Bespoke Trouser Pricing

[Despos]

We would take finished suits, jackets, trouser to a client’s dry cleaner and they would deliver the new clothes with his regular drycleaning. Honestly we did this for him.

Reading this thread, trousers we make are a bargain.

Cannot isolate price without evaluating quality of construction and fit. Cloth cost is what it is, can’t change that.

 

[JohnMRobie]

do we need to load up now? or just be sneaky down the road? Or load up now, so its easier to be sneaky?

Yes.

 

[David Reeves]

Pants are relatively simple and don’t require much hand work. Are tailors hand padding the waistband? What justifies the price? Once the pattern is set you don’t need to do multiple fittings. Just order and go. The reason why trousers are expensive is due to the fact that most people aren’t buying in bulk.

If you use nice fabrics they are relatively expensive to make I will typically spend $300 cost on cloth for a trouser, same as a coat. I cannot speak for the other trouser makers listed of course. We do hand pad the waistband, put on heel guards and hem trouser by hand, mop buttons, expensive hardware (brass zips) or English horn buttons. I charge 1500-2000.

 

[ballmouse]

It's likely the tailor is paying for labor based on the price of jackets, which are higher than trousers. To have those same laborers work on trousers is less profitable and the price of them is probably both a deterrent to keep the labor working on higher margin items and to keep the margin more in line with jackets if trousers are commissioned.

 

[worldrunner]

It's likely the tailor is paying for labor based on the price of jackets, which are higher than trousers. To have those same laborers work on trousers is less profitable and the price of them is probably both a deterrent to keep the labor working on higher margin items and to keep the margin more in line with jackets if trousers are commissioned.

This is it right here.

 

[ladislav.jancik]

If you use nice fabrics they are relatively expensive to make I will typically spend $300 cost on cloth for a trouser, same as a coat. I cannot speak for the other trouser makers listed of course. We do hand pad the waistband, put on heel guards and hem trouser by hand, mop buttons, expensive hardware (brass zips) or English horn buttons. I charge 1500-2000.

My tailor do the same steps and usually is able to finish trousers in 8 - 12 hours clean time. Cloth can be expensive, but MOP/Horn buttons are cheap and brass zips as well. So let's say $400 for all material and then we have $1100-$1600 / 8h-12h = $91-$200 hourly wage. That would be pretty sweet for him, but he does not have to pay rent on Manhattan.

 

[lordsuperb]

If you use nice fabrics they are relatively expensive to make I will typically spend $300 cost on cloth for a trouser, same as a coat. I cannot speak for the other trouser makers listed of course. We do hand pad the waistband, put on heel guards and hem trouser by hand, mop buttons, expensive hardware (brass zips) or English horn buttons. I charge 1500-2000.

No need to justify your prices to me. I've been buying custom tailoring long enough to know that I don't need every bell and whistle on my pants. I consider my pants from Steed a Ferrari while my pants from Divij Bespoke comparable to a Toyota. You shouldn't be driving a Ferrari as a daily commuter unless money is no object. I've had enough blow outs in my crotch to let me know I need and want a Toyota.

 

[jonathanS]

No need to justify your prices to me. I've been buying custom tailoring long enough to know that I don't need every bell and whistle on my pants. I consider my pants from Steed a Ferrari while my pants from Divij Bespoke comparable to a Toyota. You shouldn't be driving a Ferrari as a daily commuter unless money is no object. I've had enough blow outs in my crotch to let me know I need and want a Toyota.

Isn’t divij just enhanced mtm? Not saying that’s bad for trousers (in fact, it’s probably, like you said, good enough), just being clear what it is / isn’t (despite its name).

We would take finished suits, jackets, trouser to a client’s dry cleaner and they would deliver the new clothes with his regular drycleaning. Honestly we did this for him.

Reading this thread, trousers we make are a bargain.

Cannot isolate price without evaluating quality of construction and fit. Cloth cost is what it is, can’t change that.

i like this. Taking notes.

 

[JohnMRobie]

Isn’t divij just enhanced mtm? Not saying that’s bad for trousers (in fact, it’s probably, like you said, good enough), just being clear what it is / isn’t (despite its name).




i like this. Taking notes.

I thought they offered both options. Bespoke with multiple fittings and MTM straight to finish.

