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by JR8 » Wed, 30 Sep 2015 4:28 pm
Lynx makes a good point re: timing. IMO/E if you are in a rush then it's license for the tailor to cut corners.
I'd also avoid any tailor in the central touristy areas. And also any that hand out leaflets on the street or tout you as you walk by. Good tailors are busy tailoring and haven't time or need for such things.
But to start off, why do you want tailored clothes? I ask as IME tailored clothes are useful if you don't fit an off-the-peg size. But you have to pay a lot to get something that looks better than a solid quality shirt (or suit) that has simply been adjusted to a perfect fit. I've frequented a number of Jermyn Street (London) tailors over the years. The last one which I've used for years now is Lewin's, who will make any required adjustments for a nominal charge. Even their basic shirts look better than anything I have ever had tailor-made in Asia.
That is in part down to the quality of fabric used, but also the colour of stitching, and what the buttons are made from. Do the collars need removable collar-bones? On a suit, does the lapel button-hole actually open, or is it just a squiggle of thread 2cm long attached at either end? Do the back-pockets on trousers open, etc?
Time is also important as a good tailor won't risk cutting the button-holes until you've had a second fitting. IME the 1st fitting for a suit is just the foundation 'shell' of the jacket, the 2nd is with the sleeves attached. At that point sleeve length is judged and quite probably adjusted. Only then are the buttonholes cut.
In your shoes I'd do one of two things...
- Look at the sharpest dressed people at work with a similar style to your own, and ask them who their tailor is. SGns have a reputation for being hard-nosed with money, so if the colleagues are locals then all the better.
- Get an off-the-peg shirt from a quality tailor and have it adjusted as might be required. I know Lewin's (in the UK) offer adjustment for a nominal sum on their mail-order goods too. So if you visit their shop, buy a shirt and it needs adjusting, note what they are and then use their mail-order w/adjustments in future.
Lastly, there is no point trying to get cheap MTM. By definition quality tailoring is expensive. A budget purchase reveals itself clearly in the details. Simple things like plastic buttons on a shirt, or fake button-holes on a jacket.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard
