Garrison Bespoke Toronto

[jshadd]

Originally Posted by GradSchooler

Wow. Sounds like your experience at Trend was great. I'll have to stop by and see them the next time I'm in Toronto!

I have bought a few suits at Garrison Bespoke. They are always amazing and illicit compliments everywhere I go. It is a busy retail location and I can tell you that I myself am a business owner and just don't have the time to spend all day on the phone with people wanting a quotes.
Why don't you just go into the store. I am quite sure you will see somemthing you like and will get a price that is comfortable.

Also don't forget that the oldest trick in the book is for the competition to call and pretend to be a customer. Perhaps they get those calls all day and want to meet in person before getting into detail.
Anyways, my experience and the people I have referred has been amazing.
Good Luck!

 

[tricky]

Funny. If you read the posts you'd see I did go to the store ready to buy, was promised a call later that night and nothing. Followed up through email and nothing. Called and during the call was told they'd set up an appointment and then after hitting me up with a bunch of feeler questions told me they're not accepting clients. My experience was far from amazing and I've shared it with many of my friends and colleagues so that they don't waste their time and money there.

As a business owner I suspect you would understand the importance of good customer service.

I've taken my business elsewhere and the customer service has been over the top so far.

And I don't see what's wrong with others calling from out of town hoping to get an idea of the price.

 

[Odd I/O]

Originally Posted by jshadd

I have bought a few suits at Garrison Bespoke. They are always amazing and illicit compliments everywhere I go. It is a busy retail location and I can tell you that I myself am a business owner and just don't have the time to spend all day on the phone with people wanting a quotes.
Why don't you just go into the store. I am quite sure you will see somemthing you like and will get a price that is comfortable.

Also don't forget that the oldest trick in the book is for the competition to call and pretend to be a customer. Perhaps they get those calls all day and want to meet in person before getting into detail.
Anyways, my experience and the people I have referred has been amazing.
Good Luck!

Could you post fit pics of your suits from Garrison?

 

[evolsty]

A search for 'Garrison Bespoke' on Google has this thread on the first page. I'm sure that, and the not entirely positive feedback here, have nothing to do with someone making their first and only post to rave about the business.

 

[mfrege]

Originally Posted by jshadd

I have bought a few suits at Garrison Bespoke. They are always amazing and illicit compliments everywhere I go.

Oh yeah, what does an "illicit" compliment sound/look like? Do they start licking you or something?

 

[linsook]

Originally Posted by jshadd

I have bought a few suits at Garrison Bespoke. They are always amazing and illicit compliments everywhere I go. It is a busy retail location and I can tell you that I myself am a business owner and just don't have the time to spend all day on the phone with people wanting a quotes.
Why don't you just go into the store. I am quite sure you will see somemthing you like and will get a price that is comfortable.

Also don't forget that the oldest trick in the book is for the competition to call and pretend to be a customer. Perhaps they get those calls all day and want to meet in person before getting into detail.
Anyways, my experience and the people I have referred has been amazing.
Good Luck!

Weak.

 

[jshadd]

Originally Posted by mfrege

Oh yeah, what does an "illicit" compliment sound/look like? Do they start licking you or something?

I wish they did that.
It is just another word for generate a compliment or warrant a compliment.
I am happy to provide directions to the nearest library where I am quite certain an Oxford Dictionary can be found.

 

[aragon765]

Originally Posted by jshadd

I wish they did that.
It is just another word for generate a compliment or warrant a compliment.
I am happy to provide directions to the nearest library where I am quite certain an Oxford Dictionary can be found.

umm... not sure which version of the Oxford you are using, but if you are going to reply in that manner, maybe you should take the trouble to ensure you are actually using the correct word:

il·lic·it
adj \\(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-sət\\
Definition of ILLICIT
: not permitted : unlawful
"” il·lic·it·ly adverb

elic·it
verb \\i-ˈli-sət\\
Definition of ELICIT
transitive verb
1
: to draw forth or bring out (something latent or potential) <hypnotism elicited his hidden fears>
2
: to call forth or draw out (as information or a response) <her remarks elicited cheers>

 

[GradSchooler]

^ damn you for robbing me of an opportunity for self-satisfied smugness!

