Custom Clothes

[Talltexan]

After searching hi and low for clothes that fit off the rack for such a big guy like myself, I finally found a custom tailor. I tried everything from Casual Male to online.

Anyways the guy is from Hong Kong and speaks English and has been in the community for 25 years and outfits some of the county's top officials.

He gets all of his material from HK where he has an office. The pant and one shirt cost me $388.00. Plus he through in extras such as lining to the knee and monograming etc. he took a lot of time measuring and answering my questions. Took two hours!

Did I get a good deal? I am new to all of this. I did a lot of research before I made my decision.

 

[Demented]

I turned to made to measure (MTM) clothing 7-8 years ago, Like yourself nothing off the rack fits perfectly. Thus far I've only had suits, dress shirts and ties made. Lately the idea of having casual trousers and shirts made and sport coats and at least one blaser has been creeping around the back of my head. I worry it may be the start of some weird disorder.

Made To Measure trousers can (depending on the material) run from $100.00 to $300.00 a pair, possibly more. Shirts start around $90.00 and go up from there, never payed more than $150.00 for a shirt I've had made. Lining to the knee and monogramming shirts seems to be a standard not an extra.

So long as your are happy and comfortable with the cloths (and the cost), it's a good deal. If the tailor is out of Hong Kong, the $388.00 likely includes cost for shipping and duty, and seems a fare price to me.

 

[Talltexan]

@demented

Thank you for your help. Actually the tailor is close to where I live. He has employees at his office in Hong Kong. And has been in my area for 25 years. It's all new to me since the off the rack pants I bought were $89.00 plus shipping. The total was $101.78. I really didn't need the shirt but he said it would have been much more expensive to just order the pants by themselves.

Where does the monograming go on a dress shirt? Should I get it?

 

[Demented]

Most often a mono gram is put on the shirt pocket or cuff, my dress shirts are made without pockets so I have a monogram put on the cuff in the same color thread used to make the shirt, it's understated and imo looks better.

There are four tailors within a mile of me that have been in the area for years and have all the work done at their shops in Hong Kong. I've been looking for someone who does the work locally, so far I've only found a shirt maker who does the work in his local shop.

 

[professorchaos]

Since I started lifting weights, I had to change to MTM for pants. I haven't looked back!

 

[johnniegold]

Once you start with MTM and or custom clothing it's hard to go back to OTR.

Additionally, imo, clothes (more to the point, suits) that fit you right will last longer due to the fact that they do not suffer through the same wear and tear as ill-fitting jackets or pants.

I have some MTM suits that are over 12 years old. Over the years I have had them altered accordingly so that they fit just right. This contributes to their longevity as well as getting the most out of your investment. Lastly, no excessive use of the dry cleaner for suits will also contribute to their longevity.

 

[strop]

One of the reasons I've been motivated to continue my weight loss is that I can now again wear some MTM suits and shirts that I haven't been able to wear in several years. The difference is noticable, and MTM are always more comfortable.

 

[DukeGrad]

My friend
That sounds like a nice price.
But be careful!
I google custom shirts and clothes and got more hits than custom fly rods!
There are custom shirrmakers who do OTR and same with suits
You have to understand what makes a suit great, is it fused, is it canvas.
My advice just to show you the difference between nice hand tailoring (oxxford clothrs) 3k and up then look at hickey freeman mainline just so you understand the basic price points in a suit.
There are hundreds OTR suits which are horrible !
Starting with brooks brothers which is a story in itself
My advice there is a few mens clothing forum ask andy forum is pretty decent
There you can learn and understand the american otr nightmare and where to get trust worthy mtm vs custim
Hong kong is a great start
One of the custom makers is in that forum
Good luck

 

[Demented]

mtm vs custim

I've been under the impression that MTM & Custom are the same thing (not to be confused with Bespoke), since before ordering my first mtm suit from a local custom clothier.

 

[Doc4]

After searching hi and low for clothes that fit off the rack for such a big guy like myself, I finally found a custom tailor. I tried everything from Casual Male to online.

Anyways the guy is from Hong Kong and speaks English and has been in the community for 25 years and outfits some of the county's top officials.

He gets all of his material from HK where he has an office. The pant and one shirt cost me $388.00. Plus he through in extras such as lining to the knee and monograming etc. he took a lot of time measuring and answering my questions. Took two hours!

Did I get a good deal? I am new to all of this. I did a lot of research before I made my decision.

It's a good deal if the construction, materials and fit of the garments is "good enough" for that price point. And we can't tell that over the internet. It's certainly a price point where it could be a good deal ... depending on what you actually got.

(It's like asking "I just bought a new car for $40,000 ... did I get a good price?" ... until we know make/model/brand it's impossible to say ... bare-bones Corolla ... no ... loaded Lexus ... yes.)

I've been under the impression that MTM & Custom are the same thing (not to be confused with Bespoke), since before ordering my first mtm suit from a local custom clothier.

Well, there is MTM and bespoke. "Custom" is a more fluid term that can mean just about anything that the seller wants it to mean, other than merely OTR. If you want bespoke, get bespoke. It it ain't bespoke, it's MTM, no matter how many times the tailor throws the word "custom" at it.

Not that there's anything wrong with MTM ... but it ain't bespoke (which, if nothing else, costs more. You want to know whether you are paying for the Lexus or the Rolls Royce.)

 

[k2clones29]

Whether it is a good price is relative to the materials that he used. Is $388.00 comparable? Yes, it is. But the warnings above are 100% accurate as far as quality. The guy I go through works for Tom James, which is a reputable company. I don't get it local and it takes 8 weeks to get, which are both drawbacks. But the suits fit perfectly every time, and there isn't any of the comments like, "this suit is nice, but I wish it was 3 button instead of 2."

 

[Demented]

"Custom" is a more fluid term...

That is correct, considering Bespoke and MTM are both custom made cloths.

One of the local tailors that has the work done in his Hong Kong shop, will cut and style to your exact liking, fit and finish with the fabric of your choosing, use floating horse hair canvas, functioning surgeons cuffs and natural horn buttons. Once the suit arrives you are fit, anything that isn't to your liking is adjusted until your are happy with the garment.

What exactly is the difference between Bespoke and MTM?

 

[BigBull]

Id say it's a good deal if you think the finished product was something you enjoy and found to be of high quality. When it comes to clothing, nothing is like custom clothing that fits...especially for us big guys! I have a 14" drop between my shoulders and waist (50/36) and an 18.5" neck. I could never find anything off a rack that fit, leading to the bunched up shirt in the back - the sleeve's that get wrinkled as all hell...you know. Anyways, I went custom and I've never looked back. To give you a comparison I pay about $700 for 6 custom shirts. Pants I typically still buy off the rack at Brooks Brothers and have it cut a bit...but suits are certainly custom.

It can be expensive to start, but you'll enjoy wearing them more and certainly look better. I'd rather have a few outfits I enjoy wearing all the time than 30 that sit in my closet and don't get worn.

 

[Demented]

I was 60/40 with a 22" neck for years, needing a 15 rise to wear the trousers at my natural waist. Retired and gave up weigh training about eight years ago after injuring my back, these days it's 54/42, 15" rise and 18" neck, still can't buy an otr jacket/shirt that fits right without having it altered or pants/trousers I can wear at the waist that aren't snug in the groin.