Sending my own fabric to a Chinese Factory

[ElliotD]

Alibaba, those factory able to make one suit? I don't mind checking it out

Yes, lots of factory’s make suits, and some offer an MOQ of just 1. I would do some research before ordering anything though.

order one and see where it goes, i assume they take order from a lot place so they would have a lot block pattern to work with (not sure if “by contract” they’re allow to use others pattern but either way I would think it’s not hard to tweak so it doesn’t bite or they just don’t care anyway), it’s somewhat of a gamble anyway.

The website where I found the factory first was a list of Chinese RTW suits. Said website mentioned that “The patterns are supplied/copied/shared by Zegna.” So hopefully the block pattern will be good.

No idea how suit supply works, but you went there to get measured, choose the fit, etc., and your pants were a disaster?
Don't they provide any fittings and offer alterations?
Surely they could have fixed the pants for you?
Regarding the Chinese factory, and your planned suit, how much was the fabric?

They ended up altering my pants free of charge which was very nice of them. But it certainly wasn’t the experience I expected when paying 1000 for a suit.

I believe the fabric was $50 a meter.

 

[ElliotD]

Regarding the 3D files- I doubt the factory would be able to go through that process, and even if they could I’m sure said process would be expensive.

That’s besides the point, as I would have no idea where to even get a 3D scan done.

 

[JessBob]

I am curious as to whether you’ve had any actual experience doing this or proposing a hypothetical. My guess is that you’ll end up with something that fits much better than just sending in measurements but it won’t fit identically. Bespoke suit makers can do a lot more with construction that a factory cannot. For example, how the canvas is constructed, how the lapels are padded, how the shoulders are constructed. Even if the factory could pull off all of these techniques, they’d probably have to tear down the bespoke suit to really understand how it was made.

I also have a philosophical issue with this practice—probably why most bespoke shirt makers now require a minimum order instead of making just one custom shirt.

Just a hypothetical given the scenario. Some of what you describe (e.g. lapels padding) could probably be duplicated without deconstructing the entire suit. I would imagine it wouldn't take much more effort than removing some stitches here and there from the original, identify how they are padded, replicate, and re-stitch the original.

The more rigorous test would be to conduct a variant of the Harvard/Freakonomics wine tasting study. Send the bespoke suit to the Alibaba factory along with the exact same fabric used for the bespoke suit. Have the factory reproduce 3 or 4 copies of the bespoke suit using the same fabric, buttons, etc. Return the bespoke suit and reproductions back without any identifying labels, maybe labeled with just numbers. Then based on appearance and fit/comfort, rate each of the suits and ultimately try to identify which of the four or five suits is the actual bespoke suit 😆

 

[breakaway01]

Just a hypothetical given the scenario. Some of what you describe (e.g. lapels padding) could probably be duplicated without deconstructing the entire suit. I would imagine it wouldn't take much more effort than removing some stitches here and there from the original, identify how they are padded, replicate, and re-stitch the original.

There is imagination and then there is reality.

Don't know if you've seen Jeffery Diduch's dissections of bespoke suits to understand how they're put together. I acknowledge that a skilled tailor could probably get close to replicating the general shape of a bespoke suit without taking it apart, but there is a lot that goes into suit construction that cannot be easily discerned from the outside.

 

[JessBob]

There is imagination and then there is reality.

Don't know if you've seen Jeffery Diduch's dissections of bespoke suits to understand how they're put together. I acknowledge that a skilled tailor could probably get close to replicating the general shape of a bespoke suit without taking it apart, but there is a lot that goes into suit construction that cannot be easily discerned from the outside.

I don't doubt that production is painstaking. The question here is whether the client/customer can differentiate the final product from well-made duplicates. Hence a variant of the wine studies would help answer that question, more so than online forum speculation

Another perspective is the Joshua Bell DC subway experiment. A lot goes into becoming a world class violinist. But can listeners/audience members differentiate a world class violinist playing a 3.5 million dollar Stradivarius from the buskers they pass at subway stations daily?

 

[clee1982]

factory can get pretty good, especially if you're not hard to fit

 

[clee1982]

Don’t doubt they have pattern just more gamble in communicate style point, can give you lots of suit with same simple measurements but all look different stylistically

Ps no idea how good they’re, popped out on my IG, personally always prefer something I can visualize then order against that

They also have no coherent theme, just lots of here you go pick yourself

BRITISH WOOL TWEED BLAZER - A.MOON

This garment will be shipped within 4 weeks, we will inform you when it is ready. If you wish to customize more (specific sleeve or body length, lapel width...etc) reach out via the chat box on the right corner of this page or by email [email protected] Learn about our jacket fits here

www.germain-tailors.com

 

[dukeaw]

reach out to kutesmart. Do self measurement. Use the fabrics they have access to. So many mtm places in NYC use them and charge $1500 to $3k for these same suits. I've even had people quote me they do 'bespoke' with the trial garment, which is clearly BS.

Dont worry about a direct copy. Use your own body measurements as a starting point. Use their system to select the details, shoulder pads, shoulder structure, lapel width, pleats, etc. You can do fused, half canvas, full canvas, handmade full canvas as options. The options are overwhelming. Hence why its not a customer facing system. its B2B for people trained in their interface.

