespoke shoes, fearing I'll scrape them against a curb or having someone step on them, not an uncommon occurence in NYC, detracts from the enjoyment one might otherwise derive from bespoke shoes. And, once a scrape happens, it's in the leather for the life of the shoe. 99% of all people won't truly appreciate your bespoke shoes, if they even notice them. The bespoke suit should be a "shoe in" as your choice.

 

[humrepair]

Cpal,
You seem satisfied with your tailor in Philly and seem to be reaching for a higher level of craftsmanship.If you don't mind, who is your tailor in the Philadelphia area?Thanks.

 

[Cpal]

Centofanti in Ardmore, PA (much older shop - he is in his mid 80s) is finishing up a suit for me now - just had my second fitting yesterday and it is coming along exceptionally well (loads of handwork and a great fit).  Also, in Philly on Broad St is a guy named Joe DiPietro - he is a one man shop that makes everything start to finish with meticulous attention to detail putting hours of handwork into his suits.  He has a very traditional view style-wise but takes a great deal of pride in his work and in making sure that his customers are more than satisfied.  I'd recommend either.  Price-wise Centofanti is at the higher end of the spectrum ($2,500+) while DiPietro is more reasonably priced ($1300 est for a 120s suit).

 

[marc39]

From what I've read, Mr. Centofanti is an excellent custom tailor, and prefers an English-cut suit, so given your close proximity to him, it seems to me there's no real rationale for traveling to NYC for Raphael and/or Darren, as much as I like the latter two tailors. Sounds like you have the best of all worlds in Ardmore.

 

[Cpal]

Joe Centofanti does an exceptional job - very knowledgeable and experienced (cutting suits for almost three quarters of a decade) but he has started to limit his client base and spends more [well deserved]time  each year in FL (golfing - he is pretty active for a guy with his many years of experience).  I feel fortunate that he was willing to take me on as he seems focused on servicing his long-standing relationships (some of those that I met while in for fittings have been with him for decades).  Sadly, he is just another example of the continued decline in the industry.  I recently wore an oxxford suit to his shop while visiting with him and he praised many aspects of it but lamented the decline in the number of "true tailors" available and said he expected that even oxxford's quality was likely to decline over the next several years as the difficulty of finding people who could "do the work" becomes more and more challenging.  Centofanti, Raphael and others of their caliber are rare finds and should be rewarded handsomely with as much work as their clients can afford to give them.

 

[marc39]

When I was deciding on tailors a couple years ago, I had spoken wit Mr. Centofanti and considered taking Amtrak to Ardmore, but did give consideration to his stage in life and thought I'd give him time to play golf. Mr. Centofanti echoes the lament of many regarding the decline of the custom tailoring industry. To most, it's an anachronism, like the horse and buggy.

 

[naturlaut]

I was hoping for some help - I have the $3k I need to purchase one of the two.  Background info is I have a sufficient number of suits and shoes (both of "good quality&quot so this is not a decision based on need (as if anyone could actually "need" a $3,000 suit or pait of shoes).

Darren, Edward Green Shoes, Cleverley Shoes, Perry Ercolino, Vincent & Edgar, Raphael - these seem to be the pool that I have narrowed my decision down to and with those traveling from abroad planning to arrive in the March timeframe I must get down to deciding.  The question is - what should I get?  Do I go for the shoes?  Do I go for the suit?  What would you recommend?

My biggest financial fear is that I'll make the wrong decision (and opt for both) which could result in a catastrophe on the homefront.  Just curious what you folks would suggest.  Thanks.

With $3G in hand, I would scout around Napoli and Firenze for small workshops and have everything custom-made from head-to-toe. If this is your only purchase, my advise is, skip the big names. In small workshops, you will usually meet the maker himself; that way, you can build up your experience and knowledge in getting a bespoke garment or footwear.

If you have many $3G lying around, then that's a different story. Just phone Bizzochi, he will show you around.

 

[Manton]

...

 

[Cpal]

Marc - I noticed in some of your previous posts (here and on the other site) that you have a few pairs of shoes from P. Ercolino.   You commented previously on his extensive measurement process - can you discuss a little more on the fittings, style recommendations and ultimately how you feel about the shoes now (comfort, fit, styling, durability, etc.)?  

Thanks.

[not that I'm disregarding anyone's suggestions I'm still considering the "and" instead of the "or" AND I'm still trying to track down a good way to get my hands on some Vass shoes without having to travel to Budapest or CT.]

 

[marc39]

Cpal, I can't add anything more to the detailed fitting procedure of Perry Ercolino I outlined either in this forum or in Ask Andy (do a search). Perry offers about 10 different styles ranging from English to Italian designs, although Perry can collaborate with a client in creating original designs. I have 3 pairs of shoes from Perry and think very highly of him. The shoes look and fit great. Ultimately, you need to decide if custom shoes are for you: If the shoe fits, wear it.

 

[marc39]

Article on Perry Ercolino and other custom shoe firms... http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar....00.html

 

[banksmiranda]

Anybody have experience with or know about the quality of this company's products? http://www.siamleathergoods.com

 

[Cpal]

Just in case anyone else was interested I finally found Perry Ercolino's website (it must have changed from what someone had previously posted) Ercolino Custom Footwear