Understanding Quality Construction In Custom Garments


The Quality Construction of Tom James Custom Garments

6/20/2015 5:25:00 AM

The Tom James Foundation: Understanding the Construction in Our Garments

June 11, 2015


The foundation is everything in any type of construction, whether it be buildings, cars, boats, bridges, airplanes, roads – or clothing. Tom James pledges that all of our garments and products are built upon a proper foundation because you, the customer, really never see what goes into a garment’s construction.

The Tom James Foundation is composed of four components, each critical for a properly-constructed garment: 

• Fabric
• Pattern
• Cutting
• Sewing

It all begins with our fabrics. Fabrics have very little regulations coming into the USA. To ensure that our cloth performs to our expectations, we have our own boutique textile mill, where we only make fabrics which are true to the micron and thread counts which we publish.
We put our fabrics through vigorous tests in our mill lab, which is above industry standards, and then we send our fabrics to independent certified labs. Our tests are compared to their tests and only then are we satisfied. Because we also buy fabrics from other well-known mills, from all over the world, we do the same testing on those fabrics before they are shipped to our manufacturing plants. 

Next we create a special pattern to fit only your body by taking accurate incline and shoulder descriptions, including 16 to 20 measurements for the coat, 10 to 14 measurements for the trousers and 6 to 8 measurements for the vest. In total, there are 32 to 42 measurements which we use to build your personal pattern. All garments start as a flat piece of cloth. That cloth must be sculpted around the body, using a pattern specific to you, because all bodies and sizes have varying stress points, including armholes, shoulders, sleeves, elbows and shoulder blades. 

The cloth which goes into your personal garment is then cut to match your unique pattern. We cut only on single ply so that we can control the right side of your body and the left side of your body independently, in case there are differences between your right and left side. Unlike manufacturers who simultaneously cut both sides of your garments as mirror images, Tom James cuts each side separately to ensure the highest quality construction possible.

Finally, we sew your garments. There are approximately 268 operations performed on coats, 128 operations performed on trousers and 15 operations performed on vests. To accommodate every customer’s needs, we use five levels of constructions, or “makes”, which vary by the amount of handwork at each level. 

MAKE #1 HIGHEST QUALITY OXXFORD BESPOKE
The highest quality garment in the world, 100% handmade in Chicago, Illinois U.S.A. Also available as a basted try-on. 

Watch Oxxford Video 





MAKE #2 VENTURA BESPOKE
The highest quality 90% handmade garment in the world, also made in Chicago, Illinois.

MAKE #3 ROYAL CLASSIC
The highest quality Custom Made garment in the world, with 80% handwork. Made in Westminster, Maryland.


2015 Quality Ranges

MAKE #4 EXECUTIVE COLLECTION
The highest quality Made to Measure garment in the world, with 70% handwork. Also made in Westminster, Maryland U.S.A., and coming soon, Ontario, Canada.

MAKE #5 CORPORATE IMAGE
The highest quality Special Order garment in the world, tailored with 60% handwork in Santiago, Chile. Tom James Chile began production eight years ago, the first five of which were spent manufacturing for the South American market while our operators gained expertise in making garments the Tom James way. All of the Tom James’ production facilities operate with the same systems, including Tom James Chile.


One of the mission statements from Tom James is WE GUARANTEE 100% SATISFACTION, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. WE WILL DELIGHT YOU NOT ONLY ONCE, BUT ALWAYS. 


Sergio Casalena
CEO of Tom James Company

Posted by Erik Peterson,

Tom James Company Tampa Bay Sarasota Lakeland Clearwater
12100 31st Court Suite A
St Petersburg FL 33716

e.peterson@tomjames.com
727-916-7848

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