bespoke tailor - pants outsourced?

[lorcar]

today i had the chance to exchange few words with a senior/old italian tailor.
We were talking about prices and he mentioned that the cost of the ladies doing the pants went up...

Story is that he states that historically the tailor does NOT do the pants, but has other people doing it.

do you know if this is correct?
thanks

 

[circumspice]

My understanding is that this is common in Italy. Ambrosi and some other pants makers make for some tailors

 

[lorcar]

Is this because jacket is the important stuff? Or else? Can you trust a tailor who doesn't do your pant? It is supposed to be bespoke, and I would like to deal with the responsible one directly

 

[bry2000]

Many tailors outsource components of a bespoke suit. It is very common. Fewer tailors than you would think produce everything in-house.

 

[circumspice]

It is specialization. Some tailors don't make shirts, and send them elsewhere, but may offer them bespoke regardless - they are comfortable making adjustments to a toile / test shirt and sending it on its way

There are aspects of jacket making (hand padding lapels, shoulder construction) that might not have much direct utility for making pants.

 

[lorcar]

Which components can they outsource?

 

[GBR]

Which components can they outsource?

Any! Outwork has been a feature of the bespoke trade virtually since it started. Each element of a garment requires a specialist. For example there are a great many who can make an excellent coat for a lounge suit but not a tail coat, that is a skill in its own right. The cutter is the important link, he will have skilled and trusted tailors on hand so just accept it as the norm.

 

[lorcar]

Thanks a lot for the clarification but then really I struggle to see what the guy i order the suit from does in practice...
I give him directions and guidelines that he will have to transmit to third parties....what would be the difference if I interacted directly with those third parties?

 

[Andy57]

Thanks a lot for the clarification but then really I struggle to see what the guy i order the suit from does in practice...
I give him directions and guidelines that he will have to transmit to third parties....what would be the difference if I interacted directly with those third parties?

The difference would be that you can't interact with them.

When you go to a bespoke house, whether it's in the UK, Italy, Hong Kong, or elsewhere, you will be seen, usually, by the cutter. This is the person who listens to what you want, asks you questions, takes your measurements, and so on. The cutter will then draft your pattern, and (this is the crucial bit) cuts the cloth for your suit, jacket, or whatever. Then, quite often, the cut cloth is wrapped up into a bundle and delivered to a specialist jacket-maker, trouser-maker, or waistcoat-maker, who then sews the pieces together.

When you have a fitting, again it is the cutter that you see, not the person who sewed your garment together. After the final fitting, when you and the cutter are satisfied, the piece goes back to the maker for final assembly and then it will get passed to a finisher, who will add a lining, cut and sew buttonholes, and sew on the buttons.

I know of very few houses where all this work is done by a single person. Maybe none.

 

[GBR]

Thanks a lot for the clarification but then really I struggle to see what the guy i order the suit from does in practice...
I give him directions and guidelines that he will have to transmit to third parties....what would be the difference if I interacted directly with those third parties?

He does the most important thing of all: Drafts the pattern and cuts the cloth. The outworker brings other skills to the party. I really cannot see what difficulty you have with this, there many things which are bought of Person A but made/prepared by X Y Z. When you go to a restaurant, you give your order to the waiter or the maître d if you are lucky. You will tell that person that you want your steak cooked this way or that, cremated or raw (blue to use the correct term) or indeed any other component of your meal. You don't then go into the kitchen and try to establish who is the pastry chef, the sauce chef, the Executive chef or any other chef so that you can personally instruct him or her.

 

[emptym]

The difference would be that you can't interact with them.

When you go to a bespoke house, whether it's in the UK, Italy, Hong Kong, or elsewhere, you will be seen, usually, by the cutter. This is the person who listens to what you want, asks you questions, takes your measurements, and so on. The cutter will then draft your pattern, and (this is the crucial bit) cuts the cloth for your suit, jacket, or whatever. Then, quite often, the cut cloth is wrapped up into a bundle and delivered to a specialist jacket-maker, trouser-maker, or waistcoat-maker, who then sews the pieces together.

When you have a fitting, again it is the cutter that you see, not the person who sewed your garment together. After the final fitting, when you and the cutter are satisfied, the piece goes back to the maker for final assembly and then it will get passed to a finisher, who will add a lining, cut and sew buttonholes, and sew on the buttons.

I know of very few houses where all this work is done by a single person. Maybe none.

I believe Frank Shattuck does everything himself.

 

[bry2000]

He is still active?

 

[Andy57]

I believe Frank Shattuck does everything himself.

I believe you may be right.

 

[dfoverdx]

There are still many one man shop in Italy. Obviously they are not on forums or internet but if you are visiting Italy often and different cities you will notice them.