What makes a good MTM suit?

[JimMcBean]

Hello all,
I'm fairly new to suits and I apologise if this topic has been discussed before.

I will be going travelling to Asia in the coming months and I was wondering firstly:

i). What makes a good MTM suit?
Leaving fabrics aside, how can I tell just by looking at a suit if its 'good' quality or not. How is 'good quality' defined in terms of tangible things (workmanship quality, cut, stiching attention, etc) which I should pay attention to?
What makes you look at a MTM suit and say, wow, that's perfect!

and secondly:

ii). What makes a good MTM shirt? Similar to the above question ^^ (ignoring fabrics also)

and finally:

ii). What makes a good MTM tailor/workshop?
How do I know if the tailor/workshop is good granted that we don't have a recommendation prior to visiting? What are some major tell tail signs that I should be looking for? How can we assess quality before making a purchase decision?

Many thanks guys. Really, hope I can find something I like.
Jim.

 

[Holdfast]

"What makes a good MTM suit"

A better fit than RTW.


Believe me, having seen some bad examples, that's not a joke.

Otherwise - the same things that make any garment good (decent fabrics, nice styling, good construction that won't fall apart) and make any custom garment good (familiarity with the process, good measuring and fitting skills). Some of those are pretty difficult to define in isolation, and building your experience with clothing in general by reading here and (more importantly) checking out a variety of makers in real life will help.

Good luck!

 

[JimMcBean]

Holdfast, many thanks for your swift reply.

Can you further ellaborate on construction please?

How can I physically compare two suits or shirts from different tailors to justify what is deemed 'good' constuction.

Jim.

 

[houserichichi]

Apart from the guts of the suit (construction) I'd tend with Holdfast in a heartbeat on fit. My first MTM suit was made by a major men's retail company in Canada and it turned out to be a disaster, but I was so in awe of my "custom" suit at such a young age that I never paid attention to the problems until at least a year later. At 5'8 they provided me with a TALL vest (three piece suit, you see), a short jacket, and a short trouser. The jacket we agreed to go a size up from what I was used to and tailor the details down like waist suppression which I regret now as the shoulders have no hope of ever fitting. They said I had an erect stance so the front panel is cut significantly longer than the back, all fine and well, except I must have been posing in front of the mirror as when I stand normally this is not the case and the front hangs at least an inch lower than the front and makes the jacket look long. I also had the sleeves done for surgeon cuffs except that I decided I did not want to wait and had the holes put on right away rather than verifying the length of the sleeve beforehand. The sleeves are at least a half inch too long, probably more to my eye.

At any rate, while I take responsibility for being hasty I am more than a little unsatisfied with the fact that, even after I tried the suit on in the store, the salespeople allowed me to walk out the door with it. The suit was a disaster and it should have been plainly obvious to their eyes. That's what makes a decent MTM maker/provider in my eyes; an honest opinion and the ability to admit and correct their mistakes.

 

[JimMcBean]

Ok, lets back up. Just looking for some simple measures so I can identify the good from the great.
Jim.

 

[lee_44106]

My friend, before you undertake any MTM, make sure you read this,

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/boo...62701558&itm=2

It'll answer your questions on construction and fit.

 

[lasbar]

MTM can also be a RTW with benefits...Brioni and Kiton are doing it very well but for their prices ,i will go full bespoke...

It is quite great for big houses such as Kilgour and Richard James to introduce this notion of personalised RTW ....
They can charge more than the RTW ,the customer is getting a better fit and the operation is quite easy to organize...

 

[JimMcBean]

Thanks Lee, just bought that book.
Any other tips please?

 

[Coho]

+1. Exatly.

Originally Posted by Holdfast

"What makes a good MTM suit"

A better fit than RTW.


Believe me, having seen some bad examples, that's not a joke.

Otherwise - the same things that make any garment good (decent fabrics, nice styling, good construction that won't fall apart) and make any custom garment good (familiarity with the process, good measuring and fitting skills). Some of those are pretty difficult to define in isolation, and building your experience with clothing in general by reading here and (more importantly) checking out a variety of makers in real life will help.

Good luck!

 

[JimMcBean]

Ok, suppose we have 2 different MTM suits that are of the same style, fabric and fit. How can I tell which is better quality.
Jim.

 

[acidboy]

^ why, the more expensive one, of course!!

 

[JimMcBean]

haha.

It seems odd though, simple question, no definitive answer.

 

[Shirtmaven]

you would have to open the garments up to see how they were put together.

quality of triming is also a big factor.

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by JimMcBean

Ok, suppose we have 2 different MTM suits that are of the same style, fabric and fit. How can I tell which is better quality.
Jim.

The one which lasts longer.

Look, the truth is that it's impossible to "rank" manufacturers beyond very broad, sweeping categories. Details of construction will vary and some people consider certain details more important than others. It's like the old joke about asking 20economists for the predictions and getting 21 different answers.

That's why nobody's committing to a clear statement. Things are fuzzier.

First of all, you say assuming "style, fit and fabric are identical". Fabric may be. The other two are never going to identical with zillions of tiny differences in fit and style - some will be important to you, others will not. You're the only one who can make that decision, based on research and experimentation.

Regards construction alone though, I personally think some details are important and and some are just pointless navel gazing. Issues to consider and value or discard according to your own value system are - fused vs floating canvas, hand vs machine stitching, past experience of others in terms of quality of manufacture, ethos of the company.

Again, you have to make the judgement call and weigh up the balance of construction, fit, fabric and style. Not the answer you want, but an honest one.