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On this second installment of his bespoke journey over the previous 37 years, the creator of Gentleman tells us how he gave up on Savile Row, however sampled tailors in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Spain and Italy.
By Bernhard Roetzel.
In Half 1 of this text I wrote about my first experiences with bespoke tailoring, and my adolescence on Savile Row. From 2003 on my enthusiasm for Savile Row and English tailoring dwindled, nonetheless, for a few causes.
One among them was that I bought to know Italy higher. I began experimenting with a number of makers of top of the range RTW and MTM and was very pleased with the fits I bought there. My favourites have been Belvest and d’Avenza.
The opposite was that Tobias Tailors closed in 2003, and I hardly visited England after that as a result of I did no extra England-related books. John Coggin additionally stopped doing trunk reveals in Frankfurt as a result of the shoe store he used closed down.
I didn’t order something from a tailor for a few years as a result of I didn’t want something, but in addition as a result of my nice old flame for bespoke died when Tobias Tailors closed. I nonetheless love bespoke tailoring, however by no means once more as a lot as I did within the first years with them.
In Europe, I felt torn between the totally different worlds of tailoring that I found. I used to be typically tempted to order one thing after I appreciated the craftsman and the environment, however I at all times stopped myself on the final second as a result of I didn’t really feel like beginning once more with a brand new tailor.
In 2005, for instance, I visited Kathrin Emmer (above) in Berlin whereas I used to be there for the Congress of the World Federation of Grasp Tailors. Kathrin confirmed me her workroom and I appreciated her work. She had educated in Munich and labored for Volkmar Arnulf, essentially the most famend German bespoke tailor of the previous technology.
I moved to Berlin in 2007 and visited Kathrin a few instances for a chat over a cup of espresso. In 2011 I used to be lastly able to order a jacket, however the material that I had picked wasn’t out there anymore (a worsted Alsport). Just a little later I got here again as a result of I now needed a swimsuit. It was a double-breasted made out of a gray flannel with a bit houndstooth sample.
I had a really exact I thought of what I needed: a Thirties-inspired minimize with pleated trousers, wider within the leg than I had worn earlier than, no vents and a bit extra V-shaped. I confirmed Kathrin a few images and on the first becoming I noticed how effectively she had understood me and the way effectively she had constructed the sample.
There have been no sleeves within the coat at that stage. On the subsequent becoming there was hardly something to right. I believe the sleeves have been a bit too lengthy however she may alter that from the shoulder, because the buttonholes have been open already.
Just a little later I had one other double-breasted swimsuit made primarily based on the primary one. I requested her to duplicate the primary one, simply with the coat a bit nearer to the physique. I picked a light-grey wool with mohair in a medium weight for spring and summer season. The material was very good however it turned out to be too heavy – however that was my fault.
On the becoming of the second swimsuit I used to be pleasantly stunned that Kathrin actually had managed to duplicate the match of the primary swimsuit – a difficulty I had discovered prior to now. It fitted a bit nearer to the physique however the look was very a lot the identical. She defined that she at all times measures the completed swimsuit and writes the measures in her guide.
After the primary two double-breasted fits Kathrin made two extra single-breasted ones for me. One was in darkish blue with a faint overcheck and one was a mid-grey glen verify. The latter was presupposed to be extra Italian and I gave her an Italian RTW swimsuit as a reference.
She did effectively however nonetheless I learnt the lesson that it’s no good to ask tailors to emulate a method from one other nation. The issue is, even when the fits matches effectively (because the one from Kathrin does) it’s going to lack id.
This is the reason I additionally advise readers to get a swimsuit from a tailor who lives or was educated within the nation you need (like James Whitfield who’s English and educated at Anderson & Sheppard, however lives and works in Berlin).
In 2016 I made the acquaintance of the Viennese tailor Michel Possanner (above). A number of pals had really useful him at any time when I had requested for tailors aside from the same old suspects. He invited me to talk at an occasion in his store and I seized the chance to order a blazer.
We selected a blue material from Minnis. We agreed on a double-breasted with a basic button configuration. The primary becoming came about a few weeks afterwards and the match was already superb.
