Why Custom Clothing...A Man's Perspective.

I read an awesome article by Nicholas Antongiavanni, who wrote "The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style", answering the question: Why custom Clothing?

Ok...it's written in a male's perspective, but I am a firm believer that what does apply to men, can also apply to women.  Do we not dress to impress and exude our inner confidence, power and style to gain success in all that we do?  I'm not going to post the entire article word for word, but I will hit some high points that I feel the Tamarie Woman could relate to. 

Every fashion conscious woman knows that any outfit that is made specifically for their body must be somehow superior to what is found on the racks of some major department store or apparel chain.  Well, she'd be correct and it is one of the reasons she would pay for that work of perfected art.  Those of us who know, will only buy things that meet our preset criteria of: FIT, SILHOUETTE, and CONSTRUCTION.

Huh?

Allow me to break it down. 

Fit is the single most important consideration for any garment.  You know what I am talking about...remember the hours spent in those itty-bitty fitting rooms trying on 4 different sizes of the exact same item just trying to figure out which one "fits" right?  Only to give up in frustration because no matter the industry standard size you chose, none of them worked.  The shoulders were too tight on one, the sleeves were too long on the other, the back felt "weird".  If you were like most women, you said "Forget it" and walked out and then promptly called the company's corporate office to complain that they don't make anything that fits you.  No matter how expensive that gorgeous fabric is, it's the perfect color, or made by that designer's best sewer...if it doesn't fit in all the right places, it is useless to you.

"But I could always take it to a seamstress/dry cleaner and have it altered..."

Uh-huh...yes, you could.  You could also pay twice as much as you would have paid if you had it custom made (not to mention the waiting involved that you may not have time for), and then there are NO guarantees that the place you took it to will in fact have it FIT perfectly.  Nicholas gave an awesome analogy of two men who purchased two different suits:  One man purchased a $4,000.00 handmade Italian suit that did not fit well, and another man purchased a $200.00 machine made plain worsted suit that fit his body exquisitely.  It's obvious that the man in the cheap suit would look much better because of how well his suit was tailored to his frame. 

Yes ladies, even men know that money has nothing to do with how well something fits!

Now to quote him exactly: "...Fit is especially important with tailored clothing, which is designed to artfully conceal your defects and shortcomings and emphasize your assets...unlike knit items, tailored items don't stretch.  They either lay correctly on the body, or they don't..."  He also pointed out that tailored garments need to fit correctly at a number of places, and never were truer words spoken when it comes to a woman's body.  Let's look at that a moment...Women are full of curves...graceful, artful, marvelous curves.  We are not shaped like rectangular boxes with sharp points and drops.  One of my biggest pet-peeves is apparel that causes a curvacious woman's body to be lost to the world.

My philosophy is that as women, we are proud of our shapes and we WANT those shapes to be seen by others, not in ways that are overtly sexual, but elegantly feminine with a air of sophistication.  That's where our confidence shines through, it makes us walk a lot taller, it improves our posture (ever see a woman in a 'low self-esteem' slouch while wearing a fantastic suit? Yeah, me neither), and tells the world to look out, because we are dressed to impress and in charge. 

Finally, there is the issue of fittings (remember my comment about taking that ready made item to a tailor or dry cleaner for altering?).  Some companies that sell ready made garments will either have an in-house tailor, or they may contract out to local tailors who can alter the suit a little to make it fit better, but honestly, there are limitations to what they can accomplish (which is why I personally do not provide alteration services...it's a constant source of frustration for me).  When we do fittings at TAMARIE, we are essentially doing alterations on a garment as it is being constructed-before it is even finished.  You try on the unfinished item and we check how it fits on your body and make any necessary corrections.  More changes are possible (not to mention easier) mid-construction than are possible after it is done.  As anyone who works with cloth can tell you, fabric is unpredictable, which is also why fittings are so necessary.  It allows us to check how the fabric is coming along as the garment is being made, will it maintain the shape and drape or will gravity cause it to shift.  When women select fabrics for a garment, it's best to choose the best fabric for the garment, while everyone would love a silk suit, silk itself will change shape as gravity weighs it down. While the number of fittings will vary from tailor to tailor, rest assured, with custom clothing...there will be several fittings; with read to wear, there will be none.