 

[leftover_salmon]

Bankers is Toronto are generally very poorly dressed and I'd be surprised if most are in $1,500 suits, never mind $3,000 suits. Making such an assertion as a sales tactic is absurd.

On another note, I went to Trend several months ago for two suits and was quite satisfied (a plain dark grey and a stunning blue houndstooth with light blue windowpane). His house cut -- high armholes, suppressed waist, light roping -- is very flattering. As others have posted on this board, Don is a bit eccentric and a little &quot;out there&quot; but he is extremely genuine. He makes a full bespoke product (individual paper patterns and everything done, quite literally, in house) unlike what some have suggested that can be had at a very reasonable $1200+ (mine were $1,500 on average). He's pretty good with delivering on time, unlike other tailors (I'm currently waiting on several shirts from an NYC shirtmaker that are several weeks past when I was told I'd receive them.) In fact, I ordered a third suit during the process of making the other two.

While I was pleased with the final product, I don't think it was quite &quot;perfect&quot;...a few little things were off but I'll blame myself for a lot of that. With 3-4 fittings, I should've mentioned them, though I didn't necessarily notice at the time and was too lazy to bring in to correct. They were minor though, but still a bit surprising that they existed at all. (One pant leg longer than other, one jacket was too tight/overly suppressed; also, my right shoulder is much lower than my left and this wasn't accounted for enough when the pad was sewn in, resulting in an imperfect line on that side.) Also, the pants are a little tight in the thighs -- they look great when I'm standing but I didn't take into account functionality when trying on, as a wallet clearly bulges out and they whisker a lot in the crotch when I walk (can the crotch area on a pair of pants be let out slightly without compromising the lines?). That said, this was my first bespoke experience so I don't know what is typical in terms of fixing things along the way.

Bottom line is that for the price point, he gives you a very individual experience that would be much, much more expensive in other cities. You just need to make sure you're firmly in control of the process.

I wish I could post pics but I don't have a digital camera and can never seem to get good enough natural lighting to take one with my phone. How do so many people here have great-quality pics?

 

[JohnEnglish]

Originally Posted by jshadd

Why don't you just go into the store. I am quite sure you will see somemthing you like and will get a price that is comfortable.
They won't help you in the store unless you have an appointment. You can't make an appointment unless you talk to them on the phone. They seem to pre-screen clients on the phone and will only give you an appointment if they feel like it.

 

[yeungjai]

Originally Posted by osc

Yes, I find that they tend to push certain brands of fabrics moreso than others. I would rather have the tailor listen to what my fabric/style needs are first and then provide a range of fabrics rather than just go to the most expensive or marketable fabric.



You had MTM in my books. At the pricepoint you paid, I would've expected a fully bespoke/custom process with a basted fitting at a minimum.

Can anybody elaborate on the difference between a muslin and a basted fitting?

 

[Recoil]

Originally Posted by aragon765

umm... not sure which version of the Oxford you are using, but if you are going to reply in that manner, maybe you should take the trouble to ensure you are actually using the correct word:

il·lic·it
adj \\(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-sət\\
Definition of ILLICIT
: not permitted : unlawful
"” il·lic·it·ly adverb

elic·it
verb \\i-ˈli-sət\\
Definition of ELICIT
transitive verb
1
: to draw forth or bring out (something latent or potential) <hypnotism elicited his hidden fears>
2
: to call forth or draw out (as information or a response) <her remarks elicited cheers>

Where is a good 'owned' pic when you need one?

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by leftover_salmon

Bankers is Toronto are generally very poorly dressed and I'd be surprised if most are in $1,500 suits, never mind $3,000 suits. Making such an assertion as a sales tactic is absurd.

