This is #5, a plain weave


and this is #29, a twill



Hi Karl, I am trying to decide between this #5 and the #29.

1) What weights are the cloths?
2) What ply are they? 2x2 or 1x1?
3) Which do you think will be the longer-lasting cloth?

Thanks for taking the time.

Cheers,
kotmj


Hi kotmj,

Both cloths are 2 ply 11/12oz and my opinion cloth #29 would be harder wearing but cloth #5 is the better cloth... I bought a full piece very cheap, this cloth sould be £55-59 a suit length

Thanks, Karl

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Added on July 21, 2010, 10:38 pmAnd this is the flannel from another seller



This post has been edited by kotmj: Jul 21 2010, 10:38 PM

Nice stuff-Cloth #29 would be my preferred choice followed by #5

The flannel looks a bit light colored in the photograph. Looking forward to seeing the end results from ALT ( assuming your purchase goes through )

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Added on July 21, 2010, 11:21 pmp.s. Better give ALT the heads up and warn him that another pedantic SOB of a customer will be heading his way to make usual & challenging demands on him


This post has been edited by beau: Jul 21 2010, 11:21 PM

Beau, the best pair of traditionally-cut trousers (full, high-waisted, and with an unbroken line) I have was made for me by a grandma in a very small town above a wet market. They really should only be worn with a jacket because the thing by itself is so big and so archaic people stare at them. But they so comfortable. Perfect for 13-hour flights.

AL, OTOH, likes to cut slim trousers with a high fork. He is right in thinking they are elongating -- but they are unwearable for those of us who squat in the gym and who sit for 10+ hours a day. Too narrow, especially in the thighs, tight in the seat and the fork cuts into the family jewels. He is incredibly reluctant to make the fork lower. These are great trousers to be worn with just a shirt and standing. They look like those worn by RL models in GQ.

But maybe you will be more successful in steering him towards the right cut.

God does not wear Allen Edmonds as I unfortunately do


Yup, I can confirm we are talking about the same gent from your mention of the prawn crackers! AFAIK he has not commissioned anything other than shirts at Iris tailor, which is not their forte anyway. It's no secret that Singaporean tailors all outsource their work to factories..unless you get the rare tailor that shanks your buttons or hand stitches buttonholes (both exceedingly rare), the higher end tailors are all pretty much the same. That said, their shirts are made by one of the better factories that does a pretty good job with single needle stitching & high density stitches. Cloth selection isn't too bad either.

If your friend is used to the tailors in HK, I think Iris tailor's suits will give him a pleasant surprise if he has time to invest in a couple of fitting sessions. I've seen a few Chan suits and I'm convinced Iris tailor's stuff measures up pretty well against them. Speaking from my personal experience rather than others' of course

It's that or I shall speak in a high falsetto!! It sounds like I should bring a sample and let him adjust accordingly.

High waisted pants like the one you mention are comfortable but ideally need to be worn with braces to enable them to fall properly.

It's loose fitting clothes or a track suit for me where long haul flights are concerned.

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Added on July 22, 2010, 6:39 amSounds like you've met my friend.

He had your mutual tailor copy the fittings for an Ascot Chang shirt ( our favorite in terms of fit thus far ). The efforts I have seen are passable with the exception of the following:-

1. The front placket patterns on one of the shirts do not seem to be properly spaced out. The patterns should look as if they come from a single piece of cloth ( see Hilditch & Key & Charvet shirts as examples ) . The strange thing is , the versions he commission without the placket seems fine.

2. One of the earlier versions had a "V" split yoke as opposed to the traditional inverted "V" from Jermyn Street shirt makers.

3. The cuffs of the barrel cuff version which was supposedly based on the T & A ( Turnbull & Asser ) shirt he left as a sample does not have the gathered sleeve feature at the cuff typical of T & A shirts.

The efforts seem better that CYC shirts which lays claims to be the best shirt maker in Singapore.

He had some minor grouse of not having the shirt labels placed at the back of the neck as opposed to having it on shirt tails ( we are both victims of poor hotel laundry in Third World locations -shirts have been returned with frayed labels which results in irritation to the skin & cannot be easily removed without the aid of a thread picker )

I'll wait for his first bespoke commission before passing judgement. Your mutual tailor has done a good job in altering his RTW suits -he turned to the dark world of RTW after failing in his efforts in finding a satisfactory tailor in HK.

ps The Prawn Crackers were a god send during the recent world cup!!

This post has been edited by beau: Jul 22 2010, 06:39 AM

The first time a politician is sighted in something non-navy/charcoal: Georgia's President Michail Saakaschwili in royal blue.

