Thanks, Marc.  I saw in one of your posts that you prefer more Italian styled shirts, but have you tried Turnbull & Asser?  Since that article (love those prices), they have a New York store on 57th Street so it might be easy to get the “best” in New York.  Of course, just because the article says they are the best doesn’t mean they are and it was a long time ago.  Do you only wear Italian shirts?  Do you like the prep style shirts Horace posts about?  Most of my dress shirts have button down collars and are from Brooks Brothers or Press but I am looking to improve on them if I can do better.  I have some plain ones from Brooks too.

I forgot to add that you are one of the experts that I like on this site and I didn’t mean to leave you out when I mentioned Horace and Miles before  but I was talking about the prep look and that is their thing.  You seem more into the sophisticated Italian look which is what I was originally looking for, but prep is closer to home.  Sorry if I offended you by leaving you out of my Film Noir Buff expert list.  It was a mistake.

Last edited by jgupta (2006-07-05 17:58:50)

Thanks for the post Marc.  Good article.  I remember 1985 -- I did a lot of shopping in London then.  If I recall correctly, there was a point around that time (maybe it was before?) when the dollar and pound held parity.  Anyway, given that time, an $18 RTW American shirt and a low end of $30 for a T&A shirt wasn't that much of a stretch, was it?  I just ran into a friend, a very elegant older woman who brought up that she went into T&A in the 60's and marvelled at the beauty of the fabrics then.  She said that it was rather unusual for a woman to walk about unescorted on Jermyn St and especially into those male bastions, and that all the gents at T&A  were quite kind and discussed shirtmaking with her.  On another point, I think I could handle a 2 button cuff but a three would just be too much for my tastes.  With the exception of perhaps a Brooks OCBD which in its essence shouldn't be bespoke, I think, those bespoke shirts I have from Chang and H&H and a few smaller places really are a superior fit (and feel) to anything RTW that I've come across.  The difference is one that I can imagine will prevent someone from ever being satisfied with RTW again.  I suppose I'm lucky that my bespoke togs are so few, that I don't miss wearing them.

Swinging London was rather like Weimar Berlin, and maybe '70s New York, very fecund.

Thanks, Marc.  Cost is not really an issue for me so I don’t see any reason to go with Carl Goldberg or to travel to New Jersey. 

Besides not ordering ten shirts at once and picking regular looking fabrics, do you have any other advice for me?  Anything I should look out for or ask for or tell them I don’t want?

Elziver Block:  You are not being helpful.  I have enough things to think about besides the time of day for a fitting.

Marc:  Just when I thought you had given me a plan, you pull it away.  That isn’t fair Your other post on how to go to a fitting was very helpful so I forgive you.

Tomasso:  Thanks for the pictures.  Those shirts are beautiful but I don’t think I would wear any of them on a weekday.  I like all of them for weekends or casual dinners.  I read the Paris review and know who cego is from Marc.  I did a quick Google on Kabbaz and his website is very informative but kind of low tech looking.  Thanks for the reference. Of the three names you mentioned (besides Turnbull), how would you rank them on fit, quality and selection of conservative fabrics.  Which is your favorite?  Can I ask who you use now?

Both of you:  Between Paris, Carl Goldburg and Alexander S. Kabbaz (and his wife), who would you use?  Assume they all cost the same. 

And thank you all for the helpful responses.

When I get to the Big Apple I will pay a visit to Paris Shirts thanks to FNB's essays about their skills.

Somewhat tangentially, I would like to recount an experience I had last month at the London T&A: I was there to purchase some ankle length cotton socks in "vibrant" colors, or should I say "colours." A somewhat distractable salesman, with presumed learning difficulties sort of managed to pull the items from the shelf. He was preoccupied with an escalating psychiatric event: one of his more capable colleagues was trying to deal with an obviously disturbed gentleman, trying to return a bow tie, said to be a gift, from some years ago, no receipt, etc. My salesman was not capable of doing the sock transaction and watching the meltdown at the same time. Nevertheless he then tried to "sell me" on their MTM shirts. I explained to him I was very happy with my shirtmaker, and that in any case I would not be inclined to consider having measurements, etc., without someone's full attention. Further, I explained, that given their prices, I was especially happy with my current shirtmaker, who not only does the measurements, but makes the pattern, and cuts the cloth. This was over his head. I don't like these vertically integrated operations.

I think when you get to luxury goods, it is really essential to never buy from someone who knows less than you do about the goods.