Back Seat Tailoring

Earlier this week I went for a drink with a good friend who is one of Savile Row's most talented up-and-coming young tailors. Whilst talking tailoring, the subject of the customer's relationship with his tailor was broached, and some interesting points were made.

It has been stated many times, by many writers, that when a customer finds the right tailor and places a number of orders, a very personal relationship can develop; whereby craftsman and client befriend one another to a degree - or at the very least come to know one another personally - understanding each others mentalities, tastes and attitudes towards many things, of which the subject of tailoring is often only just the start. There is no disputing this, forming a very human relationship with a tailor is just one of the many pleasures of the bespoke process, but I also have a cautionary tale for bespoke customers. I have it on good authority from a number of professionals, that there is nothing more irritating than a 'back-seat tailor' - a client who feels the need to nag and query their tailor consistently during fittings, questioning their judgement or constantly checking whether they're doing the right thing.

As you build a relationship with your tailor, an important and natural part of that process should be the flourishing of a mutual trust. Every client has to trust their tailor, and a tailor (if he's good at his job) should know after the first couple of commissions (if not sooner) what he has to pay extra attention to during fittings, and what his client will be most concerned with. For myself, I tend to become paranoid about getting the sleeve set right on bespoke coats; my forward stance requires an unusually low sleeve pitch and I often find myself at risk of wearing sleeves which furrow around the rear of my shoulder. My tailors have learned to pay extra attention to this as a result, and its reached the point where I trust them implicitly and keep quiet during fittings. I know that sooner or later, they'll mark the pitch and make sure the sleevehead is neat, but I do remember being thoroughly jumpy about it for the first few commissions.

When investing in something so expensive and so special, it is natural to want to make sure that everything is right, but its important to be patient and have faith in your tailor's abilities. To constantly question a tailor belittles his skills and training - remember, he's a professional - you wouldn't query your surgeon would you? This leads me to one final point for reflection; if you're still questioning your tailor three or four orders in, or if you have any nagging doubts that your concerns aren't being addressed, it is probably time to try a new house. Tailoring at the highest level relies on client and craftsman enjoying a mutual trust, respect and awareness of one another and it makes for a joyless and often nerve-racking process if these things are missing. Don't fall victim to poor service - bespoke tailoring is there to be enjoyed and the most valuable thing any bespoke customer can do, is to take the time to seek out the right tailor before committing to any long term relationships with a poor match.