The Japanese Bespoke Tailoring Thread

[ppk]

another Japanese tailor pop up my IG

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Ps side note why is everyone soft shoulder and 50% spalla camcia!!!

Ps just a personal preference for structured stuff

I think it is trendy. I have square, straight but narrow shoulders and too much structure doesn't look good. However, I still prefer a bit of structure with a narrowed waist over the soft shoulder style.

 

[clee1982]

it's definitely in trend I suppose, even a lot of the more "structured" RTW guy know all advertise their jacket as "soft" in whatever ways

 

[jonathanS]

another Japanese tailor pop up my IG

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Ps side note why is everyone soft shoulder and 50% spalla camcia!!!

Ps just a personal preference for structured stuff

Then Japanese tailors aren’t for you. They’re doing what they were trained to do, whether it’s ciccio, raffaniello, or whoever.

 

[Crispyj]

I believe Lascala is trained domestically. I tried his mtm block, was trim for me but cater towards his local market. Japolitan style is what a menswear store owner calls ciccio, raffaniello and similar tailors.

Interesting that Lascala works out of isetan in Shinjuku or Shibuya. Isetan also offers caid, lid and a few other tailors right beside his work room. Sadly it was his day off when I visited.

 

[Destination_Arubin]

I was also quite curious about this.

It looks like Riki Saito was at COL, a bespoke tailoring shop in Kobe, for close to 15 years until he decided to move to Saitama and open Dorso last year. He also mentions a very brief time in Italy between school and joining COL.

In his decision to go with MTM with Dorso (rather than sticking with bespoke), he cites a desire to build Dorso as a brand/shop focused more broadly on menswear and fashion rather than just suiting. He felt bespoke would simply take up too much time, but as @Destination_Arubin mentioned, it sounds like he also offers bespoke (at ~2x price of MTM). The only example of his bespoke work at Dorso I've found is probably what Arubin has also seen (a coat Mr. Saito made for himself being worn by a customer) which was described as being cut by Mr. Saito and sewn by another maker. Link here with photos of MTM jackets as well.

It's great to see more makers, but at his advertised bespoke prices, I would find it hard to justify giving his work a try over the many others in the Tokyo area. His MTM prices are quite reasonable but the style is not exactly to my taste. As an aside, Sartoria Icoa has also started MTM but it sounds like he is currently reworking the pattern and the updated pattern may not be ready until early/middle of next year.

I know this is a bespoke thread but since @Destination_Arubin has mentioned Ring, I'll bite.
@Destination_Arubin, I fully agree with your assessment of the Ring Jacket trousers! Quite slim and the rise just a tad bit too short. Nevertheless, I have a few pairs now after being convinced that the legs could be opened sufficiently to give some breathing room. I am also planning to try trousers from their Napoli line in the spring (if I can get my hands on a pair to try - their production counts are always only 1-3 pairs in each size). I also have a MTM jacket from Ring that I had made earlier this year that I've taken back for adjustments. They have since raised their prices 1.5x for MTM and I am not sure if I will consider it again. This is getting quite close to the prices of many bespoke tailors in Japan..

Yes that's definitely fair! I can understand your reservations about Dorso's style (especially from the pictures in the link you posted, and yes that's my info source ) and as you said, for bespoke especially, there are many, many great options.

@__k, did you end up visiting Sartoria Icoa and Archies? I'd love to hear your impressions of your visits there, even if you didn't end up ordering anything. Even hearing about what fabrics tailors prefer and small details they pay attention to is very interesting to me.

Also, @__k, please tell us how you go with the Ring Jacket Napoli line! For trousers, in the Tokyo area I've been interested in Igarashi Trousers, which does everything from RTW, to MTM and bespoke. Beams stock a few of the RTW models. Their atelier is in Aoyama/Akasaka, so is not far from Shibuya.

I didn't realise that Ring Jacket's MTM prices had increased so much. I understand that a lot of fabrics, especially the expensive Italian fabrics that Ring Jacket favours have increased in price over the last year or so, but a 1.5x price increase makes it a difficult value proposition. It's the reason I went with bespoke in the first place - there is a gap between MTM and bespoke pricing, but Japanese bespoke tailors work extremely hard to keep their prices reasonable.

 

[Destination_Arubin]

another Japanese tailor pop up my IG

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Ps side note why is everyone soft shoulder and 50% spalla camcia!!!

Ps just a personal preference for structured stuff

According to the wiki page that I posted in the first post of this thread, there are about 11 English-trained tailors and 15 Italian-trained tailors in the Greater Tokyo region. There's another twenty or so domestically trained bespoke tailors, which at a guess I'd say lean to structured tailoring. But it certainly seems that the majority covered in publications such as 'The Rake' tend to be tailors specialising in soft tailoring.

There are options for structured tailoring - some very good ones. I really like Blue Shears run by Hiroshi Kubota in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo, who learned cutting and tailoring at Gieves and Hawkes in England, before becoming the head cutter of the Japan workshop.

Shoulders are beautifully shaped, and the roped shoulder is dramatic. I like the shape of the chest and the taper to the waist. Might just be me but the width of the pocket flaps look a little wider than average too - which I like. And the way the lapel blooms from the chest! Just wow!

