Looking for Tailor Recommendation

[heep223]

Hello CP brain trust.

I'm looking to get some off the rack suits tailored, and also am possibly interested in finding a high quality tailor who makes quality bespoke suits and shirts.

I wear my clothes really hard and have had mixed results with the high end places in town ie O'Connors and Harry Rosen. I've flopped back and forth on ordering cheap stuff online and having it fitted, vs having expensive clothes made. I've had poor results with both and tbh am a bit fed up.

Would appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Giovanni on 17th and 37th is good. I haven't had a suit made there myself, but I know people who have, and they vouch for the quality.

[peter12]

Yep +1 for Giovanni. I've done bespoke and major alterations. The guy knows his stuff better than anyone in town.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by peter12

Yep +1 for Giovanni. I've done bespoke and major alterations. The guy knows his stuff better than anyone in town.

Peter (or others), do you have any experience with LGFG Fashion House?

[peter12]

You can't do real bespoke at their price level.

I think the best entry level suit would probably be from Suit Supply.

[JackJack]

I've used Jaafer Tailor a number of times with suits that I've purchased elsewhere. He does good work but is definitely a little on the pricey side (for me at least).

I've dropped off pants which he has adjusted from the waist and length. He even tapers them based on style and preference. He is also trustworthy with jacket alternations. He has adjusted sleeve lengths (even with surgeon cuffs) and shoulders.

[East Coast Flame]

another recommendation for Giovanni. He's great!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by JackJack

I've used Jaafer Tailor a number of times with suits that I've purchased elsewhere. He does good work but is definitely a little on the pricey side (for me at least).

I've dropped off pants which he has adjusted from the waist and length. He even tapers them based on style and preference. He is also trustworthy with jacket alternations. He has adjusted sleeve lengths (even with surgeon cuffs) and shoulders.

Sorry to nitpick here but these are services that any tailor should offer.

As for the sleeve lengths with working buttonholes, and any alterations to shoulders, these are pretty risky jobs that will dramatically affect the overall look of the garment. Most tailors refuse to do this kind of work.

Honestly, most people do not need bespoke clothing. OTR will do just fine.

[heep223]

Thanks for the input.

[fundmark19]

I just need some pants for off the rack suits tailored anyone have a recommendation of someone in the south?

[JackJack]

Originally Posted by peter12

Sorry to nitpick here but these are services that any tailor should offer.

As for the sleeve lengths with working buttonholes, and any alterations to shoulders, these are pretty risky jobs that will dramatically affect the overall look of the garment. Most tailors refuse to do this kind of work.

Honestly, most people do not need bespoke clothing. OTR will do just fine.

The purpose of my post was to point out the type of alterations I had a need for and what Jaafar had done well. I've had experiences in the past with tailors who *should* have been able to perform a straight-forward, basic services but have disappointed. In my mind, there is a difference between services a tailor should offer and a tailor who does them really well.

Also, none of my suits are bespoke and purchased off the rack.

[heep223]

Ok so I'm getting suits made from both LGFG and Giovanni. Will report back for anyone interested.

[BigNumbers]

Interested in the cost for a suit from each, and your experience. Looking to do the same shortly.

[Cappy]

Had a guy try and sell me on LGFG a couple times. They were way to pushy for me. As soon as i told the one guy i didn't need a suit at the moment, he walked out quicker than a late night booty call.

In terms of the quality, it has been mixed. Some say its fine, but it certainly doesn't last as long as some of the other options.

If you wear your clothing "hard" its probably best to go for the lower end stuff and replace more often.

[J pold]

http://www.hueylamsuits.ca/

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

Interested in the cost for a suit from each, and your experience. Looking to do the same shortly.

I think the cheapest you could go for LGFG was about 1,000.00

They can go up after that to several thousand.

At Giovanni, if you want made to measure, it was similar. If you want true bespoke, it is pricey.

Try not to confuse bespoke with M2M.

M2M is a list of a few things that are adjusted according to your measurements.

Bespoke is made from scratch and can be changes in any possible combination of ways.

[curves2000]

I have been a loyal client of Giovanni's for many years. Been going to him since I was 17 years old (am 31 now) and his quality is fantastic!!

