​A stitch in time

Three young local outfits - Made Suits, SuitYourself Singapore and Edit Suits Co - which recognise the obstacles, are tailoring their businesses to suit consumer demands.

They are raising the bar by cutting out expensive middlemen; introducing a personalised service that involves home visits to take the client's measurements; and making the process more precise and accurate with technology.

Ms Lynda Wee, an associate adjunct professor at the Nanyang Business School at Nanyang Technological University, says of the trend: "Technology can definitely make the experience of making or reordering a suit much more convenient for the consumer."

But she cautions that a highly skilled and personalised industry like tailoring should not lose its personal touch.

"People get items tailored because they want very specific customisations and, while it is good to offer items at a lower price or through a website, losing that personal and skilled touch might lose you customers in the long run."

Still, for clients of these new brands, such as Mr Leslie Lim, who has been a customer of Edit Suits Co since March, having a more seamless experience has been a boon.

The 27-year-old lawyer says: "Its prices are reasonable, it has a great online booking system for appointments and it records my measurements and alterations in its online system so it has a better understanding of my preferences.

"Overall, I'm satisfied with the experience and products I've received."

Ask any university undergraduate and he will likely tell you that he is intimidated by the cost of formal wear needed for job interviews and school presentations.

Pocket-friendly off-the-rack options may be ill-fitting, making the wearer look sloppy.

This was the conundrum that three Nanyang Technological University students sought to fix when they started made-to-measure tailoring service SuitYourself Singapore in 2016.

Ms Sheryl Ho, 23, who is a co-founder and manages the business, says: "The idea of SuitYourself was hatched because we wanted well-fitting suits, but, as students, we weren't prepared to spend a fortune on tailored wear.

The other two co-founders are sleeping partners and not involved in business operations.

SuitYourself Singapore offers three grades of suit quality - Starter, Premier and Finest, which are priced at $290, $338 and $378 for a blazer-and-pants set in a wool-blend fabric.

Students and national servicemen get $20 off their purchase, which are ready in about three weeks.

To keep its prices low, the company outsources the tailoring to Shanghai and sources its fabrics directly from tailors, cutting out the middleman's mark-up.

All its suits are "half-canvas", meaning that only the upper half of the suit has a chest piece. From the bottom of the chest down to the bottom of the suit, the rest of the outer layer and inner linings are fused together.

This style of construction offers the best of both worlds - not only a contouring drape along the chest but also affordability, as less construction is required.

The business has between 12 and 16 students on staff at any time, who work on a commission basis and are "ambassadors" for the brand.

"Having students from local universities helps because they can take measurements on campus," says Mr Shaun Chua, 24, who is a marketing executive with the business.

The students come from campuses such as Singapore Management University, Singapore Institute of Management, National University of Singapore and National Technological University.

"All of them have their own fabric samples to show customers and have been trained to take measurements of different body shapes."

The business opened a small showroom at Far East Plaza last July, to give customers a brick-and-mortar option.

The $1,800 it pays in rent for the 110 sq ft space is low for the central location, which Mr Chua says has helped keep prices low.

Operating out of Far East Plaza has also allowed the business to tap the services of seamstresses who work in the building for minor alterations to garments.

This eliminates the need to send the clothes back to Shanghai for adjustments.

For now, SuitYourself Singapore is looking to expand into bigger premises by the year's end.

Says Mr Chua: "Besides students, we are also seeing more wedding clients these days.

"By expanding, we hope to be able to reach out to tourists, who are looking for affordable suit options in Singapore."

Mr Benjamin Tay makes house visits to take measurements of clients. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Mr Benjamin Tay, the 24-year-old co-founder of local tailoring company Made Suits, wants to offer convenience in an industry with set ways of doing business.

After graduating with a diploma in fashion design from Lasalle College in 2014, Mr Tay knew he wanted to work in the fashion world.

But despite having majored in womenswear, it was men's tailoring that he gravitated towards, given the dearth of affordable and convenient options for tailored menswear in Singapore.

"Men here want to dress up, but they are either concerned that tailored garments such as a suit will make them look over-the-top, or are turned off by the process and inconsistent pricing at local tailors," he says.

"Off-the-rack pieces can be ill-fitting."

His solution was to partner his cousin, who has a day job and is a silent investor in the business, to start Made Suits in mid-2016, offering tailoring in a different form.

In its first iteration, Mr Tay's business was a purely mobile tailor - going to people's homes and offices to take their measurements and making the entire process more convenient for consumers.

He also liaised directly with fabrics suppliers to cut out the middlemen, thus keeping the prices of his suits affordable.

His made-to-measure outfits start at $599 for a suit made of 100 per cent tropical wool.

"I would turn up with a luggage full of fabric samples so customers could feel and choose the materials, and I measure them on the spot," he says.

"Once the garment was made, I would visit them again for fittings, before delivering it to them."

