Review: Richard's Tailor Ampang Park

From a basted jacket: Collar interlining is sew-in polyester, not linen. Buttonholes machine-made, badly. Lapels non-padded. Interior finishing underwhelming, unlike Granoff or Bespoked. The thickest pre-fab shoulder pads I've seen in my life, about 1" thick at the ends. House silhouette: NFL player shoulders, slightly open quarters, thin droopy lapels, mild waisting (more than AL). Very clean back and sleeves, but no drape at back of armsyce which means arm movement forwards is impossible. Armholes medium height (neither high nor low).

The thing about buttonholes is that, if you have any aspiration towards "fine tailoring", they need to be hand-sewn. Machine sewn on a specialized suit-button making machine is bad enough, but machine sewn on a normal sewing machine is the most terrible crime of all. It is essentially a shirt buttonhole, only larger.

He kept reminding me that what I was seeing is a jacket for fitting. The finished jacket, he said, will look different and will not have all the guts hanging around. He said it 4 times. I kept saying "Of course, of course." On the fifth time he said it, I said "BUT OF COURSE, MAN. I HAVE BEEN TO MANY FITTINGS AND HAVE HAD MANY SUITS MADE SO PLEASE KEEP QUIET!" He kept quiet.

He also showed me a finished suit. RM550 for labour, but faux cuffs, no this no that forgetaboutit.

He showed me a shirt. No collar bone pocket, low density sewing, no French seams, machine-sewn buttons, bleh bleh yawn. RM100 for labour.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 10 2010, 10:06 PM

Kneok should post pictures of his buttonholes. Let the battle of the buttonholes begin!

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Added on July 10, 2010, 10:39 pmSo should Jind. I'm eager to see Lord's work.

This post has been edited by bloke1: Jul 10 2010, 10:39 PM

Gentlemen,

Sorry to make an abrupt change in topic.

I'm seeking some advice on making a classic tuxedo for a close friends wedding. Have any of you had any experience ?

Does ALT (who seems to be quite the preferred tailor here) do dinner jackets (well)?

Also what would you suggest in procuring the material, e.g buying my own, if it is possible to find any. Or go with what the tailor has.

Very bold move indeed and I salute your for that. Rarely do we get to see a gent in here who wants to have a classic tuxedo bespoke.

If possible, try hunting down your own midnight blue fabric to breathe life into a more interesting garment.

I've never seen ALT do a tuxedo. You can be the first to give it a go, I suppose.

I would in this case just go with what the tailor has.

Your friend is most demanding.

Those two threads are really just for Miss Loke and me.

If you hunt for your own fabric, you get what you want. Shops generally have limited colors. They would have black, but the fabric quality would differ and the prices change. The color FusionEx mentioned is actually a weird blue black kind of color. With bright light its blue, and under low light its black. This is actually a politically correct color for tuxedo. But its very rarely seen. Black is the generally accepted one. I do not know if most tailors stock midnight blue fabrics. Its best you check out how midnight blue looks like first.

Or you could opt for ready made ones. I've seen the ready made ones from Louis Remogue (Spark Manshop) in Metrojaya Mid Valley. They cost RM850. I do not know if alteration charges are included. But if you want to go that way, this is an option. Or BONIA. But getting it tailored is WAAYYY much better. The only argument detractors could come up, is you won't get to wear it more than once, and they make you get off the rack ones.

Its not necessary to follow the flock in getting your stuff tailored. Sure you think that AL seems to be the choice awards here. But not necessary as this shop is actually accommodating politically correct stuff to some forumers here. If you live near BU its Bespoked. If you live near Mid Valley its Granoff. If you live in Subang its Kinslager. If u are in KL then you could opt for AL. But really its just to accomodate where its convenient for you. If you are finicky on details, then its AL. Even then AL might not accommodate you like they accommodate Kotmj or bloke1.

Good luck.

