For clarification: Henry Poole, London,15 Savile Row = bespoke ?

[the_good_life]

Gentlemen,

somehow I have failed to find on the net a conclusive statement on Henry Poole's bespoke/MTM policy. Is it correct to assume that suits bearing the label with the address of the London house are exclusively bespoken?
Do the licensed products made in China carry a distinctly differrent label? I believe these encompass MTM and RTW?
Are there known forgeries of English-made Poole suits from China?

The particular reason for this question is my purchase, for a pittance, of an unworn Henry Poole suit on ebay labeled as stated above but with no customer labeling anywhere. It's pretty much a perfect 40 R, requiring only minimal alteration of the jacket (the trousers are eerily perfect, as if I had been measured for them, quite a coincidence for a bespoke garment). The wool is of the highest quality and there is a fair deal of handiwork (lapel stitching, buttonholes) to this layman's eyes.

Thanks in advance for your input

 

[iroh]

it is not bespoke if it is not made for your body. if you are looking for clothes not made exactly for your body you can find the same excellent quality non-bespoke clothes off the rack for less money.

 

[the_good_life]



it is not bespoke if it is not made for your body. if you are looking for clothes not made exactly for your body you can find the same excellent quality non-bespoke clothes off the rack for less money.

I see what you mean, but it doesn't answer my question about Poole

As to the rationale of buying bespoke second-hand, which seems paradoxical indeed: I can neither afford Savile Row bespoke nor RTW of a "comparable" quality. However, I once acquired a nearly pristine 1969 James & James bespoke suit that had a reasonably close fit and was made from a heavy tweed the kind of which is no longer woven anywhere. I had a qualified bespoke tailor disassemble and refit it. The total cost was lower than that of a middle class RTW suit, and the result fits perfectly, is absolutely unique and perfectly satisfies my aesthetic sensibilities. Of course this required an considerable investment of research plus some good fortune, but I'm quite satisfied with the result.

 

[E TF]

Post some pics, I'm sure someone will be able to tell you pretty quickly.

Also a bespoke coat would usually have a label inside one of the breast pockets with the name of the customer and the date is was bespoken etc.

 

[the_good_life]



Post some pics, I'm sure someone will be able to tell you pretty quickly.

Will do

Also a bespoke coat would usually have a label inside one of the breast pockets with the name of the customer and the date is was bespoken etc.

The abscence of this (or signs of one having been removed), together with the conventional near-40R measurements is precisely what perplexed me

 

[GBR]



Will do
The abscence of this (or signs of one having been removed), together with the conventional near-40R measurements is precisely what perplexed me

Maybe the person who bespoke the suit was near that size - some are and can buy RTW without need for alteration.

On your point about forgeries, there has never been any suggestion anywhere to my knowledge that anyone has made 'fake' Saville Row garments. Whilst the names are good, they are far less well known that Armani etc and therefore the significance would be lost and the market actually smaller for that name. Forgers trade on the back of marketing efforts of others - Saville Row tends to not spend in this manner.

 

[Mark Seitelman]

Generally, Poole bespoke made for it's Saville Row shop has a Poole label sewn below the collar. Poole is the only maker who places the label ther rather than the usual place by the inside chest pocket.

The label states "Henry Poole (London), Ltd."

 

[the_good_life]

The label in mine looks exactly like this:
http://cdn.styleforum.net/a/ab/ab6b2627_P1060994.jpeg

 

[the_good_life]

Just an update: I have now seen the second Henry Poole suit made by Hanloon in China soild in ebay as a "Savile Row bespoke" product. It is irritating that the label for these is virtually identical to the actual SR label and shows the HP Savile Row address as well, with an addition of "by Hanloon." I suppose this was bound to happen and I'm wondering whether it isn't the beginning of precisely the devaluation of the brand that such licensing details can entail. It is in vain that one would hope to clearly separate markets ("the cheapos for China only") in this globalized world.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Henry-Poole-...79284?pt=DE_Herren_Anzüge&hash=item337c581474

 

[Nicola]



. I had a qualified bespoke tailor disassemble and refit it. .

How does this end up cheaper then having him make you a suit from a bolt of cloth? The work to take the thing apart is going to offset some of the savings on cloth.

 

[gegarrenton]

Just an update: I have now seen the second Henry Poole suit made by Hanloon in China soild in ebay as a "Savile Row bespoke" product. It is irritating that the label for these is virtually identical to the actual SR label and shows the HP Savile Row address as well, with an addition of "by Hanloon." I suppose this was bound to happen and I'm wondering whether it isn't the beginning of precisely the devaluation of the brand that such licensing details can entail. It is in vain that one would hope to clearly separate markets ("the cheapos for China only") in this globalized world.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Henry-Poole-...79284?pt=DE_Herren_Anzüge&hash=item337c581474

Damn, that is disheartening. I will have to ask the guys about it next time I see them. OTOH, it probably subsidizes some of my cost for bespoke wear.

 

[the_good_life]



How does this end up cheaper then having him make you a suit from a bolt of cloth? The work to take the thing apart is going to offset some of the savings on cloth.

The suit was a three-piece made in 1969 from a tweed in a weight that no longer even exists. It would cost you around 5000 quid at a Savile row tailor's today. My tailor was all over it in terms of it being a piece of sartorial history. I paid roughly 300 pounds for the suit and 220 for the alterations - as noted, it was a pretty good fit to begin with, shoulders perfect, but the arms had to be taken off and readjusted, the waistcoat was altered, trousers only minimally (it was done in two fittings). Probably not a job he would have done on just any old suit (he's in the € 3000 range for his own work) , but the waistcoat alone was extremely interesting to him (double-pleated) and several customers of his actually ordered copies of it.