What's Right & What's Wrong
What's Right
-Courageous mix of patterns
I love the mix of large check shirt with a dotted tie and small checked patterned jacket. I'm not saying it is the best I have ever seen but it does takes courage to mix it up like that. A+ for effort
- I like the rakish attitude of his tie knot.
What's Wrong
-Fit, fit,fit
This gentleman is tallish and thin but the jacket has no shape, it desperately needs to be taken in at the waist. Some may say his jacket is a little long but I think that is up to personal preference, plus if it gets more waist suppression that will minimize the length issue.
-Sleeve length,
He needs to show some cuff
-Pocket Square
Right now no suit seems finished to me without a pocket square. This gentleman obviously has a talent for mixing patterns so I would love to see how he would incorporate a pocket square into this ensemble.
The Good News
-All of the problems are so easily fixable.
He could take that jacket in today to a good tailor and elevate this look from a 6 to a 10 almost overnight.
Comments on "What's Right & What's Wrong"
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Sheena said ... (6:27 AM) :
post a commentI reckon it doesnt look too bad, although I'm no expert in mens fashion :P The only thing I'd change is that the two grey tones are too similar, should probably match blazer to trousers.
You say it's so easy to fix with a good tailor. That's my problem. I can't find a good tailor in NY. Everyone I've tried is simply awful.
Do you know any good tailor in the city that you would recommand? My boyfriend needs to have ALL his suits tailored ASAP. Thanks.
It doesn't need to be taken in but a pocket square would be nice. Fit has very little to do with a tight waist.
can you recommend a good tailor?
Good post....completely agree.
After Anon 9:14 am, I've been meaning to ask you Sarto., could you recommend a good tailor(s) in manhattan? There seems to be many tailors, one does not know where to begin and most important, I trust your advise.
I have a couple of jackets that I'd like to get the sleeves taken in on, but when the sleeves have buttonholes (whether real or simply sewn) how is one supposed to be able to take them in? Is this something a good tailor should know how to do?
As for finding a tailor: I found a decent one in San Francisco via Yelp (though I haven't found one who'll do sleeves well). You might try that.
Sartor , I agree that the sleeve needs to show.... too many tailors measure the thumb to wrist which covers the cuff , but they should really go 1" higher .... amazing how many times I've had that discussion.... love this site !!!! keep up the great work
I would agree with all your comments.
Can you possibly recommend a good tailor in New York City that does alterations and such?
Keep up the great blog!
If the Sartorialist is reluctant to recommend a tailor, I suggest y'all investigate the relevant threads at two men's clothing messageboards, askandyaboutclothes.com and styleforum.net. Links are on the Sartorialist's main page.
You're totally right about the jacket tailoring. Shame, because it looks like a great suit, and I also like the pattern matching.
After reading your insightful critique, and then reading all of the comments about how to find a good tailor, I do think it would be very helpful if you, or someone, could suggest what to look for in a good tailor.
Here is a bad experience I had once with a tailor - not a Manhattan tailor - I should add.
I took a nice, long black linen J. Crew shift to be altered. The tailor took an inch or two off the hem - only to leave the lining exposed!
When I took the dress back, and asked why the tailor had not hemmed the lining, too, I was told because I only asked for the hem of the dress to be altered.
Now my question to everyone is, was I in the wrong? Should I have requested that both the hem AND the lining be altered???
Please help.
I need advice on how to approach a tailor because I would be afraid to take anything else into a tailor for alterations based on this one bad experience.
new york magazine's last all-around mentions of tailors @ ny metro online in 2002. there's also guillermocouture.com and other listings at nymetro.com
As to anonymous's comment (11:39 AM) that "fit has very little to do with a tight waist," I really disagree. Are you thinking of the fact that it is very easy to fix a waist, but very difficult for a tailor to fix the shoulders, and therefore the most important thing you should find in a suit is a good fit around the shoulders? If so, that doesn't mean waist is unimportant AFTER you get a suit tailored, but only unimportant when you are buying a suit off the rack.
Fortunately or unfortunately all of my suits lately have been Made to Measure so i don't use a tailor for much more than pant hems.
Since it does appear to be a big issue maybe i can ask some of my better Sartorialist friends who they recommend - it would make a good post.
maybe a different guy a day for a week
I will work on it right away
i agree having a good tailor is very important. most of my suits are ready made and i let my tailor do some nip and tuck here and there to hide the excess stuff. if anyone is looking for a good tailor in san francisco, let me know.
