Looking for Tailor Recommendation

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

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

Here is the best advice I can offer you for suits and how to maximize the value from both tailors I have used.

Giovianni: A good quality fabric will probably run you $1100 for a 2 piece suit. I always get a 2nd pair of pants made and a vest as well. Generally speaking the pants on a suit you wear frequently will probably wear out quicker than the jacket. Getting an extra pair of pants can extend the life of the suit significantly. Getting a vest made as well offers a really nice classy look as a 3 piece and it allows you to look good without a jacket or in the summer months. Not wearing a jacket in the office or wherever went its not needed also extends the life of the jacket since the elbows don't wear out as quickly. The suits I get including extra pants and vest run about $1700 or so depending on fabric. I find fabric from England is very high quality and reasonably priced. Italian fabric is excellent but I find there is almost an extra cost since everybody associates Italy with "fashion"

Get a price from Giovianni and then offer to pay cash afterward you get price. He will probably knock a bit off such as the GST or more. Grind, don't worry about offending as its business.

Huey Lam: He has cotton suits starting from about $400. They are entry level suits and can be a great way to get into custom made suits or for someone who needs something new and affordable.

He has some nicer fabric that will probably bring the cost of a 3 piece suit to $700 or so. There is some obvious levels of cost cutting from a construction perspective between the tailors but the price difference between the two isn't small. Don't forget that a place like Huey's and other Asian style tailoring houses get their suits made at substantially lower costs and wages. Giovianni's shop has been around since 1976 so he is at the tail end of his career.

I haven't gotten any shirts made at Huey's place his prices appear very good and friends have said the fit and quality is good. I think a shirt will run $70 or so which is pretty decent.

Like I mentioned earlier with Giovianni, offer to pay cash afterwards and you may save a few bucks. You probably can't grind too much with Huey since I suspect he has to pay the duties on his merchandise coming from Vietnam so that eats into his margins.

Any more questions, just ask. Sorry about the long post!

[PepsiFree]

I love this thread for the advice.

I hate this thread for the burning desire to get a new suit I now feel.

[Bean]

Can confirm Huey did a great job on my parka sleeves. Very fair price considering the quick turnaround time and complexity.

[Coys1882]

Anyone mention Umbertos? It's a father and son place downtown.

[peter12]

You know, for all this business about bespoke, I have always done well with a Samuelsohn RTW or even a Brooks Brothers Fitzgerald. I just can't ever see myself spending or needing more than that.

[BigNumbers]

Where is town is best to get some shirts made? What about dress pants?

[peter12]

You don't really need to get that stuff made. Off the rack is good enough for 99.8% of people out there.

[BigNumbers]

Sounds good. I see too many finance guys with the M2M shorts with their initials embroidered...Wondered if I was missing the boat!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

Sounds good. I see too many finance guys with the M2M shorts with their initials embroidered...Wondered if I was missing the boat!

I think you can throw that move in the ###### hall of fame.

[tipenmat]

Originally Posted by J pold

http://www.hueylamsuits.ca/

+1 for Huey. I haven't had any suits made through him but about 10 custom shirts. They are good quality and fit well for a great price.
He is also very reasonably priced for alterations, including suits.

[BigNumbers]

Thanks for the advice, I am going to try out Huey for a test suit, as I wear mine hard so I don't want to spend more than $1K/suit. I'll also get 2 or 4 shirts made and see how I like them... I need them to be very soft, so I am pretty picky about my shirt fabrics.

[Sainters7]

BUMP

Anyone know of a fairly affordable tailor in the city who does decent work? I live by Signal Hill so I've been taking my dress clothes to West Hills Alterations who are great, but it's pretty pricy. Definitely worth it if you're getting Brooks Brothers-calibre stuff or having a suit done, but having to spend $60 to get an $80 pair of RW chinos altered (leg length/bring in waist a bit) feels a bit absurd.

I've had a pretty big fluctuation of weight over the past 1.5 years and finally started going all-in on buying new work clothes so I've got a lot to get altered, I'd rather not spend $1000 doing it considering it's just dress shirts/dress pants/chinos. I have two blazers to take in too, but I'm just going to do that at West Hills, as stuff like that is worth the steeper price.

[EuKnoLikeMonny]

Just saw this now; my girlfriend works for a bespoke tailoring company out of Calgary here. PM me if you want me to pass on her info.

Cheers

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

BUMP

Anyone know of a fairly affordable tailor in the city who does decent work? I live by Signal Hill so I've been taking my dress clothes to West Hills Alterations who are great, but it's pretty pricy. Definitely worth it if you're getting Brooks Brothers-calibre stuff or having a suit done, but having to spend $60 to get an $80 pair of RW chinos altered (leg length/bring in waist a bit) feels a bit absurd.

I've had a pretty big fluctuation of weight over the past 1.5 years and finally started going all-in on buying new work clothes so I've got a lot to get altered, I'd rather not spend $1000 doing it considering it's just dress shirts/dress pants/chinos. I have two blazers to take in too, but I'm just going to do that at West Hills, as stuff like that is worth the steeper price.

Thing to remember about tailors is you can negotiate price with them assuming they arn't to busy

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by EuKnoLikeMonny

Just saw this now; my girlfriend works for a bespoke tailoring company out of Calgary here. PM me if you want me to pass on her info.

Cheers

If she's affordable and works somewhat by my area, absolutely! I'll PM you.

And AFC, good call. Sadly it is super busy in there. They really do great work and I've seen them recommended on these boards before. I'm guessing it's one of those situations where they know they're the best and get high traffic, so they charge what they want. It's also Signal Hill so they prob know a lot of their clientele has money, sadly I'm just your average office schmoe at this point though so I don't reflect that demographic. I don't go there cuz it's the best, it's just literally the closest one to me unfortunately..or fortunately, I'm unsure at this time.