Brooks Brothers - Made to Measure

[rhoniball]

I head up the Special Order Departments at Brooks Brothers (nationwide) and am interested in hearing about your experiences with any of our programs including Digital Tailoring or Made to Measure.  

I look forward to hearing from you.

Rich Honiball

 

[Will]

I'm not enamored of the cloth selection in recent years.

Loro Paina and Zegna are not H. Lesser. And there seems to be a lot of eight ounce and not much 12.

But I do appreciate the re-emphasis on MTM after years in the 90's when the only salesperson I could find on the floor didn't know he wasn't supposed to charge me for alterations.

 

[zjpj83]

I have not tried the digital tailoring but have heard from others who have said it doesn't work so well.

The Greenfield special appearances are considered to be excellent.

 

[bry2000]

I have never ordered a MTM Brooks suit, but I have thought hard about doing so. One of the issues I have is the cloth selection. There is a poor selection of quality English cloth and too much Italian cloth. I really don't care to look through book after book of LP cloth. Also, it is very hard to find any selection in cloth above 9/10 oz is weight. I would like to see swatch books from any of the following: Smiths, Lesser, Harrisons, and Holland & Sherry.

 

[Concordia]

I use the digital tailoring for button-down shirts. On balance I like the program because it is the only way to get the Brooks BD collar with a body that isn't ridiculously wide. Digital tailoring lops something like 4 inches off the waist from the comparable ready-made 18/36.

Shirt body is still wider than absolutely necessary and armholes are larger than on the best custom shirts, but it's more or less fair value for money. And some bagginess is OK for this style. I wouldn't get a dress shirt made from my Brooks pattern, though.

Workmanship generally not bad. I do wonder why there is no option for other style buttons (MOP, or at least the plastic with the "Brooks Brothers" etched in. And I got two shirts from the same royal oxford cloth, one of which seems to have a firmer interlining in the collar than the other. But on the normal oxford cloth, everything seems just fine.

 

[otis]

I got my first MTM suit and shirt when Martin Greenfield came through Atlanta last fall. It was an excellent experience; I worked with Ty Kennedy. I was shopping for a navy suit, so I can't really comment on the selection of fabrics, I only looked at a couple of blues, and what I got in the $1400 range is nice.

The suit is beautifully made and fits better than anything I've ever owned (I'm 6' 150 lbs so anything off the rack fits me like a sack). There are a couple of fit issues that I am not comfortable that I hope Martin can address if I go back for another suit:

* shoulder padding is a little stiff/strong and shoulders are slightly too wide (I took pictures of a particular RL purple label suit as an example of the soft, yet very fitted silhouette I was looking for)
* armholes are too large and sleeves feel slightly wide (based on silhouette description above)
* My guess is these two issues are the result of starting with the traditional jacket model and cutting it down to my size and fit preference; it fit's close to the body like I wanted but then feels too large in the shoulders and under the arms.

Otherwise it's a great suit.

The shirt is excellent as well, I have no issues with it and plan to order more soon. Too the shirt comments above, I have seen here in a post from Phil that BB can can modify the size of the armholes as well as the collar lengths, linings, etc. This is good to know; I'm curious if the BB salespeople across the country are aware of these options and how to specify them (I believe Phil's posts were in reference to 346).

 

[novalis]

Welcome to the forum. I also echo the call for greater selection of fabrics from any of the English mills/distributors (Lesser, Wain Shiell, JJ Minnis, Moxon, Lear Browne & Dunsford, etc.).

Another suggestion is to offer a menu of additional tailored features (at a higher price point if necessary) - things like adjusting the size and height of the armhole.

You might also want to consider posting on AskAndy. There have been quite a few Brooks discussion threads recently.

 

[jekv12]

What is Digital Tailoring? How does it work? I searched for it on the BB website, no results were found. Last time I was in a BB retail store, I didn't see any signage...

 

[Concordia]

Armholes on jackets are actually key. I've stopped getting pure RTW jackets just because the average armhole is just too deep. If this problem can be cured on the MTM program (which I've never used for jackets/suits) I might not get everything at Brooks, but I'd think really carefully before investing in a summer sport jacket anywhere else.

 

[Concordia]

What is Digital Tailoring? How does it work? I searched for it on the BB website, no results were found. Last time I was in a BB retail store, I didn't see any signage...

Interesting concept, which I've only seen at 346 Madison. You step into a room where lasers scan your body, taking all sorts of measurements you'd rather not have made public. Interesting line drawing also made. Politicians beware.

From this, patterns are cut for shirts or suits.

 

[jekv12]

Thanks, I'll be in NY later this week and if I have time may stop in at 346 to investigate.

 

[otis]

I never tried the digital tailoring, but have had heard mixed reviews. One Brooks salesman told me it would be great if you were getting fitted for a wetsuit (i.e., skintight), doesn't work as well you would expect for regular clothes. My Greenfield MTM suit almost fit right off the hanger - I think it's all about who measures you.

 

[Mark Seitelman]

I have purchased about 12 MTM's from Jay Walter at 346 Madison over the course of 7 years.

First, Jay is a tremendous asset. He is Mr. MTM. An experienced and knowledgeable and fun salesman is a key ingredient in the MTM experience.

Second, an excellent tailor for measurements and fittings is also key. David Simone was excellent, and I am sorry to see him retire. I have a new suit on order, and I am optimistic that Jay and the new tailor will get it right. We were very methodical and precise in the measurements.

Third, Martin Greenfield is probably one of Brooks Bros. greatest good will ambassadors. He is the nicest gentleman in the clothing industry. He is another tremendous asset.

Fourth, the Greenfield suit is excellent and is one of the best, American made suits. I have been very happy with it.

Fifth, I like the pricing so that a fine MTM suit is affordable to a broad range of the public. You have middle class people to the captains of industry. I believe that your prices start slightly below $1,000, and with the promotions, the effective price is lower. Many fine MTM programs have shut-out the middle income customer.

Sixth and last, your Golden Fleece MTM program is one of the best values in the business.

In another post I mention some suggestions.

Mark Seitelman

 

[Mike C.]

I head up the Special Order Departments at Brooks Brothers (nationwide) and am interested in hearing about your experiences with any of our programs including Digital Tailoring or Made to Measure.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Rich Honiball

Hi, welcome to our forum.

If you can, please give our members here a specific definition what what MTM really is, and what they get with a MTM suit.

I sense that alot of them don't fully understand what it is exactly. Thus, expectations are not realized. Many think it is the same as custom, just less expensive.

 

[damonallan]

Re: Digital Tailoring...

I think what is done with the technology after the measurements is the key to the perfect fitting suit. It is still up to the human to get it right. The most perfect case scenario would be for the body to be scaned, a tailor and client sit down to discuss his body and how certain silhouettes will work best by adding inches here and there etc.

Where can this technology be purchased or can the services be used for a price without buying a custom-made???

Who are the creators of digital scanning for tailoring? I wouldn't mind talking to them.

Damon