Looking for a good tailor in Australia or China for a tailor made suit.
Previously would go to the Fabric Market in Shanghai to get different quotes from reputable booths with cost arounds $2-5k, might have to do this again when I'm on a trip back to China later this year but last I've heard they have upped their prices significantly.
I was highly recommended 'The Bespoke Corner Tailors Sydney, who are able to offer a $3-6k suit. https://g.co/kgs/xMtnomY
Does anyone have any recommends?
OP is already all in on their wedding. - Looking for Sydney Wedding Recommends (Photographer, Chinese and English MC and Celebrant, Live Music, Florist, Wedding Planner)
YOLO wedding, go hard coz most people only do it once.
coz most people only do it once.
LMAO.
Agreed, I spent 1k on a tailoured suit that my mate all wanted us to be matching… 5 years on ive put on weight and it sits in the wardrobe taking up space
Sell it to OP for $5k
Hired my tux in Bali last Nov for my wedding, $50 for the whole set (suit, trousers, tie, vest) - $5k sounds mind boggling and unjustifiable.
Oh well, your money, your choice.
It better be worth it though! ( bulletproofing optional or inclusive? )
Send us the photos when you're done đź‘Ť
Oscar Hunt
Just recently went through the process of getting my first tailored suit through Oscar Hunt, and couldn't recommend them enough.
Previously would go to the Fabric Market in Shanghai to get different quotes from reputable booths with cost arounds $2-5k
How many times have you been married?
Yes
There's one on top of martin place station before street level (exit to Macquarie Street opposite escalators). He's done a lot of famous people and ex PM's.
Probably out of my budget and not suited for me
Bro this is ozbargain not ozripoff.
Just go to Patong…
Hoi An
This. If you're visiting China, then its a quick flight down to Da Nang for the best suits (bang for buck) in the world.
Probably $500 in flights and another $500 for the suit and 2-3 days time and you're sorted. Accommodation in a v nice hotel in Da Nang (better than Hoi An offerings) is $50 a night tops, and a taxi down to Hoi An will be $20 each way (maybe 6 trips total needed).
A perfect suit for <$1300, and if you want more just add $500 per unit.
If you are a regular shaped human there is no need for a tailor made suit.
Just buy a nice off the rack suit and get it taken in and adjusted accordingly.
While tailor made can be nice, they are just ostentatious and not even to a recognisable degree to the average observer.
But if you are indeed a fat horny ghost, a tailor is probably for the best to get those shapely contours covered.
This is the way
This,
Have been to weddings in a $99 target suit that had been adjusted to suit and looked as sharp as being in my suits that cost 10 times that.
It's all about the fit.
I would respectfully disagree with this.
An off-the-rack suit is built with deviations and tolerances in mind, and hence fits no one particularly well. Also, fabrics and weaves are quite discernible as they directly impact the "fall/drape" of the fabric.
As to whether its noticeable, entirely depends on the peer group. At the courthouse for traffic offences because your Raptor dinged a fellow tradie's Silverado… perhaps not?
At a formal black tie event or if you're presenting at an AGM, a resounding yes.
While i do agree that a tailored suit will always fit better than an off the rack one, alterations and adjustments can be made to offset many clear differences.
Bare in mind, the OP is getting married not presenting at some prestigious event full of sophisticated snobs.
(I could be wrong though, perhaps his entire peer group are in fact fine suit connoisseurs)
But judging by the fact he is asking on ozbargain and not his friendship circle, I'm inclined to lean towards them not being too suit savvy so as to be able to pick between a tailored or off the rack suit.
Again, just my opinion though.
I understand what you're saying mate. Definitely a cost-effective option.
I have weird proportions so off-the-rack tailored/altered suits still don't fit too well. After going down the path of bespoke, it's truly difficult to get suits off the rack (barring casual blazers and jackets).
But judging by the fact he is asking on ozbargain and not his friendship circle, I'm inclined to lean towards them not being too suit savvy so as to be able to pick between a tailored or off the rack suit.
This is an excellent point. I do see some pretty decent recommendations in this thread that I've taken note of myself, so perhaps not the worst idea.
Perhaps OP just wants a nice fitting bespoke suit, it's old mate's wedding and I guess he's entitled to splurge a tad bit. It's only $5k in the grand scheme of things.
@ThadtheChad: Fair points.
Also,
I have weird proportions so off-the-rack tailored/altered suits still don't fit too well. After going down the path of bespoke, it's truly difficult to get suits off the rack (barring casual blazers and jackets).
In this situation, it 100% makes sense to go down the tailoring alley. Whether you are a gym junkie or a junk food lover, if your not in normal proportions tailoring will always fit (at least for the time you remain the same size/proportion haha)
Personally, I’ve got some great off the rack suits and had them taken in and altered for like a third of the OPs budget through sales etc. it works for me, but not for everyone.
