Bespoke in Los Angeles

[PhaseInversion]

Hello,

I am looking for recommendations and/or reviews of tailors who make bespoke suits in the LA area. I’ve been searching for information for a few weeks now, but most of what I’ve found is either out of date or vague. So far I’ve visited/heard back from:

JB Clothiers
Owned by Jerry Bakhcyan in DTLA. Suits start at $2500 with variance depending on fabric choice. Three piece with VBC super120’s and shirt around $3200 (also includes tie and cuff links). Button options of horn and mother of pearl. Half-canvas by default with full-canvas available on request. Well reviewed on Google/Yelp, but practically no mentions on any forums.

High Society
Used to be owned/operated by Richard Lim (now deceased), now owned by his son Daniel Lim. Suits start at $2500 with variance depending on fabric choice (extra charge for non-house fabric) and lining choice. Default is full-canvas with half-canvas on request. Buttons are imitation horn, but can provide your own buttons. Vests at $450 and shirts at $375. Used to be very well regarded, but haven’t seen
many recent reviews/recommendations and it seems like prices have gone up considerably recently.

Also, looking into:

Art Lewin
Located in DTLA. Suits start at $2500 according to website, but looking for more information

Robert Lim
Located in Koreatown and related to Richard Lim. Little information otherwise.

Enzo Caruso
Located in Santa Monica. Haven’t really looked into him too much as by all accounts he works very slowly and I don’t have an excess of time.

Johnathan Behr

Mr. Young
Located in Koreatown. Not a lot of information as I only saw Mr. Young mentioned in an old comment thread once. Need to investigate further.

If anyone has any more information, recommendations, or reviews I’d be very grateful. It’s difficult to track down information on tailors that do bespoke and even more difficult to find reviews from knowledgeable sources (many reviews are simply concerning alterations).

 

[dieworkwear]

A friend of mine uses High Society and is happy with their work.

I've seen work from Divij Bespoke and thought it was pretty good.

Several bespoke tailoring houses visit Los Angeles, including Redmayne, Steed, Solito, and Rubinacci. I use Steed and Solito and like their work. Steed specializes in a soft British style known as a drape cut. Solito does a slimmer cut that's characteristic of Neapolitan style.

 

[bdavro23]

Hello,

I am looking for recommendations and/or reviews of tailors who make bespoke suits in the LA area. I’ve been searching for information for a few weeks now, but most of what I’ve found is either out of date or vague. So far I’ve visited/heard back from:

JB Clothiers
Owned by Jerry Bakhcyan in DTLA. Suits start at $2500 with variance depending on fabric choice. Three piece with VBC super120’s and shirt around $3200 (also includes tie and cuff links). Button options of horn and mother of pearl. Half-canvas by default with full-canvas available on request. Well reviewed on Google/Yelp, but practically no mentions on any forums.

High Society
Used to be owned/operated by Richard Lim (now deceased), now owned by his son Daniel Lim. Suits start at $2500 with variance depending on fabric choice (extra charge for non-house fabric) and lining choice. Default is full-canvas with half-canvas on request. Buttons are imitation horn, but can provide your own buttons. Vests at $450 and shirts at $375. Used to be very well regarded, but haven’t seen
many recent reviews/recommendations and it seems like prices have gone up considerably recently.

Also, looking into:

Art Lewin
Located in DTLA. Suits start at $2500 according to website, but looking for more information

Robert Lim
Located in Koreatown and related to Richard Lim. Little information otherwise.

Enzo Caruso
Located in Santa Monica. Haven’t really looked into him too much as by all accounts he works very slowly and I don’t have an excess of time.

Johnathan Behr

Mr. Young
Located in Koreatown. Not a lot of information as I only saw Mr. Young mentioned in an old comment thread once. Need to investigate further.

If anyone has any more information, recommendations, or reviews I’d be very grateful. It’s difficult to track down information on tailors that do bespoke and even more difficult to find reviews from knowledgeable sources (many reviews are simply concerning alterations).

Paging @ValidusLA

 

[ValidusLA]

JB Clothiers

Have no intimate knowledge of.

High Society

This is my tailor. Richard passed a few years ago, his son is actually named David. David is not really a CM guy. He used to be Creative Director at AG Jeans. What's important is that the cutter and pattern maker (Mr Han) remains from Richard's time.
As of yesterday, they have made the move to their new location near-ish Rodeo Drive.
Prices have gone up considerably, and I unfortunately suspect will go up more with the move.
I generally think the more you know about what you want, the better off you will be w/ HS. Mr Lim the Elder was an excellent impressario, and could guide clients skillfully in the right direction. Since his passing, the shop lacks that.
If you want every stitch hand sewn, not the shop for it. They machine sew non-visible inner stitching.
RE: Price increases, I unfortunately think David decided to raise prices simply because he could. I also think they were having some perception problems (ie: pricing was too good to be true - which btw it was the best kept secret around when it was 30% cheaper 5 years ago).

