Haberdashery is pronounced dead

[bucolic_frolic]

First, give me the highest marks for irony. I, who sit around in old sweats (often with holes in them) much of the week, running a home business, am commenting on haberdashery. Double ironic, though you wouldn't be in on the joke, because the most northern part of my ancestral tree is populated by a haberdasher in 16th century London. So there, if any of you blithering idiots think I'm not qualified to spell haberdashery let alone opine on the subject, well, you know, to you!

Oh! That feels better already. Now for the subject of the space I've cleared, as if some reader isn't already exasperated that the topic isn't stated for their 15 second mind. About 16 years ago I wanted to have a pair of pants copied. Although store bought and a major brand, they were quite unique in design and fit famously. Slight flare as I recall, with light shimmer heavy polyester, and front combo pocket half flaps shaped more like a division sign written long hand - like 180 divided by 6 - you know that's hardly found anymore, there's not even a graphic for it that I can find.

Anyway I found a tailor in San Francisco, he was an old tailor who said he could copy anything, fabric and all. It was outrageous at $180. So I shelved the project. I still have the pants. Now, he moved to Hawaii and retired long ago, there are no pants copiers except for celebrities at $450-800 a pair, unless you ship to India and they won't copy the fabric. Culture is now more into copying chinos and jeans than actual casual dress slacks. If you can't squeeze your tush into it, they will copy it! But your Haggar dress pants are a thing for insurance agents, car salesmen, and probably undertakers. And so few tailors understand the process it's useless anyway.

You say, oh, it doesn't matter. I get it, but think if you had your ancestors' 1810 frock coat. You'd be rich, museums would be after you, you could probably hyperventilate on Antiques Road Show to your heart's content.

I'm going back to my sweats. Have a nice day.

[Jerryatric]

1. I could do it, but at the price I'd charge you

per hour to copy a design, make a pattern, find the fabric, and construct it, you'd be paying me way more than $180. There was a time, back when I learned to sew, when it cost less to make your own clothes. Now, it's not worth sewing everyday clothes, only special things, because fabric and notions cost more than finished products. People ask me to repair or resize things more now than they ask me to make things. Unless you count the troupe of male strippers whose outfits I make, and even then, most of what I do for them is altering things they already have instead of making new stuff.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Thanks for the input and knowledge

I wasn't fishing for tailoring a new pair of pants. Just venting really, and not knowing what group might fit my post.

Major manufacturers eventually recycle many patterns, colors, and parts. Car parts too, it must be cheaper that way. These are sansabelt pants, I see there are a few on eBay, perhaps I'll stumble across my size eventually.

But in a more general sense, I was surprised at the decline of tailoring. Although I do see a foreign suit maker in the mall, they're not in department stores anymore, and what ones there are online are not catering to guys like me ... they make custom fit clothing to high profile people at $800+ a pop.

[Jerryatric]

4. It is very hard to find a tailor these days. That's the reason

I sew for the dancers, one is the brother in law of a friend and about twelve years ago he found a tailor who is not there anymore and the guy quoted a price of $85 to make him a drawstring bag to use in a magic trick. I laughed when he said that and told him I'd do it in five minutes and wouldn't even charge for him for something so simple. Somehow that turned into making a pair of jeans into tear away pants, which I had no clue how to do at the time, and went on from there. I've had to make some weird costumes for those guys, but it's kind of fun.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. I have done similar years ago.

Using an original and making a pattern from it.

The process is time consuming and expensive.

[Ursus Rex]

5. Where are you located?

I live in Atlanta, and there are literally 3 full tailors within a 5-minute drive, many others offer services at various cleaners, and several of the large department stores (Nordstrom in Phipps, notably) have excellent tailors. A bespoke suit from one of the full-service shops does run $500+++, but the Men's Wearhouse at Perimeter has decent suits and a very good tailor that will make those suits look like $1m on you.

On the other hand, I'm from Mobile, AL, and the tailors my family (dad, uncles, and brother) used as a matter of course have all closed up shop. There may be some that have taken their place, but I'd bet they're quite busy and probably pretty pricey, while offering fewer services like you're describing. The slack has been taken up by private seamstresses who do custom work, from Mardi Gras ball gowns to simple aprons etc (the gown makers can have years-long waitlists).

I actually looked into having a pair of custom Levi's made by Levi Strauss Inc, and I was surprised to find they can go for close to $200, but apparently that's what custom/bespoke clothes cost (I did NOT go for that). In the early 90's I had some shirts made by a tailor in Chicago named Paul Chang, they were $45 each, and I almost choked on that price (but I still have them and they look great - the style is bit loose and big vs today, but still ...).

I guess my point is that the trades follow the money, and without many other people who want that service (and the quality it suggests), you may have to go farther afield to get it.

[teenagebambam]

6. Are you near a university?

If there is a University with a theatre department nearby, you could probably find a student costumer who could do the job, probably for a reasonable price.

[vanlassie]

7. I carefully disassemble clothes I want to duplicate.

[electric_blue68]

8. You sparked memories of my mom who was a...

trained dressmaker, and master seamstress. My dad didn't want her to work so...

When she made clothes for us - dresses, skirts, a spring coat for me, the rare pants (she hated making pants), a shirt for my dad... they usually looked like they came from Sak's Fifth Ave!