Perhaps OP just wants a nice fitting bespoke suit, it's old mate's wedding and I guess he's entitled to splurge a tad bit.
Absolutely, if someone has the cash why not.
Btw, fwiw i did not neg you, you have been very cordial in the discussion point.
Whether you are a gym junkie or a junk food lover, if your not in normal proportions tailoring will always fit (at least for the time you remain the same size/proportion haha)
Hahaha a bit of column A and a bit from column B. Us short but stocky types really look awful on off-the-rack suits.
Btw, fwiw i did not neg you, you have been very cordial in the discussion point.
Likewise friend! :) Hope you have a brilliant year ahead mate.
While this is true in theory, in practice a tailored suit you buy in Australia is going to be an off the rack suit adjusted for your measurements. Probably the same everywhere. It takes several days to make a suit from scratch, nobody is going to do that when they can start with a premade one - unless you are paying $5000. People paying $2k to $3k for a 'tailor made' suit are getting an off the rack suit.
There is no difference unless you have very odd proportions.
A tailored suit begins with an off the shelf pattern, certain sections will be adjusted to fit your proportions.
A premade suit is made using an off the shelf pattern, then unstiched and adjusted to fit your proportions.
Exactly the same result unless there isn't enough material to make the adjustments.
Do you want your guests to judge a book (you) by the cover?
How many guests at the average wedding could tell the difference between a tailored suit and a regular one?
I got negged above, presumably because people think an off the rack suit means a cheapskate suit from YD/Connor or some other third rate store.
But they forget,
There are some damn nice designer suits to be had for well under OPs budget and with slight alterations can fit just as well as a custom made one.
But at the end of the day, will any of his guests be able to tell the difference?
Unlikely…
Agree.
~$1k (less on sale) suits from R&B before they went into administration and got new owners were incredible quality. Need super ~110-120 wool.
For about $1K, you could fly return to Bangkok. Another $1K would take care of a hotel for a week or so, then another $1K on some really smashing suits.
Or just stay two weeks in Bangkok instead.
Plus wife who not care suit
"Bangkok has him now"
How many times to you intend to get married?
Normally I hate Fast Fashion, but if you are only going to use it once or twice, try Cotton On.
Or more seriously, Vietnam? China is not so cheap anymore.
Vietnam will tailor-make on a budget more appropriate to a single-use (hopefully!) item.
You can get a tailored suit for less than a thousand. Anything more and you're getting taken for a ride.
Are you even going to be wearing this suit again? Do you wear suits?
$5000 for a (profanity) suit?!?
It’s time to hand in your membership.
Kirby Allison certified?
No Australian tailor could reach such levels of pretentiousness.
Follow Derek Guy (@dieworkwear) on Twitter for lots of really goos advice on what to look for when purchasing a suit.
When you say "tailor made" do you mean fully bespoke, or having a Ready-to-Wear suit tailored to better fit you. The formeriI think you'll be very lucky to find on-shore for less than $5K - these days the fabric itself is likely to cost you half of that budget.
Getting a RTW suit custom fit to your measurements however I think is eminently achievable for under $5K, obviously depending on what base suit you choose.
My most recent bespoke suit cost me $3Kish (can't remember exactly) in 2015 from Rundles in Newcastle. Highly recommend them.
How did you decide on Rundles?
I grew up in Newcastle, my dad took me to Rundles for my first suit as a teen (that was longer ago than I care to mention), and have been going back since.
Service has always been excellent, and I like supporting a local small business, never had reason to look anywhere else.
I have an excellent tailor in Adelaide who does fully bespoke starting at 2200 as recently last year. That said, I'm a bit off him at the moment because he missed the two deadlines I gave him last year (which was particularly annoying because for most alterations work I give him I let him take as long as he needs).
Regardless, his work is excellent and I know he doesn't miss deadlines for weddings.
I know things are more expensive on the east coast but hopefully this idea of pricing can help OP/other users get a feel for the cost of fully bespoke suits in Australia.
Care to share? Feel free to PM if you prefer. Thank you
That is great value for money! Yes we do pay more over here for most things (although cars seem to be much more expensive in Adelaide than Sydney) but I agree, it's great for OP to know that price options exist.
That's a bargain! Unfortunately can't really find anything decent value for money yet in Sydney
Looking for bespoke and customised as material and drape is important to me. But the prices are quite high which is why I'm looking for Ozbargain suggestions.
Do you have any recommends in Sydney?
I can't help with recommendations in Sydney sorry.
I think a suit is one of those things that you absolutely get what you pay for (certainly onshore anyway).
There are very few people learning the craft of tailoring here in Australia so the good ones are in demand and can charge accordingly.
Part of that is because the demands for suits has shrunk so much. As someone who used to wear a suit 5 days a week and loathed the dry cleaning bills, I now look forward to the rare opportunities I have to suit up. Where I would previously have a bought a new bespoke suit every 18-24 months, I haven't bought one since covid and, absent of an expanding waistline, don't think I'll need another one for many years.
