London people.....Help..

welkman

Right, major catastrophe.

Getting married in 8 weeks time and decided to treat myself to a tailored suit. I was all for going to london and getting a really nice, sleek and modern suit, however my dad had other plans. Somehow he convinced me to use his Hong Kong based tailor and the results are an absoloute disaster. The suit is the wrong style and about three sizes too big, needless to say it has been returned.

Its half term next week and I now need to find a good place to buy a tailored suit in London. Im looking for a classic but close fitting suit.

Any reccomendations are welcome as I dont have a clue where to start.

Cheers

W

greg66_tri_v2.0

How close are you to an off the peg size?

8 weeks should be enough time to have a bespoke suit made, but the question is whether you need that, and whether you want to stump up the £££ for it.

Next after that your option is made to measure: an off the peg suit that is altered to fit you. For a classic English suit altered to fit, I'd suggest Hackett on Sloane Street or Gieves & Hawkes on Saville Row.

If you want some fancy four button job with three vents, mixed lapels and a hi-viz lining, I'm sure someone will be along shortly with a suitable alternative...

jonny_trousers

Can't help I'm afraid, but might be an idea to put something more specific in your thread title to attract the right attention. "Suit Tailoring in London" perhaps?

Best wishes!

welkman

Cheers Greg, that sounds good. I reckon having a reversable gortex lined, slim fitted, high viz jacket could be a little over the top.

In all seriousness I havent thought about going for off the peg and altered to fit. In your experince does this give a good result? Would you tell the difference between that and a made to measure bespoke jobby?

Oh and by the way this suit is a present from the parents. Obviously if I had the cash to spare I would have a nice new set of Fulcrum threes to go on the new Ribble Sportive and a suit from TK Max.

W

welkman

Not sure you can edit the title of a thread?

tobermory

Depends if its stripes or strong pattern try the east end still tailors around there if Jewish then so much the better.Bespoke feels as though your not wearing it,if tailored properly.

richVSrich

yeah i'd deffo try an off the peg then altered, unless you are an extreme sized person!

try down jermyn street off piccadily circus, thats a great place to start - all mens wear (suits, shirts, etc) all the names are there and you might see something you like...i do like ben sherman suits, they have a few different cuts and are pretty contemporary...if you want to up the game maybe try paul smith - think that might be near covent garden! (proper fancy linings )

rjsterry

I'd definitely go for bespoke, but then my mother in law is a recently retired tailor, so I would say that. She used to work at Case & Edwards in Bristol, and made the suit I got married in. It was fairly traditional, but a slim fit, and yes, hardly feels like I'm wearing it despite it being a 3-piece and fairly heavy. I bought the cloth myself in Soho (with some guidance). Not sure about London tailors, but when I was shopping for cloth I did visit a few, and there was quite a wide spectrum available within a small area (around Saville Row, mainly) so I'd just walk in to a few and have a chat until you find one you like.

richVSrich

i should have mentioned i'm not married, so wouldnt have any experience in wedding suits specifically :P

welkman

So do you reckon I can nip up to london and have a good nose round without the need to book an appointment?

greg66_tri_v2.0

welkman wrote:

Cheers Greg, that sounds good. I reckon having a reversable gortex lined, slim fitted, high viz jacket could be a little over the top.

In all seriousness I havent thought about going for off the peg and altered to fit. In your experince does this give a good result? Would you tell the difference between that and a made to measure bespoke jobby?

Oh and by the way this suit is a present from the parents. Obviously if I had the cash to spare I would have a nice new set of Fulcrum threes to go on the new Ribble Sportive and a suit from TK Max.

W

The big giveaways on a made to measure (an altered off the peg) are (a) sleeve length, (b) collar of the coat not sitting snugly against the collar of the shirt, and (c) a ridge of ridden up fabric below the collar, at the rear. Made to measure usually means the trousers are altered most. Made to measure should remove the boxy look of an ill fitting coat around the ribs and waist though (that said, a good off the peg shouldn't suffer that issue in the first place). So if you are an odd shape, esp at the shoulders, the coat of a made to measure and off the peg will both sit oddly.

I take it your folks have an idea how much a bespoke suit will cost. They ain't cheap. There are a bunch of visiting tailors many of whom claim some connection with Savile Row who will come to you, measure you, fit you and deliver the end product. They should be cheaper.

One tip: have a clear idea of the fabric you want (weight and colour), and as many of the details as you can before you go in. Changing your mnd part way through will burn time which you don't have.

greg66_tri_v2.0

welkman wrote:

So do you reckon I can nip up to london and have a good nose round without the need to book an appointment?

Yes. You should be able to go in and browse fabrics and discuss prices and styles without an appointment. And timescales. Very important to make sure whoever you choose will accommodat your timescale!

fidbod

I have been very pleased with Dressed2Kill. Ask to speak to Sam and explain the problem - he will sort you out at a reasonable price

welkman

Cheers for the advice greg. To be honest i'm quite taken by the idea of an altered suit, I think that will also suit the timescale. Im not keen on a travelling tailor after my previous attempt.

welkman

Right im going to give Dressed2Kill a call tomorrow. They seem to have some really good write ups and I like the small range of suits on their website. Im not ruling out any other tailors yet but this seems to be a good lead.

