The Skinny Guinea

My first suit experience at P Johnson

Less is more
For some time now, I have been gradually migrating away from the original brief for this tumblr, “retiring to my trad/preppy roots at deep discounts”.  And this makes sense when you think about it. Much has been written on the nascent #menswear dabbler/hobbyist continuum: That is when a n00b embraces this wonderful world, most of us make the same mistakes. Falling victim to online sales, buying stuff that doesn’t fit quite right over the internet, buying item pieces that end up seeing little rotation.  Coming to understand the P/U ratio.  Many of us seem to go through it, and lots of #menswear bloggers write about it.
In the Australian context, Internet sales can seem even better value because retail menswear is of such low quality and high price here.  So, $20 Lands End Khakis (even with shipping) can seem to be  a deal that cannot be passed up.

Why go MTM?
We buy and wear clothes, and we learn.  18 months ago, I bought 2 Lands’ End Tailored Fit Year ‘Rounder suits, had them altered, and probably paid $450 for all up including shipping and alterations.  I wore them both weekly for over a year at work.  They were OK, but eventually I wanted something better. Something I would really enjoy wearing. Despite years of effort, I have a really difficult time finding suit coats that fit me well.  Almost anything that fits my shoulders is too long, making my legs look even shorter. I have found little OTR to help me with looking good in tailored clothes.

Lucky for me I live in Sydney, so when I that it was time for a new MTM suit that I would love to wear, I rang up P Johnson.

Engaging
I rang the number for the Sydney office on the P Johnson website.  Patrick’s front-of-house person set up the first of 3 appointments of the process.
Patrick’s offsider spent some time with me talking about materials and cut.  Meeting the man himself was lived up to my imagination.  Patrick was affable, knowledgeable, and was a very good listener.  He picked up on where I was going quickly, making welcome suggestions aligned with what I thought I was after:
    •    A French Navy, half-lined suit in Ariston Doppio Ritorto 130’s gabardine, suitable for year-round wear in Sydney
    •    “Italian” styling: natural shoulder, open quarters, patch pockets with barchetta
    •    Button fly
    •    2” cuffs
    •    Side tabs, no belt loops


Upstairs
We headed up to the first level of the beautiful Paddington terrace that the establishment occupies for the fitting.  Patrick worked swiftly, collecting data on my bodily dimensions while continuing to draw out my preferences.  Here things are picked up impossible to accommodate for in OTR, like a 3cm difference between shoulder angles.  Patrick called out measurements to his assistant who punched them into a big iMac. These are stored for future commissions, or perhaps a second pair of pants. After sorting out buttons and a few more details, I paid half up-front and was told to expect a call in 4-6 weeks for the second fitting.

Visit 2
Trying on the suit with excitement, little needed altering. 1cm shorter break in trouser and a bit more room in the chest. I was stoked. We made an appointment for the third visit in a week’s the and I was off.

Visit 3
I tried the suit on, it fit, I paid the remainder and left, walking on air.

Wearing the suit
I love wearing this suit. I worried about the side tabs being too on-trend, but I have to admit, I think the conjecture about no belt not breaking up the line really does work. I don’t miss not having a belt at all.  I also initially fretted a bit over my decision to go with the jauntiness of the patch pockets and barchetta, but as Patrick said “Mate, this is Australia!”  Context is everything.
Next week I am going to try the coat as a blazer with my new Howard Yount Tropical Wool pants.

In conclusion
Basically, I would rather pay A$1250-$1700 on a suit that I know will fit very well, rather than $1100 on OTR + alterations for a brand-name suit that still isn’t (and could never be made to be) quite right.  I’ve booked a June appointment for a more conservative grey, probably in a worsted more English style cut.  Looking forward to it.