Michel unpicked the shoulder sleeve and pinned it following the contour of my determine. On the second becoming I can’t bear in mind any points and the blazer was completed afterwards with none want for one more becoming.
Michel makes a really delicate coat with pure shoulders. He educated at Knize and makes the same silhouette with a reasonably low notch. The size of the coat may be very basic, much like the English style and the chest pocket is decrease than most tailors these days (which fits my style).
Based on Michel his tailoring is softer than Knize’s however it does incorporate issues he has discovered there. For example the cuffs of the sleeves are made with a little bit of linen inside to present them extra form.
Later I ordered a pair of cavalry twills and once more Michel did a wonderful job. Michel sticks to his personal model – he is not going to ship something that he feels shouldn’t be elegant or flattering. He does have an excellent style and sense of favor, one thing that many tailors lack.
Two years later I met Zdenek Hartl from Prague (above). He had educated at one among Prague’s most famous homes within the Sixties, which had been established within the golden pre-war age of tailoring. After 1989 he opened his personal enterprise. Because the late Nineteen Nineties he has been coming to Vienna for trunkshows on the material service provider Jungmann & Neffe.
Mr Hartl has an enormous variety of clients in Vienna due to the worth he presents. He costs a lot lower than the native homes, which could clarify why a lot of them look down their noses at him. I believe that he’s wonderful not least due to the large expertise he has gained over a long time of creating for somewhat demanding clients.
Many shoppers present him previous Knize fits that they had made prior to now, or present in second hand shops, and ask him to duplicate them. Others use him along with different tailors. I met one Brit who lives in London and Vienna; he mentioned he’s an Anderson & Sheppard buyer however has double-breasted fits made of their model by Mr Hartl whereas he’s in Vienna.
I used to be hesitant to strive Mr Hartl due to the gap to Vienna however he invited me to return to Prague for a becoming. Prague is 5 hours by practice for Berlin so I agreed (versus 9 hours to Vienna).
I had a really exact thought of the swimsuit I needed and I sketched it on a chunk of paper after I used to be measured within the becoming room at Jungmann & Neffe. I picked a heavy British houndstooth tweed from their cabinets.
I travelled to Prague and met Mr Hartl in his store in Verdunska road. Most Viennese clients have by no means been there and I had heard a few unusual tales a few dingy workroom someplace in Prague.
What I discovered was a typical tailor’s store in a quiet residential space. Very tidy and good, similar to another tailor’s store in Europe. The workroom is at the back of the constructing in a small construction within the yard: additionally very gentle and tidy with about six totally employed tailors working there.
My becoming was ready for me on a gown dummy and it appeared promising. I wasn’t disenchanted after I first tried on the trousers after which the jacket. Each have been spot on.
Mr Hartl steered that he proceed straightaway to the completed swimsuit. Regardless of being somewhat euphoric after the becoming I attempted to utter my doubts in essentially the most well mannered means attainable.
Mr Hartl has such an air of pleasant authority that I felt like a schoolboy asking an previous instructor if he was positive about what he mentioned.
As a solution he led to the wall and pointed to {a photograph} that confirmed Arnold Schwarzenegger with Mr Hartl on the becoming of a sports activities jacket. In his damaged English Mr Hartl mentioned that he did one becoming for this buyer too as a result of Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t keep lengthy sufficient in Prague for one more. This satisfied me, so I agreed.
We met a few weeks later in Dresden, midway between Berlin and Prague. We did the becoming within the foyer of a lodge. I used to be handed the swimsuit in a bag and I put it on within the lavatory. Even earlier than seeing myself within the mirror above the wash basin, I felt that the swimsuit was excellent.
Within the foyer I discovered a much bigger mirror and it confirmed my impression. The swimsuit fitted very effectively after just one becoming and it appeared precisely as I had envisioned it earlier than. The heavy tweed most likely helped, however I’ve seen different fits on me made out of heavy material which clearly confirmed points.
After that first profitable swimsuit I ordered 4 extra outfits and all have been superb. On the subsequent conferences I seen that Mr Hartl begins at zero each time. He doesn’t appear to make use of the earlier patterns or measurements. I’ve seen a video of him putting the sample on the material immediately with out utilizing a paper sample as a stencil.
