Custom Suiting Toronto

[rhb57]

Literally every factory does Milanese buttonholes. I, personally, can do Milanese buttonholes; in my living room... on a train... on a plane... visiting a factory...

We're on this site to try to help each other not make mistakes and make proper investments, and not to be stubborn about what we read somewhere on a website or what words companies use to try to sell their products.

I get your point, but just to clarify, are milanese buttonholes made by machines or hand?

I haven't commissioned any suit from either Garrison or JF, however

- Garrison's mtm is made by Coppley which is proudly made in Canada, go to their website if you have any doubt, I already attached a picture in my previous reply. Their modern and handmade bespoke are both made in Canada if not on site. If I remember correctly, several style member already confirmed that before.

- JF may not cut his patterns on site, but it's done in a workshop outside Toronto. Maybe Bond's definition of bespoke requires suits to be cut on site, but I don't think it's too farfetched to call JF's suit bespoke because it is indeed basted fitting.

 

[induere_to]

'Pride' is a bit of an understatement. Have you ever opened up a suit made by Coppley? Samuelsohn is also made in Canada but costs a whole lot more because there is twice as much attention that goes in to each garment they make. I used to sell both companies in previous jobs. Did you know Joseph Abboud MTM found at Moore's is also made in Canada?

Milanese are done by hand, but people with hands work in factories. Factories don't mean strictly machine made. It means fast assembly, and efficient mass-production which is based off pre-set blocks. Sometimes those blocks are patterns designed by outfitters but not always. The factory I play around with also offers handmade options at 30%, 50% and 90% and can also provide basted fittings; however, I still can't advertise this process as bespoke.

Regarding the companies mentioned, I cannot comment on what they offer because it is a personal conflict of interest as I know both owners on a very personal level. All I can suggest is that you walk into the businesses, and ask the right questions. All my years in luxury retail have taught me that anything can and will be said to make a sale so it will only benefit you to ask for some clarification. There was a company on the Danforth that got shut down several years back after a client found a Chinese factory tag inside his garment after being told his garment was made in Canada. Even Tom Ford labels inside their pockets suggest that his suits are made in Europe... but we all know that's not true (assembled? Sure). If you want a bespoke garment, I invite to swing by. I'll give you a tour of my workshop and I'll show you step-by-step how things are made. There's nothing to hide, tailors take a lot of pride in their craft and would be more than happy to show you the process.

P.S. I've actually been toying with an idea of starting a youtube channel to help consumers detect the red flags and illegitimacies most commonly found in the sales-pitches of associates that only get paid in commission. Unfortunately, this may not be a project I'll undertake in the near future by the looks of it (running around looking for equipment and an unforeseen skateboarding slam that has left me in a cast). But there's a lot of misguidance out there and I think a lot of people can benefit from knowing how to avoid it.

 

[rhb57]

'Pride' is a bit of an understatement. Have you ever opened up a suit made by Coppley? Samuelsohn is also made in Canada but costs a whole lot more because there is twice as much attention that goes in to each garment they make. I used to sell both companies in previous jobs. Did you know Joseph Abboud MTM found at Moore's is also made in Canada?

Milanese are done by hand, but people with hands work in factories. Factories don't mean strictly machine made. It means fast assembly, and efficient mass-production which is based off pre-set blocks. Sometimes those blocks are patterns designed by outfitters but not always. The factory I play around with also offers handmade options at 30%, 50% and 90% and can also provide basted fittings; however, I still can't advertise this process as bespoke.

Regarding the companies mentioned, I cannot comment on what they offer because it is a personal conflict of interest as I know both owners on a very personal level. All I can suggest is that you walk into the businesses, and ask the right questions. All my years in luxury retail have taught me that anything can and will be said to make a sale so it will only benefit you to ask for some clarification. There was a company on the Danforth that got shut down several years back after a client found a Chinese factory tag inside his garment after being told his garment was made in Canada. Even Tom Ford labels inside their pockets suggest that his suits are made in Europe... but we all know that's not true (assembled? Sure). If you want a bespoke garment, I invite to swing by. I'll give you a tour of my workshop and I'll show you step-by-step how things are made. There's nothing to hide, tailors take a lot of pride in their craft and would be more than happy to show you the process.

