My partner and I are hosting a Roaring 20s 2.0 party on NYE, and we want to look the part. She has a great sequin dress and headpiece, and while I have some pieces that evoke the 1920s, it wasn’t a cohesive look. I decided I wanted a new suit.
TL;DR: BD Tailormade is terrible. Mediocre quality. It doesn’t fit at all. TruClothing.com has been amazing.
But, I’m 6’4″, 50″ chest, 48 around the belly button, 39 where I wear my jeans, large thighs. No one near me carries anything that looks remotely 1920s, which meant either local tailor or try my luck online. As it happened, an ad for BD Tailormade crossed my path, promising perfect fitting suits in three weeks for under $200. What’s not to like for something I planned to wear a handful of times and needed quickly?
I liked how the fabrics looked, and I carefully read the measuring instructions: provide chest, around the belly button, waist (where you wear your jeans) and “hips” (which in retrospect I think they’re asking for a seat measurement based on their example photo). They specifically and clearly state: do not add any amount to these measurements. They claim that they add two inches, then a little is subtracted when they make their cuts for their “tailored cut” suit for a “perfect comfortable fit”. Don’t add anything, that I can do (can not do?). While I could have done without the orangey-red buttons, I entered my measurements and the order confirmation email hit my inbox. All I had to do was wait.
The next day I received an email confirming my measurements (“size confirm to ensure the well fitting”). I know that I’m basically two different people stacked on top of each other, so I immediately responded to confirm my measurements.
The day it arrived I was super excited, and my friend was with me when the DHL package was dropped off. I ripped open the bag, cut the tape on the box and unfolded the razor sharp edges of the fabric that had been ceremoniously crammed into the cardboard. On with the vest and… it wouldn’t button. Deep breath and the top button buttoned! but the other was entirely a no-go. OK, let’s try the jacket. Ab-so-lutely not.
I was beside myself. It was Dec 15 and I had sixteen days to find a suit that fits. I also needed to return this ill-fitting mess of fabric.
Google. Google. Google…. ah, is this what I need? TruClothing.com made similar claims to BD Tailormade, one difference being that TruClothing only sold stock on hand… and they could DHL next-day-noon ship! AND THE SUIT WAS ON SALE!
Not wanting to get burned again I erred on the side of too-large. My 50 chest was listed as a 48 suit at the other place. Here I went up a size, to their largest size 52, to accommodate their “somewhere between slim fit and regular fit”. Measurements: check. Paypal: check. Order confirmation: check.
It was a long 72 hours. I came home from work to find a DHL bag on the porch, tore it open, and found a suit, on a hanger, in a suit bag. Immediately this was a different experience. Cautiously I tried on the vest: form fitting. The jacket: perfect. The pants: I should have ordered longer, but that’s on me.
With that settled I turned my attention back to returning my suit to BD Tailormade. My contact, Brady, became expectedly mum once the topic of returns came up, the same day their suit arrived. At this point it had been three days without instructions for returning the suit, so I opened a Paypal dispute. After two more days I escalated the dispute and the next day received a response: I would get the return address when I provided a shipping label number. What?
We went back and forth like this for another day and I eventually got a return address. DHL doesn’t do “slow”. $114 shipping for a $150 suit. USPS does do “slow” but I’m skeptical of their ability to get this returned suit to Fujian province without requiring buckets of import duties (yes, I plan to state that this is “RETURN CARGO” as instructed by the seller). The online estimate is $90.
While I figure out what I’m going to do about the return, I’ve been wearing pieces of the TruClothing suit. Everyone loves the vest and jacket (I wear them as separates). If the NYE party goes as well as we’re hoping, I may be wearing tweed suits for the next decade.
kmskelton 