 

[David Reeves]

It's likely the tailor is paying for labor based on the price of jackets, which are higher than trousers. To have those same laborers work on trousers is less profitable and the price of them is probably both a deterrent to keep the labor working on higher margin items and to keep the margin more in line with jackets if trousers are commissioned.

Generally trouser makers don't make coats, but there is a funny thing, a client will often pay 8k for a suit, they will pay 6k for a jacket but will then be shocked at 2k for a trouser Haha!

 

[Crispyj]

I use PML MTO, basically Pommella with more machine work at Rota prices

 

[lordsuperb]

Isn’t divij just enhanced mtm? Not saying that’s bad for trousers (in fact, it’s probably, like you said, good enough), just being clear what it is / isn’t (despite its name).

Tsk, Tsk, someone hasn't been watching Uncle Kirby on YouTube. They offer full bespoke but the finish is not up to par with your standard Saville Row firm. With Divij you pay a certain amount for each fitting or you have the option of going straight to finish. I've noticed that I don't need multiple fittings once my trouser fit is locked in.

 

[David Reeves]

My tailor do the same steps and usually is able to finish trousers in 8 - 12 hours clean time. Cloth can be expensive, but MOP/Horn buttons are cheap and brass zips as well. So let's say $400 for all material and then we have $1100-$1600 / 8h-12h = $91-$200 hourly wage. That would be pretty sweet for him, but he does not have to pay rent on Manhattan.

Yes and taxes, an accountant (advisable) maybe an assistant, a website, maybe low level basic marketing and advertising, phone, internet, transport, client entertainment (maybe just a bottle of whisky) shipping, refunds, remakes and on and on it goes......labels? Packaging? I remember at one point just having my labels made was a big expense. I have found that these days people want the small business but they still want the strengths of Amazon, they want prompt replies, fast shipping and the bells and whistles. They will often say hey you should get branded bags not realizing the costs and minimums involved. It's just business and it has diminishing returns real fast. In 23 years I have never seen a one man operation be successful for any amount of time, I have seen many disappear, rip off customers or go bankrupt (we have seen this many times on these forums over the past 12 years although I won't name names) I have even heard of one man operations having nervous breakdowns, its just not a recipe for success.

 

[David Reeves]

No need to justify your prices to me. I've been buying custom tailoring long enough to know that I don't need every bell and whistle on my pants. I consider my pants from Steed a Ferrari while my pants from Divij Bespoke comparable to a Toyota. You shouldn't be driving a Ferrari as a daily commuter unless money is no object. I've had enough blow outs in my crotch to let me know I need and want a Toyota.

Not at all, just contributing, I'm on summer hours and winding down for my vacation so I have some time. Once you justify this stuff with costs though you have lost somewhat, does Rolex or Rolls Royce ever justify their pricing? Its just a mindset that ultimately does not value tailoring the same way (why not). Every time a mainstream article is written about an “expensive tailor” they are put on the back foot immediately because they make a huge deal about cost and the poor mouthpiece of the day has to scramble to justify the prices (which is often the hook of the article).

I watched a video about Credor watches having this white dial that only one guy in the company makes and he can only do 2 a day, that watch is like 60k, I know there are other components but there are many operations we do daily that take a skilled worker half a day to complete and we don't sing about it, maybe we should though. A sleeve rotation for example takes us 3-4 hours to do and I'd say we are fast.

 

[JoeBlack0]

Yes and taxes, an accountant (advisable) maybe an assistant, a website, maybe low level basic marketing and advertising, phone, internet, transport, client entertainment (maybe just a bottle of whisky) shipping, refunds, remakes and on and on it goes......labels? Packaging? I remember at one point just having my labels made was a big expense. I have found that these days people want the small business but they still want the strengths of Amazon, they want prompt replies, fast shipping and the bells and whistles. They will often say hey you should get branded bags not realizing the costs and minimums involved. It's just business and it has diminishing returns real fast. In 23 years I have never seen a one man operation be successful for any amount of time, I have seen many disappear, rip off customers or go bankrupt (we have seen this many times on these forums over the past 12 years although I won't name names) I have even heard of one man operations having nervous breakdowns, its just not a recipe for success.

Thanks for the explanation. Most people dont understand the expenses related to running a business. There are much more variables than just materials and salary.
If someone is able to charge 2500$ for trousers good for them. There are hardly any rich tailors so that should tell something