On India (Tailors)

[AxlJack]

Have been going around to a bunch of tailors in India and am seriously getting frustrated with the way they work. I ask them to copy a shirt and take the same yolk measurements they sit down and try to convince me how my yolk measurement is incorrect and what they have is correct. I ask them to take the collar down; they try to convince me otherwise. I ask them to make hacking pockets I get normal pockets.......... I ask them to hem my trousers so that theres no break: what do I get :trousers wth freaking breaks ........ (and this is getting them altered twice)....

Obviously venting is gonna get me no where but for the benefit of the forum heres how tailoring in India works (Please note this is besides Vaish and the other tailor in Chennai that is being currently reviewed; and is about how the system generally works in India: i.e. when you go into any "suit/ tailoring store" )

1. Each store has a set of tailors that are independent and get paid as per the work they do. So if for example someone says that store "XYZ" does good tailoring it can basically mean nothing cause there is no guarantee that the particular tailor still works there.

2. If they say we will make it by such and such date add 3-4 days extra minimum.

3. If they try to sit down and convince you to get it done in another way (as my yolk example) {barring proper tailor opinions as to how it would look}: that means they cannot do it. Nobody says no in India they just try to convince you otherwise or give you a yes that sounds like a no.

4. You need to stick to your guns as to what you need done

5. Be patient when dealing wth them cause sometimes they have no clue on the technical terms used for certain things: they've probably made a club collar shirt but you have to tell them what a club collar means: remember tailoring in India is not done by people with a lot of education: the selling is and those guys have no clue about tailoring (exceptions may include the 2 reviewed tailors on SF)

6. Get your own cloth if you are getting wool. (this has been emphasized previously on SF). Cotton on the other hand is no problem ( from talking to some frnds in the cotton business: app Arvind Mills quality of cotton cloth is considered high among merchant traders in international trading)

7. Most of them (guesstimate 98%) do not do any canvassing (this has been emphasized previously on SF; very few do)




So what can they do:

1. They can copy what you have; if they see what you've brought and say ya sure you can keep the sample with yourself: Say no way: I bet their tailoring skills are approved by a billion people but they arent SF approved. Give them what they have to copy and tell em to do so.

Heres how I would rate what I have seen in order of workmanship

1. Trousers

2. Suit Jacket

3. Shirt

Also remember if you do not have the time and patience for it (i.e you're going to India for a 2 week trip and have no SF recommended tailor) save your cash.


I will also start posting works from tailors that I find that are good for the forum in later posts

Thanks for reading and sorry for venting.......

 

[juuceman]

eh, you get what you pay for.

I bought a white linen suit in Mumbai for ~175 US$. It was mtm and was made in 24 hours. It's fine, it fits, it's classically fit, and its better than J Crew options at twice the price. I purchased it from the Millionaire Store.

I wouldn't purchase my every day workhorse suits from them, that's what Hemrajani is for.

 

[krakatoa]

I posted the following a few months ago, not sure about the quality as I haven't tried them:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=185040

 

[AxlJack]

Originally Posted by juuceman

eh, you get what you pay for. I bought a white linen suit in Mumbai for ~175 US$. It was mtm and was made in 24 hours. It's fine, it fits, it's classically fit, and its better than J Crew options at twice the price. I purchased it from the Millionaire Store. I wouldn't purchase my every day workhorse suits from them, that's what Hemrajani is for.
Ya i figure, however my objective is really to find a tailor for myself: i.e. a guy I can go to on a regular basis to get at least my shirts and trousers. (add my family and frnds to this as well...) Ive heard mostly good things about Hemrajani: however I'm not a fan of online MTM ( last I had checked they dnt do tours to the UK.. so couldnt go that route)

Originally Posted by krakatoa

I posted the following a few months ago, not sure about the quality as I haven't tried them: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=185040
Thanks for that.. lets see might check em out. I think what I'm gonna do is take some advice posted on SF previously; get some dirt cheapass cotton cloth and then sit wth the tailor work wth him for a month as to how it needs to be done with multiple fits and get down to one so that I can use that as a base for future shirts. However the Suit jacket is still a mystery to be solved.......... I tried this place called Linen Club for a Linen Blazer. Obviously barring the construction quality the look of the fit is good but its just way to rigid.. feel like im in a damn capsule....