Not stars


A star

It's sartorial Sunday. So thought of giving some Ambrosi treatment on my pleats.
[attachmentid=1756699]
-Wait, it's already Tuesday.

This post has been edited by bloke1: Aug 31 2010, 09:27 PM

do that to your pockets

Pockets already have machined bar tacks. I'm considering removing them actually.

The cloth under the bar tacks are probably mangled.

I've checked the underside, it's fine.

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Added on August 31, 2010, 2:09 pm

On a pair of Ambrosis, the hem is not finished/serged.

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Added on August 31, 2010, 4:32 pmWhy ah?

This post has been edited by bloke1: Aug 31 2010, 04:32 PM

i think they just lazy,,,,,

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Added on August 31, 2010, 7:00 pmbest practice is to fold the hem edge one time before do the hand-sew,,,,,but we'll need extra cloth

This post has been edited by malutapimau: Aug 31 2010, 07:00 PM

The hem of Zuperpent+ is finished like the Ambrosi. Raw edge, sewn over. It makes for a less bulky hem.

It will fray like mad in no time.

No fraying on Zuperpent+.

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Added on August 31, 2010, 10:31 pmIf you are of average Malaysian male height 3 meters should be plenty for a 2-piece in a plain (non-check) cloth.

There is actually no such thing as different tailors needing different amounts for the same suit. There is, however, such a things as different tailors having different levels of qualm about swindling you. Tailors make a tonload of money on cloth markups, and many will tell you you need 4 meters when you need no more than 2.7 m.

They also have the universal tendency to show you the Zegna swatches first.

You can ask the tailor to source for Dugdale for you, or you can do so yourself and avoid his markup. PM me for details.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Aug 31 2010, 10:31 PM

I'm going to leave my friend to move ahead on his own since his mind is set on commissioning a linen jacket.

What you've suggested is ideal but I've yet to see any tailor in South East Asia do this well.

They either leave too much fabric in the wrong part of the jacket which does not give the clean back effect or make it too tight which results in an uncomfortable fit.

I agree fishtail trousers with braces are ideal for comfort .

Hymo's combination of Goat's Hair & Wool makes it softer than the normal Horse Hair lining . Have you come across Camel Hair lining which is used by some Italian tailors to create the soft jacket look?

I made a Navy jacket in Escorial several years back. Lovely to wear in this climate & very crease resistant due to the hopsack weave. Unfortunately the fabric has been discontinued & what's available is priced egregiously high.

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Added on September 1, 2010, 12:32 amThanks. I agree that there is a balance to be struck between fit & comfort & it takes a very skilled tailor to achieve this . The Italians seem to have a knack for this as with WW Chan & Gordon Yao in HK. Harrisons Mersolairs would not be my choice & would not be able to comment on H & S linens not having physically felt any samples.

My friend is in London this week & will probably head down to Burlington Gardens to see Ray in his basement shop.

Was he wearing his Pierre Corthay shoes?

W Bill is a lovely shop & has great service. Wonderful to deal with.

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Added on September 1, 2010, 12:34 amOne fine day if there is sufficient demand & the market is sophisticated to make the right requests

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Added on September 1, 2010, 12:47 amNice buttons.

I didn't know that Alumo is available in Malaysia. Great fabric very reliable but limited patterns . I think you can get better prices for Alumo in HK.

I was informed that the English fabric manufacturers are flexible in selling single shirt /suit lengths whilst the Italians require a minimum 10 shirt/suit length order before they would accept an order. The distributors would either need to consolidate their orders or charge higher mark ups for carrying inventory.

BTW I have managed to purchase Acorns & John Hardys at slightly lower prices than the quote price on their websites.

HK prices seem to be cheaper than Malaysia/Singapore .

The US probably has the cheapest prices ( & in some instances it can be cheaper than what the same cloth is sold for in Europe )

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Added on September 1, 2010, 12:53 amI think ALT would do a credible job.

I have one made in Escorial 5 years back & have recently refurnished it with new lining etc . The fabric is reasonably hard wearing ,crease resistant & nice to wear in our climate. Unfortunately the fabric is no longer available & what's out there is over priced.

May I suggest Benson & Clegg,London for the buttons? Perhaps a nice lacquered button with an understated design .

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Added on September 1, 2010, 12:54 amHow about #@%&^!!

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Added on September 1, 2010, 12:58 amTrying to make Norman Blackwell's list? I would assume that the tailor would himself be well attired but this does not appear to be the case. Don't think one would find any of the tailors on the Row would dress poorly lest it reflects on their lack of tailoring abilities!!

