timothylarson
Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2013
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
While in Iringa, Tanzania I was able to have a three piece suit custom made... I had low expectations because of the prices that I was being quoted, but they were so low I had to give it a shot.
I purchased the material for the suit while in Kenya. I got it from a large fabric shop and asked for good wool suiting material, but I don't know that it's really wool. (Here's a photo from my phone
When I arrived in Tanzania I found a few tailors, the first one had a well cut suit and some decent examples, but his suits were all fully fused and I was looking for something with a canvas. After asking around I found a tailor that said he used a thicker material for a canvas, I asked if it was horse or camel hair and he said he didn't know what it was... to make sure he wasn't using a fused canvas, I asked if he ironed the "canvas" to the suit and he said no. I decided to give him a shot because he was the only tailor that I could find that said he didn't use a fused canvas.
I asked for a fully canvased, two button, single breasted, jacket, with dual vents, dual colored lining (I went with silver and blue,) and working buttons.
I originally asked for a bemberg lining, but he said that he could not get bemberg in Iringa and he had to use silk, so I agreed.
I went in for three fittings, originally the vest and jacket were both too tight and he had to let them out. For the vest I'm pretty sure that he added an extra piece of fabric to each side of the vest (you can see it in the lining photo of the vest below.)
When I went in for my fittings the tailor didn't really seem to know what to do with it to make it any better.
All in all it took about a week and a half from the time I ordered it to the time I took it home with me.
I still feel like the shoulders are a little too wide, and the sleeves too long (or maybe my shirt sleeves are too short,) and are the trousers too long as well? There are also wrinkles in the front when it is buttoned from an odd fit, but I don't know what to tell him to try and fix it?
I'm thinking of bringing it back after he sent it home with me yesterday, but maybe I should just keep what I've got:
Here is the vest... I told him that I didn't need a buckle in the back, but there is still a strap/ribbon going around the back, what is the best for vests without a buckle, should I have him remove this, or just leave it? (Also notice the extra fabric added to the sides after I asked him to let it out the first time... it adds character.)
For some reason he used white thread on the inside of the trousers, which seems a little odd to me and seems to show off his mess.
I also had a shirt made for a tailor down the street:
Here are a few more detail shots:
The button holes are very messy, but all in all, I got more than I paid for.
If I do bring it back to have altered, what should I emphasis, the tailor doesn't seem to understand that there is anything wrong with it. How big of a pain is it to shorten the sleeves when there are working button holes, I'm assuming that this isn't an easy thing to do?
I purchased the material for the suit while in Kenya. I got it from a large fabric shop and asked for good wool suiting material, but I don't know that it's really wool. (Here's a photo from my phone
When I arrived in Tanzania I found a few tailors, the first one had a well cut suit and some decent examples, but his suits were all fully fused and I was looking for something with a canvas. After asking around I found a tailor that said he used a thicker material for a canvas, I asked if it was horse or camel hair and he said he didn't know what it was... to make sure he wasn't using a fused canvas, I asked if he ironed the "canvas" to the suit and he said no. I decided to give him a shot because he was the only tailor that I could find that said he didn't use a fused canvas.
I asked for a fully canvased, two button, single breasted, jacket, with dual vents, dual colored lining (I went with silver and blue,) and working buttons.
I originally asked for a bemberg lining, but he said that he could not get bemberg in Iringa and he had to use silk, so I agreed.
I went in for three fittings, originally the vest and jacket were both too tight and he had to let them out. For the vest I'm pretty sure that he added an extra piece of fabric to each side of the vest (you can see it in the lining photo of the vest below.)
When I went in for my fittings the tailor didn't really seem to know what to do with it to make it any better.
All in all it took about a week and a half from the time I ordered it to the time I took it home with me.
I still feel like the shoulders are a little too wide, and the sleeves too long (or maybe my shirt sleeves are too short,) and are the trousers too long as well? There are also wrinkles in the front when it is buttoned from an odd fit, but I don't know what to tell him to try and fix it?
I'm thinking of bringing it back after he sent it home with me yesterday, but maybe I should just keep what I've got:
Here is the vest... I told him that I didn't need a buckle in the back, but there is still a strap/ribbon going around the back, what is the best for vests without a buckle, should I have him remove this, or just leave it? (Also notice the extra fabric added to the sides after I asked him to let it out the first time... it adds character.)
For some reason he used white thread on the inside of the trousers, which seems a little odd to me and seems to show off his mess.
I also had a shirt made for a tailor down the street:
Here are a few more detail shots:
The button holes are very messy, but all in all, I got more than I paid for.
If I do bring it back to have altered, what should I emphasis, the tailor doesn't seem to understand that there is anything wrong with it. How big of a pain is it to shorten the sleeves when there are working button holes, I'm assuming that this isn't an easy thing to do?
Last edited:
