Jonathan Quearney MTM vs Graham Brown Bespoke?

[andy2507]

Hi,
this is my first post after recently discovering the forum. I live in London and am currently looking to purchasing a 3 piece suit. I would prefer to spend less than £2000 and I have been made aware of Jonathan Quearney who charges from £1600 for MTM. However, I would prefer the full bespoke experience and have also read about Graham Brown who would do a full bespoke for less.

I am keen to get anybody's thoughts on which route I would be happier with overall in terms of customer experience, fit of suit, quality/longevity of garment. I am deliberately avoiding asking who is "better" as there are a number of factors in tailoring which are implicit in the price point of the services offered.

Also, I would be happy to hear about any other tailors who can offer true bespoke for under 2k who is based in central London. I am 6"3', 13.5 stone.

 

[andreyb2]

Kent Haste & Lachter offer full bespoke for 1950 quids. However, this is for two-piece.

Andrey

 

[WhippingBoy]

Sims and Macdonald (Lambs Conduit St)
Paul Kitsaros (Cleveland St)
The Georges (Cleveland Street, Haringay,Threadneedleman)
C Antoniou (Gray's Inn Road)
Apsley Tailors (Pall Mall)
Chris Georgiou (Kings Cross Road)
Graham Browne
Redwood and Feller (Rochester Row)
Connock and Lockie (Lamd Conduit St)

All will do a 2 piece for less than 2K. All are genuine bespoke. I have suits by Sims and Graham Browne. Sims is my prefered

 

[Pseudosyco]

Graham Browne made me a lovely 3 piece in navy worsted for £1250 (including extra trousers) last year.

I'd recommend them.

In regards to Apsley Tailors, I once enquired about having a tweed jacket made up (CMT) and was quoted a price, only for this to be upped by about 50% when I turned up to be measured. When I referred to the previous email exchange they said that I did not mention the fabric would be a tweed. When I showed them the emails proving they had quoted me a price for making up tweed, I was just stared at.

I cannot comment on the quality of their work, but they will forever be charlatans to me.

 

[Geezer]

Graham Browne are probably the best price/quality mix in London bespoke if price is an issue.

Of the list above I have been to Redwood and Feller. They are fine. But not really worth twice GB's prices.

 

[TheWraith]

Add Cad & the Dandy to that list too for an affordable, full bespoke option.

 

[GBR]

Bespoke every time over MTM. Quearney is over-priced for MTM.

 

[Not Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by GBR

Bespoke every time over MTM. Quearney is over-priced for MTM.

Graham & Browne made me a bespoke suit for my wedding and I'd certainly recommend them. They're pretty flexible as well if you've got specific ideas as to what you want.

When you go it you'll see it's very much a working tailors shop, not a showroom and most of the cutting is done in the shop and the sewing is done somewhere in North London I think, so it's not being made all the way in China.

 

[WhippingBoy]

Go to Cad and the Dandy and it will be made in China. Even the bespoke
Thats why I DIDN'T include them.

 

[TheWraith]

^ Not true. They have a handmade bespoke option which is entirely made by them in England, and you were told this before by one of the bosses of C&D right here on this forum. Have you already forgotten?

 

[WhippingBoy]

'5. Where is my suit tailored? - we make 30% in the UK and the rest in our workshop overseas. We are honest about this where as most keep it quiet.'

'From a british manufacturing family if I could produce it all here I would but where many tailors produce a couple of suits a week perhaps, we produce dozens and unfortunately there is not a work pool here to do that. We have 35 coatmakers in our bespoke team overseas all of whom make to the same high standard finding another 35 here would be nigh on impossible.'

Read the post again 'WE HAVE 35 COATMAKERS IN OUR BESPOKE TEAM OVERSEAS'. And who decides where my coat is sent? A couple of bankers! Not only that, they can't find the staff in the UK to produce their bespoke suits. Unlike all the other tailors I mentioned (apart from Apsley) who can!

No I hadn't forgotten. I can however READ. At no point does anyone from Cad state that their bespoke product is made ENTIRELY in England. What they actually state is that where it is made is dependant 'on our work load, turn around times, Customer etc etc.' Either of which is OK for you. Bar Apsley all of the tailors I mentioned will make their suits in England IRRESPECTIVE of 'work load, turn around times, Customer etc etc.'

 

[BlackShoes]

I think calling C&D bespoke is being at best generous, at worst disingenuous. Assuming they are even cut in this country, how is a cutter supposed to accurately convey how they want a garment made up to someone thousands of miles away in China? How is a cutter supposed to match a customer to a specific coatmaker that suits their style when they have a staff of 35 coatmakers overseas. How is one to be sure of getting the same coatmaker each time?

Just because they have premises on the row, and they attempt to effect the air of bespoke, does not make it so. Perhaps if they were a true bespoke operation, the founder would have more pride than to come on here and shill for his business?

 

[WhippingBoy]

Hurrah, some common sense at last.

I don't have a problem with the cutter at Cad. John DeBoise has a well established pedigree.

I do however concur with Blackshoes. Its the production process, controlled by a couple of ex bankers, with no tailoring background that irks me.

I suspect John has very little input into this. I doubt the tailors work to John, in fact, the communication between tailor and cutter is probably non-existent. Even if there is one its very difficult over 5000 miles and 9 time zones away.

 

[TheWraith]

John DeBoise is their head cutter. If you ask for the fully handmade bespoke option, it will be fully made in England. You get the service you pay for with C&D. Please don't spread BS on here about them!

 

[academe]

Originally Posted by TheWraith

John DeBoise is their head cutter. If you ask for the fully handmade bespoke option, it will be fully made in England. You get the service you pay for with C&D. Please don't spread BS on here about them!

Unfortunately this thread looks about set to descend into a hopelessly xenophobic anti-Chinese rant. Styleforum bigots strike again. Hurray!