quality, a short discussion I had with a well known tailor
Published: Monday, June 23rd 2008
My new website is here www.desmerrion.com
Sorry for my recent lack of regular entries, I have had a bit on my plate, some good and some bad.
I have not really settled into my workroom at home, there is still a lot to do to make it work well ( as those friends and clients that have been for fittings here will tell you ) but I am getting there, one thing for sure is that I am VERY glad to back on my own and away from the Graham and Merrion partnership, big mistake made there.
I have been working in the tailoring trade for over 25 years now and I am still constantly looking at the small details that can make a big difference to the quality of my bespoke garments, from sourcing the best cloths, to ensuring I am using the best trim package available to make my suits. There is nothing wrong with this or my product, it is simply that I just want to ensure I am making the best possible garments I can, I can't stand still I am a cut and make tailor a small change here and there can make a BIG difference.
The problem I see with tailoring is this, whoever shows you the ropes shows you THEIR way to make a garment, which is the way they were taught, and so on. I don't have a problem with this as the basics remain more or less the same, it is styles that change. Surely there is a time when you must look at adding your own bit into the garment with the aim of improving what has gone by?
Can I make the coat front edge thinner and crisper? Can I make the coat neck lighter? Can I create more shape with the iron? These are just some of the questions I have asked myself over the years, there was nothing wrong with the front edge, the neck or my iron work, I just wanted them to be better. I found out from trial and error and constant practice how to solve these problems and lots more beside.
So what I am saying is that garments should be evolving constantly, holding onto the past where necessary and looking to the future for improvements. I have seen many many garments from various tailors and tailoring houses, some are still turning out very old fashioned, or old school garments, thick, heavy clumsy edges, bulky collar edges, flaps lined with collar melton, and massive lapel mouths and collar tabs to name but a few. Some will like this, most do not, so they are changing, a curve here a 1/4" less there, this is why I am ALWAYS looking for methods that improve, and willing to try new techniques.
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