Posts Tagged ‘bespoke’

This is just a teaser, wait for the full report soon !!!

My new oxford - goodyear welted

My new oxford - leather lining

My new oxford, emboss on the sole

My new oxford, the 5 eyelets

My new oxford, side view

My new oxford, simply gorgeus

Just a very quick update on my MTO (made to order) shoes (you can read previous post in this series here).

It almost a month since I’ve got my feet measured for pattern. Just last Thursday, I was invited to the fitting. Handiman the owner of Mario Minardi has finished making a rough finished left side of the pair for me to try.  And whilst it was nice to wear, I felt there is something off with the shape and curve of the shoes, and so I request some adjustment.

Anyway, along the way, in between the measurements and fitting. Handiman sent me a couple of pictures that some sort of explain the early stage of the production process.

The first picture below is the original last. You see, after my precise measurement was obtained, Handiman then look for a last ( a shoe frame, very much resembling shoe tree) that closest resembling my feet shape. The results is last number 11292 as you see below. If you look closer you can see the last size is 42, which is consistent my current wear size.

The original shoes last. Number 11292 size 42

However, as one may predicted, the last required some amendment, hence Handiman send the last to be adjusted as observed on the below picture. The adjustment shown in dark gray materials appears to increase the height of the upper part. This adjustment was done for both side accordingly.

Adjusted shoe last, notice the black material attached to the original last ?

Next process is making the pattern. This is shown by drawing the shoe pattern across the last on the above picture. The drawing will then be used as a guidance when cutting the leather material.

The pattern drawn on the last

From this point, the process will decidedly be varied and becoming more and more complex. It will be interesting process nonetheless, and I will report the detail process accordingly when I received by shoes safe and sound. Until then, I bid you good night and good luck.

One of the frequent advice that I gave to my fellow in terms of suit acquisition was when you can afford it get it tailored. Now comes to think of it may not always a sensible advice when it comes to those who lives in Jakarta or Indonesia in general, because tailored suit not necessarily more expensive then of the rack suit and not necessarily better. In that sense, there is no easy answer, and at the end it lies on your budget, your situation, preference and how sophisticated you are in terms of your sartorial decency. Lets examine our option.

Say if you are a college graduate, you need suit because you are going to apply job, head to interview and of course make an impression on whoever wants to hire you. There will be time range of 2-3 month between your graduation and interviews, and since you don’t have your own income, the good bet is that your budget will be limited too say between IDR1-1.5mio for a suit. Take all this into account, and here what I thought.

With IDR1.5mio you can get a decent quality material tailored suit. But as I have mentioned in many of my earlier posts, having a suit is all bout having a fit. And finding a tailor with that budget range and suits you is a challenge. Additionally, since this is your first suit, I sincerely doubt that you know what you want and what to expect. Hence plenty opportunity for things to go wrong.

Your old man, naturally should come into rescue, with his age and experience, he should by now ready to guide you to enter the period of sartorial adulthood. And by that recommended 1-2 two tailors that he has been using all this time. This is great, since then you can avoided trial and error, and you have to trust your old man judgment. His tailor of choice may not be readily suitable to your taste, but good thing about tailor made suit, that  if its not satisfactory at the first fit, you can ask for an adjustment. And three months is quite plenty of time to do so. As long as your the tailor willing to listen, and you are willing to contribute. And if this is your case, its pretty much settled for the time being.

Unfortunately not everyone that lucky, in fact most of our old man probably have little or no conscience of the sartorial decency. In which case, you should look at the ready, off the rack suit.

There are plenty of brand within that budget range that you can choose. My primary choice will be Zara and G2000. Some other brands like Carthago and Arnon Brook can also be found in your average Department Store (Sogo, Metro and Centro) and they offer various cut and materials.  I urge you try window shop and try every possibilities, you’ll surprise on the difference that each brand can offer in terms of fit and materials.

With this “budget” brand of course, you don’t have much say in the quality. These suits are machine made, and the materials are average,  in-depth bespoke details like working cuff buttons, stitched canvas, and hand stitched inter lining us out of questions. That said, with proper care, the suit may last for years before it ruined itself from weather and usage.

Hence when buying this suit, only consider three things. The first the type of suit that will flatter your figure (two-button or three-button, side  vented or centre vented), the material (make sure that its comfortable for you to wear it for a full day, and doesn’t make you itch) and lastly the fit (make sure than you can move, stand and sit comfortably in it.

Now you have to trust me on these thing, as much as you think the suit fits you well, it is not, unless you have a body like a pro model or a mannequin, there is going some room for improvement, maybe on the sleeve lengths or waist fit.  To that affect, bring it to any decent tailor that you can find, and have it adjusted, it will cost you few hundred thousands extra, but its worth it. It’s also a good way for you to find your own future tailor.

Now that I have provided you with a reference of a good tailor, its now come to your discretion on what sort of details that you want to have when you come to the tailor and have your suit made. Generally, I will strongly advise you to visit dept store and designers boutique to see and feel what your preference going to be. The cut, the materials, the label, the lapel width, lapel type, pockets, buttons and every details that comes with the suit.

Usually, the tailor will have to ask you some obvious, such as the fabric choice,  suit type (single breasted, double breasted) some will go as far to ask what sort of buttons that you want (for some reasons, many Indonesian high end tailor, like to offer customer with fancy metal, emblem buttons, and for some reasons, many customers opted that rather then conventional mother of pearl).

