Not sure if this is affiliated to the one in KLCC

1. Does the cost include the fabric and,
2. What type of fabric are they providing
3. How many fittings do they provide
4. Is the jacket fully canvassed? Collars of shirt fused/non fused?
5. What other features does the jacket incorporate ? Bemberg lining?, horn buttons , half lined trousers, working cuffs? pick stitched lapels?

You may have overpaid for polyester if it is anything less than a Super 120's pure wool and/or high thread count pure cotton shirt

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Added on August 18, 2010, 11:22 amEspecially if they can command these prices for glue & polyester!!

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 18 2010, 11:22 AM

Surely there are stylistic considerations:-

1. For formal dressing some may prefer French or turn back cuffs along with a nice pair of cufflinks
2. Some may prefer the faux turn backs a la James Bond for greater individuality
3. Would a button on the gauntlet of the sleeve help ?
4. What about the Turnbull & Asser style 3 button cuffs?

I'm looking to reverse engineer one of my Italian made shirts ( when it gets old ) to ascertain how the Italians manage to create this wonderful balance between softness & structure.

1. What I have seen the bespoke shirt makers do there is to place the button on a barrel cuff closer to the edge ( on one button barrel cuff shirts ) along with a smaller 14L button on the gauntlet to deal with the problem.

2. Likewise Turnbull & Asser as well as some Italian shirtmakers place the button holes of their French cuff shirts closer to the edge to achieve the same effect.

3. Three buttons can be regarded as fussy but many Italian who buy T & A button the center button to add some "spez" to their attire.

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Added on August 22, 2010, 1:03 amFrench Cuffs are very personal but the added weight of the cufflink allows the shirt sleeve to fall better & show through the jacket sleeve , a nice touch with formal dress.

The Italians will add their usual "spez" by wearing FC without cufflinks & their jacket sleeves slightly folded to give it the added spice.

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 22 2010, 01:03 AM

Sleeve length or body length? Is the alteration substantial?

[quote=rizq,Aug 23 2010, 03:05 PM]
body length..

[quote]

There's a alteration shop at Centrepoint , Bandar Utama on the ground floor that does alterations. Best avoid the Raya period . Unless the shirt length is extremely long & you plan to wear the shirt casually, you might be better off saving your money. Longer shirt length will help prevent a shirt tail from riding up during the working day

These series of articles should be put in the pinned section of the forum.

Difficult to tell from the picture. Is it sky blue? What is the thread count ? 2 ply? Single ply?

The hoods are used to concealed their identity when they wear ill fitting clothes

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Added on August 26, 2010, 1:28 pmThe only ones available which are half decent are RTW ones from the designer brands ( Armani etc )

The "Kei" Jacket from Canali is particularly nice.

BTW a friend has borrowed mine in an attempt to have Gshen's tailor replicate it. Should be another worth while challenge for you to have ALT make something similar or even a shirt jacket since you've beaten him into total submission with your soft DB. How's that progressing?

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 26 2010, 01:28 PM

The Armani is mine -The ill fitting Canali his. I told him that it was not a good buy but he was carried away with the euphoria of attending the opening of the boutique at KL Pavilion & was probably enticed by the attractive sales girl to do an MTM.

He probably want something robust for travel & is contemplating a shirt jacket which would probably have no canvas.

Sounds like him to be very detailed & demanding I'm sometime surprise he didn't carry an entire encyclopedia with charts & diagrams etc. Comes from his early experience as a lab rat !!

I have mixed feelings about the bespoke Brioni that he is so fond off after he abandon the Row. It seems to me that it's a lot of money compared to what's available in the market. He could have opted for Caraceni or a Gianni Campagna which is much better in terms of fit & finish . His insistence on a loose fit is probably what affects the shape of the jacket . For some strange reason he would wear jumpers underneath his jackets & an extremely fitted Jacket from the Row would have made uncomfortable Was it the Grey or Navy Brioni he used as a sample?
The Grey doesn't seem to fit as well as the Blue version he first made. I understand that there were some issues at Brioni which lead to the departure of the former MD for Brioni as well as my friend's cutter for his initial suit.

