No single tailor here does anything that deserves the term impressive. The reason is that Malaysian suit customers are highly unsophisticated.

I picked apart a Taiwanese vintage bespoke blazer a few weeks back, and while fully canvassed, the shortcuts taken were awe-inducing. You'd think the Taiwanese would be more sophisticated suit wearers, they having the tradition and the weather for it, but the hymo used was stiff, there was no volume padding in the chest (so it looks flat in the chest, the way Koreans like theirs), and the darts in the canvas were awful machine zigzag stitches. The was no edge tape anywhere. No domette. The only handwork was the lapel pad stitching, done coarsely.

The fabric was a synthetic/wool mix, and the lining ... the worse shit in the universe. I soaked it in water and the dark purple lining started to bleed and the water turned red. Dark red. I initially thought it was due to blood stains.

Really great suits are only made in small pockets of the globe.

This guy is calling your name:



Seriously though, this Zegna stuff is fantastic. Pity they don't make it like that anymore. A fresco-esque weave in F.U. colors is a dream of mine.

Lols, the cloth has just been spoken for anyway..

Needs a bit more work with another fitting, but almost there..



I am ashamed to admit that I chickened out and skipped the fishtail back. Not man enough.. next project perhaps.

beau - yup, I already asked for that to be added. I understand that is the Savile Row standard. There are also 2 hidden buttons the right side of the coat in the A&S fashion.

kotmj - thank you, Sir.

Thank you. The similarity to A&S took me back and I will need some time to come to terms with that - I am NOT in the drape camp!

Most certainly. Pics will be posted when I get the final product.
I am not so convinced by the positioning of the bottom 2 buttons. Something tells me the original position (chalk marks?) were better.

My last 2 jackets were cut to fit my shoulder rather than padded, but I'm trying something new this time. Will see how different it feels.

The softness is nice eh? Same thing i thought to myself when i put on a jacket made by Peter Lee. It was made for someone else, but somehow fits me fairly well. I am so enamored by the softness that for my next project i'm purchasing my own canvas from RJW to be used.
High gorge is right, but one has to be careful to cross the line. Sciamat crosses the line with the details that make an Eyetalian suit, for example.

Softer and narrower.

That's minimal padding?

I'm OK with the softness, but not with the drape associated with A&S' style.

I have seen Graham Browne's interpretation of 'soft' & that is no where near what I am getting..

You can be the judge of that:



If you pop by to Singapore, I will show you in person what my jacket looks and feels like. You might be surprised at the softness!

I have no idea about Sze Sze, but I think I recall an article about them saying that their suits start at S$300. I find it hard dealing with tailors that work with polyester fabrics.

I got so excited last night I couldn't sleep. So I just woke up. At 11:30 a.m. Taking a half-day leave.

I am actually very happy with the drape at the back of the armscye. Notice that there is more drape at the right side than left. The left is how it should be, and I do not find that sort of drape offensive. The right side, as previously mentioned, will be recut. The upper sleeves have no drape, which explains their sculptural cleanness. All of it has been packed into the back of armscye. It makes for a jacket which allows for exceptional arm mobility, even with a thick sweater underneath. John Hitchcock wants the effect, but implements it differently, with the drape going to the upper sleeves, which makes things ugly.

The shoulder pads are pre-made ones and are thick (but soft). I think I will get him to make thinner pads.

My instructions were to extend the shoulders 1/4" each side. I think I am right in my suspicion that extended shoulders ONLY WORK if the shoulder seam droops somewhat.

As to the lapel belly: I admire it on gshen's jacket, but there is a school of thought that says there should be no perceptible belly (cf. Whife). I have till Saturday to decide if I want a belly or not.
[attachmentid=1732900][attachmentid=1732901]
'("The finished edge will be almost straight.")

I will call him to have it shortened at the front. 1/2".

My jacket will not be like gshen's because mine needs to fit over a sweater and still be comfortable to wear.

Yesterday's fitting session took 1.25 hours and was very intense. I was drained at the end. Indeed, there are more variables in a DB.

Look at this DB. No lapel belly. Very high gorge. Minimal waist suppression. (Significant shoulder drop.)

1. Quarter inch more waisting each side
2. Sleeves to be rotated backwards
2. Shoulder slope correction on right side
3. 1/2" less back balance on navy trousers, 3/4" shorter
4. 3/4" shorter flannel trousers

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Added on August 21, 2010, 1:43 pmDo I still look like a navy-coloured refrigerator?

1. Quarter inch more waisting each side
2. Sleeves to be rotated backwards
2. Shoulder slope correction on right side
3. 1/2" less back balance on navy trousers, 3/4" shorter
4. 3/4" shorter flannel trousers

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Added on August 21, 2010, 1:43 pmDo I still look like a navy-coloured refrigerator?

IMO, if you add a bit to the coat length, you will have a bit more room to lower the button stance and expose more shirt. Also, the gorge should be folded in 1/2" when they actually make it.. so it might not actually be as high as it seems now. I forgot that, sorry.

Might be the pics, but the coat's back balance looks long? A side view pic would have shown this more clearly..

The shoulders look better now. TBH I can't tell if you've got them narrowed, though it looks like it. Otherwise, either my eyes suck or the outdoor pics are much more flattering.

Gshen, what do you mean by the gorge being folded in half when being made up? I have difficulty imagining what it means.

Yeah, the shoulders were taken in a tad. There was unanimous consensus both here and on SF that the shoulders were overextended.

I'm thinking of adding 0.25" to the front length of the coat and moving all six buttons down 0.5".

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Added on August 22, 2010, 1:04 am
I only ever go to ALT on not-to-be disclosed hours nowadays. Saturday afternoon is like a Lowyat forum meet over there, all these young people wanting suits. Phew.

So I went to the haberdasher for some Star buckles. Unfortunately they do not have any of that left. The old lady threw me a plastic packet full of buckles. The quality was terrible. They were rusty, dented and some are even distorted. I painstakingly picked out three that were still in decent condition from the packet. 80cents each.

There is also a packet of D-ring buckles which caught my attention. I realized they can be used as side buckles too. It works similar to a D-ring belt. The old lady told me people bought them to be used in bags. I wanted to buy two pairs of them, one for each side, but I chickened out. What do you think?

They're just normal D-rings.


The shape suits chinos better imo. The curved side will cause bunching to the straps. Not a good idea.

Stainless steel I suppose. But there are many colors available! I almost fell for it.

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Added on August 23, 2010, 9:43 pmWhich kind of buckles do you all prefer? I never liked those used in women's clothing. They're so hard to adjust when worn.

Comparison with Star. Star's quality is sound 
[attachmentid=1743479]

I actually bought 2 dozen gunmetal hook/eyes for my tailor. She specifically told me to get them in HK's shamshuipo market as they are much, much harder and more durable than the ones available locally ('Tailor' brand).

Will post pics once I get my trousers.

These are the modern-day Deponirts, a far cry from vintage ones...

hey beau, what were you doing at alt on saturday anyway?

Can the gorge height be adjusted during fitting?

Aiyo! Sei lak like that.

I'm a total noob when it comes to suits.

But any recommendations for me on a tight budget of probably less than Rm500?

I'm leaning more towards tailor made suits. So any suggestions on which tailors I can consider?

hmmm so what's the normal price range?

You know there is something wrong with you when you bring up a Hollywood / red carpet picture and inquire about its sartorial appropriateness.
No, the bottom button was never meant to be done up and you need to lurk harder in SF.

just curious

shouldt 2 button jacket only button the top button?

or is it that suit is made to button both buttons