THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD TAILOR
Well-fitting garments and the need for a tailor are some of the most crucial aspects of nailing your style. Not every man can wear clothing right off the rack, and this is one of many reasons why finding a quality tailor with whom you can learn to trust and build a relationship is essential. It is what separates the boys from the men when dressing well.
But how do you go about finding a tailor? Where do you even start?
STEP #1: KNOW WHAT YOU NEED
Before attempting to find a tailor in your area, you must determine what you need to be done.
SUIT JACKET ALTERATIONS OR HEMMED PANTS?
Basic alterations such as hemming pants and shirts or taking in the waist of trousers are usually straightforward. However, dealing with wedding dresses or suit jackets with a lot of canvassing, lining, and construction often requires high-quality work and skill from a great tailor. To find a good tailor to meet your needs, you must carefully consider what you want to have done. Not all tailors are the same, and the best tailors might not be easy to find in your area.
STEP #2: SEARCH ONLINE
It's the 21st century, and Google has become the go-to source for almost any information we need. You can search for tailors in your area, check for reviews on websites like Yelp, and get an idea of where a potential tailor is located.
STEP #3: PAY THEM A VISIT
Make sure to visit your potential tailor before you enlist their services. This might sound "old-fashioned," but if you want to establish a relationship with your tailor, you need to see their workspace, shake their hand, and talk to them in person.
The entire experience could depend on this first impression. When meeting for the first time, here are some questions to consider asking to understand what kind of tailor you're dealing with during your initial visit:
- How were they initially trained?
- How long have they been practicing?
- What are their thoughts on traditional alterations/measurements versus what has become popular today?
- What's their turnaround time?
- What do they charge?
Some tailors may be pushy when you ask to have specific alterations done. Depending on their background and level of training, this behavior may be due to several reasons.
For example, suppose you have a more traditional tailor; then s/he might not be open to hemming your suit pants to show a little ankle or sock but instead opt for a more conventional one-inch break, which has remained the standard for men's formal wear for the better part of a century.
Regardless of where your prospective tailor falls on tradition and formality, it is good to know if they are willing to work with you. It might sound hard to believe, but some tailors won't ever break from tradition and what they feel to be proper, and that's okay because it can be a sign for you to move on (no harm, no foul).
But if you like the initial disposition and opinions of the prospective tailor to whom you've paid a visit, then it's time to move on to the next step.
STEP #4: TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT (& BE SPECIFIC)
Once you've gained an idea of what your prospective tailor is about, you must be upfront about what you want from them. They may be formally trained in traditional practices but willing to deviate from those to meet your preferences.
We want to ensure that we never waste any tailor's time, so understanding what you are looking for will help to save each of you precious time and money and set a standard for what kinds of alterations they can expect from you in the future (if you decide to make them YOUR tailor).
STEP #5: PUT THEM TO THE TEST (BUT REMAIN DISCREET)
Now it's time to test your prospective tailor. I recommend you navigate this stage with a healthy amount of caution; after all, like all relationships in life, we need to make the other person feel comfortable with us.
Remember to be polite and professional. You are requesting assistance from this person and attempting to build a relationship with them. Start small, knowing this relationship should be founded on trust and mutual respect. Remember, you're still deciding if they can be YOUR tailor from here on out.
I recommend beginning by bringing in a pair of jeans. Request that they be hemmed and ask to keep the original hem.
An experienced tailor should be able to shorten the pants while maintaining the original hem, which is in line with the classic style of jeans. If you wish to revert the length back to its original state, as long as the original hem is preserved, this can be done.
This task should not be challenging for a skilled tailor, but if they resist or are unsure about how to do it, it may be a sign that you should seek out someone else. If they agree to perform the task, try on the pants and wear the shoes you would typically pair with them to assist them in getting it right.
GOOD TAILORS & NOT-SO-GOOD TAILORS
It's important to understand that just because someone is a tailor doesn't necessarily mean they are skilled at their craft. You should aim to assess their abilities during your initial meeting by asking relevant questions or checking their reviews if available.
If you're still unsure, you should have a more precise answer after assigning them the initial task of hemming some jeans for you. It's a good sign if they can successfully hem your pants while retaining the original hem.