The new cutter made modifications to the pattern which in my opinion was unwarranted.

Thanks for the tip . I will pay a visit to W Bill when I am next in London . The place is a maze of materials & one can spend an entire day there.

Just show them a fused suit for Spark man shop ( in black shinny polywool from Nagoya ) & machined button holes ( fake & plastic buttons )

Have a picture taken outside ALT to deter potential customers

Thereafter send the same suit to Gshen to model outside Iris.

A sure fire way to send off any potential Satorialist!!

What's it to you in any event? If he wants to drive off the cliff in his Ferrari surely that's his choice. The world will be a very boring place if every one does things the same way. There is a method to his madness & you don't get to where he is without a clear vision of what he wants . Having known & worked with him for many years I don't think he would be someone that would fall under the category of confused. At the very least the analysts don't think so..

Sorry to belittle the point & appearing defensive ( which I am not ) but I agree with Kotmj on this. It is clearly not for you to raise the issues ( unless you have some equity in the place ). These should come from your tailor.

Most of us, irregardless of whether we have procured bespoke services here or abroad are not experts in the trade.

It is therefore incumbent on the tailor to provide guidance ( preferably in a diplomatic manner ) whether something requested for can or cannot be done as well as its ensuing consequences.

If the client requests for a work suit in a Zegna 15 mil mil fabric , the tailor , assuming she is interested in the long term relationship with the client might wish to caution the client that the fabric is best suited for occasional wear & may fray much quicker than a lesser fabric.

I don't think he is aware of your long relationship & experience with your tailor but I think he needs to establish that relationship himself provided your tailor is frank & honest with him on his capabilities or limitations , as the case may be. I suspect he is testing out the waters as this is his first commission for a jacket with your mutual tailor.

One of the main reasons why I joined this forum is to source for a local tailor having recently relocated here. The feedback from Kotmj & others have contributed greatly to my understanding of some of the local KL Tailors . I was also pleasantly surprised at their ability & painfully aware of their limitations . Some of their feedback will assist others in better instructing the tailors & hopefully raise the standards of bespoke here.

Your response is very telling .

1. It is a fallacy to generalize & group all Asian Tailors under the same category. If you have been following this thread, Kotmj had fought hard to get his way with his tailor to the extent that he is now commissioning a fully canvassed non fused suit !!. Similarly the reputable Hong Kong tailors ( WW Chan ) would risk their reputation to take on commissions that do not accurately reflect their clients intent.

I think your mutual tailor will be in for a rude awakening if the jacket my friend is commissioning does not reflect the understanding he had arrived at with your mutual tailor . Either there would be numerous fittings & re-cutting until consensus is arrived at or he may ask me to post his remarks with supporting pictures to express his unhappiness with the end product. If any of his request are beyond your mutual tailor's capability, it is best that this be raised at the onset & expectations set early.

2. Most of us are open to constructive feedback. However your comments do not seem to be substantiated apart from implying that my friend is confused & you did not like his Brioni suit. Given the fact that you claim to have have experience in interacting with your mutual tailor, perhaps it would be useful for you to list down in detail how you would have instructed your mutual tailor had you been in his place. The other forumers ( both here & on SF ) have provided detailed feedback on their interactions with their respective tailors which serves as a useful guide on how to engage with the said tailors.

3. Were you fully privy to the entire discussion between the tailor & my friend? Did you have an opportunity to peruse the checklist compiled by him? Do you know what his intended use of the commission in question?

4. Would you care to share your other experiences in instructing other tailors apart from Iris? Any interaction with the big boys in HK? ( WW Chan, etc ) What about the Row ? Or any experience with the big designer names or artisans in Italy?