Now that you mentioned it netmatrix, I was at Isetan KLCC and saw the Sparkmanshop counter there doing a fitting on a real customer!!!!!!!! Today!

Muahahahahah!! Ahahahaha!

THE WORST SUIT I HAVE SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

......IN MY LIFE!!!

It didn't fit AT ALL, and two "tailors" were fussing over the customer who wore ......... a skinny fit T-shirt and looks totally clueless (as you have to be to use SparkMS).

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Added on July 10, 2010, 11:53 pmIt was a black suit too.

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Added on July 10, 2010, 11:58 pmI don't think you understand the pricing level of Granoff or Bespoked. They are 60%-80% more expensive than ALT.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 10 2010, 11:58 PM

Hey, i'm giving the guy options. Its not like i'm hard selling SMS to him. He could try. Don't like and move on. Like i said, if he was in some location that has tailors, he could look around for options.

Quick question, anyone know where to get vests/waistcoats in Kuala Lumpur? I mean off the rack, not tailor-made?

Also looking for a good 3 piece grey suit (designer or whatever) off the rack. My experience with tailors are that the finished product tends to be rubbish, rather see what I'm getting when I buy it. But I can't find anywhere in KL that sells three piece suits?

Thanks guys if anyone can help!

I know.

I encourage people to go forth, try new tailors, and give us (pictorial) reports. I asked the Tan Sri to try Henry Poole to compare it with ALT, I told the rascal rebecks to try Binwanis for trousers (but instead, he went to ALT and copied my ideas endlessly) , and I generally try steering people to use tailors whose work I am interested to know about. I myself will be using a new tailor (Miss Loke's) for my next suit.

kneok tried Richard's, and the reason I went there today was because he is a more masterful fitter than AL.

However, if you want to play it safe, just stick to Bespoked if you are rich and ALT if you are poor.

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Added on July 11, 2010, 12:13 amThere is no such thing as a good OTR suit. They range from barely acceptable to hideous.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 11 2010, 12:44 AM

I don't think its the correct month to find 3 piece stuff. Designer or otherwise. Its not fall or winter. The only place i could think off now to match 3 pieces off the rack is JUSCO of their in house SUAVE brand. i don't think even Emergildo Zegna or Canali has them. Unless you want to visit Brioni. Oh hell, go walk in Pavilion and see. hahaha.

Sir kotmj, any luck finding horn buttons in Klang Valley area...had to cancell my intention to purchase it from onlinelining company after purchasing the Bemberg Cupro lining from another site....

Zegna has gone crazy! Their mannequins are all dressed in shorts and T-shirts.

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Added on July 11, 2010, 1:45 amI kennot tell you ler...it's a secret.

Very, very nice horn buttons in KL. RM4.50/piece. Very limited stock, you will buy up everything I'm sure.

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Added on July 11, 2010, 1:49 amBut walnek knows. You can ask him.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 11 2010, 01:49 AM

arghhhhh.....walnek had been missing for soo long.....will try to sms him.....thnx

By the way...went to AL yesterday....and he show me a full canvassing suit made by Savile Row....thinking on trying a full canvassing suit for my next suit..at ALT.....

This post has been edited by silencer: Jul 11 2010, 02:09 AM

Walnek isn't missing, he just PM'd me a few days ago to complain about AL price-gouging him on a pair of trousers.

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Added on July 11, 2010, 2:11 amNoooo! Where did he get that suit from? Name of tailor?

This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 11 2010, 02:11 AM

He is not only one gettin affected by it....but AL workmanship quality really satisfy me so far...

Think of it as charity.

charity...??? his shop land costs millions..if he sell it.....

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Added on July 11, 2010, 2:29 amCouldnt remember the name....one of AL customer sent it to AL for alteration..and I was speechless when touching it for the first time....must be very comfortable wearing it.....

This post has been edited by silencer: Jul 11 2010, 02:29 AM

Actually, I'm not an AL client.



I see that you're dreaming again.