What to tell your tailor?

[thomasbonilsson]

How do you guys tell your tailor what you want?

Do you show pictures or bring patterns or what?

 

[ortega76]

I bring pictures and let him make suggestions. Many times I will go in with a general idea and colloborate with him to get something that works for me.

 

[adamgottschalk]

I have two tailors. One is a Russian fellow, the other a Thai woman (maybe Vietnamese). With the former, he just says, "You want it to fit?" and I say Yes and I get the perfect fit. That fit means somewhat more "old fashioned" than is typical of American men these days, not baggy, trim fitting.

With the woman I have to be even more emphatic about the fit, as most of her clientele, from what little I can gather, are indeed looking for a baggier, looser-fitting type thing. Though each is in a very different part of town (the former downtown, probably catering to businessmen, the latter on the east side catering to everyone and his mother), they each charge about the same.

Recently I had a chance to have a sportcoat custom made ($370!); still being made. The most important points were:

1. Narrow lapels
2. Minimum shoulder pads
3. High armholes (small armholes)
4. Half-lined

I learned from the Lounge that once a jacket is made, you really can't alter the lapel width or shoulder pads, and armholes too I would gather.