You want to take the first step into the world of tailoring and this is the question that pops into your mind: how much does a tailored shirt cost? Online prices can vary from 40 euros to over 200, and if you’re thinking about going to a proper tailor the price exceeds 300 euros.
If this is your first experience with tailor-made fashion and you’re not an expert in fabrics or tailoring, you’ll find it difficult to understand how to move and you definitely run the risk of buying low-quality products.
So here’re a market overview and some tips on how to find the made-to-measure shirt that suits your needs and your wallet.
As for custom-made suits, there are few details such as fabric, tailoring and accessories, that make the difference in defining the price of a tailored shirt. These three elements denote the quality of the garment and also define its value.
When choosing the right shirt it is important to take into account different aspects, which define the final cost of the product. This depends on raw materials, quality and fineness of fibres, type of finishing and the value of the textile brand. Depending on the type of fibre, the place of weaving and the type of finishing, the costs of the fabric (and its value) can vary considerably.
For example, the market offers so many cotton fibres such as Chinese, American (Supima), Egyptian (Giza 87 and then Giza 45), Japanese and Sea island, each of these raw materials has a different cost and a different result when woven.
Special finishing such as the easy iron treatment, and the place of weaving (labour costs change between Italy – Europe – China), increase the cost of the fabric.
Raw materials are crucial, that’s true. But knowing how to properly tailor a great fabric allows creating an aesthetically impeccable and durable product. Details such as the number of hand-made steps or the number of stitches per centimetre (no less than 8!) are important in defining the value of a tailored shirt.
As for the weaving process, the cost of labour changes depending on whether the shirt is made. Italian, European or Chinese artisans obviously are paid in a different way, and this affects the final cost of a custom shirt.
When talking about raw materials, in addition to the fabric, you have to consider buttons and the linings (for cuffs and collars) too. For example, mother-of-pearl buttons are brighter, more resistant, precious but come also with a bigger cost.
Now that you have a clear picture and you know what determines the final price of a tailored product, you understand that shirts that cost less than € 50 cannot have same features as € 150 shirts. So how to choose the right tailored shirt? It depends on what you’re looking for.
If you are looking for a shirt made according to your anatomical measurements, but you’re not interested in the quality of fabric and tailoring, you’ll find several offers online for less than € 50. However, keep in mind that low-quality fabrics wear out very quickly and inaccurate stitching makes the shirt less durable.
If you want a good quality product you can go for shirts above 50 €. At a price range of € 50-150 belong customised and industrially (or partially industrially) made-to-measure shirts, made in Italy (or Europe) with a good fabric. At this price you’ll buy tailored shirts with an excellent quality/price ratio, to be worn every day for work or leisure.
If what you’re looking for a luxury product, a price range above € 150 is the right one. This category includes completely customisable Made in Italy shirts, hand-tailored with a particularly fine and performing fabric.
You can buy your shirt online or you can go to a traditional tailor, in this case, the price could exceed € 300 and you will probably do some intermediate fitting to get the shirt.