Welcome to the Lounge

"Okay: just like that Armani in the magazine — your suit's gonna be double-breasted with narrow lapels, real-tortoise-shell buttons, satin liner, no front pocket, sewn-through button-holes, vents at the sides, pleated pants with no back pockets."

"Yes, that's what I want; my new job starts the first of the month."

"Okay, let's talk about the suiting; we have some very light-weight wool-worsteds that you can wear summer through fall — Here, take a look at these samples — "

"How much would two suits with — this one — and this one — be ?"

"That would be about a thousand-dollars for your two suits — of course, keep in mind that includes two-fittings with our master-tailors."

"That's pretty expensive."

"Well, what do you want to pay ?"

"Could I get two suits for five-hundred dollars ?"

"Well, yeah, you could go with a poly-cotton blend in a twill, but that's not going to give you summer-fall wear, that's not going look like Armani."

"Well, do you have something that would give me summer-fall wear, but less than a thousand dollars for two ?"

"You could go with a wool-poly blend — get it down around seven-fifty, but — I gotta tell ya — you're gonna have a suit that rumples easy — you're gonna have a suit that needs pressing every time you wear it — "

"I see."

"Now, if you can go nine-hundred, and we make both suits from the same suiting fabric — see — we can save a little on the cutting there — that's the cheapest way I can see to go with the wool worsted — 

Of course, if you're willing to skip the sewn-through button-holes — that's another fifty you save — forget about the pleats, go with a cheaper liner, plastic buttons — another fifty off — now — you're down eight-hundred."

"Wow, eight-hundred's still a long way from five-hundred, and I get only one color !"

"Well, you get what you pay for — you want summer-fall — you want bespoke — it's gonna cost you."

"Aren't there some open-source fabrics that — would be a lot cheaper ?"

"There may be, but we wouldn't use those if they were free — hah ! 

Open-source wool-worsted ! [laughing] — you gonna get stuff there from some kind of flock of sheep used for genetic experiments turned into wool by a bunch of amateurs !"

"I see."

"Look, you seem like a nice young man, and I'd like to help you out: what if I knocked a hundred-dollars off the thousand, and you get your two suits in the wool-worsted."

"You mean — with the sewn-through — "

"Yeah, yeah — two colors, sewn-through, satin liner, the works."

"That's really kind of you."

"Well, kind-schmind, a young man with a future like you — our customer today — we know you're going to come back to us — this year it's wool-worsted, next year: cashmere."

"I see."

"You gotta credit-card ?"

"Yes, I have a Visa."

"Let's get a deposit right now on the card, and get you measured."

"Could I come back in two days — just need a little time to think this over."

"Sure, you can come back any time, but I gotta be straight with you here: I offered you the two for nine-hundred partly because our cutting-room schedule's pretty open the next few days — now, we gotta pay our master-cutters whether they cut or not — I'm sure you understand that.

Now, if there are a lot of orders come in today, tomorrow, and that schedule fills-up — oh sure — you still get the two for nine-hundred like I said — but, I can't guarantee you get the suits before the first-of-the-month — could be as late as the tenth before they're ready — remember: you gotta have two fittings."

"Could you do it with one fitting ?"

"No, we never only do one fitting, and that's why we have the reputation we do."

"Okay, let's do this — here's the card."