SM in Paris (Custom-Made)

Hello everyone !

So here is an article on the different possibilities available to you for tailor-made dressing in Paris (for suits at least, shoes and shirts will be for another time). It follows the excellent How to choose a suit? by Alexandre F.

I will only talk about houses that I have had experience with.

TYPES OF COSTUMES:

First a little reminder, we have:

• Ready-to-Wear (200-2000€ or more at Lanvin, Brioni, Cifonelli, Huntsman)
• retouched Ready-to-Wear (often brands offer a retouching service)
• industrial half-measure (heat-sealed) (From €350)
• the semi-traditional half-measure (semi-canvassed) (From €900)
• the big measure (yes sir!) (From €3000 in Paris)

If you buy suits from BOSS for €700 for example, this article is, I think, made for you! For what ? Because at this price, the so-called industrial half-measure turns out to be a very interesting alternative. The tailoring is generally more careful and the cut is normally at the best since it is a matter of measurement.

As soon as you move on to suits costing €1000 or more like at Ralph Lauren for example, for me there is no photo: it's a semi-traditional half-measure .

Afterwards, if you buy your suits from Dior Homme or Maison Martin Margiela, I suppose you are looking for a worked fabric and very special details... that's something else! But don't expect these suits to last as long as a good half measure or a large measure.

There are, however, some good deals to be had during the sales in houses like Corneliani which produce suits of a quality of workmanship equal or even superior to that of certain half-measure houses (which I will not mention because I am not here to That...).

For example, this suit which was initially for €1,600 that I found for €800 on sale (in the photo, the sleeves do not yet have the 1.5cm alteration which means that the shirt is just over one cm regulatory). The fabric is spectacular and the costume very comfortable to wear.

The big measure which starts at around €3,000 in Paris (at €1,850 in Rouen at André Marcel), is a world apart. We choose the fabric we want (valid for all measurement categories) and then ALL the details because everything is doable (or almost).

SOME PARISIAN TAILORS

We will do it in ascending order of price:

• Smuggler, Gambler : Really not a fan of the staff so not tested. Note from Geoffrey: Serious work, but don't expect a special customer relationship. This is the entry level of industrial half-measures .
• Handson : Very good to start in half measures. If, when you enter the mess that serves as his shop, he doesn't deign to speak to you because he is with a customer, that's normal! He will do the same when you are the customer whose costume he will make. You have to give him time to finish. He has a significant choice of fabrics, mainly Holland & Sherry, Loro Piana, Scabal (few), Fintes. With him, we start at €590 with something very appreciable for the price we pay. Delay of approximately 2/3 weeks. On the other hand, this is not where your overflowing imagination will be able to express itself. Obviously, this is a first prize (heat-sealed) http://www.handson.fr

• Samson : Very good tailor tested by Nicolas. Only fabrics from Italian spinning mills Vitale Barberis Canonico are offered at http://www.ohnona.com
  
• Gilles Masson : A veteran of the tailor-made business who resurfaced in 2013 with a new boutique: Atelier Mesure . Without doubt one of the best value for money in Paris under €1,000. Shop located: 44 Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg in the 7th arrondissement (01.45.50.21.09). Note from Geoffrey: Don't hesitate to chat with Gilles, he's an encyclopedia of costumes and a lovely guy. The feedback we receive from the people we sometimes send to him is rave.
  
• Confidant : The brand was born from a certain frustration on the part of Florent, its founder: he likes ready-to-wear, he likes design work, but he doesn't like being disappointed in the middle of a fitting and seeing only one sleeve is too short, or that the piece is not fitted enough. The quality/price ratio is good, Confident offers 2-piece suits from 450 euros and 3-piece suits from 575 euros.
  
• David Diagne : This gentleman is quite a character. He is very welcoming and stopped working to talk to me for 15/20 minutes when I came to see him. He works very well and was trained at Lanvin. It is traditional half-measure (canvassed) of very high quality that he delivers at 1800€ per suit. He pays great attention to details, is very attentive to the overall style desired by the client, he is a true master in my opinion. Why not in December for me... Find him in his boutique Rue des Mathurins.

• Smalto : I'm telling you about it for fun because I haven't tried it personally but it's a huge house, very prestigious, just like Cifonelli. Count on 4000€ and more for endless demands, you are entitled to everything! The fabrics are almost superior to anything you can find in PAP, even at their entry level. Because their entry level is 100 or 120's from Holland and Sherry, and that's already very good.

Original article by Seamaster, an (excellent) reader and contributor. Updated in July 2014.