Personal Ties: Frank Rostron’s Tips on Selecting a Tailor n Ask around your personal and professional networks for recommendations. “You wouldn’t want to look in the Yellow Pages when you decide to spend $5,000 on a suit,” he says. n Don’t underestimate the importance of getting along with your tailor. Rostron’s deep connections to his clients are the driving reason why he is semi-retired instead of fully retired. n In this case, the cheapest option is not likely the best. Quality fabric is the cornerstone of a suit. He advises to ask what mills the tailor is working with; the finest are English and Italian.
selecting fabrics and discussing the desired fit, more than 30 measurements are transformed into a handmade suit by a group of master tailors. Wendt may be new to Naples (his boutique opened in 2011), but he is not new to the custom clothing business. The original location opened on New York’s Long Island in 1994, and Wendt has worked with the same group of craftsmen for the past 20 years. There’s no question a garment from his store or another like it will be of the highest quality, perfect for discerning, cosmopolitan customers. Made-to-measure, the last and most accessible and affordable option, is available in most high-end department stores and national brands, such as Brooks Brothers. The major point of difference between made-to-measure and other custom options is the pattern. Where bespoke and custom suits are hand-constructed from original patterns created for each customer, madeto-measure suits are machine-made based upon experienced fitters adjusting existing patterns. Rich Biegel, president of Peter Millar Tailored Clothing, sold at Nordstrom in the Waterside Shops, points out that customers will still have a pattern at the factory with their name on it for a fraction of the cost of other custom options. In the end, though, it’s a matter of finding the right fit for you. u
RESOURCES IN NAPLES Brooks Brothers (239-254-7921) Élevée Fine Clothing and Golf (239-280-0266) Frank Rostron (frankrostronusa@aol.com) Joe Genta of Gulfshore Clothier (239-450-8437) John Craig Clothier (239-434-2115)
Joseph’s Custom Clothiers (239-530-0070) Marissa Collections (239-263-4333) Mondo Uomo (239-434-9484) Nordstrom (239-325-6100) Ralph Lauren (239-594-8116) Saks Fifth Avenue (239-592-5900)
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