mitsu lining is ok, but insist on half lining. bemberg is much softer but expensive to source.

looks ok

3 buttons

It's 900+600 leh

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Added on April 18, 2011, 12:49 pmMakes Acorn look like a f***ing bargain.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Apr 18 2011, 12:49 PM

I have written about this before, but it was a year+ ago so I'll repeat: There is a reason why buying cloth from cloth shops and tailors is the most cacat way to do it.

Manufacturer ---> Regional distributor (stockist) ---> Distributor (no stock, just swatch) ---> Tailor ---> You

In every step of the chain the markups are awe-inducing, and is the reason why there are so many German cars being driven in Shah Alam (same story with industrial goods).

When you buy from Dugdale/Acorn, the chain is like this

Manufacturer ---> You

You cut out all the non-value producing idiots whose only involvement in the transaction is to pass on the product. I'm too allergic to stupidity to pay three quarters of the retail price to people who merely pass things on.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Apr 20 2011, 02:17 PM

The concave natural shoulder.



I've never seen a sexier shoulder line.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Apr 22 2011, 12:45 PM

Try Uniklo.

My appeal last week to have you people send me your unloved vintage Malaysian suits for public dissection yielded such enthusiastic response that I went out today and bought 2 Japanese fully canvassed numbers.



A 2 button SB, half lined, pipings galore. From Sakai, apparently. No sidebody, just an underarm dart. RM 5.



Lining hand attached.



Very neat handwork.

The next one is a 4 button DB in a navy hopsack. Again just an underarm dart. This one is more mechanized in construction. From Osaka. RM 5.




If you're going to have your lining machine sewn, this is the proper way to do it.


I will try to find time to dissect them over the coming weeks.

After long deliberation it has been decided that the Taguchi will come under the blade first. But will it be disemboweled by a Hirotomo



or should that honour go to a Kai?

Tiew nyia sing, machine padded only...

a narrow strip of grey fusible instead of edge tape. smart.

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Added on April 25, 2011, 12:43 amto be continued sum ader taim

This post has been edited by kotmj: Apr 25 2011, 12:43 AM

The jacket was cut for a large bellied man.



The 5 ringgit I paid for this is worth every cent because looking at this



the secret of canvassing for the corpulent figure became totally obvious. It is very different from canvassing for the lean figure.

Can you spot the difference?

the universal tie

Nobody here can tell me why that Japanese jacket's canvassing was optimized for the corpulent figure? Not even one of you?

The sleevehead wadding comprises 3 layers at the front armscye, two layers at the rear armscye, and nothing below the armpit.

The layer touching the sleeve is a cotton wadding. Below that is the same haircloth used in the chestpiece. And below that is a dark brown haircloth which is the stiffest in the jacket.


The armscye is reinforced with the narrowest strip of edge tape I've ever seen.


This post has been edited by kotmj: Apr 27 2011, 05:02 PM

Today, I found the best tailor in Malaysia. He only makes fully canvassed suits. Nothing else. The shop has been around for 100 years.


I walked into the shop, about as decrepit as ALT, and every jacket there was fully canvassed.




Price? He charges the same for a fully canvassed 2 piece what Bespoked would charge for the equivalent fused 2 piece. Cheaper than ALT's full canvassing.

He is not, however, perfect. Drape is in the rear upper sleeves instead of back of armscye. Buttonholes are like ALT's. Fit might be a bit dodgy. He uses very stiff German hymo (supply your own).

In other news, I have picked up my shirt from MBT.


MBT asked me if I would like a beer. 1.5 hours and 4 beers between us later he has told me everything. His apprenticeship to a Seremban sifu at 13 years of age. How the sifu would scold him "as if I was not a human being". And how, ultimately, his sifu asked him to train the sifu's son after failing at it himself. "The son wasn't cut out for the trade. I did not succeed at training him either."

"Kotmj, I've been in this business for more than 40 years. I've never met a customer like you. Not once."

He said he regrets he will not be able to make me a fully canvassed suit. "What AL made for you is better than anything I've seen. Impeccable workmanship. Also, his price is ridiculous. My sifu wants more from me than what you paid AL."

"Here look. I spent the whole morning scrutinizing the suits with a magnifying glass." It was pics of guests at the Royal Wedding from a page off Sin Chew. We analyzed the suits together.

Well we talked about a lot of tailoring stuff. Too much to write here.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Apr 30 2011, 09:25 PM

Traditionally, Malaysian bespoke coats are not punctured at the lapel. They have a boutonniere like this. This is what you should get. Leave the keyholes to the Italians and the straights to the English.

Dude! You have to keep it secret!!

If the forum finds out his price will go up 70% and lead time will triple.

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Added on May 1, 2011, 11:40 pmAnd where did you think AL learnt all his English terms from? You? Meh.

This post has been edited by kotmj: May 1 2011, 11:40 PM

Dude, you want to go there with me someday? You go first, I see how.

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Added on May 2, 2011, 2:55 pmI understand that some people are born obnoxious. What I forgot about tailoring is more than you ever knew about it.

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Added on May 2, 2011, 3:11 pmWhere did you learn to write like that?

There is a big difference between doing full canvassing and being a good tailor.

A truly great tailor is a truly great fitter. Fit ueber alles, fit above all else. An exquisitely fitted fused number will trump any fully canvassed number exhibiting glaring fitting faults.

Unfortunately, fit is complicated. Intellectually taxing, even.

I will eventually reveal this tailor anyway as with MBT. These tailors all deserve more business than they are getting. Besides, I hate shops like Bespoked and Granoff and Lord's. There is not a single shred of authenticity or tradition in shops like these. Price is high and work is mediocre. Anything that diverts customers away from them is fine by me.

This post has been edited by kotmj: May 2 2011, 03:11 PM