Art Lewin

Eh. I don't know anyone who uses them. They have always seemed like they dress announcers on Monday Night Football.

Robert Lim

I have heard of him, but having been Richard's client for a decade before he passed, there was certainly never discussion of him.

Enzo Caruso

Avoid. Not what it used to be.

Johnathan Behr

High quality. Highest price in town. All handwork. You will not be disappointed, but you will be 33-50% higher price than High Society of Divij.

Mr. Young

No information.

As @dieworkwear mentioned, Divij Bespoke (previously Hemrajani) does some good stuff. He also travels, and a number of members on the board use him. I have done a number of shirts through them, but haven't used them for suits/jackets - mostly because I am happy with High Society. Though Divij is a price performer, and I have been sorely tempted.

I can answer other questions (mostly about HS or Divij) if you have specific ones.

 

[Andy57]

I use Divij Bespoke a lot. All my dinner jackets and all my double breasted suits are by Divij. So, I highly recommend them. They will do as much or as little handwork as you request and are very flexible on the cut of the suit. In fact, they've done some "out there" stuff for me without batting an eye. Not, I suppose, technically in Los Angeles, they are based in Costa Mesa and make in Hong Kong.

 

[PhaseInversion]

A friend of mine uses High Society and is happy with their work.

I've seen work from Divij Bespoke and thought it was pretty good.

Several bespoke tailoring houses visit Los Angeles, including Redmayne, Steed, Solito, and Rubinacci. I use Steed and Solito and like their work. Steed specializes in a soft British style known as a drape cut. Solito does a slimmer cut that's characteristic of Neapolitan style.

Thank you for your response. Based on what you and Andy said I will have to look closer at Divij Bespoke. I'm assuming that they are, in fact, bespoke and simply tailored in Hong Kong versus being MTM in China like Enzo Custom.

Would you (or Andy) have any information about their prices and turn-around time?

 

[dieworkwear]

Thank you for your response. Based on what you and Andy said I will have to look closer at Divij Bespoke. I'm assuming that they are, in fact, bespoke and simply tailored in Hong Kong versus being MTM in China like Enzo Custom.

Would you (or Andy) have any information about their prices and turn-around time?

Andy would be in a better position to say, as I haven't used them. I've only seen their work (in person and online) and think it's very good.

My impression is that they're a fairly flexible company, and I believe they offer both MTM and bespoke.

 

[ValidusLA]

Thank you for your response. Based on what you and Andy said I will have to look closer at Divij Bespoke. I'm assuming that they are, in fact, bespoke and simply tailored in Hong Kong versus being MTM in China like Enzo Custom.

Would you (or Andy) have any information about their prices and turn-around time?

Andy would be in a better position to say, as I haven't used them. I've only seen their work (in person and online) and think it's very good.

My impression is that they're a fairly flexible company, and I believe they offer both MTM and bespoke.

The offer both MTM and Bespoke.

The MTM stuff is sewn overseas. I'm not sure about the bespoke stuff. But just ask them and they will tell you.

I've seen enough of their bespoke stuff to say that its a good product at a good price.

 

[PhaseInversion]

The offer both MTM and Bespoke.

The MTM stuff is sewn overseas. I'm not sure about the bespoke stuff. But just ask them and they will tell you.

I've seen enough of their bespoke stuff to say that its a good product at a good price.

Thank you, was about to respond to you as well re: High Society. They certainly seem good, but I am a little concerned about the lack of guidance as this would be my first foray into bespoke. Also the potential for scope creep and hidden costs after I've already committed.

 

[ValidusLA]

Thank you, was about to respond to you as well re: High Society. They certainly seem good, but I am a little concerned about the lack of guidance as this would be my first foray into bespoke. Also the potential for scope creep and hidden costs after I've already committed.

No scope creep or hidden cost.

They will quote you up front and that will be the cost.

No markups for extra fittings or fixes ever. Should there be an issue, they will fix it.

 

[Andy57]

Andy would be in a better position to say, as I haven't used them. I've only seen their work (in person and online) and think it's very good.

My impression is that they're a fairly flexible company, and I believe they offer both MTM and bespoke.

Yes, I'd say they are very flexible. To the extent they have a "house style", I'd say that it leans more Italian than English, but I've only ever had one thing made in that way.

The offer both MTM and Bespoke.

The MTM stuff is sewn overseas. I'm not sure about the bespoke stuff. But just ask them and they will tell you.

I've seen enough of their bespoke stuff to say that its a good product at a good price.

