how many fittings for a shirt is acceptable?

[daruma]

mine went like this:

1st fitting: asked for the sleeve to be lengthened by .75", asked the cuff length to be lengthend by .25". body was fine but i wanted it looser because i intended to wear an undershirt
2nd fitting: all fixed but now i realized the neck was a bit loose. i want that tightened. also want the collar to sit better on my neck.

how many fittings is acceptable before i start becoming irate? and should i be the one who says which doesn't fit right/uncomfortable or should he?

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I think two fittings should be all that is needed. If there are things like the way a collar sits on your neck, or you deciding after a little bit you don't like the size of something all of these things should have been addressed at the initial fitting. If not then it is not a tailor "mistake" it is you changing your mind on things and telling him or her that they are wrong, when it is just a personal preference that slipped your mind.

 

[Ataturk]

Wait, do you want to know how many fittings it should take before the shirtmaker gets it right (and you get upset) or how many fittings you can insist on before the tailor gets upset?

 

[Bentley]

Originally Posted by daruma

mine went like this:

1st fitting: asked for the sleeve to be lengthened by .75", asked the cuff length to be lengthend by .25". body was fine but i wanted it looser because i intended to wear an undershirt
2nd fitting: all fixed but now i realized the neck was a bit loose. i want that tightened. also want the collar to sit better on my neck.

how many fittings is acceptable before i start becoming irate? and should i be the one who says which doesn't fit right/uncomfortable or should he?

I think the size/fit of the shirt is in many ways a matter of personal preference. Some guys might want a tighter fit while others want more room.

I think the tailor can be responsible for pointing out any obvious issues around the shirt's fit and fixing them. However, when it comes to things like how comfortable the shirt feels, it is probably up to you to give clear instructions to the tailor around what you're looking for.

This may be easier said than done- if you're like me, what feels comfortable one day may not the next. However, I would not get upset with the tailor for that. I would think, though, that a good tailor good give you some guidance through this process. Unless you've had a lot of shirts made, he will no doubt have more experience than you in this regard.

In terms of how many fittings should be provided, I am not sure what the answer is. I thought that most bespoke tailors had some sort of pre-set number of sessions that they provide that is factored into the cost of the shirt. If you want more fittings beyond that, you can have them but you have to pay extra.

In summary, I would approach it like any other relationship in that both sides (in this case yourself and your tailor) share responsibility for the relationship to be productive. Your tailor should be responsible not just to produce a good quality garment but to provide you with good guidance and direction throughout the process. On the customer's side, I think you are responsible to be as clear as possible about what you are asking for.

 

[Bird's One View]

The first one will probably never be perfect no matter how many fittings you have. I have to live with a garment for a while to understand its merits and shortcomings. The nice thing about shirts is, one will always need more.

 

[Shirtmaven]

did all of this happen before the shirt was laundered and worn once or twice?

short sleeves are a problem. shirts made in house have extra fabric hiding inside the cuff. factory made shirts do not.

cuff larger is just moving the button on this shirt. subsequent orders would have a larger cuff.

making the shirt larger for a t-shirt is starting to get annoying. did you tell him you planned to wear a t-shirt? how tight is this shirt that a t-shirt does not fit comfortably under the shirt.
are you wearing a slim fittting t-shirt or a big sloppy hanes shirt two sizes too large?

collar. was the collar washed yet? it will shrink. did you try it on with a tie?

I will sometimes send a customer home with a first shirt even though I see some minor changes. If I am going to work on a shirt, I would rather you wear it a couple of times to see if there is anything else that needs adjusting.
If you keep asking the shirtmaker to adjust things before you have even taken the shirt home, then you will be asked to find a new shirtmaker.

Carl

 

[daruma]

Originally Posted by Shirtmaven

did all of this happen before the shirt was laundered and worn once or twice?

short sleeves are a problem. shirts made in house have extra fabric hiding inside the cuff. factory made shirts do not.

cuff larger is just moving the button on this shirt. subsequent orders would have a larger cuff.

making the shirt larger for a t-shirt is starting to get annoying. did you tell him you planned to wear a t-shirt? how tight is this shirt that a t-shirt does not fit comfortably under the shirt.
are you wearing a slim fittting t-shirt or a big sloppy hanes shirt two sizes too large?

collar. was the collar washed yet? it will shrink. did you try it on with a tie?

I will sometimes send a customer home with a first shirt even though I see some minor changes. If I am going to work on a shirt, I would rather you wear it a couple of times to see if there is anything else that needs adjusting.
If you keep asking the shirtmaker to adjust things before you have even taken the shirt home, then you will be asked to find a new shirtmaker.

Carl

i washed the fabric before giving it to him. he remedied the short sleeves, so i suppose he had some allowance in it like you said.

i forgot to mention about the t-shirt. i got it done here in argentina but im supposed to wear the shirt back in dc. he remedied it though

collar was about 1.5" (total) too large, i doubt it will shrink that much.

 

[Politely]

Originally Posted by daruma

collar was about 1.5" (total) too large, i doubt it will shrink that much.

I think 1.5" is a rather large error for a collar. You didn't notice during the first fitting?

As far as number of fittings, it depends on the nature of the change. As for being irate, I'd save that for repeated errors or when your requests are repeatedly ignored. Fit is subjective, and there will be some initial negotiation and likely more over time.

 

[emptym]

Originally Posted by Shirtmaven

...
Carl

Thank you for another very informative post, Carl. What would you say is the best way to minimize shrinkage before a shirt is made? I'm guessing it would involve hot water and a drier. Any other tricks?

I'm asking in part because I had some shirts made here in Manila, and I soaked the fabric in near-boiling water for a few hours with a couple changes of water and maybe 10 mins total of hand-scrubbing. Didn't have access to a drier. How'd I do? Any idea?

 

[upnorth]

To me, no more than 3, with the 3rd being a post-wash fitting, if needed. Beyond that, I think the customer is being difficult or working with an incompetent shirtmaker.

Also, part of it will depend on the amount you pay. Obviously if you had paid the shirtmaker peanuts, you cannot expect to buy tolerance.

 

[Shirtmaven]

we rarely pre-wash fabrics. as sanforazation keeps shrinkage to a minimum. we then add up about 2-3% for shrinkage.
i do perwash certain lightweight fabrics, linens, and flannels. or just a fabric that we are unsure about.
we just machine wash warm, tumble dry low and then press.
1.5" to large is way to large. someone made a mistake.

also make sure you tell the shirt maker, that the fabric has been washed.

 

[bowtielover]

2 is the most I have ever had for a shirt any more then that seems kind of excessive. If you are that disatisfied I would goi elsewhere next time.

 

[GBR]

One should be sufficient for you to detremine what needs changing. Not realising that the neck did not suit you until the second fitting is unforgivable and the shiort maker would have the right to be irate.


I'd advise the maker to change his customer if this is an example of what he has to put up with.