 

[KWang94]

Hi everyone, going to be in Japan as part of my honeymoon (Jun 24-July 12) with the vast majority of my time being in Tokyo. Plans are to spend a few days in Kyoto and Osaka, but not that much time there. Would there be any tailors who you'd think would be able to slot me in to get something made during that time frame? I saw Cochinnella discussed on the previous page but don't think the time frames will line up (unless he's doing a trunk show in Tokyo at that time).

 

[GaiusM]

Bespoke in 3 weeks? Maybe a shirt but even that would be pushing it. MTM typically has lead times of a month or more with no basted fitting. Even if it were possible you'd have to pay an exorbitant amount as an expedition fee. Also tailors here tend to keep full schedules months in advance.
My advice is to enjoy your honeymoon. Take the opportunity to look around and pick up something excellent OTR, maybe Ring Jacket or something from Hankyu Men's or Isetan.
If you rush things they will most likely will not be up to your expectations.

 

[Destination_Arubin]

I don't think it's possible to get something bespoke completed in less than three weeks, but an initial and basted fitting might be possible depending on the tailor.

First, I think you should narrow down on the tailoring style that you'd like to get. Here's a google-translated list of tailors in Japan, split between the tailoring style and training background.

If the majority of your stay is in Tokyo, I'd focus on the larger tailors in the Greater-Tokyo (Kanto) region, and ask whether it's possible to get an initial and basted fitting during your stay. If you arrive at, and fly out from Tokyo, then it's challenging but not impossible for a larger tailor to accommodate your request. For example, according to Tailor Caid's website, a baste fitting can be done in two weeks after order. The final garment will need to be sent overseas to you, and delivery will take place several months after the baste fitting.

If you are interested in Florentine tailoring, I'm happy to ask Chujo-san of Coccinella whether he plans to have a trunk show during that time (you'd need to also visit him for an additional fitting in Osaka if that's the case), but my feeling is that he won't be traveling to Tokyo during that time. He typically does trunk shows in Tokyo and takes Winter orders in late July-August.

 

[kashmir]

I'm in the process of ordering from Lecteur, if anyone's here familiar with them. Will duly report,

 

[Destination_Arubin]

Lecteur does their bespoke program through Sarto Jun in Seoul right? Looks great, and would love to hear how it goes for you!

 

[kashmir]

Lecteur does their bespoke program through Sarto Jun in Seoul right? Looks great, and would love to hear how it goes for you!

Apologies, should have mentioned that it's MTM. Still excited!

 

[Destination_Arubin]

I wanted a new tweed sport coat for the Winter, but finding the right fabric took time.

Lovat, Moon, Fox, some of the Harrisons’ books and Holland and Sherry are well represented at the Japanese wholesalers, but tweeds from other makers are stocked seasonally, and are hard to come by. Ciccio, No Man Walks Alone and the Anthology have all recommended or used the Marling and Evans undyed bunch in their tailoring, and for the longest time I wanted a sport coat made from the same bunch.

However, the Japanese wholesalers ran out of stock, and the cost and effort of importing the fabric as a cut length from Dugdale’s proved to be a hassle, so I abandoned the idea. To find other options I visited Ginza Sawamoto, an old fabric merchant in the heart of Ginza, barely a minute’s walk from Ginza station.

The company has been operating since the late 19th century, and is so old that it seems to hold its own freehold building and land in the middle of Ginza. That alone must be worth millions of yen. In addition to being a fabric merchant, it offers MTM tailoring.

Customers like me going to the showroom to view fabric samples and order through a separate tailor seem to be rare. The majority of Ginza Sawamoto’s customers seem to go for MTM tailoring, or are looking to purchase fabrics wholesale. Reservations in advance are recommended, and on weekends are a necessity. I found that out the hard way. Ginza Sawamoto won’t advise cut length fabric prices for bespoke garments, as those need to be negotiated with the tailor and only a final price for the entire garment is given through the tailor. I found the lack of information frustrating, and Chujo-san laughed at my exasperation when I told him about my experience. When looking through fabrics at Ginza Sawamoto I had no idea how much anything was.

But getting over the hurdles, Ginza Sawamoto has a huge range of fabrics, and is the only stockist of smaller merchants/mills such as Bateman and Ogden and Molloy and Sons. It helps that they have a lot of longer fabric lengths, which help to drape over the body and get an idea of what it will look like as a finished garment.

In the end, I’m glad I went, as I was able to find this Donegal tweed from Molloy and Sons. As usual I’m very happy with Chujo-san’s work.

 

[bauhaus82]

Late to the party, but I have a couple of Cockney Tailor (of Azabu) suits and a collection of Ichibankan Ginza suits. Is there a general consensus towards these makers? I enjoy wearing them and they do a good job balancing out my rather small shoulders and slightly larger head.

 

[Crispyj]

Late to the party, but I have a couple of Cockney Tailor (of Azabu) suits and a collection of Ichibankan Ginza suits. Is there a general consensus towards these makers? I enjoy wearing them and they do a good job balancing out my rather small shoulders and slightly larger head.

They use a domestic factory if I recall. Standard japanese mtm suits. Nothing to write home about, but if they work for you, fantastic and well priced. They do have really nice brochures/catalogs.