Savile Row: the cheapest?

[lasbar]

Originally Posted by RSS

Yes, as long as 'forgot' is a euphemism. Whether it was has-been money or "hanger-ons" ... neither could easily pay and yet both desired to look the part. This still happens ... only it now requires third party financing.

The old nobility gents used to marry to rich industrialist daughters to redorer le blason...

Some of them could't maintain their castles/manors and continue to livr beyond their means..

It was difficult for a tailor to claim their due...

Now , rich people tend to be the ones not paying their bills and getting away with it like Lapo at Sciamat..

 

[tennisguru]

Originally Posted by RSS

In my early experiences on Savile Row (@ Anderson & Sheppard) ... cash was never discussed up front. Moreover, I don't recall paying until after the clothing was delivered. It was then that I'd receive via mail an invoice written by hand in a beautiful script. It was a shock -- I was really surprised -- when I went to Dege and they had the audicity to ask for money ... upfront.

The times ... they change.

Off topic a little, but on the same theme. I recently took one of my watches to be serviced at an old fashioned jewellers in my home town as I was passing through. It didn't occur to me until long after I had filled in the paperwork, left the shop and driven home (an hour away) that I hadn't paid anything. As soon as I got home I rang the jeweller to apologise and give my card details only to be told not to worry and that an invoice would be included when they posted the watch back to me. I was fairly amazed as that sort of thing doesn't happen anymore, but it was weirdly satisfying to be part of that old world process!

Apologies for the digression and back to the topic at hand...The standard on the Row these days seems to be 50% up front, 50% on completion, which seems perfectly fair to me.

Cheers

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by tennisguru

The standard on the Row these days seems to be 50% up front, 50% on completion, which seems perfectly fair to me.
In my further experience, once a relationship has been well established, exceptions are made.

 

[tennisguru]

^^^Oh I'm sure that's the case, just like I have similar arrangements with some of my clients, whom I have been working with for a long time.

cheers

 

[Winot]

Originally Posted by RSS

In my further experience, once a relationship has been well established, exceptions are made.

Yes, I now pay on completion at one tailor I use with nothing asked for a deposit.

That said, it was here I received the £500 surprise noted above.

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by Winot

That said, it was here I received the £500 surprise noted above.

Originally Posted by Winot

I always ask the first time but tend to assume that later suits will cost the same. Bit of a shock recently with a £500 hike on the cost of a bespoke DB. One difficulty is that the cutter I deal with is slightly embarrassed about the money side and it's the other chap who deals with that.

That said, I was happy with the suit even at the higher price.
Part of that could have been due to cloth selection and/or a rise in prices. Have you asked why the greater cost? Although as you note, you are happy.

 

[lenahan]

Originally Posted by JakeLA

Looking at some old newspaper articles and ads I see that in 1975 you could get a suit at A&S for $300 - $400, which was about the same price Brooks Bros. charged for MTM at the time. So when people go on about how "if you have to ask, you can't afford it," it's worth remembering that in the heyday of the Row, their suits weren't just for the filthy rich and/or clothing obsessed, they were just nice suits for people with a little money in the bank.

$300 to $400 in 1975 was a considerable sum of money, especially as one realizes that the US Dollar was severed from gold in 1971, after which the value began to float (Under the Bretton woods system, 1 troy Oz of gold was $35). Further, all Tailors had more customers, as more people wore suits. But even then, that was a large sum of money. Further, not all men shopped at Brooks. Brooks Heyday ended more with the 60s. And the price of rent has gone up significantly on the Row, and it is harder and harder to get cloth. Realize also that the cloth mills that supplied the row have left, with many closing, as such firms all over the west closed as Eastern Manufacturing picked. To stay in business, british cloth mills, etc... have to charge more. And transport from country to the row requires Oil, which will be on the upward trajectory until we run out or find a new energy source. So, 1975 prices to today are not comparable.

 

[TheWraith]

^ well said, lenahan. One must remember also that everything else was cheaper in 1975, including people's salaries. As lenahan says, $300-$400 was a substantial sum for many in the mid-70s.

 

[Prince of Paisley]

Inflation in Australia over the past 45 years suggests that A$400 in 1975 would be "worth" nearly A$2,500 in today's money.

 

[Winot]

Originally Posted by RSS

Part of that could have been due to cloth selection and/or a rise in prices. Have you asked why the greater cost? Although as you note, you are happy.

It was a Lessers cloth (very nice blue pinstripe with a slight 'ridge' stripe between each pinstripe) and I assume that caused the hike. In fact I did ask that at the time (I mean when I was given the bill on collection), but there was so much awkwardness between cutter A and cutter B because A clearly didn't know the answer and B didn't want to make him look silly that I didn't get a stright answer and let it drop.

 

[crazey]

what's the cloth selection like at Kent, Haste and Lachter?

 

[andreyb2]

Originally Posted by crazey

what's the cloth selection like at Kent, Haste and Lachter?

Pretty much like everywhere else... Standard SR stuff. No exclusives.

Andrey

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by andreyb2

Pretty much like everywhere else... Standard SR stuff. No exclusives.
If one is looking for the "cheapest" it's a good idea to avoid exclusive cloths.

 

[crazey]

Which tailoring house is the best option for the younger crowd (ppl in the early to mid 20s)? From my research, Norton and Huntsman come up quite often but the former is a bit risky whilst the latter is too expensive.

 

[crazey]

By best option, i mean cut and style that would be flattering for a young man....