What's your general opinion about online tailoring? Is it the future?

[Juan]

I know there are hundreds of threads on the subject, but I'd like to open a general debate.

I've been examining several online tailors to see what they offer.

Seems that you can get quality custom shirts, trousers, suits and even pyjamas for very affordable prices. Isn't it more worth to order custom clothes online (such as we do with books and so many other things) rather than browsing in physical boutiques ?

This way you get what you need, the fabric you want, que colour you pick, the style you prefer, perfect fit, you save time... and the prices are not so expensive at all.

Is this perhaps the end of the pret-a-porter?

 

[GBR]

Do we rally need another thread on this. There are many threads and considerable dissatisfaction with the results. In fairness a few have been satisfied but it is certainly not the future save for fools.

You make a serious mistake - presuming that "quality" and online are synonymous - they are not.

 

[Juan]

Do we rally need another thread on this. There are many threads and considerable dissatisfaction with the results. In fairness a few have been satisfied but it is certainly not the future save for fools.

You make a serious mistake - presuming that "quality" and online are synonymous - they are not.

1- I do not presume that quality and online are synonymous. Where have you read that?

2- If you had read my post you would have noticed that I suggest online tailoring as an alternative to the typical pret-a-porter mall shopping, not to bespoke tailoring.

3- I have already explained in the OP (i think you haven't read it) that I open this topic as a general debate on the future of online tailoring vs ready-made physical-shop clothes.

 

[Juan]

My mistake would be, in any case, to presume that custom and quality are synonymous




Anyway I've decided to make more of my purchases online and custom, instead of browsing shops

 

[MikeDT]

Send your measurements and payment off to some website and hope for the best?

 

[breakaway01]

If you live in or near a large city then this isn't a big deal, but there are many shoppers (like me) who don't enjoy easy access to fine clothing stores and who would greatly welcome improvements in how clothes are purchased online. I now have a good understanding of my measurements and what will fit. So far I've had reasonably good luck buying from sites that post measurements and have generous return policies.

My understanding is that there is a significant amount being invested to improve the process of buying clothes that fit online. There is a lot of money to be made for the companies that figure this out.

e.g.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/10/fitiquette-online-clothing-measurement-never-looked-so-good/
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-sty...s-size-shoppers-cut-returns-article-1.1469499

I would imagine that these process improvements will first start with mass market retailers (Gap Inc, Inditex, etc) before they trickle down to Styleforum-approved vendors. However, yes, I do think that this is the future.

 

[Juan]

Send your measurements and payment off to some website and hope for the best?

If the measurements are correct I think the result can't go very much astray. I've been reading threads about people ordering custom shirts online and there are generally satisfied (depends on the online firm)
And once you find a place that is ok, it's just a matter of ordering again with different types of fabric or colours (I'm thinking of shirts).

Of course there will always be people so finicky that nothing less than a tenth of an inch is accurate enough for them. But I speak for the normal guy.

 

[Juan]

If you live in or near a large city then this isn't a big deal, but there are many shoppers (like me) who don't enjoy easy access to fine clothing stores and who would greatly welcome improvements in how clothes are purchased online. I now have a good understanding of my measurements and what will fit. So far I've had reasonably good luck buying from sites that post measurements and have generous return policies.

My understanding is that there is a significant amount being invested to improve the process of buying clothes that fit online. There is a lot of money to be made for the companies that figure this out.

e.g.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/10/fitiquette-online-clothing-measurement-never-looked-so-good/
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-sty...s-size-shoppers-cut-returns-article-1.1469499

I would imagine that these process improvements will first start with mass market retailers (Gap Inc, Inditex, etc) before they trickle down to Styleforum-approved vendors. However, yes, I do think that this is the future.

When I want to buy a shirt I usually go shopping to places like Zara, H&M, Jack&Jones in the hope I find something I like: colour, fabric, collar, shape, length, and so on. That's sometimes a pain in the neck.
I'm beginning to think that it would be much more simple (and not much more expensive) to order them custom made online.

Being custom, you solve the problem of not being sure if the size fits you.

Thank you for the links

 

[TheWraith]

I've had some excellent results from online tailoring, but I've benefited from buying true, in person bespoke by top-notch tailors and, thusly, have my measurements and other characteristics nailed down and on paper. Therefore, I've been able to pass that on to a variety of online tailors and gotten excellent results because of that. Others may not be so lucky, and so results can vary wildly (also due to the quality, service etc. of each individual online tailor. You have to be careful with whom you choose to go with. Like I said, there are online tailors and online tailors. Some are good, some are bad, most are very bad, especially if you haven't, truly, nailed your measurements and body characteristics down properly). Tailorstore, Henry Herbert, Barrington Ayre, Luxire, Shanghai C&G, I've gotten great results from all of those.

 

[GBR]



1- I do not presume that quality and online are synonymous. Where have you read that?

2- If you had read my post you would have noticed that I suggest online tailoring as an alternative to the typical pret-a-porter mall shopping, not to bespoke tailoring.

3- I have already explained in the OP (i think you haven't read it) that I open this topic as a general debate on the future of online tailoring vs ready-made physical-shop clothes.

I offer you two reasons why your premise is a nonsense. The point about "quality" is surely key - if that is what is required by the hapless buyer then for the larger part collective experience suggests that he will not find it.

 

[Juan]

I've had some excellent results from online tailoring, but I've benefited from buying true, in person bespoke by top-notch tailors and, thusly, have my measurements and other characteristics nailed down and on paper. Therefore, I've been able to pass that on to a variety of online tailors and gotten excellent results because of that. Others may not be so lucky, and so results can vary wildly (also due to the quality, service etc. of each individual online tailor. You have to be careful with whom you choose to go with. Like I said, there are online tailors and online tailors. Some are good, some are bad, most are very bad, especially if you haven't, truly, nailed your measurements and body characteristics down properly). Tailorstore, Henry Herbert, Barrington Ayre, Luxire, Shanghai C&G, I've gotten great results from all of those.

It could be a good idea then to go be measured by some profesional tailor

I was aiming at Tailorstore, they are Swedish and are very informative about fabric quality. They allow you to order fabric samples

 

[TheWraith]

^ Yes, I would advise to be measured professionally. The best thing to do is to get whatever you want (suits, shirts etc.) tailored in person, but if that's not an option, at least get properly measured in person, with all your pertinent physical characteristics noted down. I can recommend Tailorstore. I've used them for many shirts, and they've never let me down.