The other thing is that the price of fabric has, like everything else, grown considerably, particularly for wools. Whilst you can save a bit of money on the fabric upfront, it will definitely cost you in the life of your suit, but if you're not using it regularly then that may not be a serious consideration.
If you do find someone in Sydney please report back.
Thanks for the insight. There's quite a few recommends here with highly rated google reviews (though I don't trust Google reviews exclusively except the low ratings).
So will do a comparison and decide.
Stephanie in Shenzhen is my go-to…
https://www.shenzhen-tailor.com/
Was ready in 3-4 days from memory
I got a suit tailor made when I was there last in 2018.
Planning another trip now though unlikely I'll get anything made but my colleague wants to as 2 of us going
What made you choose Stephanie over other tailors? Did you compare with other Chinese tailors?
She was recommended by an Aussie Chinese friend of mine.
About 6 of us for suits done when we were in Shenzhen visiting the electronic components markets
Didn't have the time to compare, she was in the shopping centre just across the HK border
$5k probably wouldn’t stretch to John Cutler, you could try Zink. Personally I would probably just go with PJohnson or Cutler’s MTM which is done by his protege. Last I checked that started at around $3,500.
Step down would be Oscar Hunt and SuitShop.
SuitSupply "custom", aka MTM has been pretty good imo, but comes down to your "tailor"/fitter.
PJohnson have just amalgamated SuitShop into their main line now, with a few different price points (for half/fully canvassed, made in China/Italy etc.)
I used SuitSupply a bit, but PJohnson/SuitShop fit and drape is definitely better.
PM me. Thanks
I had an excellent experience with Grant at Mawson Ă“ssa in Surry Hills. For my groomsman, I saved some money and went with Suitsupply in Martin Place.
I went to thailand on a bucks trip and got suits made up for the whole group of groomsmen. I think the cost was around 200-300$ per suit.
Gentlemens Outfitters in Charlestown (Ask for Andy) spent $850 per suit - Still wear it today. Had it 7 years.
That's quite cheap, any specific details on the suit? Prices would have increased by now
I plan to reuse my suit for lots of upcoming weddings and events, so investing in a nice sharp tailored quality bespoke suit is definitely on my list.
Looking to avoid synthetic blends which are common across RTW suits which look quite tacky and doesn't drape nicely and is very stiff when walking or moving about.
Happy to spend less, but $5k would be the upper limit.
Just seeing which tailors is the go to for OzBargainers in Sydney that don't pick up RTW suit and go for the best quality and design to price ratio under $5k. Got a few recommends so will look through them.
How many weddings do you have in mind?
OP wants a wife for each day of the week
I have 2 weddings for myself this year (one in Australia and one in China) and 7 other weddings, so having a nice suit to wear to all of them would be ideal including future events.
Unless you want to go to some ridiculous effort and spend a week going overseas (and you no doubt would prefer to use your leave for your honeymoon) have a look at PJohnson and SuitSupply in that order, otherwise John Cutler’s MTM. Spend around $2k to get fully canvassed and a better cloth.
+1 for P Johnson, you can get a MTM suit Italian-made from around $3k or Chinese-made from $1.5k. Shirts around $250. Check if you like their house style though.
$5k for a suit! You're on the wrong site for that.
For $5k I'd ditch the suit entirely and attend the wedding in my birthday suit.
You need to go to Milan for your suits. 5k will get you a basic suit.
Had a mate get a custom made suit for $2k at a boutique in sydney CBD. Guy took measurements and said it'll be here in a week. He just sent it off to a tailor in Thailand and did adjustments himself
Don't get married, spend 5k on OzB deals.
Just get a Made to Measure suit from places like Institchu or Henry Bucks? $599 and you are golden.
Terrible advice, very Institchu suit I’ve seen looks like shit, awful fit.
5k for a suit? bruh on your way out hand in your ozbargain card
I would only pay $5k for a great night with my birthday suit on
I had my wedding suit made at Rundle Tailoring in Newcastle. It was about $1500. Guess it depends if you want to take a couple of trips up north for fittings.
No one cares if you're wearing a $100 or $5000 suit and if they do, do you really want them as your friend?
My pick would be to go to Vietnam and get one made in Hoi An for $3-$400 and spend the rest on the holiday.
unless he plans to have a lot more weddings or is getting a more general business suit I would actually consider renting it. My wedding suit is still in the closet, 1 wear in 11 years, was not a smart $2k investment.
I bought a really nice suit from Sportscraft on clearance (50% off and an extra 30%). Cost me just over $400 in total for the suit and additional tailoring - it was a wool/linen blend in a nice grey colour.
Spend $1000 of your budget on personal training in the months leading up to your wedding. A $500 suit on someone in shape will look a lot better than a 5k suit on someone out of shape.
Just get married on the beach in nice shorts and shirt and put the $5k towards something relevant in life.