You can then consider requesting additional alterations, such as taking in a shirt or adjusting a suit jacket that doesn't fit well. The goal is to engage in a dialogue with the prospective tailor. Even if they cannot accommodate all your needs, they can demonstrate their expertise by discussing options with you.
Ultimately, the aim is to establish a relationship with a skilled tailor that will prove beneficial in the long run. By having a trustworthy tailor in your wheelhouse, you can breathe new life into garments that you might have considered getting rid of, ensuring that they become essential pieces in your wardrobe for years to come.
A knowledgeable tailor should be able to explain which alterations are feasible and which are not. Here are a few examples:
- Pants can be hemmed so that you can keep the original hem but not notice.
- Shirts can be altered to maintain the fit in the shoulders but trim up the waist and torso.
- Suit jacket sleeves can be removed and rotated if your shoulders sit too far forward or back.
- A suit jacket's length is about proportionality. Therefore, the arms shouldn't be the determining factor in the length of the jacket because men of specific ethnic backgrounds might have longer torsos.
These are just a few talking points that well-trained tailors should be able to speak through or even demonstrate, depending on your particular needs. Just remember to be polite!
STEP #6: TIP THEM WELL & BRING THEM MORE BUSINESS
If your tailor does a great job and you're happy with the results, it's important to tip them generously. Even though it might seem like it's just their job, rewarding quality work will help build trust and appreciation. This can lead to faster service for you and ensure the quality remains high in future interactions.
In addition to tipping, you can also support your tailor by bringing them more business. This could involve leaving positive reviews online or recommending them to others. These actions will ultimately benefit you in the long run.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT KEEPING THE SAME TAILOR
I've rotated through three tailors in my local area over the past few years because my needs changed considerably as I began building a robust wardrobe.
Most men won't have as many clothes tailored as someone like me does. However, please don't feel that you can't move on once you find a good tailor by following the previously mentioned steps that I laid out. The truth is, I've had some great tailors, but some of the work I needed to have done became too complicated for them to perform for me. So, I have found that there is power in having numerous tailors.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
To illustrate this, I'll recount a particular moment in the last year or so when I needed new sleeves sent to me as separate pieces for a made-to-measure suit I had bought. The original sleeves were too tight, causing wrinkling and twisting in the sleeves of my suit jacket. This ultimately required the skill of an elite-level tailor, someone who could remove the sleeves, widen their width, and rotate them to alter the pitch of their position, all while dealing with the structured canvassing within the jacket's inner lining.
The two tailors I had usually frequented could not do this for me, with one declaring that it "couldn't be done." Now, the tailor I did happen to find, who I am confident is the best in San Diego (quite possibly in all of Southern California), fixed my suit up and made it as good as new, but trust me; it was an extensive experience as well as an expensive one.
Now, if I need a simple shirt hemmed or a button replaced, I don't think I would waste the time of the tailor I found for my sleeves with minor tasks when someone like him constantly alters the suits and dresses of people who make much more than I do (and whose faces appear in some of our favorite films).
When I need simple alterations within the skill set of my initial tailors, I take those garments to them. When I need more complicated alterations performed, I take them to the guy I now regard as the best tailor in my region.
I am bringing this up because, depending on what you need altered, your tailor may or may not be capable of doing it, and it's okay to use specific tailors for certain needs. Of course, we ought to find one tailor to meet as many of our needs as possible. However, I'm also sharing with you that, in my own experience, it is okay to have a rotation of tailors in your arsenal. At the very least, we can support numerous small businesses in conjunction with meeting our sartorial needs.
THE KEY TO NEXT-LEVEL STYLE
As you continue to explore and refine your personal style and garment choices, it is necessary to have a skilled and reliable tailor to rely on. Finding a tailor who can meet your unique needs and is willing to build a positive and lasting relationship with you is essential. It's critical to invest time and effort into forming a solid rapport with your tailor so that you can be a loyal, respectful, and valued client to them.
Your tailor is responsible for altering and repairing your precious garments, so establishing a good relationship is key. A skilled tailor is responsible for taking your style to the next level and good style lasts forever!