He first reached out to friends and family, but the business soon took off by word-of-mouth, especially among the banking and legal crowd, who need suits regularly and had busy schedules.

On the advice of clients, who often asked Mr Tay whether he had a showroom they could visit, he opened a small studio and showroom space in Robinson Road last November.

"Having a physical space helps because some customers prefer to see samples of suits. Also, it takes the pressure off people if they just want to browse," he says.

Customers can now choose to go to the store or have Mr Tay visit them at their home or office.

He has also begun to offer bespoke suits - meaning the pattern of the suit is drafted specifically for the client's body shape and is 100 per cent handmade, compared to a made-to-measure suit that is crafted using templates and machine-sewn.

Prices start at $699 for a bespoke suit.

Made Suits now has a team of four, including Mr Tay's cousin who helps with marketing.

They outsource the tailoring to Hong Kong, but have a sewer and master tailor in Singapore, who help with bespoke pieces.

Made-to-measure suits take between three and four weeks to be made, while bespoke suits are made in-house.

Mr Tay now handles between 20 and 30 suits every month and says business is continuing to grow, especially among the wedding crowd.

He is also seeing more female clients, many of whom, he says, are looking for suits tailored in more masculine cuts, instead of the feminine ready-to-wear styles available off the rack.

Mr Tay says: "I want to bring ease, affordability and convenience to the trade so that people can still enjoy that personalised service in a way that does not break the bank."

Mr Jeroen Develter manages the Singapore operations for Edit Suits Co, which uses technology like using an online platform to track its customers' measurements and preferences. ST PHOTO: ALVIN HO

They struggled to find well-fitting tailored shirts and suits in Singapore at a decent price range.

So, Insead Singapore graduates Reto Peter, 37, and Patrick Jungo, 37, set out three years ago to overhaul high-end men's tailoring with Edit Suits Co.

A problem they saw with the industry is that tailor shops either had expensive stores in prime districts or were designer labels that spent a lot of money on marketing campaigns.

This led to high costs that were passed on to the consumer.

Mr Jeroen Develter, 29, who manages the Singapore operations, says: "Patrick and Reto saw an opportunity to offer good quality and affordable tailored pieces by cutting out the numerous middlemen."

The ex-consulting professional from Belgium was working in Singapore and was a customer of the brand before he took over the management of its Singapore business as its director.

And the brand's business strategy is the use of technology. "It allows us to take the process of ordering and customising a garment online," Mr Develter says.

The two founders have moved to London to manage the brand's expansion in Britain, which they started soon after launching the business in Singapore.

Besides their second-floor shophouse space in Duxton Road, they have two showrooms in London.

Compared to other tailoring businesses, where much of the measurement-taking is recorded manually, at Edit Suits Co, customers are guided through their entire appointment with an iPad.

Once a customer profile is made in-store, photos of their body profile and their customisation preferences are saved by the brand's stylists online - everything from body measurements to body shape, and from posture to preferences for lapel style, pockets, collar and buttons.

These details are updated with any changes or requests at later fittings, so that the customer can log on to his profile and reorder items in the future.

The information that the brand has gathered over the past three years is also being put to good use. Its system groups data from people of similar body shapes and flags measurements that seem inconsistent for someone of that size.

"If we get a flag from our system that a sleeve measurement looks too long and may be inaccurately measured, we can look at the photos to see whether the person indeed has longer arms than usual," says Mr Develter.

"This prevents errors early and ensures consistency in the garments we produce."

Technology has also come into play in the production of its garments, which are outsourced for production in the region and Eastern Europe and require a lead time of two weeks.

Mr Develter declines to reveal where its garments are produced. He says the team has spent a lot of time looking for their manufacturers, who use computer-assisted design to draft patterns. Laser beams project the pattern onto the fabric before it is cut, ensuring more accuracy and consistency than hand-drawn templates.

The company also works directly with some of the best mills in Italy, including luxury brands such as Loro Piana and Zegna, and buys some of its best-selling fabrics at bulk prices to get a better deal for customers.

Prices start at $649 for a blazer and pants, which are made using 100 per cent wool fabrics. Suits of a similar quality are 30 to 40 per cent more expensive at conventional tailoring outfits here.

The brand expanded into London in late 2014.

Starting with one showroom in the financial district, it opened another in the upmarket Mayfair area and is now looking to move into Birmingham.

Its outlet in England get an average of 300 to 350 orders for suits every month.

The Singapore business has also grown rapidly. It has between 100 and 150 orders for suits every month. It recently produced all the suits for the male sales staff of luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co.

"Customers these days know exactly what they want and can spot poor quality and inconsistent, opaque prices from a mile away," says Mr Develter.

"Our growth shows that the industry was in need of an evolution to allow high-quality tailoring to be made more accessible, both in terms of convenience and price."

Source: The Straits Times, 25 May 2018​