Whose Clothes Are These Anyway?

I saw the King's Speech the other night.  Great movie and a great story.  The acting was superb.  But I was also struck by how well the clothes fit the characters.  Now I know this was a movie and they had stylists and all that but it got me thinking about how important it is to have a good tailor.  I've been to a number of tailors over the years and all some could do is hem pants.  Needless to say they didn't get much of my business.  Recently I found a guy close to where I live that makes men's suits so he is great at altering my clothes.  He's expensive but worth it because he knows how clothes should fit. 

Here are some tips for selecting a good tailor.  Make the effort to find one you're comfortable with and who you'll use again.  Trust me.  It's worth it.

From a 2008 posting on customtailor.wordpress.com

* Find out how much experience the tailor has in providing the kind of alteration services you are looking for.
* Make sure to ask the tailor to show the sample of the work he has been doing in the past.
* Look for referrals from friends and testimonials from other customers.
* Always choose a less busy time of the day for giving your tailor measurements and explaining the job.
* Be very clear about the alterations you are looking for. Explain what you need to the tailor in clear specific terms and check if the tailor has understood your ideas clearly. If the tailor makes the alterations without understanding what you have in mind, you can very well end up with a damaged piece of clothing.
* And of course, remember to check the alteration price list or get a cost estimate before handing over your job.