W

rick_chasey

Take a look at " a suit that fits "

www.asuitthatfits.com

t4tomo

also heard good reports on dressed to kill. There is usually a half price voucher in "the week" magazine.

fatherted

T.K.MAXX ?

unscarred

Rick Chasey wrote:

Take a look at " a suit that fits "

www.asuitthatfits.com

I used these guys for my wedding suit. Useful web interface to plan the design which was then refined at the face-to-face meeting. The member of staff I dealt with was helpful, friendly and professional.

We organised our entire wedding in under eight weeks, so they can definietly deliver in your time scale.

The suit fitted well and looked good. Can't fault the value for money versus similar services.

However - I am a little concerned that after less than a year and relatively little wearing the jacket is starting to deteriorate a little. Other than that I can recommend them whole-heartedly.

Clever Pun

il Principe has just had a wedding suit done... I'm pretty sure it was done within 8 weeks.. but from the fitting appointment.

As a rule the suits I buy are off the peg, but I get them altered to slim them down... but for something like a wedding, bespoke seems appropriate if they can sort you out in time

did the hong kong guys use your dads measurements??

rowing_sculling

Time wise it probably depend on whether you want a made to measure or a bespoke suit. Either way if you've got plenty of cash to spend on it Savile Row is a good place to start. You can go slightly wild with an Ozwald Boateng design or keep to the more traditional lines of Huntsman or Norton. They all have their own variations on a theme, so it is best just to pop in and have a chat with them.

Clever Pun

of course there's

http://www.rapha.cc/timothy-everest-and-rapha-threepiece-cycling-suit

make em pay through the nose

Pufftmw

Try these people in Lambs Conduit St (WC1)

http://www.simsandmacdonald.com

They did me both a wedding suit and a normal suit for a reasonable price. Excellent quality.

welkman

So many options....Im going to pop up to london on Monday and make a day of it. Soon to be Mrs W wants to come as well, not sure thats a good idea....

The Hong Kong Tailors have done several suits for my dad in the past but must have moved production...

Oh and they definatly got the style mixed up with my dads order but the sizing was just plain wrong.

Thanks for the input.

W

clarkey cat

+1 for Sims and Macdonald

or here:

http://www.markmarengo.com/

secretsam

Have heard of others with similar experiences of faraway tailors...

Anyway, sad but true I simply went to Austin Reed on Regent Street, absolutely massive and they treated me like a King. Wonderful service. Didn't get bespoke but did get it altered, was really impressed. Went during the week - I'd avoid weekends and lunchtimes - but really top notch service.

Good luck and have a wonderful day. Remember - everyone will be looking at the BRIDE not you, the aim is to make her look good!

davmaggs

There's bespoke and almost bespoke. The cheaper version tends to have your measurements sent offshore, which makes the price affordable.

What sort of budget do you have?

I would say that unless you are going to wear the suit again (and before you change shape) then write it off as a nice idea from your dad, save the stress and go to a decent suit shop and buy off the shelf. They will alter it for you.

Things to note. No matter how much you like a suit accept the fact that certain brands tend to have a 'cut' and it may not suit your build e.g. tall, thin then Paul Smith. So, buy the one that really does fit.

Also decent shoes. Don't ruin a good suit look with pointy shoes, kickers or slip ons. And bring them to the measuring

If you are going bespoke then remember that each tailor has a style so you'll need to factor in visting several to understand what they do well.

lardboy

Drop by Eddie and Chris Kerr's shop: http://www.chriskerr.com/chriskerr.html

My mate has a few suits by them and the suits are beautiful.

welkman

Shoes....havent even thought about that. :shock:

il_principe

Clever Pun wrote:

il Principe has just had a wedding suit done... I'm pretty sure it was done within 8 weeks.. but from the fitting appointment.

My suit was made by Volpe in Pimlico. Tiny little place run by a guy called Adrian and his assistant Jacob, both who really know their stuff.

My suit was semi-bespoke - went with one of their existing patterns as my shape suited it, but you are fully measured and choose everything else, so venting, pleats or no, pocket number & locations, buttons, lapel type/width etc etc (They do fully bespoke as well, but IMO unless you are and older guy or have unusual proportions it's unnecessary).

Their suits are made up in Italy (properly made up, ie canvassed, none of this fused rubbish) and then finished by Adrian following a fitting. Prices range (mostly according to material/quality). I've also had a shirt made up as well. Had a fitting last weekend and am picking the finished suit up on tomorrow. Was delighted at first fitting and have been with the service in general.

So yeah, I'd recommend!

Vople
30 Denbigh Street
London SW1V 2ER
020 7821 0002

il_principe

Also Hackett do Made to measure, as do Reiss. Worth a look maybe?