I love Arthur, and he's truly a godsend.
Listen, if you're expecting a "normal" studio in a storefront with "professional" features, this might not be the place for you. Arthur's phone operation is a little weird (I think it's his cell phone?) and takes getting used to. His studio is a big open loft/pad, with a kitchen, two funny little dogs, always lots of cool soul/funk/psych music blasting, interesting paintings everywhere, and oddball characters all around.
Initially, I was skeptical about Arthur, perhaps because he shattered my expectations of a tailor. He's not the atypical image you may have: perhaps an old British man in a vest with a tie and slim pleated slacks and freshly polished wingtips, saying "How do you do sir? May I offer you a sprinkling water or perhaps a moist towelette to freshen up?" No, Arthur is the opposite. He's much more funky, much more rock'n'roll. When I arrived, I think all he said was "Sup. The changing room is over there," while his dogs barked at me on my way over to it. He himself dresses in super loose clothing, typically from the 70s, is most often barefoot, and I think another reviewer put it very accurately: he looks a lot like the muppet Floyd Pepper, and even kinda talks like him too. I won't say his clothes don't fit him, but he definitely wears them loose and so, I will be honest here, my initial thought was, "will this guy really tailor my clothes to fit me well?!"
Then I returned for the results.
And the results were phenomenal.
Shirts and pants that looked like they were made just for me.
Solid and consistent execution.
And now constant compliments from everyone I know.
So I knew I had misjudged Arthur, and I began to bring him most of my warddrobe over time. He's laid-back, funny, smart, friendly (always sure to offer me a drink), fast, and genuinely wants you to look your best. He brings his own opinions to play, but ultimately he says, "you're the driver," and wants you to be happy. So often times, I will say things that I like or don't like, bounce ideas off of him to get his feedback, and that helps me make a more informed decision. It should be said that his feedback is based more on a love of clothing and styles throughout history, rather than sticking to one exact style and knowing only that, as some tailors do. That is, you go to some tailors and they will make you look like everyone else, but I think Arthur is genuinely interested in making clothes unique to each person and what they like. So with that, he's incredibly knowledgeable at helping me nail the perfect fit that is just right for me. Also, I feel very comfortable chatting with him throughout the process, and I'm always learning new and intersting things from him about fashion, history, art, music, life in new york city, you name it.
Quick response to the negative feedback about his timeliness and work: I will say Arthur seems a little bit scatterbrained at times, but he's never been late, and he's never stood me up, and he's never messed up a garment for me, and I've brought him easily 30 shirts, some jackets, and pants over the past year. What I have noticed is his business has picked up and he seems to be constantly overbooked, so I'm sure those were strange isolated events that were the result of being overwhelmed. But it looks like he's hired more assistants from what I've seen, so that should likely help.
So maybe he's not for everyone. Maybe you're looking for that old british man with loads of politeness to suit you up for a wedding, and that's fine. But if you can vibe with the oddity of his character and his studio and the way he runs things a little differently, you will be happy you've worked with him. I've definitely found my permanent tailor for as long as I live in NYC. read more