So for each new piece for the reason that first one we’ve got achieved two fittings, even for the trousers. The standard of the making has at all times been wonderful. The 2 fittings have been at all times essential as a result of I had modified my weight between ordering and becoming.
Basically Mr Hartl appears to want a barely shorter coat and narrower lapels, if the client doesn’t ask for one thing else.
The primary English bespoke swimsuit I ordered since 2003 was made by James Whitfield in Berlin (above). He got here to Berlin in 2012. He was employed by a German store referred to as Purwin & Radczun. They couldn’t discover a cutter that met their expectations in Germany in order that they employed James.
I noticed the fits he made there and I at all times appreciated the concept of a real Savile Row tailor working in Berlin. I by no means bought to strive James till he began his personal enterprise after leaving Purwin & Radczun.
James makes a swimsuit with a protracted coat, pronounced shoulders and a excessive waist. As he can’t depend on outworkers like his colleagues in London, he has educated a tailor who works for him fulltime.
I had discovered a chunk of jacketing within the Scabal warehouse and requested James to make a sportcoat for me. The size was a bit brief as a result of I had shared it with a buddy however James managed to chop the jacket from it.
James did two fittings and the ensuing jacket was superb. When the jacket was made I used to be very skinny; after I put the load on once more later James needed to let the jacket out on the facet seams to the max. The inlay was smaller than normal as a result of the unique size of material was a bit brief.
I discovered from that have that I’d somewhat order material from a tailor. It’s a threat to purchase minimize lengths until you recognize precisely how a lot is required. Tailors normally need extra of a patterned material, for instance, so do take care to purchase sufficient.
I’ve stopped ordering at trunk reveals of visiting tailors. It’s normally too difficult and time-consuming to fulfill for the fittings. Pitti Uomo is a well-liked assembly place for fittings however I discover it’s demanding for either side. Normally the fittings happen in a rush, typically the tailors can’t focus totally or they lose the notes they take.
Within the final seven years I’ve tried a few promising younger tailors from Center Europe, together with Tim Fain from Kiev (above) and Dawid Kukliński from Gdansk. Tim used to return to Berlin repeatedly earlier than the struggle in Ukraine began and he made two superb fits for me.
Dawid visits Berlin and Leipzig repeatedly. He has made a sports activities jacket for me from linen by Maison Hellard and a swimsuit product of gray covert material by Holland & Sherry. Exterior Kathrin Emmer I’ve additionally tried different German tailors, for instance Detlev Diehm and Markus Schnurr (under, first and second respectively).
I met each Detlev and Markus a very long time in the past after I had had fits made by Tobias Tailors. Detlev was then the artistic director and designer of the Bavarian maker of handmade fits Regent, typically referred to as the ‘German Brioni’. He educated as a tailor initially earlier than he studied design. He went again to his roots a few years in the past.
Markus educated as a fancy dress tailor, which isn’t unusual in Germany. He labored for Dietl in Munich, essentially the most famend post-war tailor in Germany, after which began his personal enterprise in provincial southern Germany, the place he presents superb handwork and chopping.
Among the many southern European tailors, I’ve tried Joaquín Fernández Prats (above). I met him at Pitti Uomo. He was nonetheless working for the shirtmaker Mariano Langa in Madrid and his boss invited me to Madrid. I used to be enchanted by the environment of the old school store and I bought measured by Joaquín. I got here again to Madrid for fittings twice.
Joaquín cuts a really distinctive Spanish model, with a collar and lapel form which is extra French than Italian. I’ve at all times admired the model of chic Spanish gentleman and the fits made by tailors from their nation, so I used to be to do this.
On the first becoming the swimsuit nonetheless confirmed traces of my model however on the second becoming extra of Langa’s and Joaquín’s home model emerged. The completed swimsuit was 100% Spanish, except the trousers. They have been minimize very extensive within the leg with ahead pleats, however even then that they had a Spanish accent as a result of I adopted Joaquín’s solutions of a large waistband and belt that fastens on the facet.