Divij Bespoke offers both MTM and bespoke. Divij, who has essentially taken over the business from his father, is pushing the business more toward bespoke. You will get what you want and what you pay for. Whether it's MTM or bespoke, all the construction is done in Hong Kong. So what? It's the finished product that matters and I have always been very satisfied. Minor tweaks or alterations are usually done in Costa Mesa. But, the tailors in Hong Kong do really good work. I have several pieces in progress with them right now, including a very challenging commission from what is almost a scrap of vintage Chinese silk. It might become a dinner jacket, if they can figure out how to lay out my pattern on it. I think it tells you a lot that they seemed to relish the challenge.

You can see a lot of their work for me here on StyFo or all over my Instagram.

 

[dhada]

Thank you, was about to respond to you as well re: High Society. They certainly seem good, but I am a little concerned about the lack of guidance as this would be my first foray into bespoke. Also the potential for scope creep and hidden costs after I've already committed.

I have been a loyal customer of Richard Lim and have worn over half a dozen suits made by him. His departure has certainly changed the establishment. Would I return to them post Richard Lim and post change of premises. Not a chance!!!!

 

[ValidusLA]

I have been a loyal customer of Richard Lim and have worn over half a dozen suits made by him. His departure has certainly changed the establishment. Would I return to them post Richard Lim and post change of premises. Not a chance!!!!

Meant in all curiosity, because I have not been 100% happy with changes to the shop since Mr. Lim's death, what do you see as being the problem(s) with the shop now?

Why have you decided not to return?

 

[dhada]

I have known Richard Lim since 2005. We maintained a close professional link and a special folio of swatches to build and maintain my wardrobe principally designed to withstand hefty daily use. He kept a special curio cabinet of rare cloth and we would discuss when we would tap that stash for my next acquisition. He also helped me decommission my suits with enough life left in them for someone on the lookout for such things at my local thrift store. Richard Lim’s success as a clothier rested on two factors: he kept the cost of his tailor shop low, electing to operate in a ten by ten square feet space, with a a backroom filled with bales of cloth leading to a steep stairwell where his staff worked; and he kept his cutter firmly disciplined. Many a time, Richard Lim would correct his cutter’s tendencies to design suits a bit tight in arms and thighs, perhaps in an effort to save on cloth and therefore cost. I witnessed several such exchanges. In one, the spare pair of trousers in sharkskin herringbone grey silk wool mix proved irredeemably tight, forcing us to have a new pair done to accomodate the girth of my thighs and my other two needs, one to bend repeatedly down in stacks to fetch and replace archival materials up and down the ladder, and the other to sit long hours at the desk or in the field doing research and writing.

My next visit was to the new premises, with twice the square footage if not more. The special cloth cabinet was gone, replaced by an open lawyers bookcase of stacked clothing materials. A long table graced the main fitting area with two club chairs and a knock off Eams or two. The Korean cutter was now unleashed, and Richard Lim’s two children were in charge with his widow presiding in the back but not always at the new shop. An assistant, a well spoken young man in his thirties was commissioned to help with the sales. The kids appear to be uninterested in tailoring, at least that is the impression I got. One was on the net or on the cell phone. The magazine stacks related to fashion and good taste were old, dog eared and desperate to be six feet under.

The impression I got was decidedly unselling. The shop was either rudderless without Richard Lim at the helm or struggling, perhaps because of the rapid expansion — this is all a surmise, of course. I commissioned a double breasted suit with a bespoke shirt in kingfisher blue. After several delays, I went for a first try and the sleeves were too tight, and the jacket inside satin of wrong colour. One sleeve was longer than the other, a boutonnière ordered was missing as was a hidden thread loop behind the wide lapel for my half-moon reading glasses. They had forgotten to stitch buttons for my braces. The jacket swaddled the upper body in a shapeless bag fit to accomodate Von groceries. All my specifications had been spelled out orally, and recorded in Richard Lin’s large. A3 tailor’s “note pad,” which was nowhere to be seen.

After repeated and failed attempts to get a second try, I threw caution to the wind and went to the premises unannounced. Parking was now a bear, with the back lot tightly packed with cars and a long wait time. Once I got there, I realized the suit would not improve any further. In the meantime, the shirt had failed to live to expectations again The sleeves were too long this time. And there other stylistic infelicities; and I cannot remember what they were.I picked up the suit, let the shirt to be redone and got the hell out of there. I eventually picked up the shirt and soon realized they had failed to use the shirt collar I had placed at their disposal for measurement. The new collar proved too high for someone with a short neck.

In left the new premises and in this way I also said good bye to a good friend and sentient tailor, now deceased. Richard Limb was a good soul, an avid golf enthusiast and player, and governed his dinky tailor shop with an iron club fit to swing several balls at once in well aimed holes, and keep his cutter firmly planted to serve his customer’s professional needs under his supervision.

