Mtm versus custom suits in nyc

[fenderapache]

I have some MTM Oxxford suits that are worn on occassion. For day-to-day wear I have MTM from Martin Greenfield, Hickey-Freeman and others. I also have some custom from some smaller tailors who most likely sent the work to one of the "custom factories". As I need to replace some older items and expand my warddrobe of suits I am trying to determine the best $1,200-$1,800 option for daily wear (I'm rather hard on my clothes and don't want to wear $3,000 everyday due to the high probability of their being ruined).

After being somewhat disappointed with MTM fit and the consistency of workmanship, I am trying to decide the best options for my new suits. Should I try Tom James (the MTM service which visits your office, as several guys I know swear by their fitter and the work appears okay), other MTM suits - Greenfield, Samuelsohn, Gianluca Isaia, etc. or should I try one of the less expensive custom tailors in NYC like Giliberto, Ercole, Gentle, etc.? What is their workmanship like?

Basically, I want a nicely fitted, full-canvas, non-fused, suit. I don't expect the suit to be completely hand-sewn at this price point and expect that some areas will employ the use of a sewing machine. But, I still would like the most consistent fit, attention to detail and most visually arresting suit I can find for day-to-day use. I will keep the MTM Oxxfords for most special occassions and may add a true bespoke item from H. Poole, Raphael, Darren Beaman, Anderson & Sheppard or some other such firm. But, right now I need some good day-to-day suits.

 

[retronotmetro]

Sounds like you are in a higher price bracket than me, but why not give WW Chan a try when they are in the US next month?  Their suits start at about $750 and IIRC top out around the $1200-1800 bracket if you use the most expensive fabrics they offer.  Their coats are full-canvas, with lots of hand work, and as far as I can tell their trousers are almost entirely machine made.   My first suit from them was only OK: they got the trousers exactly right, but my first coat was not quite right stylistically, though it fits right.  Not bad for one fitting, and subsequent suits have been perfect so far.  

I know a couple of people who have Tom James suits (custom, I think), and while I haven't inspected their suits really close-up, they don't seem appreciably better fitting or better looking than what I'm getting from WW Chan at probably considerably less cost.  The entry level custom Tom James suits are close to $1000, and those are either fused or half-canvas.

 

[PeterMetro]

I'd agree with RNM. Chan does great work - it's been discussed on this forum before. And for that price, you could get 2 suits.

FYI - I have a suit from WW Chan in a Vitale Barberis Super 130s and it ran me around 850. Excellent deal in my opinion.

 

[johnnynorman3]

PeterMetro that is a terrific deal. I wonder if they would knock the price down if I purchased 3 or 4 suits from them at once? (I'd of course wait for the first one and then tweak anything before having them cut the next ones).

Is that VB 130s a pretty good fabric? Seems to me that those types of fabrics are a better deal than going with say a Zegna for 1100.

 

[fenderapache]

I want to deal with someone local to NYC. I have tried visiting tailors from Canada, England, Italy, etc. and I just don't like the distance and the inherent problems that creates. If I was going to use a Hong Kong based tailor, I would opt to use A Man Hing Cheong. When I was in HK on business a couple of years ago, I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong where the A Man shop is located. I was impressed when I watched them create a couple of items for different customers. In fact, the head tailor, who's name I've forgotten, had commented that he liked my Turnbull & Asser shirt, but not its fit (I had recently lost weight and the shirt had become too big). So, after hearing him talk I said that if he could make me a shirt to the same level of quality as my T&A and Ascot Chang shirts, but with a great fit I'd place an order if not I would not even pay for the first shirt. Long story short, a week later I came home with a number of his shirts after watching them cut my pattern out of construction paper and piece a well-made, wonderfully fitting shirt together. I was impressed by the suits they made as well - especially the $1,000-$1,500 (US) price tag. The workmanship was better than many suits I had spent considerably more on from better known firms in the US and Europe. Alas, they do not travel to the US and even if they did, the distance is too great to correct an issues on an expeditious time frame.

 

[A Harris]

I don't know who you should go with exactly, but don't go with Tom James. I'ves seen lots and lots of their suits and they are not a quality suit, especially for the money they charge. You would be better off quality-wise with Samuelsohn, which would cost a lot less too.