5. By your own admission you spend an inordinate amount of time at Iris. The feedback you have given here ( as well as SF & London Lounge ) seems to support the assertion that you either have a vested interest in your mutual tailor or have frequent commissions as part of your lifestyle or work requirements.

In the meantime we shall see the outcome of my friend's commission before pre maturely declaring it as a disaster

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Added on August 28, 2010, 12:10 amFeatures found in Tom Ford & Attolini's Trousers. Very fine finishing indeed.

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 28 2010, 12:10 AM

There's great friendship but nothing bordering on love.

I have known him through university & remained friends over the years despite having been colleagues, collaborators & competitors in the professional sense. It seems that the remarks about him were uncharacteristic.

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Added on August 28, 2010, 10:16 amGshen,

Thanks for this detailed feedback. The root cause of the issue at hand is clear:-

1. He informed me that he wanted a jacket which would be used in travel around the region in warmer climates. The jacket has to have numerous pockets to carry the mobile devices that seems to be a growing part of today's life & yet adopt to situations where business casual is called for or allow him to put on a tie & look respectable in a club or restaurant with more stringent dress code. Part of his intent was communicated to your mutual tailor although the second part about the business casual use was not.

2. I understand that the swatch material booklet was not available at that material time. He prefers lighter fabrics in the 10 to 11 oz range -I have recommended him the W Bill linens & also the Harrisions both of which are good alternatives to the H & S linens .

3. He was trying to garner some understanding of your mutual tailor's capability & seems to be comfortable with their previous dealings where she ( I thought it was a he ) has been reasonably forthright about his choice of options. The problem lies in his expectation of "soft" . He was expecting "Italian Soft" when "British Soft" would probably be more appropriate given the jacket's use. I think he has come to this realization after the recent interaction with your mutual tailor .

4. There appears to be some confusion over the "gorge" . What he wants is a high gorge but cut either in the same style as the Armani or the Brioni .I don't think he meant that the gorge position would be the same as these two jackets that was used as references. As far as cut of the Brioni is concerned his remarks are quoted verbatim:
"That gentleman never had to endure long meetings where one is expected to be fully suited. Being well tailored is one thing but comfort super cedes close fit in the final analysis" .

5. He anticipated the potential lack of comprehension which is why he used pictures to help illustrate his point. Based on the samples he's seen in the shop , he seems to be reasonably confident that your tailor will be able to deliver 80% of his requirements.

I think he needs to remember that he is not dealing with someone on the Row or Rome & with that in mind , I would proposed that he takes the following remedial action:-

1. Look at W Bill & Harrisons before deciding to go with the H & K Linens,
2. Provide greater detail to your mutual tailor on the use of the jacket so she acquires a better understanding of his needs
3. Clarify the issues regarding the gorge & jacket structure . Go thought all his requirements again to ensure that there is some consensus with your mutual tailor.

There seems to be culpability on all sides but this episode serves as a good reminder that we need to be clear when instructing our tailors & the tailor's first task is to ask the client what & how he plans to use the clothes commissioned & provide suggestions .

On my part I would not mention your negative remarks about him ( with the exception of the Brioni ) least you encounter him on a professional basis. I apologize for my blunt demeanor and hard talk - a habit picked up from attending reviews .

p.s. It is great to hear that your mutual tailor has a nice ambience much like a gentleman's club. It reminds me of the stories I've read about the late Douglas Hayward & his clients as well as my personal experiences with the smaller Italian tailors where a fitting is often accompanied with an offer of food or drinks thus adding to the congenial atmosphere.

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 28 2010, 10:16 AM

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

Use the search function . It may help answer your question

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

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.

Velcro's a bad idea - Lint and other items are going to get caught on it.

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Added on September 3, 2010, 11:53 pmJust notice that the Italians tend to wear their trousers shorter than the Americans or Brits hence this should not be too much of an issue.

This post has been edited by beau: Sep 3 2010, 11:53 PM

Why don't you make a few with detachable collars? By doing so , the shirt can be worn for work too.