P.S. I've actually been toying with an idea of starting a youtube channel to help consumers detect the red flags and illegitimacies most commonly found in the sales-pitches of associates that only get paid in commission. Unfortunately, this may not be a project I'll undertake in the near future by the looks of it (running around looking for equipment and an unforeseen skateboarding slam that has left me in a cast). But there's a lot of misguidance out there and I think a lot of people can benefit from knowing how to avoid it.

Honestly I'd love that tour. BTW, I was simply quoting "proudly made in Canada" from Coppley.

I thought Tom Ford was made in Italy/Switzerland by Zegna Couture XXX which rivals the craftsmanship of Kiton or Brioni, are you saying they aren't made in Europe?

 

[yusufhar]

I feel like everyone and their mother seem to be adding "bespoke" or "handmade" to their brand. I will be starting a tailoring house that presents the only way conclusive to win this tailoring arms race- da Vinci Bespoke!
Essentially we will have master surgeons teach master tailors how to sew and cut on the da Vinci Robot. If this technique is good enough for your gallbladder you best believe it's good enough for your suiting. We will adapt the techniques of minimally invasive surgery to create a whole new field of minimally invasive suiting!
You may ask, what is the need for such extravagance?
Any experience master tailor >50 years old will tell you their main handicap is their sight. The da Vinci Robot eliminates this handicap. Once trained master tailor will be able to cut and sew the yoke on your suit to the nearest 0.8-1.2mm. Think of the drape!
da Vinci Bespoke- Putting the surgeon, back in surgeon cuffs.

 

[induere_to]

PM me anytime and I'd be more than happy to set something up.

Last I heard (though I had heard it several times), Tom Ford is made by Zegna... which owns half of Chinese manufacturing (slight exaggeration). Tom Ford pattern drafting and cutting is all done in China, then shipped to Switzerland for assembly.

Of course, the myth of 'Made In China' usually has negative connotations that most people roll their eyes at... however, from my personal experience, that's far from the truth. There are several reasons why so many tailors are expanding their business into Asia and price is just a partial factor. Many tailors go in to new factories and train all the staff according to their minute detailed micro-managing desires. The opposite can be said for a lot of Italian manufacturing. 'Sprezzatura' has become the write-off for expensive sloppiness in many cases. Additionally, some handmade is not always superior to machine made.

Kiton and Brioni have their own manufacturing. I haven't seen too much of it myself in person, but I have reliable friends that I trust that have toured their facilities and praise them highly... no, they were not in Asia.

 

[rhb57]

PM me anytime and I'd be more than happy to set something up.

Last I heard (though I had heard it several times), Tom Ford is made by Zegna... which owns half of Chinese manufacturing (slight exaggeration). Tom Ford pattern drafting and cutting is all done in China, then shipped to Switzerland for assembly.

Of course, the myth of 'Made In China' usually has negative connotations that most people roll their eyes at... however, from my personal experience, that's far from the truth. There are several reasons why so many tailors are expanding their business into Asia and price is just a partial factor. Many tailors go in to new factories and train all the staff according to their minute detailed micro-managing desires. The opposite can be said for a lot of Italian manufacturing. 'Sprezzatura' has become the write-off for expensive sloppiness in many cases. Additionally, some handmade is not always superior to machine made.

Kiton and Brioni have their own manufacturing. I haven't seen too much of it myself in person, but I have reliable friends that I trust that have toured their facilities and praise them highly... no, they were not in Asia.

Zegna has many lines, I'm pretty sure only Z Zegna line are made in China, the top line EZ Couture and EZ main line are made in Italy or Switzerland. There are some EZ mainline stuff also made in Spain that are slightly inferior in quality.

