Hard to find something to suit me

By MICHAEL FOREMAN

As a confirmed slob with a lifelong aversion to clothes shops, the idea of going shopping for a made-to-measure suit would usually fill me with horror.

But when I was asked to seek out the ultimate in male sartorial elegance on the internet, I accepted the assignment with few qualms.

After all, cyberspace is free of those insincere sales assistants who seem to stalk you from the moment you go in the door, and you can browse websites without having to constantly repeat the words, "I'm just looking, thanks."

But finding a site that would supply a custom-made suit over the net proved to be a surprisingly tall order.

My first port of call was London's Savile Row, where Gieves and Hawkes' website includes a bespoke tailoring section.

The company promises that its specially made suits will give you "the confidence of knowing that nobody in the room is better dressed than you."

If Gieves and Hawkes' threads are as well put together as its website, that statement is probably true.

But you can't order a bespoke suit at this site. As Gieves and Hawkes warns almost boastfully: "Resign yourself to waiting around eight weeks, enduring several fittings, and spending upwards of £2250 ($7843)."

Back in New Zealand, my search proved equally unfruitful.

Wairarapa-based Alex McLeod is offering suits online, but only the off-the-peg variety.

Christchurch sportswear shop On the Green includes an online made-to-measure service - but only for Barbour and Backhouse coats.

Finally, at Tartans of New Zealand you may specify your measurements via the net for a wide range of tartan gear from kilts to some nifty-looking plus fours, but this was hardly what I had in mind.

I decided to head for Hong Kong, a city famous for its made-to-measure tailors, confident that I would find what I was looking for here.

I soon found a couple of "online" tailors but they were not the using the net as I had expected.

At Noble House and mytailor.com, you are invited to use e-mail to arrange an appointment with the tailor, who will call in and take your measurements. But NZ was not included in the destinations covered by these peripatetic tailors and part of the point of this exercise was to avoid having a stranger measuring my inside leg.

I was almost ready to admit defeat when, finally, I found the Virtual Tailor.

Here, an online form allows you to specify a two or three-piece suit in one of four basic styles, before deciding on the finer points like vents, pleats, number of buttons etc.

A 15-point self-measurement guide is included to ensure that your suit fits you perfectly, but the Virtual Tailor does not seem very confident about its customers' abilities in this area.

Rather cheekily, it recommends printing the web page and taking it to a professional. "Our experience is most clothing stores are willing to do this free."

Links:


Gieves and Hawkes

Alex McLeod

On the green

Tartans of New Zealand

Noble House

My Tailor

Virtual Tailor