On another note, I went to Trend several months ago for two suits and was quite satisfied (a plain dark grey and a stunning blue houndstooth with light blue windowpane). His house cut -- high armholes, suppressed waist, light roping -- is very flattering. As others have posted on this board, Don is a bit eccentric and a little "out there" but he is extremely genuine. He makes a full bespoke product (individual paper patterns and everything done, quite literally, in house) unlike what some have suggested that can be had at a very reasonable $1200+ (mine were $1,500 on average). He's pretty good with delivering on time, unlike other tailors (I'm currently waiting on several shirts from an NYC shirtmaker that are several weeks past when I was told I'd receive them.) In fact, I ordered a third suit during the process of making the other two.

While I was pleased with the final product, I don't think it was quite "perfect"...a few little things were off but I'll blame myself for a lot of that. With 3-4 fittings, I should've mentioned them, though I didn't necessarily notice at the time and was too lazy to bring in to correct. They were minor though, but still a bit surprising that they existed at all. (One pant leg longer than other, one jacket was too tight/overly suppressed; also, my right shoulder is much lower than my left and this wasn't accounted for enough when the pad was sewn in, resulting in an imperfect line on that side.) Also, the pants are a little tight in the thighs -- they look great when I'm standing but I didn't take into account functionality when trying on, as a wallet clearly bulges out and they whisker a lot in the crotch when I walk (can the crotch area on a pair of pants be let out slightly without compromising the lines?). That said, this was my first bespoke experience so I don't know what is typical in terms of fixing things along the way.

Bottom line is that for the price point, he gives you a very individual experience that would be much, much more expensive in other cities. You just need to make sure you're firmly in control of the process.

I wish I could post pics but I don't have a digital camera and can never seem to get good enough natural lighting to take one with my phone. How do so many people here have great-quality pics?

Regarding the shoulder, there are different lines of thought on this. Someone with more experience than I can correct me if they read this but you can either use cotton wadding (pads are generally frowned upon among good tailors) or just accept the fact your not perfect and adjust the rest of the jacket so that it's not off-balance because of a lower shoulder. On a RTW jacket, if one shoulder is much lower than the next, the jacket can sit a bit lopsided. Avoiding that is the main thing. If you look at pics of iammatt, you'll see that Rubinacci has made no effort to make his shoulders look even, but his jackets sit perfectly on him. The bottom quarters are perfectly aligned and there's no crumpling in the mid-section on his left side.

As for bespoke in general, i'd be surprise if even the best tailors get it right the first time. It's an imperfect art. Sometimes it's the clients fault and sometimes it's the tailors. Small things can become a nuissance later on, especially since your expectations are so much higher when you go bespoke. You have to learn how to communicate what you want to your particular tailor. My first jacket was much too tight. It looked very clean when on me, but it was not nearly as comfortable as my RTW borrelli (which would fits me just about perfectly were it not for my lower right shoulder). My next one was better. I went through 4-5 fittings before my first shirt was produced but in the end i still made alterations before i had the next batch made.

 

[Andy83]

Went to Garrisons to check them out for my wedding, very nice place but I guess that's why they charge so much. I just got married in October. Had the hardest time finding matching suits that fit all 7 groomsmen within my budget. Got a high recommendation from a friend of mine who got married the year earlier. She didn't tell me much besides trust her. So i called the guy to make an appointment. The best choice i made cause I find out the guy comes to me! So i arranged an appointment when all 7 groomsmen and i can get together. He comes with a bunch of sample fabrics, asks you what you want in style and then measures you. He had 3 price ranges depending on the quality of the fabric. I ended up getting the super 120s wool cashmere which ended up to be just under $650/suit! ($50 under my budget). From what I've seen in the stores this would have cost me over $1000 not including alterations. I ordered the suits in August. He came back 2 months later to do a fitting and fixed up whatever was wrong and did another fitting. All of us were very impressed with the suits. But I was just happy I got myself and all my groomsmen dressed for my wedding under budget. The best service I've ever seen especially with my time crunch and budget. His name is Dat and his business name is Dat Guy Inc. His number is 647 999 1585. He doesn't have a store location but he did have a website where you can go to see samples of his work and build your own suit. Would highly recommend him. Trust me. Lol.