The concern for a good appearance has been the subject of ongoing thought and debate for
longer than anyone can remember. To quote Shakespeare,
"Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
but not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
for the apparel oft proclaims the man;".
As a master tailor, Hal Slilaty's interests and efforts have not been limited only to the ability
to make a suit fit the physique, which is only half the story of the noble art of tailoring. A
second major interest for many years has also been the psychology of the clothing and the ability of the
clothing to express the image and fit the personality of the individual, which represents the critical
second half of this noble art.
While we can conclude from all that has been written about the importance of appearance
and from our own experience, that the apparel indeed, oft proclaims the man, it is well
also to keep in mind, that it is more important to carry what you wear than what
you actually wear. If the impression that you create with your apparel cannot be backed up
by you in words and deeds, you'll quickly be discovered to be an imposter to others and to
yourself.
Most clothing today, for economic reasons, is sold off the rack. As a consequence,
compromises are generally made when it comes to the physical fit as well as the psychological feel
of the clothing. Ready to wear clothing can only be made to fit the average physique while the
great majority of the consumers are not average. Also, the image that they reflect is not
necessarily that of the consumer who is going to wear them, rather it is the image of the stores that
sell them or the designers that design them.
In recent times, as a result of the rise of individualism among the young and the desire
of many men for self-expression, the industry has noticed a growing demand in the
market for customized clothing. Couple that with the rising cost of inventory for the stores,
and the decline of the number of suits sold and you have in your hands the perfect recipe
for custom made clothing.
Although tailoring is the natural answer to this growing demand, what becomes quickly
obvious is that the old, cumbersome methodologies of tailoring and their attendant cost,
cannot satisfy this recent demand and more modern methodologies are called for.
As a consequence, the industry has sought to de-skill the process of tailoring
and reduce the costs involved through the use of modern technology and so called mass-customization.
The end goal is to achieve a fit based on a custom pattern made to a person's own individual
measurements and not a stock pattern, as well as his own selection of fabric and style to
conform to his own individual personality. In fact, the individualized pattern and choice of
fabric and style are the keys to a custom suit, not necessarily how a suit is tailored,
and not how many stitches per inch were utilized or how many fittings it requires.
The clothing industries, in the U.S., Europe and other parts of the world have been working
diligently for many years on this project and have spent large sums of money to be able to
produce custom fitted clothing on a mass basis. To date, they have not been able
to make any significant progress. Since I am familiar with their methodologies and have
actually worked as a consultant with some of them, I see that the reason for their lack of
progress is their unduly strong emphasis on how physical measurements are taken when
physical measurements constitute only about 20% of the informational input required to
create a perfectly fitting garment. They tend to forget that the purpose of tailoring
is not only to fit the body but also to make the body fit into the suit by altering
its proportion and enhancing its characteristics. This fact becomes apparent when you consider
that tailors, aside from taking the physical measurements, always need to do multiple fittings and
try-ons.
While keeping these basic principals in mind, we at Clothing Science have been able to make
a breakthrough and have developed a patented process for mass-customization that addresses both the
physical fit as well as the enhancement of the physique. It guarantees a perfect fit every time,
doesn't require any fittings or expertise in taking the physical measurements and does not even
need the awkward inseam measurement. This process can also be simultaneously implemented in multiple locations,
economically and efficiently, since it does not require costly equipment or extensive training of
personnel.
Since Rome was not built in a day this system of mass-customization, which has proven itself
in the marketplace beyond any doubt, was not developed overnight either.
It is said that if you truly want to understand a subject, you need to teach it. Over the years
Hal Slilaty has become known in the industry as the Guru of Custom Clothing. For many years,
Hal conducted seminars throughout the country for large men's retailers as well as small
entrepreneurs in the skill of dealing in custom clothing as well as the psychology of personalized
clothing. Many of the most successful custom retailers in the country today give credit to
his training for their successes. A few of the names of the well-known stores, for which he conducted
seminars, include Barney's in New York City, Alfred Dunhill in New York City, Mitchell in
Connecticut, Malouf in Lubbock Texas, and Shaia in Birmingham, Alabama. He has alumni that work today at
such stores as Sak's Fifth Ave., Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers and Paul Stuart in New York. See
"Testimonials" for 'Praises and Appreciations' from
more manufacturers, retailers and our own retail clients.
As a culmination of all the experiences he has gained by interacting with some of the brightest
minds in the industry, he was able to distill all the knowledge he accumulated into a
mass-customization system, on which he holds a patent for the production of custom apparel.
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