Kutesmart is where most of the mtm places buy from in the US. If they let you sign a contract and set up an account their suits are only $200-$500. You take your own body measurements. It includes fine tune adjustments for shoulder slope, belly, back curves, etc. They then apply their own formulas to determine garment measurements. They send a fitting garment for less than $100. Use that to determine the modifications. Email with their sales rep to determine what other adjustments might be needed and the right codes for their order system. Then order the real suit and use Guabello, HFW, Marzotto, or their house fabrics. Their house fabrics are actually very high quality.

you'll have to wire money to china for the order and to open a account. They dont use credit cards.

i'm not sure how easy it is to open an account. I did it during covid lockdowns when they were at a standstill. Maybe its still easy, maybe they arent as open.

Top Custom Apparel Manufacturers - Quality Tailored Clothing at Kutetailor

www.kutetailor.com

 

[maxalex]

Hello everyone. I have recently gotten into the idea of having custom made suits. I ordered one from SuitSupply, and was disappointed with the quality. While the fabric was great, and the jacket perfect, the trousers were a disaster. The thigh was very baggy, and the crotch was just *off.*

So I decided to go a different route- using the jacket measurements from SuitSupply and measurements I took off of a tailored trouser, I placed an order with a Chinese factory on Alibaba. It seemed like a no brainer- I have the measurements, so why not? I ordered a very basic Tropical Navy made out of VBC wool. Compared to what I would be paying for it retail, it was a great price ($230 to manufacture a full canvas suit, plus the cost of the fabric and shipping).

I have high hopes for them as they produce suits for both SuitSupply and E. Zegna. I haven’t received the suit yet, so I can’t be sure of how it will fit.

Considering it all works out, I would not be opposed to ordering more suits from them. That’s where I came across the idea of buying my own fabrics, linings, etc and sending them in. Which is something I’d totally be into- I can get a Holland and Sherry, Zegna, LP suit for a fraction of the price.

That’s where my question comes in- all the talk I’ve heard about for people doing this is with their bespoke tailors, with suits that cost 2, 3, 4k. Would it be advisable to do the same with a Chinese factory?

I would appreciate any help you guys can offer. Thank you!

I would not expect this to go well. Your measurements are not like some CAD design for a car part that you plug into a tooling machine. Your posture and manner of moving will influence how the pieces are cut and sewn. Moreover, fabrics drape differently, and good tailors will take into account how the material moves and hangs by looking at you in person.

I personally would never buy mail-order MTM, even from a reputable company specializing in the field—much less from a Chinese factory.

Maybe you will get lucky with this process, but I think you would be better off buying OTR where you can see the basic fit in person, then have alterations done on the trousers, sleeves etc. Of course then you can’t choose your own fabric.

 

[Ao.Xiang]

I am a Chinese in the custom suit industry, so trust me, don't waste your money on Alibaba. Remote MTM is only suitable for American, who only need a large size suit LOL....

 

[clee1982]

I am a Chinese in the custom suit industry, so trust me, don't waste your money on Alibaba. Remote MTM is only suitable for American, who only need a large size suit LOL....

Will be interesting to hear an industry overview

 

[Ao.Xiang]

Will be interesting to hear an industry overview

China has the largest and best MTM suit factory in the world, but to make a good MTM suit requires a set of size clothes, a professional Fitter, and a professional system operator for placing orders. If you let the salesman on Alibaba do all these things, You just threw your money into the water.

 

[ElliotD]

China has the largest and best MTM suit factory in the world, but to make a good MTM suit requires a set of size clothes, a professional Fitter, and a professional system operator for placing orders. If you let the salesman on Alibaba do all these things, You just threw your money into the water.

The reason I have such high hopes is because 1) I received most of my measurements from SuitSupply. They measured me in store, and most things came out fine. The measurements I had issues with, they updated. And 2) this is the factory they use for their suits.

And to all those saying the suits will turn out garbage, they won’t fit etc etc, just based on the fact that the factory is Chinese: I have multiple friends who have done similar things in the past, with them taking their own measurements, and getting a decently made suit that fits great from the process. I chose not to use their factories because I didn’t like the construction of said suit, but honestly I think that was the only flaw.

But… I may eat my words and end up with a comically bad suit. We’ll see

 

[hugh51271]

The reason I have such high hopes is because 1) I received most of my measurements from SuitSupply. They measured me in store, and most things came out fine. The measurements I had issues with, they updated. And 2) this is the factory they use for their suits.

And to all those saying the suits will turn out garbage, they won’t fit etc etc, just based on the fact that the factory is Chinese: I have multiple friends who have done similar things in the past, with them taking their own measurements, and getting a decently made suit that fits great from the process. I chose not to use their factories because I didn’t like the construction of said suit, but honestly I think that was the only flaw.

But… I may eat my words and end up with a comically bad suit. We’ll see

When will you receive it?
Post some photos, when it arrives.

 

[ElliotD]

I’m abroad for the next few months so debating where to send the suit. Might send it to my house in the US and let a friend bring it to me.
So basically no clue when I may get it.

But sure I’ll do my best to post a pic.