Silhouette is the next important decision to consider in clothing purchasing.  OK, I heard that "What is a silhouette?" question.  The quick answer is, it's the general outline of a garment and also the specific qualities that constitute it.  When one is attempting to achieve the perfect silhouette, it is generally done by cutting.  All those dozen or so pieces that are sewn together to make your garment determine the shape of the finished product.
Now, silhouette is not the same as fit...the silhouette is more of the outlining of that garment in relation to the curves on a woman's body.  I personally believe that no matter how large a plus-size woman is, she can create a very feminine form by wearing custom clothing that has an hourglass shape, meaning it is tailored to lay against the body by using darts just under the bust-line that flow through the waist to the hip-line.  Tailored clothing can improve a woman's actual shape without her having to resort to elaborate girdles or corsets. 

Nicholas also points out that men garments that tend to sit close to the body, project a more slender shape, and those that hang loosely effect a wider look, the same applies for women's garments.  They can elongate a woman's form or shorten it as well as making her look soft, comfortable almost effortless or very staunch, and business-like.  When a woman is looking for something that will flatter her "figure", in essence, she is looking for a flattering silhouette that will speak volumes to those around her. 

In closing this section, Nicholas also makes a statement that I will again quote: "...the only way to ensure that you will get the silhouette you want and the fit you need is to go to a custom tailor.  Secondly, the most distinctive and flattering silhouettes are made only by custom tailors.  Ready to wear garments can fit reasonably well and look reasonably good, but they will always look (and be) more "cookie-cutter" than a custom outfit..." When it comes to custom made garments ladies, the silhouette is designed into the pattern and anything that compromises with the fit are made early so that the end result is a unique fit that flatters you and you alone.

Construction is a little more tricky, but no less important when someone chooses a custom made garment opposed to ready to wear.  Yes, we've all complained about that $400 suit 'Made in China' whose hem line fell apart after a 2 hour business meeting, or the $90 'Made in India' shirt boasted to be the best quality shirt, that now has a rip in the shoulder seam from when you lifted your water glass to your lips. You can speak to a dozen or so tailors/dressmakers/seamstresses and they can tell you the ins-and-outs of how they construct their wares, but while they are each different and unique...there is one commonality: their finest garments are all wholly or nearly made by hand.  There are just some parts of a garment that simply must be done by hand, and Nicholas and I both agree that the list is vast and long.  Of course, expert handiwork is not in itself the be all end all measure of quality, but is IS an indicator of quality (just ask all those very high-end apparel manufactures who do make ready to wear garments, many with high end hand-stitching elements).  Believe me, I've perused the racks at Bergdorf's and Barney's, many times oogling over the craftsmanship of their most expensive outfits.

Yes, those great ready to wear garments can cost the same if not more than a custom garment, there is a huge difference as to what you get for the price.  With a tailored made outfit, you are getting your own pattern, several fittings with attention to specific details and silhouette that are unique to you.

So ladies, let this be a lesson to you...and maybe even an answer as to why you should not just pass off an opportunity to explore having garments custom made.  As someone who wants women to love how they look in what they are wearing, it doesn't matter if it's from Bergdorf's or Walmart (ducking to avoid the evil glares), the things to look for in whatever outfit you wear are that it fits you properly (and guess what...you DON'T have to compromise for the ill-fitting/flattering anymore), that it makes you FEEL confident when it is on you, and that it will last longer than two wash cycles or trips to the dry cleaner. 

Blessings to the TAMARIE Woman!

Clothing Makes the Woman...

Hello Ladies!  

It's always been said that "clothing makes the MAN".  When a man walks into a boardroom in his $600.00 'power suit', he commands not only attention, but the utmost respect and authority.  

The same should be said for a woman who walks into that room with her $600.00 wardrobe. 

Women have discovered how much a well-cut custom suit can help them in business and their personal lives.  Well-made clothing made of the finest of fabrics and cut to fit a woman's individual figure speaks volumes about the high regard in which she holds herself.   It is a boost not only her esteem, but she holds her head just a little bit higher, and those around her can literally feel her confidence!

Even with the simplest of pieces, a complete wardrobe can yield endless styling possibilities just by adding accessories that not only show off a woman's individual style preferences, but make her shine like a well polished gem!

For the basic wardrobes (and it doesn't matter from where it comes from), the key pieces that are a total must have are:

-A Jacket (can be tailored, fitted, or swing style)

-A Dress

-A Pant (or skirt, for you Femmes)

With these pieces...you can have several outfits, just pair them with clothing that has prints or contrasting colors for that "pop" appeal.  

When we were little girls, we loved to play dress-up in our mother's closets.  Now that we are all grown up, there's no reason why we still can't enjoy making ourselves look good.  

As I have always believed: "If I Look good on the outside...I Feel good on the inside!"

~Tabitha Marie