Suit Yourself

Sometimes you just need a good suit.

It might be for a job interview, an important business meeting, a social gathering, a graduation or a night on the town with a loved one.

Chain clothing retailers, like the Men’s Wearhouse, can provide a wide enough selection for the average shopper.

But if you want that extra touch, a nip and tuck that will make the suit fit perfectly to your frame, a custom tailor could be the way to go. It may cost a little more, but weighed against the life of a garment that should last several years, it might be worth the expense.

Problem is, Ventura County is not exactly New York’s garment district. Finding a custom tailor is like finding a sewing needle in a haystack.

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Even Hwae Hwang, who has been providing custom tailoring service in Ventura for 14 years, says they are hard to find.

“Some people don’t know my store is even here,” said the Korean-born Hwang, owner of Rome Tailor on Telegraph Road near the Buenaventura Mall. “A lot of tailors, a lot of people who do factory work--there are not too many left.”

Hwang will custom make a men’s or women’s suit including the material, for $700. A pair of pants, by itself, will go for about $240. Hwang said his clientele is made up mostly of older businesspeople and hard-to-fit customers who can afford the cost.

“Everybody likes custom made,” he said. “Young people like it too, but they don’t have the money. And Ventura County is a little casual.”

Hwang provides free future alterations for customers who purchase their suits from him. He also does general alterations beginning at $10 for hemming pants.

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In Santa Paula, Suzi Jina has operated Suzi’s Alterations on Harvard Boulevard for 13 years. Although most of her business consists of altering men’s and women’s clothing, the Czechoslovakia-born seamstress custom tailors women’s suits and fits bridesmaids dresses.

Suzi’s Alterations charges $200 for a lined skirt and jacket combination, and $100 and up for bridesmaids dresses. Customers are required to provide their own material. Basic alterations range from about $7.50 for a pants hem to about $22.50 for a fix on a men’s jacket.

Jina said there have been distinct changes over the years in the demands of her clients.

“I’m not doing any more of the fancy things that I used to--I’m doing more casual stuff and more repairing,” she said. “I will say one thing, people are saving more money. They’re not buying the more expensive stuff. They’re altering and restyling the older stuff.”

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Anthony Aiello, owner of the Golden Thimble tailor shop in Westlake Village, realizes that custom tailoring is an exclusive trade. “It’s for a very particular client--if they want to dress well they look for custom [clothing],” Aiello said.

Aiello does limited custom work, and as with Suzi’s Alterations, customers must supply the material. Although fashion consciousness is on the rise again, he said, tailoring skills are on the decline.

“I’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” he said. “Now my art is gone; it’s dead. I am from Italy--there are some [traditional tailors] left, many from Europe, but most are all dead.”

Aiello said the price for a custom garment at his shop varies depending on the order.

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The Men’s Wearhouse store in Moorpark, by the way, carries suits ranging from $189.99 to $700, and the Wearhouse shop in Ventura has suits priced from $199 to $499. Alterations at both locations are extra.