Good tailor in Vancouver?

Apparently Maximillian in Lansdowne, Richmond does alteration but I've never had the nerve to get that altered

gastown has some nice stores IMO
komakino, richard kidd etc

We are getting married in July and are looking for a custom suit... we looked into Brioni MTM @ Harry Rosen but the $7000+ price tags were a bit too steep.
Zegna is the next option at $4000+, but now my dad (he's got loads of Brioni, Armani and Canali MTM suits) thinks that we should try a real Italian tailor for a truly custom suit - he's sick of MTM suits and is also searching out a really great tailor to get some suits done. Can anyone recommend such a high-end tailor *in the Vancouver area* that has access to the best fabrics money can buy and is able to create both traditional and modern suits?

Originally Posted by Giuseppe Mancuso

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Quote 35 : Those M.T.M. programms allow for specific armhole size? The ansewer it is No. Ecpt if you go to a tailor like : Tony Arletto . Angelo Papa, Pat Cocco
Or others tailors You may Kno. M.T. suit for $ 650 I do not reccomand to even try. any ready make suit will be better. I do like make cleary what is Bespoke suit: first a bespoke suit can't be done less than $ 5000.00 with good line and material Trofeo or 15 mlm Zegna wich are a very good material ( better than that cost more)
What is the differenze to Bespoke and M.T.M. regarding Material. Lining. Pattern ,Style Siluette Non. if done from a master tailor.
What is a master tailor : it is a pearson who have the knoledge to measure you, make your personal pattern for any garment you like start and finish him self the pant, jacket,vest,tap coat, Taxido or any other garment give also to the suit a litle personal toch wich make the difference betwin your suit to those suit ready make paid more then $ 5000.00
Any one who like kno more about Bespoke call me I'm appy to send you a picture with particular of bespoke suit wich is made completely by hand wich today not exsist in any suit ready make and I talk about those sold more than $ 5000.00
For what I say I take full responsability . 604 731 1690 -Cell 604 812 7639

Originally Posted by dani

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We are getting married in July and are looking for a custom suit... we looked into Brioni MTM @ Harry Rosen but the $7000+ price tags were a bit too steep.
Zegna is the next option at $4000+, but now my dad (he's got loads of Brioni, Armani and Canali MTM suits) thinks that we should try a real Italian tailor for a truly custom suit - he's sick of MTM suits and is also searching out a really great tailor to get some suits done. Can anyone recommend such a high-end tailor *in the Vancouver area* that has access to the best fabrics money can buy and is able to create both traditional and modern suits?

Try the Giuseppe in post #88 above, just send him $5,000 and see what you get. Oh, and let us know how it turns out. I have not turned up a single bespoke tailor on the CDN westcoast in my over ten years out here. In my experience, they all talk a good story, but ask a few questions and you'll find you're just getting MTM, at worst from a Toronto or Montreal chop shop. Good luck to you, though - I'd love to be proved wrong!

There are other mtm options in Vancouver that may yield pleasant results - the Isaia mtm at Holt Renfrew is good. Belvest at EA Lee looks promissing but I've not taken the plunge.

Originally Posted by Roger

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Hoff, how have you found Tony Tran? My sense was that he's probably pretty competent with the routine stuff (I've had him do pant alterations and cuffing), but maybe lacking Tony Arletto's sense of line and style.

After a regrettable situation with Mr Tran, I decided to give Michael at Kerrisdale Tailors (formerly Peter's of Kerrisdale a long time ago in a galaxy far away) one last try.

He actually did a fantastic job for me altering the heck out of an old late 80s early 90s style suit jacket so that it looked presentable in the 2000s. Adjusted everything, including the shoulders.

Does anyone know if there's a decent dry cleaner around the main+broadway area? There's a few places up on 13th but they look pretty shady....


thanks!

This thread is sweet!


I'm a bit confused as I am new to the tailoring game and hoping someone can clarify something for me. I have aboue 7 shirts I want to get tailored to be a lot slimmer (xxl armani and zegna for length since I'm 6'9, but I'm real skinny). Is this considered a major alteration? Does it warrant going to Oakrdige Tailor or European Custom Tailors to get this work done? How much should I expect?

I am a bit worried taking them to the place in pacific center where I take my jeans (international or something) since they are like 350 dollar shirts, but at the same time I don't want to pay more than 20-30 to get each them slimmed down. Is this even possible?

Oh also, I bought a couple from harry and holt so I can take at least those 2 back there to get slimmed down for free, but does anyone have experience with this? Where does holt and harry send their items for alterations?

In the future I will probably just go to holt or harry for mtm armani/zegna shirts because it is kind of a pain to buy them at full price then pay more for alterations, but I like a lot of the styles that come in the store so...
Thanks a lot!

