Tailors in NZ

[Chris - NZ]

I have found this forum very informative and wondered whether you guys are able to help me find a reputable tailor here in New Zealand - currently in Wellington but often travel to Auckland.

I'm after the whole bespoke experience however given that New Zealand is a relatively small country I dont think there is even a market for it here. I may have found one in Aucklan - Vinzache Sabe and one down in Christchurch - Mark V Roosvalen but have no idea of their reputation.

At the moment my only choice is to wait until beginning of next year when I fly back to Sydney for a week and sample Sam Disano's work (and Charles Nakhle for that matter). But given the time constraint, I'm not sure if it is even worth a fuss.

Thanks in advance

.

 

[hendrix]

There are heaps of "seamstress" type tailors who will hem your pants, take in shirts at the waist etc.

There are also a few actual tailors. On High street in Auckland there a few. Preston & Maurice looks quite reputable.

Payne tailors is on K road.
http://www.paynetailors.co.nz/bIndex.htm

Working style do made to measure for a reasonable price ($1000NZ)
http://www.workingstyle.co.nz/

RJB design also do made to measure:
http://www.rjbdesign.co.nz/index.htm

Preston & Maurice looks to be the most genuine in offering full bespoke as opposed to made to measure. There's also a menswear store on high st i walked into the other day which offered bespoke suits starting at around $2500. Can't remember the name of the store but i'll walk past it.

 

[D_K]

This is very old information, but take it for what it is worth. When I lived and worked in Wellington in the 90's there was a Greek tailor on Willis Street opposite the BNZ Tower in an arcade. He was on the 2nd or 3rd floor (memory is fading). I had a few things altered and he did a good job. I seem to remember he had a few bespoke suits in various stages of completion on display.

 

[Chris - NZ]

Thans Hendrix but the issue I have with Working Style, Cane Bros etc is that they either use Cambridge or Rembrandt suits.

As for the Wellington - there doesnt seem to be a market for it.

Can I ask where you guys get your suit from and are they bespoke?

 

[Gutman]

For bespoke there is Preston & Maurice in High Street, Auckland (old firm, 6 month+ waiting list) and also Payne Tailors on K Road (www.paynetailors.co.nz) who are also very good from what I have seen and have a quicker turn-around. In Wellington there is / used to be Topline Tailors in Dixon Street who do good work in spite of the cheesy name.

As you note, all the MTM stuff seems to be farmed out to Rembrandt or Canterbury, so you get the same poorly made / fitted suit with the added benefit of it being slightly wrong in almost every dimension... rather than basically right if you bought OTR and got it tweaked.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[paddiesan]

I've noticed, but never visited, this place in Plimmer Tower: http://www.tailoring.co.nz/about-us/

It has a deconstructed suit in the window which you can see from the Plimmer Steps, and the tailor's name looks Greek, so perhaps he is the one D_K is referring to?

It does say MTM on the website however.

 

[Chris - NZ]

Thanks Paddiesan - I actually rang the 'Greek' tailor and he's name is Antonio but as I suspected they only do MTM.

I did however speak to the tailor (forgot his name) from Preston & Maurice and he claims that he worked at Saville Row for 20 years and that there are no true artisans here in NZ except him. I'll be meeting with him in a fortnight so fingers crossed.

Any advice on what I should be looking for. My knowledge of bespoke is purely from what I've been reading from forums like these ie canvassing, waist supression, importance of fit.

 

[Luddite]

Originally Posted by Chris - NZ

the issue I have with Working Style, Cane Bros etc is that they either use Cambridge or Rembrandt suits.

As for the Wellington - there doesnt seem to be a market for it.

Can I ask where you guys get your suit from and are they bespoke?

Of the Auckland High St stores, RJB and Farrys both predominantly sell Cambridge and Rembrandt suits, though Farrys sells overpriced Hugo Boss etc also. I believe Working Style claim to have their own workroom. Crane Brothers, though, definitely make their stuff in house, rather than selling rebranded Rembrandt or Cambridge stuff. Murray, Chris, and Robert have always been very helpful to me.

I understand that Crane Brothers offers a separate, fully canvassed bespoke option, which is well out of my price range, hitting around NZ$4000, as I recall. I have had mixed success with their made to measure option.

My suits are mix of Crane Bros made to measure and Cambridge/Rembrandt brands bought at deep discount in end of season sales. An Escena suit isn't of ideal quality, but, hell, for 60% off, I can live with it.

For shirts, my favourite made to measure option so far is Wellington's Rixon Groove.

Finally, though I haven't checked it out yet, I understand that Paul who used to be at Crane Brothers now runs Mark Crane's (the other Crane Brother, who left Crane Bros several years ago) Wunderkamer store off Upper Queen St, which I'm told has recently started producing suits.

 

[chiggah]

Would anyone know what the rough estimate price of a mohair bespoke suit from a tailor ?

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by chiggah

Would anyone know what the rough estimate price of a mohair bespoke suit from a tailor ?


From few hundred in Asia to $5000-$10,000 on the Row or Napoli.
Or would you like to be more specific?

 

[esperance]

I'd definitely recommend Vinny the Tailor and would never go back to High St labels after experiencing a real bespoke process.

Vsabe is real bespoke unlike the High St brands Crane Brothers and Working Style whom give an illusion of bespoke tailoring and send their suits away to be constructed. This is wear people get bespoke and made to measure confused.

It's reassuring to know that the tailor cuts all the patterns by hand and you end up with a suit that fits like a glove, is better quality, unique and is also more reasonable on price.

 

[Face]

Hi All. Thanks for the thread - very interesting. I have recently returned from Aus and had previously bought my suits there (well only 2 so far) or found ones in op shops (very hard to do I found). Obviously NZ just doesn't have the range - so what would you recommend for those of us who can't yet afford the bespoke. A mixture of Crane brothers and affordable Cambridge/Rembrandt suits? Crane bros still cost though $1500 and Working Style are the same? Do I really need to spend over $1000 to get a proper wool suit that isn't a big bulky, black pinstripe? I got 2 for $1000 in Chapel St, Melbourne - they aren’t perfect but they not polyester and they are cut fashionably enough. Any advice?

 

[esperance]

I'd personally go and visit a tailor for a consultation.

Avoid the labels as they don't offer the same quality or fit; you're basically paying for the label and their overheads. What I found is that you can get a bespoke suit at a very similar price as the label's made to measure service or even cheaper.

So maybe you can have one really well-fitting, quality suit and also have the suits you bought in Melbourne, and have a tailor alter them so they fit properly.

I have a navy trenchcoat that was too large and got it altered to fit. After it was altered it looked as though it was made just for me. I was stoked!

 

[jimjimjim]

for the record crane brothers are Defiantly made by rembrandt. it's no secret.
my off the rack range and MTM are also made by rembrandt so you can take my word for it,

Rembrandt make great suits for their price range the main thing is who is fitting and measure makes
all the difference.

 

[Luddite]

I was incorrect about Crane Brothers before. They used to be very cagey - even misleading - about their manufacture.

I would recommend Paul at Doran and Doran in Ponsonby.