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Added on September 1, 2010, 1:01 amThe T & A cufflinks are Sterling Silver which accounts for the lack of star quality

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Added on September 1, 2010, 1:05 am E Bay for excellent pricing. Binwani is currently on sale, not sure if you could pick up something in that range

This post has been edited by beau: Sep 1 2010, 01:05 AM

Sir Kotmj, mind telling me on how good is the quality of Dugdale wool fabric if compared with the other Italian fabrics.

hi guys. id like to alter some of my jeans. could u guys list out the best (and affordable) tailors for me in kl, together with the price? if they are near to wangsa maju is better. thanks alot.

Use the search function . It may help answer your question

Thanks guys I'll be checking out a few places for fabrics for my 'ultimate single breasted navy blazer' or USBNB. It won't be everyone's cup of tea but it will suit my requirements.

I'm not kotmj, but why is your benchmark other Italian brands? Loro Piana (and supposedly Carlo Barbera - have not touched) is solid stuff, but like H&S, way $$$$$. Cerruti, zegna and the like are just OK and generally overpriced too.. VBC is cheap-ish, but as with all Italian cloths, beware of 2x1 weave constructions vs the typical english 2x2 which tend to be much more durable. The compromise is of course a silkier and lighter feel, which appeals to the masses. I like the security of knowing my cloth is not going to self-destruct on me anytime.

That said, i have yet to commission anything from Dugdale myself, but amongst my friends/family who have had things done with New Fine Worsted and Cape Breeze, the response is overwhelmingly positive esp considering the price. IMO the quality (not talking about price/value) compares well to the bigger english names like Harrisons and Minnis at a very affordable pricepoint. I can't speak the same for their Thomas Fisher supers ranges though, but then again i'm not a fan of supers.

Bottomline - Dugdale makes good, no nonsense english cloth. If you are looking for that, it is a solid contender - but if you are looking for fancy marketing to reassure you, look elsewhere.

Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' silencer, may I mention that AL has all the Dugdale books. He also (apparently) has the Zegna books. You may compare them side by side if you will.

However I am pretty certain Zegna will win the handle test. The Italians understand popular appeal better than the English.

Dugdale has an excellent reputation, but unlike EZ spends nothing on advertising, has low overheads and a less bloated distribution model.

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Added on September 1, 2010, 11:00 pmI happened upon a tailoring shop after dinner today. It's in an old part of KL and the place looks like it has been there for half a century at least. Once I get back from my business trip I'll drop in. It has a nice name too, identical to a famous cloth mill.

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Added on September 2, 2010, 12:25 am1. Get yourself on the "cutters and tailors" forum (read but do not post, it's for professionals only), it has the most complete description of canvasses available for purchase. When selecting a proper hymo, you want the hymo and the cloth to form a supple whole. The way you check for this is to drape your cloth over the hymo and see if you like the drape and hand of the two together. Tailors have a lot of experience matching hymo to cloth. Me? I just took a shot in the dark.

2. With soft jackets, there is danger of the chest collapsing.

3. A year back there was the most delicious H&S 70% escorial wool + 30% summer kid mohair cloth in a hopsack weave available for 35 pounds/meter on ebay. I eyed the thing for months before some lucky sod bought it. The only failing of the cloth was that it was a pinstripe, and I dislike pinstripes.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Sep 2 2010, 12:25 AM

Thanks for the tip.

1. I would probably stick with the normal horse hair canvas on my first outing with AL before moving on the soft or unlined jacket.

2. I had my jacket made in Taylor & Reid Escorial at a very reasonable price some years back. The long fibers gave it strength & lightness that the fabric still looks as good as the day it was made with the linings recently replaced by the tailor that made it.

Unfortunately the fabric is no longer available & the big boys ( Loro Piana, H & S etc ) along with the likes of Brioni & Kiton have gotten in the act. Prices are now 4 times what it costs to make a suit in normal run of the mill wool. That E Bay offer at STG35 is a steal .

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Added on September 2, 2010, 2:13 amCarlo Barbera is extremely difficult to get , very expensive & may be more interesting for tweeds given some of their unusual color variations.

Thomas Fisher is readily available at Binwanis which is currently on sale but will probably lose out in terms of touch & feel to the Loro Pianas & Zegna.

The older Cerutti fabrics may be worth a look as I understand that they are moving their manufacturing to China.

The normal Trofeo range for Zegna is quite good for this climate & reasonably crease resistant. The 15 Mil Mil range is lovely to touch & wear but will not wear well & require the attention of a very good dry cleaner

This post has been edited by beau: Sep 2 2010, 02:13 AM

http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/boutonniere-loop/

As simple as that?

Much better to have a boutonniere than seeing all these flowers fasten on with safety pins which is the norm here.