The one longer-lasting relationship I’ve had with a tailor sprung from an opportunity encounter. I met Massimo Pasinato in Milan at an occasion within the VBC showroom in 2018. Francesco Barberis Canonico made the introduction and the following morning Massimo took my measurements for a three-piece swimsuit. I had chosen a medium weight dark-grey high-twist material from VBC.
We met for 2 fittings in Germany. The primary was effectively minimize and I didn’t detect something to enhance at first sight. Massimo then took off the collar and unpicked the shoulder seam. He lifted the left entrance half just a bit bit with the intention to smoothen out the entrance.
The second came about a few weeks later. I don’t bear in mind the way it went, most likely as a result of all the things was nice. The usual of workmanship was wonderful. I wore that swimsuit at Pitti on the cocktail hosted by VBC at Liverano’s store. After I bumped into Anda Rowland she complimented me on the swimsuit. Even when I detected a level of well mannered flattery the response felt trustworthy.
I needed to order extra from Massimo and despatched him one other swimsuit size however Covid stopped all progress. We met a few instances after the pandemic however he by no means discovered the time to take new measurements.
Lastly, it occurred in September 2025 in Vienna after we met at a trunkshow. We did the primary becoming in Milano a month later.
The material is a light-grey Prince of Wales with a crimson overcheck from Draper’s. Massimo one way or the other managed to present the swimsuit an English air. We had agreed on slanted pockets with flaps and a ticket pocket, trousers with ahead pleats and side-adjusters and buttons for braces.
Scripting this piece and its predecessor has introduced again many recollections of bespoke and brought on me to consider the errors I’ve made. The world was very totally different after I ordered my first fits as a result of there have been no good telephones, no social media, no Instagram.
The web has taken away quite a lot of the magic of bespoke, however it offers the novice quite a lot of data. Sadly, data can’t substitute data or expertise. So everyone simply has to order his first swimsuit from a tailor, make proper or unsuitable selections after which be taught from the outcomes.
Ideally, the tailor will probably be expert and skilled and primarily based not too distant. It will assist with correcting the errors. The shopper also needs to know precisely what he desires however depart the tailor sufficient freedom. In any other case he may choke the keenness.
All the time bear in mind, a tailor shouldn’t be a magician. Don’t anticipate an excessive amount of; there is no such thing as a excellent swimsuit. Communication is crucial: discover out what you need and let the tailor realize it. It’s your swimsuit so you will need to prefer it and really feel good carrying it. Lastly, when you discover a tailor who makes this swimsuit, persist with him!
Which tailor would I take advantage of right this moment? Nicely, the tailors above are all ones I might use once more as a result of I used to be pleased with the end result. However what number of instances can we like a meal in restaurant and but by no means return?
The tailors that I’ve been most pleased with judging by the variety of repeat orders are Zdenek Hartl from Prague, Kathrin Emmer from Potsdam, Massimo Pasinato from Vicenza and Dawid Kukliński (under) from Gdansk.
Mr Hartl presents the most effective worth for cash, this is a vital issue. However he’s additionally extraordinarily expert and I like his model. And he’s a really good individual though verbal trade is restricted.
Kathrin Emmer is closest to my residence of all, it is solely a few 90 minutes drive to see her. She is the one that provides the smallest quantity of enter relating to model however she is extraordinarily versed at chopping and she will be able to exacly replicate the fits she makes.
Massimo Pasinato has not too long ago reached one other stage in his chopping, a minimum of in my statement. His handwork was at all times wonderful, however he appears extra mature and relaxed now. He’s very dependable and constant which I discover crucial.
Dawid Kukliński makes a really good swimsuit, very center European within the sense of a quiet and subdued magnificence. He admires Savile Row model greater than most youthful tailors from Center Europe however he would not attempt to copy it. His costs are enticing and he involves Berlin frequently.
If I had to decide on one among them as my solely tailor it might most likely be Mr Hartl.
Half 1 of Bernhard’s journey, speaking about utilizing an English and German bespoke tailor within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen Nineties, might be discovered right here. For extra on Bernhard’s writing, particularly on retailers and tailors to go to in central Europe, see his writing extra usually right here.
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