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MTM General Questions

RevisIsland

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First I want to thank everyone for what I was able to learn by lurking for the past mont.

I would like to request advice on purchasing a MTM Suit as I have no experience in this department.

My budget is 1500 and I would need to have the suit by Mid May (wedding). I am looking specifically at the Zegna Trofeo fabric based on extensive research.

My questions are:

1. Would you buy a suit from an NYC storefront that will not disclose who they use in Hong Kong for tailoring?

2. Is it worth paying double to get this suit from Zegna?

3. Has anyone done a suit with Mr Ned in this fabric?

4. Any other recommendations?

Thanks
 

patrickBOOTH

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1. No.
2. No.
3. n/a
4. At $1,500 I think Mr. Ned is your only option.
 

The Louche

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There are many options for 1500 or less. Go to LS Men's and have them do something fro the H. Freeman line for you. Or work with WW. Chan on an upcoming visit. Or...
 

Joenobody0

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Try to find someone who uses Samuelsohn for their suits. Those run less than $1500 MTO on the west coast.
 

RevisIsland

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Thanks for the quick responses:

I just spoke with Mr Ned and was not very impressed. When I asked him about Zegna Trofeo he said he doesn't recommend it. He said it wrinkles easily and that Zegna in general is of poor quality.

So when I asked if he could get it he said he could make me this suit for just under $2000

Then when I asked if I could come back and take a look at his other fabrics (since the zegna was above my budget) he basically told me his clients dont look at fabrics for more than 10 minutes and if I was planning on looking at his fabrics for longer that he doesn't want me as a client.

As for LS Clothing---I though I remembered reading on here that they now only do half canvas but I could be wrong. I will check them out next.

I'm worried that WW Chan will be cutting it close ---his next time in NY is Early March and the wedding is Mid May.

Never head of Samuelsohn -- will look into it.
 

The Louche

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Originally Posted by RevisIsland
Thanks for the quick responses:

I just spoke with Mr Ned and was not very impressed. When I asked him about Zegna Trofeo he said he doesn't recommend it. He said it wrinkles easily and that Zegna in general is of poor quality.

So when I asked if he could get it he said he could make me this suit for just under $2000

Then when I asked if I could come back and take a look at his other fabrics (since the zegna was above my budget) he basically told me his clients dont look at fabrics for more than 10 minutes and if I was planning on looking at his fabrics for longer that he doesn't want me as a client.

As for LS Clothing---I though I remembered reading on here that they now only do half canvas but I could be wrong. I will check them out next.

I'm worried that WW Chan will be cutting it close ---his next time in NY is Early March and the wedding is Mid May.

Never head of Samuelsohn -- will look into it.


Samuelsohn is very well regarded, but you won't be getting MTM for $1500. Just a special order (MTO).

If LS no longer offers full canvas, it might be worth it to take a trip to Baltimore and go to English American. EA is where LS' suits are made in the first place, and you will likely pay even less. EA only offers ful canvas from its shop in the factory.
 

Nolan D.

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Success with MTM products is almost entirely dependent upon 1) the skills of the tailor taking your measurements and 2) his or her knowledge of the MTM program you will be using. Samuelsohn is a good gig. Southwick may not be a bad option as they have a couple newer models that are more SF approved. Brooks Brothers MTM could be an option. But, most importantly, keep in mind the two things I said above.
 

TonyThe Tailor

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Originally Posted by RevisIsland
Thanks for the quick responses:



As for LS Clothing---I though I remembered reading on here that they now only do half canvas but I could be wrong. I will check them out next.


H. Freeman is FULL Canvas and has hand made buttonholes, hand sewn collar, shoulders and armholes. Won't find a better value anywhere, and an added bonus, made in AMERICA
 

taxgenius

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Originally Posted by TonyThe Tailor
H. Freeman is FULL Canvas and has hand made buttonholes, hand sewn collar, shoulders and armholes. Won't find a better value anywhere, and an added bonus, made in AMERICA

I believe H Freeman offers full and half canvassed but that LS only does the full canvas option. You may also want to consider LS for Coppley.
 

Nolan D.

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Originally Posted by taxgenius69
I believe H Freeman offers full and half canvassed but that LS only does the full canvas option. You may also want to consider LS for Coppley.