6:40: Would love to know who you reccomend. I'm in San Francisco as well. I've had fairly good dealings with David's Tailor, but will definitely try another. For shoes I've had great service from Anthony's and my important dry cleaning goes to Upper Market French Cleaners (although there are much better and far more pricey ones I've been to in Russian Hill)
Two button jacket with the suggested cut. I would wear this everyday.
Great post. I'm sending a link to my husband because I think this is the sort of explanation he'll appreciate. It's hard for guys who want to look good but don't want/have time to shop, learn about fashion, etc. Nice to have it explained sometimes. And preferably not by their wives...
i go to franz gutierrez and he is located at 166 geary street suite #403 and you can reach him at (415)298-0577. franz is from colombia and he is as good as those tailors from napoli. he did all my functional buttons and they were done as if a brioni or kiton tailor has done the work. franz started at wilkes bashford and then worked several years at neiman marcus. now he has his own shop in san francisco.
i also take my shoes to anthony's and i know the two brothers (gino and mario).
i handwash my shirts and iron them as well because i had too many bad experiences with dry cleaners. i value my borrelli and kiton shirts that i don't want anyone touching them except me.
I'll 10th the no decent tailors in NY comment. I've tried the ones recomended in NY mag's "best of". They've been poor. I've also been on Ask Andy About clothes for years, and the question always comes up and is never properly answered.
The one that I haven't tried (but will) who is supposed to be good is Paul Winston on 44th just upstairs from Press.
For shoe repairs Bills on 59th is great. - wouldn't go anywhere else.
I'm dismayed at the quality of tailoring offered at NY's premiere mens store. I would encourage these stores to seriously upgrade these services..and at the very least slow down the process to ensure a perfect result. All to often I feel rushed. The sense of being in a luxury store is out the window.
As well, when I ask for an opinion, I usually receive the bar mitzvah suit - default answers...(if that makes any sense). I would love an answer that expresses an understanding of what I'm buying, and perhaps a recognition of my personal point of view.
And this is just a pet peeve...These stores need to require their tailors to dress better..instill a little confidence with your customers. I find it difficult to ask for 1 1/2" cuff with no break on a flat front suit pant, when the tailors triple pleated pants are dragging under their heels.
I hope there are retailers reading these posts, or a young savy tailor who sees a void in the marketplace. Because we're here for ya.
I had left a comment earlier for a New York tailor recommendation, but not seeing it posted here, I assume that the Sartorialist wants to check it out first. The tailor is Balabanis in the street level arcade of the Chelsea Hotel on West 23rd, a husband and wife team. The husband, Anastasios, usually handles the gent's alterations as well as handling well, tailored clothing. He did an excellent job with a blazer for me. Anastasios and his wife are old school tailors who also handle made to order suits and shirts.
Maybe part of the trick of finding a good tailor is communication and trust? - Being able to ask what can be done to make this item of clothing look better, and trusting that the tailor knows how to make clothing fit properly. Hopefully, once the Sartorialist posts his suggestions, the trust (and competence) part will be taken care of, at least!
What are the economics of tailoring like anyway? Tailors are so often a depressing experience worldwide. I sometimes suspect it's one of those things that people wouldn't pay enough for to get the quality service they want - that a good tailor just can't charge people what would be a normal `market rate'. If I buy say a Joseph off the rack suit on sale at Selfridges for £250 (not rich enough for bespoke yet), I ask myself how much I'd be willing to pay to have it `retroactively bespoked' to be really rocking. £100? I'm not sure. At what price would it be worth the tailor's while to really provide good service, inspire me with confidence, know what he's doing? there are so many hacks. In Toronto, there are quite a few old school guys who came over from Hungary and Italy and Greece in the 50s. They're all retiring and their kids sure aren't going into the business. I despair.
(1) invisigirl, it sounds as if the tailor you went to is completely clueless. Never go there again. Look for recommendations at the boards anon3:20 cited.
(2) the jacket length looks good to me but somehow the pockets look as if they're set too low. Tucking in (or removing) the flaps might fix that.
The best way to get what you want from a tailor is to keep open communication during the actual fitting. If at any point throughout the first fitting, you feel the tailor doesn't understand you, consider taking your business elsewhere. At Beyond Bespoke Tailors in midtown Manhattan, our fitting process is extremely thorough and we discuss every aspect of the fit and the finished product.
What I'm curious about is if this guy knows what was on your mind then ? I would LOVE for someone with your take on fashion to throw some opinions onto me. Very few in Singapore (where I live ) emphasize fit and cut so much. Tailors are, sadly, fading out here.