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What do you really like about bespoke garments?

Darren Beaman

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As a tailor for over 20years why do people still keep coming back to SAVILE ROW? Are RTW and MTM getting better??

Plez put some of your pics on this post so I can see MTM and RTW and of course Bespoke Suits
 

Alias

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I think RTW and MTM are encroaching on bespoke territory. Meaning, what you used to get with bespoke, you can now get with the other two: fancy little details and extensive handwork. I'd post pics of my suits, but I don't seem to have many of me wearing them (outside of the one I posted in the HOF thread.) I'm not a total narcissist.
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I've been meaning to ask you about this for a while, Darren: How do you cut the sides of your jackets, where the waist tapers? I've noticed on some RTW suits that the side seam (not the chest dart) is shaped like an "S" curving all the way down to the bottom, as opposed to just a straight line. Any advantage to this?
 

Darren Beaman

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hi Alias,

did you read my post on making a bespoke garment ??
if not i will post it again

Darran
 

Alias

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I'll go read it again, because I can't seem to remember an answer to my question in there. I could be wrong, though.
 

Kai

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As a tailor for over 20years why do people still keep coming back to SAVILE ROW? Are RTW and MTM getting better??

Plez put some of your pics on this post so I can see MTM and RTW and of course Bespoke Suits
I buy bespoke because of fit. Even though I fit well into RTW, the fit of my bespoke garments is better.
 

Alias

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Bleh, I can't seem to find your post anywhere. You would think that I would have saved it on my hard drive, but I was stupid so I didn't. Also, Ask Andy's search function isn't working because the server is s-l-o-w.

Darren, you should upload your post onto your website. That would be a real treat (and an easy reference.)
 

dah328

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As a tailor for over 20years why do people still keep coming back to SAVILE ROW? Are RTW and MTM getting better?? Plez put some of your pics on this post so I can see MTM and RTW and of course Bespoke Suits
Because the proportions of most RTW aren't even close to correct on me. Â Also, I can get, within reason, the exact style and fabric that I want with bespoke. Â Why compromise unnecessarily? I'll see if I can get ahold of a digital camera. Â I'm curious to see what kind of scathing criticism I'll receive from SF members.
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dan
 

prinseugen

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In order: fit, cut, quality, construction.

Regards,

Jack
 

drizzt3117

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Most RTW fits me extremely well, so I haven't felt the need for a bespoke garment.
 

GQgeek

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This might not be a direct answer to your question, but most people who have replied have already given the obvious answers to the question so I'm going to offer a different take. How i feel about the people in high-end retail definitely factors largely in to my reasons for leaning more towards bespoke for almost everything as of late. I'm a young guy and so designers like armani, especially for my day to day wear (as opposed to suits), still hold great appeal for me. But in the end, I figure I can get a lot of it done by a tailor, especially considering the amount of money I'll spend on one designer item anyway. I'm sure I won't shy away from designers completely, but for most of my pants, blazers, and anything else that can be done by a tailor, I've recently decided that I'm gonna go with the tailor from now on instead of designer stuff.

I enjoy the process and my relationship with my tailor/salesman as much as anything else. Since the salesman I had been dealing with for years left my favorite store, I've begun shopping around a lot more. I used to shop almost exclusively at one store and I always dealt with the same guy because he took such great care of me. He sold me my first custom suit, never pressured me and even gave me discounts on items out of the blue some times, just to thank me for my loyalty to him. It's hard to find salesmen of that caliber anymore. I'm hoping i can re-establish that sort of relationship with a new tailor because I really enjoyed his input and I learned a lot from him.

I've gone back since he left but it just isn't the same. I get the feeling now that most of the salesman I deal with wouldn't remember my name if I went back 5 times in a week. I'd just be "that guy" that bought "that suit" yesterday. This is of course an exageration, but it's my overall perception of high-end retail as a whole. I'm sure there's still a couple great ones out there, but they're like a needle in a haystack. It's still my favorite store, but nobody else at the store has done anything to earn any loyalty from me and that's a big reason why I'm looking to find a new place to buy tailored clothes in montreal. I won't deny that a big part of why I shopped there so often was because I was made to feel like my business was important to them and they went out of their way on several occasions to prove it. I'd rather be loyal to one guy, because over the long run I think i'll get more out of it and I don't necessarily mean financial gains.

I'd have to say that I love shopping, but recently I'm feeling that the only people left in high-end retail are sychophants that don't know, or care  about their clientele, or what they're selling. They point out obvious features in the clothes that they memorized during their training sessions and tell you how wonderful you look in them, all the while, trying to get you to commit to a purchase. I go shopping for the enjoyment of it, not to be pressured in to sales by people that don't know what they're talking about. Hopefully I can once again find an environment where i can feel at ease and develop a comfortable relationship with someone that knows my tastes and isn't constantly trying to push the latest fad on me.

Obviously, I love the tailored look. I love clothes that look and feel great. People haved asked me why i never wear jeans or running shoes and they're dumbfounded when I say it's because i find them uncomfortable. Well, I don't care how many hundreds of dollars someone might spend on designer jeans, they won't even come close to the comfort of a good pair of wool/linen/<insert nice fabric here> pants imo. And for comfort, I'd pick good loafers over running shoes any day of the week. Actually, my biggest fetish is cashmere and it's notoriously hard to find in RTW stuff (well pants at least).

If it weren't for my love of the clothes, I wouldn't spend all this money on them, but I think that the most important thing a skilled tailor can do is establish a good relationship with his clientele. I'm sure most of the people that have tailors here would agree and I know that Mr. Beaman does, judging by the comments i've seen about him.

My father is going to visit his father in england this coming fall. I only wish I could go with him so i could make a detour to Savile Row. Unfortunately, I'm stuck here in school right now though so that one day i can fully indulge my desire for the best in tailored suits. I'm sure we'll be meeting at some point in the future, Darren.

As a side-note, thanks for that post on bespoke jackets. It's helped me understand the process a bit better. Hopefully I can find a tailor in my area that takes the same pride in his work.
 

naturlaut

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A bespoke experience of any garment (suit, shirt, shoe) cannot be compared to MTM. Â The choices one could make during a bespoke process is unlimited: shoulders, button stance, lapel width, closed/opened front, etc.. Â MTM is done based on pre-decided models, and while measurements are taken and the fit generally acceptable, it's not perfect and it's not personalized. Â As mentioned above, I cherish my relationship with tailors a great deal. Â One learns much about his body through the numerous fittings during the making of a suit/shirt/shoe. Â There is pride and hardwork in the finished garment, and as an artist myself, that alone is priceless. Â I have since sold away many of my ready-made pieces, but I won't, in my wildest dream, sell any of my custom pieces even if they no longer fit me after a 30lbs gain (obviously I would not allow that to happen any time soon). Â Mr. Beaman, I congratulate you for your achievement.
 

Alias

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Hmm, can't seem to find a specific answer to my question in the post.
 

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