Tailor-Made v. Ready to Wear

[azad]

One of the few recurring themes I've welcomed in the fashion industry is the obsession with the proper cut of clothing. This was bound to become a concern considering the nosedive proportionate outfitting took in the 90s. I can place a premium on classic and resourceful outfitting on my fashion milieu much easier than before. This is undoubtedly an enjoyable fact, yes?

The progression of this logic rests in tailor made outfits. Most custom-made button downs, sweaters, and suits aren't as costly as their designer-approved counterparts (if at all), not to mention their shelf lives far exceed that of their counterparts as well.

That said, are there any suggestions for stores that procure quality tailor-made outfits for the spitefully unpleasant, contemporary-yet-timeless-minded aspiring asshole like myself? NYC preferred. Also, what are your thoughts on the matter?

cheers,

-az

[black.shadow]

i will take a stab at this one. i do not live in nyc or any other city that actually has a strong sense or care for fashion. so compromise is a must. i like bits and pieces of high end fashion however, these are simply unattainable around here. unless i were to blindly buy some items which more then likely would not have the fit that i care for aka as tight as possible.

my solution. buy clothes that have the proper/similar style and color that you want and have them altered heavily into how you want them to fit. i hear/have read of people having even dior stuff altered to fit properly or better. so maybe saving a bit here and there is a good thing? i like dior too btw.

so i do not have any store recomendations but what i would recommend is find a good tailor that does not charge crazy money. i once saw this chick pay nearly $100 to have a skirt altered which likely only cost $30 in the first place. she basically got told because she did not get estimates first. so remember to go in bring your items and have an estimate made first. or else you may end up surprised/shocked/angered.

good luck

[phoenix]

As I don't live in NYC (or any sort of notably fashion forward city for that matter), I can't suggest any specific stores. As for the tailor-made versus designer debate, I would have to weigh in with a vote for neither. I have a few designer pieces and no custom-made pieces as I am on a student's budget. The most important aspect of an article of clothing for me, though, is the fit- regardless of design, quality, etc., if the cut of the article is not meant for me, I won't buy it. A great solution for this problem has been to buy quality pieces that I enjoy and after a wash and dry, taking it to an alterations shop. This way the item is altered to fit me much as the way of a tailor-made item without the price tag.

[Thorns]

As the only person to actually reply to what you wanted, I wholeheartedly recommend LS Men's in NYC. Izzy and Edward are the two tailors there and they will hook you up. Unfortunately advocating LS Men's has become a recurring theme in my posting lately and I'm sorta starting to feel like a representative, but oh well.

[vvoc]

out of curiousity, what is the average price for tapering a pair of jeans? I paid $35 for mine, too much?

[MataLeao]

I agree with black shadow. I prefer to purchase ready to wear suits and have them altered to fit my body type, just as long as the alteration isn't too drastic. When you want to completely change the look of the fit, then it's not worth the time and money to alter. Find something that closely fits you, alter it and you'll a happy camper. The hard part is finding a good tailor around town. (try using yelp to find a tailor) If money is no object then go for the bespoke shirts, suits and shoes.

For slimming shirts, a proven method is the pinch and pin. It's easy to do if you have a sewing machine. If you screw up, you can always remove the stitching and start all over, unless you cut off the excess fabric already. Here's the youtube link how-to :

[MataLeao]

out of curiousity, what is the average price for tapering a pair of jeans? I paid $35 for mine, too much?

average price around the Bay Area, CA is 30-40 for denim. If you have selvedge denim, then say goodbye to the pretty selvedge. Tapering jeans normally is done on the selvedge side of the denim. They basically pinch it off, sew it and cut off the excess material (selvedge).

[black.shadow]

average price around the Bay Area, CA is 30-40 for denim. If you have selvedge denim, then say goodbye to the pretty selvedge. Tapering jeans normally is done on the selvedge side of the denim. They basically pinch it off, sew it and cut off the excess material (selvedge).

yes on both of these accounts. however, one problem is that typically (yes i realize a few do) tailors do not have the same double stiching machines that factories use. so when you have the jeans tapered they will likely only be single stiched. also if you want the entire length of the jean altered/taken in to be tighter this will greatly increase the cost then otherwise just 5-7 inches of tapering at the bottom. the reason for this is that the tailor first must unstich everything that is already on the side of the jeans itself then restich.