Cutting the pattern is the most important step of making a suit because if the blueprint is wrong, the whole suit is a failure. The master tailor at WW Chan & Sons who is in his 60s stopped making suits because his hands are no longer as good as they used to be, but he still cuts patterns for his client because that's the most important part of making a suit - 中国上海裁缝手艺，西装定制，香港师父 Tailor craftsmanship in Shanghai, China, suit customization, Hong Kong master - YouTube

Who told you Tom Ford suits are made in China? Are you serious? It's by made Zegna Couture that rivals the craftsmanship of Kiton! A Zegna Couture suit costs at least 5-6k and so does a Tom Ford suit. If the patterns were cut in China, why bother with Zegna Couture factory anyway? That makes absolutely no sense. Ravazzolo, Isaia, Kiton and Brioni, all these suits cost about the same as Tom Ford, does any of them manufacture their suits in China? Why would Tom Ford do that when EZ mainline are not even made in China?

FYI: this article says Tom Ford suits are made by Zegna in Switzerland: Factory visit to Zegna — Ashley E. Davidson (ashleyedavidson.com) it says explicitly that patterns were drawn by designers and sent to the factory to be cut there.

Made by Hand- the great Sartorial Debate: The End of an Era in Padova (tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com) This article from Robert Jeffery reported the Zegna factory that manufactured Tom Ford was to be closed. Both the old and new locations are in Italy/Switzerland.

BTW, in 2009, the Italian law 135 stated that only products totally made in Italy (planning, manufacturing and packaging) are allowed to use the labels Made in Italy, 100% Made in Italy, 100% Italia, tutto italiano in every language, with or without the flag of Italy. Each abuse is punished by the Italian law.

 

[induere_to]

Well… premature post on the Ultimate Toronto Thread now that I managed to find this lost thread in my tabs…

Here’s the full series of photos:

 

[Encore]

for some reason I keep staring at your shirt but not the jacket... lol
Nice shirt! (And jacket too)

 

[Bersabee]

Does anyone have any experience with Sydney's MTM or Bespoke offerings? I couldn't really find any client pictures of his end products but his pictures look pretty good. Was looking for something in the sub $2,500 price range which he seemed to fall into.

Any alternatives would be much appreciated too!

 

[Jamesbond1]

Does anyone have any experience with Sydney's MTM or Bespoke offerings? I couldn't really find any client pictures of his end products but his pictures look pretty good. Was looking for something in the sub $2,500 price range which he seemed to fall into.

Any alternatives would be much appreciated too!

PM @induere_to and you will have a basted fitting, made to measure which would probably be the best that any Toronto shop has to offer. That is if you are looking for a traditional fit and not something you can’t breathe in

 

[Bersabee]

PM @induere_to and you will have a basted fitting, made to measure which would probably be the best that any Toronto shop has to offer. That is if you are looking for a traditional fit and not something you can’t breathe in

Any idea on his prices? I think he might be out of my price range.

 

[Jamesbond1]

Any idea on his prices? I think he might be out of my price range.

I would PM Tim and he will be more than happy to answer your questions. There is no middle men selling you stuff you don’t need. 30% to 90% handmade options and fabric will determine the cost.

 

[pablum]

If anyone is interested in seeing some of Isaac Ely's work, I'd be happy to share. I've comissioned various pieces over the past couple of years.

 

[Bersabee]

If anyone is interested in seeing some of Isaac Ely's work, I'd be happy to share. I've comissioned various pieces over the past couple of years.

I wouldn't mind seeing the pieces! More options to learn about in Toronto the better

 

[KaleidoscopicK]

Does anyone have any experience with Sydney's MTM or Bespoke offerings? I couldn't really find any client pictures of his end products but his pictures look pretty good. Was looking for something in the sub $2,500 price range which he seemed to fall into.

Any alternatives would be much appreciated too!

I have a friend who's had MTM work done at Sydney's before. If I can remember to, I'll ask him for an anecdote or an opinion.

I've only ever bought sneakers from there, but they have excellent customer service. A former co-worker of mine who worked there in the past can vouce for this: some of the CS stories I've heard from her wowed me.