Prada MTM program

[johnapril]

I checked out the Prada made-to-measure program. All suits are fully canvassed and made in Milan. Prices range from $1,700 to $16,000. They have several suit cuts available, one-, two-, and three-button coats, functional buttonholes, zip or button fly. There are three fabric books. The most reasonable fabrics are in the classic book, mostly solids in bi-tela stretch wool. The other books contain patterns and precious fabrics. I wanted one of everything, except the wool in solid grass green. A suit takes 4-6 weeks to make and deliver.

For what it's worth...

 

[minimal]

I love prada RTW, one of the few clothing lines that fit me (tall & skinny).

They have some beautiful fabrics; most of my trousers are prada stretch wool (100% wool, not at all like the stretch wool of a few years ago).

I was very interested in their MTM suit program. Unfortunately, they failed the very first test: i tried on one of their suits in a 42L in a gorgeous sublimated pinstripe. It was *way* too short in the body: they said it looked "perfect".

So good luck to anyone going with them: if you find one of their stores where the tailor is qualified, and willing to say so when it looks bad, please post where.

 

[amirrorcrackd]

I love prada RTW, one of the few clothing lines that fit me (tall & skinny).

They have some beautiful fabrics; most of my trousers are prada stretch wool (100% wool, not at all like the stretch wool of a few years ago).

I was very interested in their MTM suit program. Unfortunately, they failed the very first test: i tried on one of their suits in a 42L in a gorgeous sublimated pinstripe. It was *way* too short in the body: they said it looked "perfect".

So good luck to anyone going with them: if you find one of their stores where the tailor is qualified, and willing to say so when it looks bad, please post where.

Which one did you go to?

Dan

 

[minimal]

(snip...)

Which one did you go to?

Dan

This particular event happened at at the Prada on 5th@57th in NY.

When I'm buying a MTM suit, I can't have people who just take measurements from a diagram: they have to know how it's supposed to look on me in whatever style I ask. And these people didn't, though maybe if I had committed they would have set up an appointment with a tailor who knew suits. I'm sure they're made beautifully, but I can't risk having a disagreement on coat length when in comes back from Italy. Instead, I went to Seize-sur-Vingt, where I had an excellent experience [I'll post details and photos shortly]

Now, I add, that apart from my lack of confidence in their abilities in this department, I've had some very good help from some Prada personnel in their RTW: a woman named "Chi" who was at the Soho NY store, and a guy named "Casey" at the Chicago store. These two can be trusted to say "I don't think that looks particularly flattering on you" if need be.

 

[johnapril]

I worked with Casey once. He is sharp. I suppose if I were in the same situation with the 42L being too short I would have asked for a longer coat despite what the salesperson insisted. I don't have a problem disagreeing with people who are wrong. When it is a matter of differing opinions, if I'm the one paying for something for me, I win or I walk. I mean, what's the deal? Is constructive conflict such a stretch for Americans?

 

[minimal]

I suppose if I were in the same situation with the 42L being too short I would have asked for a longer coat despite what the salesperson insisted. I don't have a problem disagreeing with people who are wrong. When it is a matter of differing opinions, if I'm the one paying for something for me, I win or I walk. I mean, what's the deal?

Well, the problem is the following: you can't just add 1.5+ inches to a coat. There are many other things that will need to be changed to keep the balance.

Now, if your tailor thinks that a 2-inch-too-short jacket looks "perfect", but you ask for it 2 inches longer, you have these options:

1. Be confident that the tailor will properly adjust everything to
balance the coat after the 2 inches have been added.

2. Be so fluent in every aspect of suit construction that you are able
to properly dictate where all the adjustments take place.


Option 1 is a real leap of faith: if the tailor thought the unlengthened coat was perfect, how will they get the other proportions right if you don't dictate them?

Option 2: I'd be afraid I'd left out some detail: let's see, I'd specify the extra length of the vents, where the pockets need to be moved to, where the buttons need to be moved to, where all the nips and tucks in the silhouette need to move to...