One a recent visit he does seem like he's aged a lot so he has his "grandpa" style quirks, but he is mostly about the flattery which he lay's on THICK!

Some tips for those wondering. Ask for a cash deal, you can save a little $$ by paying cash. To my knowledge his suits are bespoke, hand made. Typical suit is 6+ weeks with a few fittings to make sure everything is in order.

I wear "classic" style suits which age very well. It's tough to describe, but the suit just fits properly, unlike these new trendy style suits that are very tight fitting and body hugging. If your looking for a very modern cut, discuss with him in detail about what you want and bring some pictures as well. Have a chat also with his young male assistant and he is fairly fashionable himself and can provide some good insight from a younger demographic perspective.

His clothing is fantastic. If you have the funds and the cloth is available, get a 3 piece suit done with a vest, adds a totally different dynamic look wise and adds lots of versatility for the summer months or other times when a jacket isn't required.

As for his alterations, be careful regarding the cost. Get a cost in advance as I have had a few sticker shocks regarding the work done. It was mostly my fault but I have ended up paying $150 in alterations for a $200 Moores quality suit (wedding party etc)

For those also wondering about Huey Lam's Suits on 14 Street, he is also quite good. I have gotten a few suits from him and the value is quite good. His fabric choices aren't for the higher end suits but the fit is quite good. His suits are more of the modern style fit and sometimes his store can get crowded as he runs a dry cleaning business alongside his tailor shop. His tailoring for the suits is all done overseas in Vietnam I believe, some great little details he offers for his suits is great. He also utilizes computer scanning and other high tech methods to get a great fit.

Warning: Get the suit dry cleaned BEFORE you go for a final fitting. I have found on 2 different occasions that the suit might have shrunk or tightened up a bit AFTER I had a final fitting and they were sent for dry cleaning. This resulted in a slightly different fit so I had to get them altered again ever so slightly. Full disclosure though, this appears to be an isolated incident with me as several other friends of mine haven't had the above mentioned issue.

Sorry about the long post! Good luck!

[Bean]

My short arms don't fit my parka so well. Would a place like Giovanni's be able to shorten the sleeves of a parka?

The tailor at a better men's store says they won't be able to do it and I don't want to be laughed out of Giovanni's. Does anybody have any insight?

It might be difficult as both the hard shell and cuff could be shortened by an inch.

NSFW!

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by Bean

My short arms don't fit my parka so well. Would a place like Giovanni's be able to shorten the sleeves of a parka?

The tailor at a better men's store says they won't be able to do it and I don't want to be laughed out of Giovanni's. Does anybody have any insight?

It might be difficult as both the hard shell and cuff could be shortened by an inch.

NSFW!

Bean,

You can try taking it to Giovianni and I also recommend another tailor I used for new suits/alterations which was Huey Lam. Here is his website http://www.hueylamsuits.ca/pages/contact/

With Giovanni since he is an actual tailor as opposed to some stores "alterations" employee he has more experience working with clothing.

A quick story: A very close friend of mine always purchased the high end suits from one of the larger premium department stores in downtown Calgary. He lost a substantial amount of weight rendering a $15 000 suit wardrobe worthless as the "tailor" at the store couldn't reduce the size of the suits. I suggested he try Giovanni and he went there and was thrilled with the results. He ended up paying $250+ each suit for the work, which is expensive but he salvaged his investment in the clothing. My only advice with Giovianni is to get a quote before hand.

Huey Lam: He also has been a great tailor for me as well and would probably be more reasonably priced. He is also fairly tech savvy so you may be able to email him a few pictures and save a trip down to his store.

I recommend both guys but given your parka, I would probably start with Huey since you can email him some pictures and get an idea perhaps.

Either way, good luck with your parka!

[Leondros]

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

Interested in the cost for a suit from each, and your experience. Looking to do the same shortly.

+1 - for experience and cost.

I have had Giovanni do some work on a made to measure suit I had made on Saville Row in London, however could not make it back for the final fitting. As such, I went to Giovanni who was the only one I trusted with it.

It turned out fantastic - the Saville Row tailor asked for some pictures after the alterations were made and he commented that it looked exactly like he would have done it.