bespoke issue - too long

[usctrojan55]

I intended to take delivery of a new bespoke suit this morning. The coat was an inch longer in length than asked (total length is probly 1/4 inch past my thumbs). I said "shorter" several times during fittings, etc. Somehow, it was longer than it was in the last fitting, when I once again said shorter.

The suit actually looked good in the shop, but it doesnt feel right, and it certainly is not what I asked for. I told the tailor I was not happy, and he conceded the length was not close to what I asked. They are fixing one little issue and supposed to drop it off later today.

What are my options? In my opinion, shaving an inch (at least) off the bottom will probably throw the balance way off, and I will end up with a suit that has an 80's style button point and pockets that look off. Should I try shaving it down?

Should I just refuse delivery and insist on a new coat?

 

[teddieriley]

I think you have valid concerns. The maker can't simply shorten the jacket without adjusting button stance, pockets, etc. I wouldn't accept it. I would just tell them to make it right, whether it be make a new coat or fix this one in a manner that would be undetectable. Bespoke is too expensive to settle for anything less than you wanted. I call BS on relying on the 2nd iteration of the suit to get a "closer to perfect" fit. No reason it isn't made to perfection the first time (unless your suit maker sucks, that is).

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by usctrojan55

Should I just refuse delivery and insist on a new coat?

This is my inclination, but I would strongly consider going further by asking for your money back and trying a new tailor.

Too harsh? Not necessarily. If your account is true, your tailor knowingly disregarded your preferences and even acknowledged doing so later. It would be one thing if he made a professional judgment call; but given the repeat instructions, I'd be less amenable to such a move, anyway--particularly since he didn't put you on notice.

If it was a minor detail, I wouldn't consider such a drastic course of action. But getting the right jacket length is one of the biggest reasons one gets something made--whether bespoke or MTM. I rejected two MTM Oxxford jackets I bought through Neiman Marcus because the salesperson blatantly disregarded my length preferences, under the justification that they could shorten them post-manufacture. To me, such an approach destroys 60% of my reason for going MTM in the first place. If I would be happy lopping two or three inches off a ready-made jacket, I would have just saved the time and money and bought RTW.

Some will say that you should consider the first jacket a prototype. To a degree this is true, but the fundamental problem is that your tailor didn't listen to you.

To make matters worse, the tailor simply cannot remedy the situation satisfactorily, and the mistake stemmed from his failure to listen to your desires. That's a fatal flaw in a bespoke tailor. That doesn't mean he should have agreed to your every whim, but he should have tried to convince you that you were wrong instead of head-on defying you. At the very least, he should have told you he was going to try something different and assumed the risk for the change.

I would move on.

 

[usctrojan55]

Thanks for the advice. This is the third coat. The first was just a bit too long for my taste per his guidance, but looks fine. Second was shortened per my preference and I am happy. No explanation for the third. Otherwise the fit is great.

I would move on, but where I live, there are virtually no other options and traveling is just a pain and hasnt worked perfectly in the past. I have 44/46 square shoulders and a 42 chest, so bespoke is the only way to go for me to get the fit that I want.

I called him and said I wont take delivery, make it right, which he agreed to do. I can already see how this is going to go: he is going to trim it and try to convince me it looks good. I guess we will see. If he won't make a new coat and it proves necessary, I am going to get my money back.

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by usctrojan55

Thanks for the advice. This is the third coat. The first was just a bit too long for my taste per his guidance, but looks fine. Second was shortened per my preference and I am happy. No explanation for the third. Otherwise the fit is great.

I would move on, but where I live, there are virtually no other options and traveling is just a pain and hasnt worked perfectly in the past. I have 44/46 square shoulders and a 42 chest, so bespoke is the only way to go for me to get the fit that I want.

I called him and said I wont take delivery, make it right, which he agreed to do. I can already see how this is going to go: he is going to trim it and try to convince me it looks good. I guess we will see. If he won't make a new coat and it proves necessary, I am going to get my money back.

If that's the case, I wouldn't waste his time and yours, and tell him now that you want it remade, not just trimmed. Otherwise, he may pressure you to take it because he's made alterations to make you happy.

By any chance, is the work actually MTM or farmed out to a factory? If so, and the mistake was someone else's fault, he may be able to get the work re-done free of cost to himself, and you don't have to feel bad.

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by usctrojan55

I called him and said I wont take delivery, make it right, which he agreed to do. I can already see how this is going to go: he is going to trim it and try to convince me it looks good. I guess we will see. If he won't make a new coat and it proves necessary, I am going to get my money back.

Well, perhaps you should make clear that you understand simply shortening the jacket by cutting off the bottom will not fix the problem, and that you expect him to do more than that and not try to take you for a fool by trimming it and telling you it looks good. That should set the tone for letting him know you're not f'ing around.

 

[usctrojan55]

Thanks. I told him that I didnt see how he could fix it by just shortening the existing coat, but that he was entitled to try if he wanted to.

Everything is made on premises. I have seen the workroom, etc. It's not all handmade, but that's okay.

I really don't know how the mistake happened. I think he just forgot, although I dont know how he could have. He must not have been paying attention to me.

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by usctrojan55

He must not have been paying attention to me.

Sad. Probably a nice guy, but poor business man.

 

[the.chikor]

Originally Posted by teddieriley

Bespoke is too expensive to settle for anything less than you wanted. I call BS on relying on the 2nd iteration of the suit to get a "closer to perfect" fit. No reason it isn't made to perfection the first time (unless your suit maker sucks, that is).

Well stated.