But other than that beware, the suit that you would  get may not exactly what you have imagined. Hence, the list:

• Lapel, the choice can be peak or notched. For ordinary business requirement, choose peak lapel
• Lapel wide, in Asia (including Indonesia) the tendency for the tailor is to use wide lapel.  If you like prefer narrower one, like I do, ask him to do so
• Sleeve buttons,  four buttons only
• Vent, this is the tail of your suit, side vents for English style, single vents for American, no vents for Italian. My preference ? side vents, it helps you when you sit, and leaves the suit form intact.
• Number of buttons, two or three, but never four, and used one only for tux
• Shoulder Pad, generally it depends on your figure, if your shoulder sloppy you could as for full pad, but if your should big enough, ask for less pad, this will help accentuate your figure rather naturally
• Sleeve length, tell him that you want the suit shorter than the shirt sleeve, as such when you standing, and both of your arms on the side, 1 cm of your shirt sleeve will leaved exposed
• Same things goes with your shirt collar
• The trousers, can be pleated or not. If you on average build, you can opt for non pleated, it enhanced the slim posture
• Trouser can be cuffed or not. In general choose no cuff.
• Belt loop. Some opted for looples waist, hence enhancing the clean and slim line of the trouser. Surely you can gain or loose weight in a time, in which case you can add side adjuster instead.
• Breast pocket. In my experience, due to tendency to make a relatively wide lapel, it sometimes resulting the lapel covering the breast pocket. I prefer the line of breast pocket is visible and slightly touched on the corner by a lapel, but again, you may need to ask for it.
• If you have a picture of your wanna be suit, show it and leave it, it’s good that your tailor have other reference other than his note.

When its finally ready for first fitting, wear a shirt that you normally wear with your sit, buttoned the upper most button (if two-button) or two upper most (if three-button) of your suit jacker and examine the following details:

• Sleeve length should felt 1 cm shorter that your shirt sleeve
• Your lapel should felt 1 cm shorter that your collar
• Your trousers behind should felt straight above your shoe heel, while the front part will wrinkled slightly covering your shoe lace.
• Ensure that the lapel falls flat on your chest, and the back side felt close with the shirt collar with no gap in between
• The jacket waist drape nicely around your own, and minimum stretch
• Your shoulder doesn’t bulge
• When you move you arms within reasonable range the remainging of the jackets will stays.
• The jacket length should be suffice to cover your arse, but no to long.
• Ensure that other details follow your original requirement
• Finally, take some moment, to try walk, sit and stand still. In any of these body position, you should feel the utmost convenient. After all what is the purpose of the tailor made clothes if it’s not comfy.

If you think I missed anything on this list, feel free to add.

Yesterday was my birthday.  And like any of my previous birthdays, it was full with greetings and wishes from my beloved family, dear friends and colleagues.

Like any other birthday, it was also full of festive occasions, lunch out with team mates, and dinner with best friends. There were also some surprises from my girlfriend and friends along the day.

But what surprise me the most, are the gifts that I received yesterday.

It’s all started by one phone call in late morning, right at the peak moment at the end of the year drowsiness. The voice on the call introduced her self as an admin from Ace Hardware, enquiring whether I’ll be home to receive the delivery. Pretty much clueless, on what was happening I asked, what delivery that she talked about. She explained that she has in her possession an oven toaster and a gift wrap, to which I responded, “I’m not ordering something from Ace, could there be some mistakes ?”

“No sir,” she said,” this is exactly delivery for you, as ordered by…” and behold, my girl friend act with her usual wit, has bought me, a dream machine that will superbly complement my apartment, an oven toaster. Needless  to explain, those of you who familiar with kitchen and cooking, will know how an oven can make your life easier and healthier, imagine of cooking French fries without oil ? Just spread it evenly on the pan, and toast it !!! It will be ready in 10mins.

Now the next gift, would have rather long story.

As many of my friends already know, and complains to me about it, I am one of those person who resent Blackberry,  don’t even start to ask why ? Because then you will incite a thesis long explanation on why I resent BB. Anyway, because of this resentment, and knowing that all my friends have been complaining in many occasion on my attitude towards BB, I have no doubt that, they will buy me one for my birthday (knowing for sure that there is no chance I will buy it myself).

So when they handled a box, reasonably heavy and beautifully wrap, I kind of said to my self, this is it, my penultimate end of blackberry resentment, because, no matter how I hate the stuff, there is no way, not even a single way, that I will disrespect a gift that my dearest friends have given me. And whilst slowly dismantled the wrappings, layer by layer, I imagined how my days going to be with a BB in my pocket, texting, and browsing, without the slightest care with the real worlds that surrounds you. Slowly, but surely, at those minutes, I fell into state of acceptance, that I will join the club of virtual autism, that have walked the earth for the last one year.

Alas, I could never been more wrong then that. As the box opened, and the plastic unwrapped, I carefully laid my hand on the soft, beautiful, smooth black colored fabric, a super 150 wool suit, that so soft, it felt almost like a silk. A fabric so perfect and so proper to be turned into a black suit or dinner jacket that I have in mind for my beloved cousin wedding next April.

I couldn’t help by wonder, at that time, out of everything in this world that could be turned and wrapped as a gift, my friends have pick for me a beautiful clothes that I can turn into a suit, almost like knowing for sure that I would deeply, deeply, appreciate and love it. And they were right. This piece of clothes, are the best gift I have ever received from them. It was very thoughtful, considerate and sincere, that I couldn’t wish for better gifts that night.

They could be selfish. I mean if my prophecy turned out to be correct, and they did get me a BB for my present, I will still be happy and they will be happy too, because then they can have me in their BBM anytime. But such selfishness is non existence in our friendship, as they have proved. Instead they gave me, something that I have never thought, never expected, never asked, and yet I very much valued, appreciated, loved and cared for. Fair to say, it was one of the best gift from the best of friends ever.

This makes me think, maybe, just maybe, if I have to swallow my own spit and get my self a BB like they wants me to do for almost a year now, it will be for the most right and unselfish reason.