I gather they have now moved to yea another set of premises. In short, the new establishment is unfit to meet my professional needs. I hope that all this answers your query.

 

[ValidusLA]

I have known Richard Lim since 2005. We maintained a close professional link and a special folio of swatches to build and maintain my wardrobe principally designed to withstand hefty daily use. He kept a special curio cabinet of rare cloth and we would discuss when we would tap that stash for my next acquisition. He also helped me decommission my suits with enough life left in them for someone on the lookout for such things at my local thrift store. Richard Lim’s success as a clothier rested on two factors: he kept the cost of his tailor shop low, electing to operate in a ten by ten square feet space, with a a backroom filled with bales of cloth leading to a steep stairwell where his staff worked; and he kept his cutter firmly disciplined. Many a time, Richard Lim would correct his cutter’s tendencies to design suits a bit tight in arms and thighs, perhaps in an effort to save on cloth and therefore cost. I witnessed several such exchanges. In one, the spare pair of trousers in sharkskin herringbone grey silk wool mix proved irredeemably tight, forcing us to have a new pair done to accomodate the girth of my thighs and my other two needs, one to bend repeatedly down in stacks to fetch and replace archival materials up and down the ladder, and the other to sit long hours at the desk or in the field doing research and writing.

My next visit was to the new premises, with twice the square footage if not more. The special cloth cabinet was gone, replaced by an open lawyers bookcase of stacked clothing materials. A long table graced the main fitting area with two club chairs and a knock off Eams or two. The Korean cutter was now unleashed, and Richard Lim’s two children were in charge with his widow presiding in the back but not always at the new shop. An assistant, a well spoken young man in his thirties was commissioned to help with the sales. The kids appear to be uninterested in tailoring, at least that is the impression I got. One was on the net or on the cell phone. The magazine stacks related to fashion and good taste were old, dog eared and desperate to be six feet under.

The impression I got was decidedly unselling. The shop was either rudderless without Richard Lim at the helm or struggling, perhaps because of the rapid expansion — this is all a surmise, of course. I commissioned a double breasted suit with a bespoke shirt in kingfisher blue. After several delays, I went for a first try and the sleeves were too tight, and the jacket inside satin of wrong colour. One sleeve was longer than the other, a boutonnière ordered was missing as was a hidden thread loop behind the wide lapel for my half-moon reading glasses. They had forgotten to stitch buttons for my braces. The jacket swaddled the upper body in a shapeless bag fit to accomodate Von groceries. All my specifications had been spelled out orally, and recorded in Richard Lin’s large. A3 tailor’s “note pad,” which was nowhere to be seen.

After repeated and failed attempts to get a second try, I threw caution to the wind and went to the premises unannounced. Parking was now a bear, with the back lot tightly packed with cars and a long wait time. Once I got there, I realized the suit would not improve any further. In the meantime, the shirt had failed to live to expectations again The sleeves were too long this time. And there other stylistic infelicities; and I cannot remember what they were.I picked up the suit, let the shirt to be redone and got the hell out of there. I eventually picked up the shirt and soon realized they had failed to use the shirt collar I had placed at their disposal for measurement. The new collar proved too high for someone with a short neck.

In left the new premises and in this way I also said good bye to a good friend and sentient tailor, now deceased. Richard Limb was a good soul, an avid golf enthusiast and player, and governed his dinky tailor shop with an iron club fit to swing several balls at once in well aimed holes, and keep his cutter firmly planted to serve his customer’s professional needs under his supervision.

I gather they have now moved to yea another set of premises. In short, the new establishment is unfit to meet my professional needs. I hope that all this answers your query.

Sorry your experience was so poor. Just a couple things for those who might be considering the shop. Clearly your experience was so bad you won't return.

1) Regarding the tiny shop. You must have been gone for years and years. Richard moved from the tiny shop himself to a bigger space about 8 years ago then expanded that to the current space about 6 years ago. David (the son) hasn't made any space changes until this week when he moved the shop completely.
The table in the middle was Richard's table. The chairs are new.
The cloth cabinet is still there, maybe it was covered.

2) Re: Staff. David, is indeed, not that interested in tailoring in my opinion. Its my greatest complain. Eric, who only works on Saturdays, very much is, and I try to point new customers only to him.

3) Regarding your commission. That's bad - but it also sounds like you told Richard a decade ago. Did you not repeat these instructions when you commissioned the new suit?

4) Parking. Been a huge problem. The construction down the street has been illegally using their lot for 3 years now. Their landlord and PD won't do anything. Its one of the big reasons David is moving.

All in all, I think there is some good warning here. I think your complaints about the cutter are .... not correctly placed. He's the only one there who knows what he's doing.