| Powerslide | 01-02-2009 01:59 PM |
here you go everyone, grabbed from another forum:
I hope you get several replies to this as there are a number of Vancouverites on this forum. I've looked around over the years and have found several that I've used. Here they are:
1. Oakridge Tailors. On Cambie (behind all the rubble in the wake of the work there) between 39th and 40th. I used Chuck Lee there for quite a while, but he retired a couple of years ago, and his business was bought by a young Asian couple. The tailor is a young Asian woman (Joy) trained in Paris over a period of 5 years. She's pretty good, but I haven't thrown anything really difficult at her yet. Obviously can do trouser alterations, cuffing, some suit/jacket work. She does do MTM tailoring, but I haven't had her do any for me. I did have her alter a raincoat and a sports jacket, taking the latter in somewhat, shortening sleeves, and adding working buttonholes.
2. European Custom Tailors. On Thurlow just south of Robson. For many years, Tony Arletto (classically trained in Italy) has done tailoring from this business (his business) and has now gone into semi-retirement, bringing in another Tony (Tony Tran, much younger and trained in Viet Nam, I think) to help out. I've had a lot done by Tony Arletto, and recommend him for even the challenging stuff. He does MTM (maybe bespoke) suits, jackets, and trousers, and I've had him do the tough stuff like shoulder reductions on Kiton and Brioni jackets, where the sleeves had to come off. I've had Tony Tran do the easier stuff like cuffing and altering trouser waists, etc., but would insist on the older Tony for anything really challenging.
3. Minichiello's. North Van on Esplanade about a block west of Lonsdale. This is where I have most of my tailoring done, including all my MTM shirts and trousers. The key person to contact about all work is Julie Minichiello, who is very knowledgeable and whose father started the business many decades ago. The tailor there is Frank Fuscaldo, another classically-trained Italian tailor (in his 50s but younger than Tony Arletto). Frank, although dogmatic as hell at times, is very good, and, in addition to excellent proficiency and expertise, he has a nice appreciation for line and form. He does MTM (and possibly bespoke) suits, jackets, and trousers, although a lot of the mundane stitching, etc., is done by others. Minichiello's have pretty much become my go-to tailors these last several years. For shirtmaking, they're the best I've come across in Vancouver.
4. Chevalier Creations. In business for decades on Seymour, then into a sabbatical, and relocated last year on Georgia, near the Bay. I've had Gabrielle, the owner and tailor, do some alterations on a couple of overcoats and make me a shirt. He's OK, actually fine, but his prices are a little on the high side. This led me to Minichiello's, where the same quality costs a little less. Gabrielle is competent, though, and would be fine.
5. Kerrisdale Custom Tailors. 41st Ave. just east of East Blvd. This used to be a good tailoring establishment when it was Peter's of Kerrisdale, but isn't so great anymore now that younger family members have taken over. I'll take some simple cuffing or shirtsleeve-shortening work to them from time to time.
Other places I've checked out but not used:
Angelo's on Commercial Drive around 5th, I seem to recall. Angelo Papa works out of a hole in the wall, and his prices are very low. However, I just couldn't get too excited about his work and never had him make me anything.
Madison Lee Menswear--Bentall Centre on Burrard and Pender. The guy to talk to is Barron Lee, a longtime fixture on the Vancouver menswear scene (he ushered in to Vancouver the drape-cut suits of Lou Myles way back in the 60s and 70s, and sold circa 1960 Ivy League gear at UBC; talk about opposites!) and a helluva nice guy. Barron will get you a MTM Belvest suit or jacket, and will have shirtmaking, etc., done for you. I don't know why I haven't used him, but there it is.
Dunn's Tailors on Pender at about Seymour or Richards, I think. Middle-of-the-line clothing (Ike Behar, et al.) and truly mediocre tailoring. Years ago, I took a Kiton jacket in for a little minor alteration, and the owner suggested that I not use his tailor as the jacket was too good for this guy, and he'd probably screw it up.
Domenico Tozzi. North Van on Lonsdale. Probably my worst experience with a tailor, and I didn't even have him do anything. A couple of years ago, I had heard, from the manager at Dunn's tailors and Harry Rosen, about this mysterious classically-trained Italian tailor in North Van who was a sartorial genius--a guru and seer, student, teacher, and innovator of the Italian style, and phenomenally talented creator of fabulous suits. Of course, I had to look him up. I therefore struck out on the long journey to North Van armed with a Kiton blazer that I thought could use a touch of alteration. Tozzi, a septuagenarian contrarian greeted me with the news that my Kiton blazer was fused. I politely asked him whether he was familiar with the Kiton line of clothing, and he brusquely informed that he most certainly was, and that their jackets were all cheap and fused--unlike those he made, which were canvased. I proceeded to apply the pinch test in front of him, proclaiming that I was sure I could detect canvas in there, but he was having none of it. He then informed me that the fit was awful, owing largely to the open quarters of the blazer. When I politely suggested that this was inherent in the design, he informed that it was nothing of the sort, but rather just bad tailoring--unlike his jackets that all had closed quarters. He had a couple of suits on mannequins, which I inspected and found to be truly horrible. I left, never to return.
Edit. As I think of things to add, it occurs to me that I should probably note that, in my experience, there are no truly great tailors in Vancouver. I doubt that there is a single true bespoke tailor here, although they all talk of their work in terms that would suggest that they are. They are MTM tailors, some better than others, but not one in the class of a Despos, Shattuck, or Logsdale. I continually find this surprising for a cosmopolitan city of well over 2 million souls. Perhaps it's all part of the same phenomenon that also finds us bereft of any good-quality British shoes or Italian shoes of better quality than Prada, Gucci, Zegna, and Canali. What will the world think when they descend on Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics? |