Coppley ain't bad. It's a solid step below Samuelsohn, but certainly a good mid-range line.
 

in stitches

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Originally Posted by RevisIsland
Thanks for the quick responses:

I just spoke with Mr Ned and was not very impressed. When I asked him about Zegna Trofeo he said he doesn't recommend it. He said it wrinkles easily and that Zegna in general is of poor quality.

So when I asked if he could get it he said he could make me this suit for just under $2000

Then when I asked if I could come back and take a look at his other fabrics (since the zegna was above my budget) he basically told me his clients dont look at fabrics for more than 10 minutes and if I was planning on looking at his fabrics for longer that he doesn't want me as a client.

As for LS Clothing---I though I remembered reading on here that they now only do half canvas but I could be wrong. I will check them out next.

I'm worried that WW Chan will be cutting it close ---his next time in NY is Early March and the wedding is Mid May.

Never head of Samuelsohn -- will look into it.


i dont know what mr ned is refering to, maybe the trofeo 600 which is a wool/silk blend, but i understand that the trofeo all wool fabrics are supposed to be very wrinkle resistant.

+1 on the post that the tailor must be familiar with how his measurments will be interpreted

as far as money, i think zegna makes excellent fabrics, if you can afford it go to a shop that does zegna mtm

lastly any mtm shop that puts pressure on you to decide quickly is horse ****, youre spending a nice chunk of change and the person taking it should respect that and give you all the time and info you need, i have had great experiences with syd jerome in chicago (i dont know if that works for you) they have been doing this for 50 years and have mtm options from many brands and start at about 1G +/-

good luck!
 

RevisIsland

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Thanks again for all the replies. I guess I have alot more I need to learn.

I stopped by LS last night--Izzy was nice enough---

He has a great selection of fabrics and gets H&S fabrics at very good prices IMO- also said he could do the Zegna at a good price.

There are three options with him:
1. Copply half canvas construction (most expensive option)
2. H Freeman full canvas construction
3. Giliberto Designs full canvas

He told me if you go straight to Gilberto you get multiple fittings (bespoke vs MTM) but it will cost alot more (i think he was exaggerating on this) since it looks like a suit straight from Gilberto can be had under 1500.

The general consesnus after reading through the forums is that H Freeman is mediocre and I'm thinking I may do better using Izzy to go through Giliberto.

One last thing---feel free not to respond since people seem to get flammed when they bring it up.....

Would you rather have a H Freeman MTM with basic fabric or BB BF off the rack clearance for the same price?

I'm still leaning towards a MTM Zegna but want to make sure I explore all avenues. Might head up to saks off 5th this weekend with a 40% coupon and see if anything is worth it there.

Dont expect me to make a decision anytime soon as I will probably research this well into the new year. Keep the comments coming. Very helpful.
 

Joenobody0

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Originally Posted by RevisIsland
Would you rather have a H Freeman MTM with basic fabric or BB BF off the rack clearance for the same price?

Would you like to own a suit that isn't going to look stupid in 3 years? If so, the super narrow lapels of BBBF are not for you.
 

RevisIsland

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Good point. The BB BF is a very fashion forward design and honestly I dont know if I can pull it off even today.

The only thing I worry about with spending 1500 on a MTM suit is that my body changes over the years from A) working out at the gym or B) my metabolism catches up to me and the suit doesn't fit as well as Day 1.

But yeah--- I'm hoping to keep this suit for more than 3 years.
 

Redwoood

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Originally Posted by RevisIsland
Good point. The BB BF is a very fashion forward design and honestly I dont know if I can pull it off even today.

The only thing I worry about with spending 1500 on a MTM suit is that my body changes over the years from A) working out at the gym or B) my metabolism catches up to me and the suit doesn't fit as well as Day 1.

But yeah--- I'm hoping to keep this suit for more than 3 years.


But neither will your OTR fit if your body changes. Many people forget that.

The basic advantage that OTR has over MTM is that you can try it on before you decide.
The basic advantage of MTM is that it has the potential to fit you better, especially if you are difficult to fit, but there is no guarantee. (Unless the proprietor guarantees fit).
It also lets you specify a myriad of options, albeit for a fixed design/cut.
 

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