Cifonelli MTM or Thom Sweeney Bespoke

[Doublemeter]

Hi there fellow forum members.

I am looking at either getting my first very serious suit. I am either looking at a Thom Sweeney bespoke or a cifonelli MTM suit. both suits cost roughly the same. I am completely in love with the look of cifonelli however it is only a MTM. for the same price however I could get a thom sweeney bespoke suit, although I like the style I am not blown away by the looks as I am from the cifonelli one. Which one would you be going for?

thanks for your advice/opinion

 

[aristoi bcn]

To none of them. If you like the Cifonelli silhouette I recommend you to save for their bespoke. Their RTW/MTM is intended for people who cannot wait or cannot afford the bespoke or even worse, that cannot wait until the bespoke process is finished. Why would you go with Thom Sweeney if you prefer the silhouette of another tailor. If you are keen of the Cifonelli silhouette save the money and experience the real thing. Life is too short to save some bucks just because it's cheaper. If after the bespoke experience you are not satisfied at least you will be choosing what is worth for you and not what is left for you.

 

[dauster]

To none of them. If you like the Cifonelli silhouette I recommend you to save for their bespoke. Their RTW/MTM is intended for people who cannot wait or cannot afford the bespoke or even worse, that cannot wait until the bespoke process is finished. Why would you go with Thom Sweeney if you prefer the silhouette of another tailor. If you are keen of the Cifonelli silhouette save the money and experience the real thing. Life is too short to save some bucks just because it's cheaper. If after the bespoke experience you are not satisfied at least you will be choosing what is worth for you and not what is left for you.

+1 - didnt even know they have MTM at Cifo!?!?

 

[dieworkwear]

To none of them. If you like the Cifonelli silhouette I recommend you to save for their bespoke. Their RTW/MTM is intended for people who cannot wait or cannot afford the bespoke or even worse, that cannot wait until the bespoke process is finished. Why would you go with Thom Sweeney if you prefer the silhouette of another tailor. If you are keen of the Cifonelli silhouette save the money and experience the real thing. Life is too short to save some bucks just because it's cheaper. If after the bespoke experience you are not satisfied at least you will be choosing what is worth for you and not what is left for you.

I don't know anything about Cifo's MTM program. But I think it's a mistake to assume that bespoke is automatically better.

OP may be able to get most of what he needs from MTM. I think it's hard to say.

Lots of people here who buy bespoke and look worse than people in RTW or MTM. I think the smarter route is to think through which option is actually best for you, but I don't know enough about Cifo, Sweeney, or the OP's needs to give any advice on that.

 

[dieworkwear]

Some thoughts for the OP:

1. Start with the silhouette: I would start with which silhouette fits and flatters you best. What works for your lifestyle and personal sense of style. The two tailoring houses you named seem very different to me.

One of the challenges of bespoke, or custom tailoring in general, is that you can't put things back on the rack if you don't like it. This can be an issue for silhouettes, as you may get something that technically fits well, but doesn't suit your build or sense of taste.

If you've worn suits and sport coats for a while, think about what you like or don't like about your current clothes. Then see what kind of direction you want to take your wardrobe.

If you can find examples of people with a similar build as you, and see how different silhouettes suit their body, that can also be useful.

2. Get referrals: Unfortunately, the quality of custom tailoring can vary wildly. If you go to these places, find out who will be your cutter and fitter. If you can track down customers who have had experiences with these specific people -- not just companies, but those specific cutters and fitters -- see if they can share some candid opinions about their experience. For whatever reason, bespoke clients are often very private about sharing negative experiences. It may help to talk to people privately. Best if you can find someone with extensive experience with tailored clothing, but that's not always possible.

3. MTM vs Bespoke: Ask both companies how their MTM and bespoke clothes are made. For bespoke, is the cutter going to be present at your fittings? What is the cost difference? Where are the clothes made -- on site, offshore, or something else? Do they use block patterns for bespoke?

Some people may be served very well with MTM and don't need to do bespoke. Depending on how the garment is made, they may be able to get everything they need through an MTM program. If your build fits in well with their MTM blocks, that could be a good option. Bespoke doesn't mean "better." It just means the garment is made from scratch, which is something that comes with upsides and downsides.

4. Handwork: Ask yourself whether handwork matters to you, meaning for its own sake. If you care about the "artisanal" nature that goes into a jacket -- say handsewn seams in certain areas, just for the sake of handwork and not any other advantage -- then you may only want bespoke. For some people, they may not care about things such as handsewn buttonholes or hand attached waistbands.

So basically, I would think more about what silhouette might look best on you. There are many silhouettes out there that I admire, but I don't think would suit me or my lifestyle. It helps if you've worn tailored clothing for a while and can identify what works for you.

Next, think about who will give you a better fit. This is not always about MTM < bespoke. You may have a standard build and fit well into a MTM block. A bespoke tailor/ cutter may not be any good. Or, conversely, if you're hard to fit, then you may need to go bespoke.

Finally, think through some of the other details: can you get candid reviews from current clients? Do you care about handwork? Have you seen these clothes on actual people and not models? Browse through the tagged section of these Instagram accounts and search for hashtags. Try to see the work online in an unfiltered sense (no fancy photography). If you can see the stuff in person, all the better.

 

[Johnny80]

Hi there fellow forum members.

I am looking at either getting my first very serious suit. I am either looking at a Thom Sweeney bespoke or a cifonelli MTM suit. both suits cost roughly the same. I am completely in love with the look of cifonelli however it is only a MTM. for the same price however I could get a thom sweeney bespoke suit, although I like the style I am not blown away by the looks as I am from the cifonelli one. Which one would you be going for?

thanks for your advice/opinion

what you end up with ?