Taylor

Originally Posted by tattersall

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Try the Giuseppe in post #88 above, just send him $5,000 and see what you get. Oh, and let us know how it turns out.
LOL! You're bad, Tattersall.

Originally Posted by Dr. Danger

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Does anyone know if there's a decent dry cleaner around the main+broadway area? There's a few places up on 13th but they look pretty shady....
In my experience, the best dry cleaners in Vancouver is Fletcher's at the corner of Arbutus and Broadway. They are the only place I'd take a valued suit or jacket. BTW, are you any relation to Dr. Damage (a frequent poster on AAAC and possibly SF)?

Originally Posted by ceaton

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After a regrettable situation with Mr Tran, I decided to give Michael at Kerrisdale Tailors (formerly Peter's of Kerrisdale a long time ago in a galaxy far away) one last try.

He actually did a fantastic job for me altering the heck out of an old late 80s early 90s style suit jacket so that it looked presentable in the 2000s. Adjusted everything, including the shoulders.
I've had the opposite experience with the present-day Kerrisdale Tailors--bad work. In the old days when Mr. Peter (as he was called) was running things, it was better. I agree about Tony Tran: a big step down from his predecessor, Tony Arletto.

Contaygious (Taylor): I doubt that Holt Renfrew and Harry Rosen would do that kind of shirt alteration free of charge. Furthermore, I'm not sure that you would be successful having them taken in "a lot", since the shape would be compromised. Some taking-in of the chest and waist is possible, but I don't think I'd try for too much. As with anything, I'd find a decent shirtmaker or tailor to do this work. Joy at Oakridge Tailors would, I think, be fine with this. Or you could go over to North Van to Minichiello's (where I have my MTM shirts made) and have it done there, but don't skimp on nice shirts.

Frankly, I haven't paid Harry or Holt's their exorbitant prices for shirts for several years. You can find all the great dress shirts on eBay and online sellers like Virtual Clothes Horse (Lance Hughes) and Shop the Finest (Ian Daniels)--brands like Borrelli, Brioni, Barba, Truzzi, Barbera, Lorenzini that are infinitely better than Armani and definitely better than any Zegna shirts I own or have seen--and you can get them for $130 or so, rather than the $350 that Harry et al., want for Zegna and Armani or the $450 they want for Brioni and Borrelli. That way, for an outlay of, say, $175 ($150 including shipping for the shirt; $25, let's say, for the alteration) you can get a good-fitting truly first-class shirt.

Hmmm well I have some really nice shirts I want to try to take in though if possible. Harry and Holt already told me they would alter the ones I bought there for free, but like I said, only a couple are from there and the rest are from SF.

If I buy those shirts you mentioned online (none seem to come in XXL on the sites) and take them in for alterations don't I run into the same problems mentioned with taking in the shirts I own now? My main issue is getting the sleeves long enough which is why I buy XXL sport shirts in the first place. I'll try to get some MTM shirts eventually, but want to at least try to get mine to fit correctly since they are less than a year old.

I do rather like the armani and zegna ones I have and high quailty mtm shirts usually end up being about the same price if not more from what I have read and heard in stores (200-450), but I will check it out.

Originally Posted by contaygious

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Hmmm well I have some really nice shirts I want to try to take in though if possible. Harry and Holt already told me they would alter the ones I bought there for free, but like I said, only a couple are from there and the rest are from SF.

If I buy those shirts you mentioned online (none seem to come in XXL on the sites) and take them in for alterations don't I run into the same problems mentioned with taking in the shirts I own now? My main issue is getting the sleeves long enough which is why I buy XXL sport shirts in the first place. I'll try to get some MTM shirts eventually, but want to at least try to get mine to fit correctly since they are less than a year old.

I do rather like the armani and zegna ones I have and high quailty mtm shirts usually end up being about the same price if not more from what I have read and heard in stores (200-450), but I will check it out.
OK. Yeah, I don't think I twigged to your special need for extra long sleeves. This could present problems because shirts come in the usual neck sizes which usually correlate somewhat with sleeve lengths. For you, you probably need an average neck size (you mentioned that you're slim), but longer than usual sleeves for that neck size. However, keep in mind that sleeve length is given on Virtual Clothes Horse and, particularly Shop the Finest, and that with many of the European brands like Borrelli, Barba, Truzzi, etc., a 16 neck, for example, can come with 36" to 37" sleeves. I take a 15.75 neck and 34.5 sleeves, and always have to have my sleeves shortened by a couple of inches when I buy 15.75s from these guys. So you might be OK that way. If, for example, you could get by with a 16/36" (or possibly, better, a 16/37), for example, you wouldn't have to be concerned about taking in the body of the shirt. What are your neck and sleeve measurements?

