Knowing Your Tailor

Visiting a tailor can be considered a rite of passage for most men at some point in their life, and yet only the delivery of the final creation determines if one has been in the care of a fine tailor.

Getting a proper suit made sounds easy until you find yourself face to face with a tailor.  When that happens, you’ll quickly learn if you know what you really want.

See, stepping into a tailoring house is like walking into the Basilica or Louvre; it can overwhelm, enlighten, or both.

Blessed is the man who finds himself in the care of a tailor who wields more than tapes and scissors. Passion and experience cannot be discounted. The ideal tailor eases the customer’s entire experience, which can last a long time after the suit is done.

Technical craftsmanship with a touch of je ne sais quoi comes with time and practice, and what sets a tailor apart from his peers is an eye for the unseen. That means playing the role of an image consultant. This includes the uncanny ability to narrow down thousands of fabric swatches to just a few dozen choices, and while that still seems like a lot, variety provides clients with the opportunity to discover options that they never knew they wanted.

You can easily tell a man’s passion from his language, both verbal and non-verbal. Give yourself a mental toast if you find yourself speaking to a tailor who is not only enthusiastic but knows what needs to be anticipated. Single or double-breasted? Special occasions, business only, or for simply stylishly casual? Full break, half break, or none? Be honest and your tailor will take care of the rest.

To help you out with your upcoming visit to a tailor, here are some questions put together for you to ask your tailor before making your suit.

How much time does it take to have a suit made, from initial measurements to final fitting?

When determining the deadline for a suit, be sure to factor in the number of fittings. For bespoke suits, most tailoring establishments do at least two to three fittings to ensure every detail is on point. Ironing this detail out will give you a better idea to choose between a made-to-measure suit and one that is bespoke.

Where will the suit be cut, and made?

Having your suit cut by the tailor who measured your body, or at the very least, an in-house tailor implies an approach taken in the right direction. You should also inquire where your suit will be made. It is not uncommon for a tailoring business, one that offers options at a bargain, to only take your measurements while outsourcing the production of your suit to an offshore factory for the benefit of cheap labour cost. This increases the risk of receiving an inferior product with high inconsistencies as a result of being factory produced.

How will the suit be constructed?

Constructing a proper suit, jacket and trousers is a laborious task. For a proper bespoke suit, a large portion of the process involves sewing by hand, from preparing the initial basted fitting to the finished product. Most suit these days have a construction that carries good balance between machine and the artisans’ hand, this applies to both the jacket and trousers. For suit made in half-canvassed construction, and the production can either be handled in both local and offshore factories, depending on the location of the tailor you visit. In today’s era, most orders sent offshore are usually produced in garment manufacturing factories found in China, be in Shenzhen or Guangzhou. The turn around time for a made-to-measure suit typically takes between 5 to 7 weeks, with limited alterations made available and are made available for a price tag that fits within the range from $1000 - $2000 onwards depending on fabrics selected. Any pricing below $1000 are likely to be produced in Indonesia, Thailand or Vietnam.

Could you tell me more about the fabrics?

There are more than technical details such as thread count, weight, and weave of the fabric. Consider how the thickness of the fabric sits with the canvas that it will be sewn to, as well as its practicality in different occasions. The overall drape, in other words, how clean will entire look be when it is done up into a suit, should be taken into consideration too. Don’t forget to account for the climate as well.

How should the suit be maintained?

A bespoke suit is an asset that should last a long time. Ask your tailor about how your suit should be cleaned, pressed, and stored.

One of the things you can do is to request to have a look at some of the completed suits to have a better understanding of the tailoring standards. There are a few ways to identify a suit of high-quality make which we will cover in future posts.

Most importantly, the tailor should observe indisputable integrity in his practice, being forthcoming throughout the entire process. Every tailor has their own house cut, which may or may not be the idea you initially have in mind. Keep faith and trust in your tailor's cut and remember, it is always about working together with your tailor, and your tailor you to produce a suit you desire, and rightfully deserve.