If I forget a detail, or there is any ambiguity, the store can rightly say that I left it unspecified. They can also blame any resulting problems on the fact that I didn't just take their advice and leave the coat short.

SO, IN SHORT: once a tailor (or their stand-in) demonstrates that they do not understand proportion, I surely am not going to teach it to them using my $2000+ suit as learning material. Add that the store in question is used to very-high $ income clients, many with no sense of style whatsoever, and you are looking at a potential disaster.

It's true, you can always walk at the end, after demanding your money back, after having spent all that time and energy. But there are quite a few good tailors out there, why would I put myself through the potential hell of the above?

Let me add, that the fabric at Prada was so gorgeous, I almost did it anyway. Really, I'm not kidding. But the place I ended up at had a Zegna Trofeo cloth that was just as nice...and they were very nice to work with.

In any case, good luck, and please share your experiences when you go for it.

 

[Fuuma]

Prada recently bought an enormous lot of english fabrics, anybody knows the name of the source?

 

[johnapril]

I love prada RTW, one of the few clothing lines that fit me (tall & skinny).

I suppose I am a bit confused.  Prada fits you perfectly but then it doesn't?  Uh?  Why didn't you just go for one of their suit models that you fit in perfectly?  Or is it that you fit in all things Prada as long as they are not suits.

Let me rephrase:

Point to the suit that fits you perfectly.
Then say, Make that exact suit out of this other fabric.

If you can't get that, no, don't stay in the store.

I've had idiot salespeople screw up my measurement and had to have the store owner correct the problem.

Anyway, if I try the program out, I'll give you the lowdown on my experience. Frankly, after hearing about yours, I might just stick to Zegna, where there has never been a problem.

I wonder how much of this has to do with the label "Prada" that is supposed to define "style," and if you disagree with "Prada style," well, then, you deserve to feel like an idiot.

 

[minimal]

I suppose I am a bit confused. Prada fits you perfectly but then it doesn't? Uh? Why didn't you just go for one of their suit models that you fit in perfectly? Or is it that you fit in all things Prada as long as they are not suits.

Let me rephrase:

Point to the suit that fits you perfectly.
Then say, Make that exact suit out of this other fabric.

[snip...]

Yes, I haven't been clear. I own no Prada suits. [That is the key element I left out]. Prada's shirts, pants, outerwear, etc fit me very well, which is suprising as I have always had trouble getting off-the-rack clothes to fit me (6'4"+, 185lbs). Prada sport fits me (except their synthetic stretch pants that aren't my style anyway), as well as their main line.

SO, with Prada's history of fitting me, I was suprised that their suits were *way* too short in the body. Even taking into acount "fashionable short" as a style.

When, recently, the MTM program was instituted, I figured here was my chance to have them make me a suit that fits. In addition, the MTM program is *the same cost* as the OTR suits. (for the same material, and I think the MTM program brings in some new materials as well)

How could I lose? MTM Prada suit, at same cost as OTR, in a fabric I liked very much. Well, as I related previously, when I went to discuss the process with them I lost any confidence that I would end up with the suit I was dreaming of. And I list those issues in my post above. But basically I tried on an OTR coat to show what I wanted different in the MTM, and they said it looked "perfect", and we discussed it for a bit. A few things said to me made me feel like they did not know the details of how a suit should fit. And, not helping my confidence, they kept assuring me it would all be fine, despite our clearly not seeing eye-to-eye on what the final shape would be. In the end I felt like they wanted to sell me something as quickly as possible, rather than listen for a moment to my needs.

This was just my experience. And the Prada MTM program is quite new, they may just be getting their act straight. I hope you at least check it out and see how you feel talking to the people involved, and report back.
And (now that I remember the name) check out the fabric called "cordonotto" or something similar. [CORRECTED IN EDIT: fabric name is "cordoneto-EC9", and is in the super 120's group.]

 

[LabelKing]

Gucci also has their M-T-M program.

Along with shoes.