Sleeve tailoring price question

[Fred G. Unn]

Hi all,
I picked up a couple fully canvassed Caruso suits from the Clad going-out-of-business sale that are pretty amazing! As I need to get the unfinished sleeves adjusted, I was just wondering what is a reasonable rate for this work by a good tailor? The best tailor I've found in central NJ is Alicja Maciejewicz (euro-tailoring.com) who's very good but also very expensive. To adjust the sleeves, create buttonholes, and sew on working buttons she charges $108 (per coat). That sounds high to me, but I am confident she would do an excellent job. Should I take them to her, or wait until I'm in NYC and take them to Mid City or someone else? Thanks in advance!
Fred

 

[hpreston]

$100 per coat does not seem that high to me for shortening the sleeves and creating working button holes.

If you are looking for a less expensive route, you could just shorten the sleeves without the expense of adding working button holes.

 

[Fred G. Unn]

I got such a great deal on the suits, I don't really mind spending the $$$ for working buttons. I was just wondering if the price was generally in line with what other tailors were charging since I've never had this type of work done before.

 

[Digmenow]

Seems about right.

I just had the sleeves on a suit with surgeon cuffs shortened, requiring the lowest button to be moved to the back of line, so to speak. The tailor charged $10 for each button/button hole and $10 per sleeve for a total of $40.

 

[Superfluous]

Handsewn or machine made buttonholes? Either way, it's not that bad. Although the machine made buttonholes doesn't take very much time at all for them to do, they had to buy the machine. The place I sometimes use charges $60 for machine buttonholes. It generally costs me $30-$35 to have my sleeves let out.


Also, if you haven't done it before with the tailor, have them show you sample buttonhole and make sure they match the thread to your existing buttonholes. My friend, against my advice, took a brioni sport coat to some tailor his mom uses and asked to have working buttonholes put on. For some reason they didn't shorten the sleeves (about 2 inches too long) and the buttonholes were not only very ugly but completely the wrong color.

 

[Fred G. Unn]



Handsewn or machine made buttonholes?

I'm not sure, I didn't ask. I was sort of assuming machine since about every sewing machine out there has a buttonhole setting.

The place I sometimes use charges $60 for machine buttonholes. It generally costs me $30-$35 to have my sleeves let out.

So $108 while maybe a bit high, is pretty much in line with the going rates.

Also, if you haven't done it before with the tailor, have them show you sample buttonhole and make sure they match the thread to your existing buttonholes.

Sounds like great advice, thanks!

 

[Tailor Dan]

Seems about right. In England an average price for reasonable machine cut functioning button holes would be £60 per jacket ($90) so $108 seems ok.

Did the jackets come with the thread and buttons for the sleeve in any of the pockets as this old solve problem of having to ask them to match?

http://gentlemansgent.blogspot.com/2012/02/street-style-24th-feb-2012-london.html

 

[Fred G. Unn]



Did the jackets come with the thread and buttons for the sleeve in any of the pockets as this old solve problem of having to ask them to match?

Yes, they both did. I'll take them to her later this week. Thanks for all the advice!