Don't get me wrong Kate, I know full well bespoke stuff has to cost. I
know that more than anyone being involved in video and TV production.
The Slioch clothing seems to cost an arm and a leg even without ordering
a custom garment though. And the fabrics they use don't seem to be as
advanced as, say, eVent. Are they all made to order?
Simon
Kate XXXXXX said:Peter Clinch said:Simon said:I've looked at Slioch before. Didn't realise they did custom jobs. But
they look *really* expensive!
Bespoke clothing generally is. Which is why most of what we wear is
mass produced! OTOH, you know it will fit and be specified /just/ the
way you want, which is very rare in mass produced clothing.
Quoted message said:For those prices I would expect them to
give my legs bionic like abilities!
If it's the only way to get something that actually fits the way you
want then it's probably worth it, as every step you take in them will be
an improvement on the alternative. Lots of steps on a big hill-walk...
Pete.
In my line of work as a professional sewist of custom clothing (and
other stuff), I frequently come across the idea that having something
run up by the local dressmaker is cheaper than buying it. For some
reason I have always failed to comprehend, women seem to think that they
can have a tarty party frock/wedding dress 'run up' by me for less than
a BHS or Monsoon version... WHERE this strange notion comes from I do
not know: it isn't an idea *I* ever suffered from.
And it isn't one that most blokes suffer from, either. Maybe I failed
to catch the silly notion that having something tailored to your
specific measurements and requirements, hand finished, and made from
beautiful fabrics was an option you expected to *pay* for because my dad
always had his uniforms and suits built by Gieives (later Geives & Hawks
of 1, Saville Row), and my mother sewed, so I could SEE the work that
went into things.
Building and engineering clothing for walkers and others with specific
needs is a special area of a specialist field. The clothing is
generally better made than that of yer normal high street fashion
manufacturers (there are a few exceptions, in both directions), made
from high tec fabrics, and made in smaller numbers than 'ordinary'
clothes. It's one area where we EXPECT garments to last several years,
and to be worn hard in those years, and we also expect to pay the price
for that.
When you want a special garment that fits a particular body *doing a
particular activity*, you need to either acquire the skills and
equipment to make it yourself, or find someone who can do it for you and
pay them. It takes years to acquire the skills. It isn't just the
basic sewing know-how: you also need to know about the fabrics (and
these are constantly being updated as new fabrics are developed [this is
true in fashion as well as tec stuff: we now have fabrics with
encapsulated perfumes, fabrics that can be lit up like a Christmas tree,
and fabrics that change colour with body heat - like those silly kettles
that go pink when they boil!] and if you are going to work with them,
you need to know what they were developed for and how best to sew them),
the new findings (like water resist zips),AND the new machinery to sew
them with!
And you have to know when to duck out... Anything that needs taped
seams where the tape is welded over the seam on the inside is going to
work better (in that the tape will stick and stay stuck for the life of
the garment) if it is factory welded as there is no present home use
welding tool: irons do NOT work as well (I know, I've tried!). A set-up
where they manufacture standard sizes for the mass market (for a given
value of 'mass'!) but also tailor make for individuals, and who make
clothing with this weld, is going to do a better job than I can on these
seams, at least as far as getting the seams done is concerned. These
makers *usually* only make *their* design of garment in your personal
fit. If you want a totally unique design and fit combination, you are
going to have to find someone willing to tackle the job, and possibly
make some sort of compromise on the seam finish to cope with the
limitations of the technology and economics of working with a small
operation. And you are going to have to pay: probably up to twice what
buying a good pair from a good manufacturer would cost if you went for
their all weather highest spec pair of trousers, coat, whatever.
But it would fit.
--
http://www.simonwyndham.co.uk