Well since I don't wear ties I typically go with an XXL sport shirt which is about 37-38. I just measured myself and comfort wise I'd say a 37-38 sleeve and a 16 neck. I am digging some of those barba shirts, but I'm still worried about sleeve length. Sounds pretty good though at 143 a pop with shipping. Do you end up paying taxes on these usually?

Originally Posted by Roger

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Frankly, I haven't paid Harry or Holt's their exorbitant prices for shirts for several years. You can find all the great dress shirts on eBay and online sellers like Virtual Clothes Horse (Lance Hughes) and Shop the Finest (Ian Daniels)--brands like Borrelli, Brioni, Barba, Truzzi, Barbera, Lorenzini that are infinitely better than Armani and definitely better than any Zegna shirts I own or have seen--and you can get them for $130 or so, rather than the $350 that Harry et al., want for Zegna and Armani or the $450 they want for Brioni and Borrelli. That way, for an outlay of, say, $175 ($150 including shipping for the shirt; $25, let's say, for the alteration) you can get a good-fitting truly first-class shirt.

I didn't know Harry's was selling Borrelli. Anyways, I concur with Roger. Get your shirts from Lance at Virtual Clothes Horse. He is a pleasure to deal with and the product is top notch. And the Truzzi shirts I've received from him are all very long in the arm. The Borrelli's and Barba's not so much.

FYI, I recently tried a couple of new local shops for the first time. Button Button in Gastown has a decent selection of natural horn suit bottons and the women who owns the place was very knowlegable and helpfull. Prices were reasonable too, I bought a full set of 8 sleeve buttons and 3 front buttons for about $20.

I also tried the Wong Brothers at Modernize tailors in Gastown for the first time. I generally had the same experience as the Hoff did (see above). The work was above average, but it took a looooong time before my stuff was ready. I was pleasantly surprised with some jacket sleeves that they shortened from the shoulder. It was expensive ($90), but the jacket had working sleeve buttons and there was no other option. And be prepapred to remove hundreds of loose thread from your clothes when you pick them up.

Originally Posted by Roger

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Frankly, I haven't paid Harry or Holt's their exorbitant prices for shirts for several years. You can find all the great dress shirts on eBay and online sellers like Virtual Clothes Horse (Lance Hughes) and Shop the Finest (Ian Daniels)--brands like Borrelli, Brioni, Barba, Truzzi, Barbera, Lorenzini that are infinitely better than Armani and definitely better than any Zegna shirts I own or have seen--and you can get them for $130 or so, rather than the $350 that Harry et al., want for Zegna and Armani or the $450 they want for Brioni and Borrelli. That way, for an outlay of, say, $175 ($150 including shipping for the shirt; $25, let's say, for the alteration) you can get a good-fitting truly first-class shirt.

Originally Posted by long_knives

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I didn't know Harry's was selling Borrelli. Anyways, I concur with Roger. Get your shirts from Lance at Virtual Clothes Horse. He is a pleasure to deal with and the product is top notch. And the Truzzi's shirts I have received from him are all veryu long in the arm. The Borrelli's and Barba's not so much.

To either you you guys:

did you pay any duty/additional charges for the shirts from either StF or VCH? I have been looking at them, but am unsure if I am going to get hit with a huge duty charge for a "made in Italy" label...

Additional good info on the long arms on Truzzi.. they might fit my ape-hangers!!

Wow didn't know there were so many Vancouver people on SF. This thread is really awsome.

Originally Posted by aragon765

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To either you you guys:

did you pay any duty/additional charges for the shirts from either StF or VCH? I have been looking at them, but am unsure if I am going to get hit with a huge duty charge for a "made in Italy" label...

Additional good info on the long arms on Truzzi.. they might fit my ape-hangers!!

Both StF and VCH understand governmental taxation theory well and have developed effect financial-reporting methods for reducing the 'tax/duty to parcel-value' ratio to close to zero or all the way to zero in most cases.

All right. I'm already on this thread, so let me pose the following question: You're in Vancouver and receive an Attolini suit from Ian. The measurements are close, but a little tweaking is needed to get the fit better. The chest needs to be let out just a bit, and the shoulders may need taking in just a bit. The sleeves need shortening and to then have functioning buttons/buttonholes added. There may need to be some tweaking around the collar to get it to lie right.

Question: Do you trust this job (on a $6K suit, although much less from Ian) to the boobs who call themselves tailors in Vancouver? If so, which boob? Ian suggested getting touch with Mario's in Seattle. What do you guys think.