Yup, I did mention that their shirts aren't the best. Much better deals to be found in HK.. CYC as the top shirtmaker?? Probably from people who don't know better and believe that dear L K Y's shirtmaker must be the best.. Pure rubbish My first custom shirt was done with them when I knew much, much less.. but still the fit was extremely poor & sleeves made at least 1" too short. Double needle (chain)stitched too. Would've rejected the shirt completely had I known better!

I've inspected H&K, N&L as well as T&A shirts and frankly speaking - no big deal. I admit their attention to detail is good, but with some serious guidance to my current shirtmaker, I can achieve ~95% of the quality at about 10% of the price after a couple of semi-acceptable 'experiments'. Non-fused (self-lined) collars, OCD pattern-matching, shanked buttons etc. inclusive!

God wears Church's; the Devil wears Prada.

The I-peasant wears Bonia.

Yup, how many pairs do you have?

I once had two pairs. Got rid of my first pair few years ago. Now I'm wearing a pair of pointy blucher by their sister brand, Sembonia. Full pigskin leather insole. Very comfortable.

You should buy this pair the Singaporean is selling. I wanted to myself once, but backed out of the auction. If only they fit me.

Some people passionately hate longwings..

I'm not Singaporean. I just live here, like you.

Who is your current shirt maker?

I've used Ascot Chang & Davids in HK. Of the two , AC has the best fit & finish. David's isn't too shabby either . Jantzen is another name I hear about , opinions are highly polarized about their ability ( or lack of, depending on your experience with them )

Have you looked at Charvet? Beautiful shirts but they induce a sharp intake of breath when it come to pay for them.

I am hesitant to reveal the maker for various reasons, but I have some pictures to show if you scroll further.

Have not seen AC's stuff, but I hear good things about them. I've had quite a few Jantzen shirts - fabric quality is hit & miss as they are mostly unbranded stuff probably from China. Customer service is shite though, and they are good at missing/changing details on your shirts. Can't expect much from guys doing such large internet volume.. Try Lee Baron in HK if you visit again. He has ex-AC cutters working for him and does very nice non-fused collars.

I don't ever intend to pay so much for a shirt, so Charvet is obviously out of the question..

Pics as promised - one of my earlier experiments, fabric by Acorn:

Hello

I've already introduced myself in the men's shoes thread. On that thread, I talked a little about suits and shirts in the UK, where I live and that has generated some interest. As I'm still a student, I'm yet to purchase any MTM or bespoke suits there. However, I am quite pleased with the RTW range there. Clearly, they are nowhere as good as MTM or bespoke ones but at the price I am paying, I have no complaints. Here are a few pictures of one of my Charles Tyrwhitt suits. It's a navy twill, 3 piece suit. Surprisingly, it's half-canvassed with horse and goat hair and has working albeit machine stitched cuffs.

In case anyone wants to know, the tie is from Eton, shirt from T.M. Lewin and pocket square from Hilditch & Key. The suit has been heavily altered to fit. Also, i couldn't get a back and side profile! I was getting irritated with my camera timer and prancing around in a 3-piece wool suit in summer is far from fun.



Barely passable button holes.....



It's not made in London Fabric is milled in Yorkshire and the suit itself is made in Tunisia.


Please be kind to my ego.

Can't really comment of the fit of the jacket, but it looks like it fits well enough. You've made all the right choices: navy cloth, light blue shirt, PS, etc. Very SF-conform. One thing which is obviously off is the trousers. The next time you're back in Malaysia on holiday, bring them along and have them altered to fit you better in the seat.

Great finish-How is the fit? I'll post some AC's when it is convenient to do so.

1. Apart from your secret source are there other shirt makers you would recommend in Singapore?
2. What are the places you go for fabrics/trims,linings etc in Singapore? I've tried Hwa Seng in Katong but their prices are a tad high. The ones on Arab Street don't seem interesting.

Thanks for your HK recommendation. Will pay them a visit on my next trip there. Most HK shirt makers are similar to Jantzen -inconsistent quality.

Thanks - small adjustments to be made to fit due to shrinkage, but overall I am very pleased. I am going to prewash all my lengths of cloth before sending them to the tailor in future.

1. Unfortunately the scene here for shirtmaking is not great. kotmj's pics of AL's shirts seem very decent - and a local option is always favorable. Maybe because they know you will forever be on their ass if they screwup!

2. I've given up on that - Richard James Weldon serves all my needs and shipping is cheap as chips for small quantities. I have probably a lifetime supply of 3.5mm MOP shirt buttons that I am selling, so that's one less worry as well!