how to find contacts for tailsuit?

D

dncr29

New Member
How do I contact Ron Gunn or Onik?


Also, if you get a tailsuit from Europe, how do get the fitting? Do they have reps in the US?
 
I got my first tails from Onik: 213-380-3272

Two problems:

1) I needed them for American Smooth, and even though I told them that, they seemed pretty restrictive, which may be related to...

2) They insisted on only working over the phone and through mailed in measurments, even though I was willing to see them in person. This may be why it never fit quite right. I had to lengthen the pants as soon as they arrived.
 
I'll try to find the card I got from Ron Gunn... no guarantees though. I know it's somewhere in my mess of a room.
 
Arthur Ashmore has a web site, and they actually answer their email.

www . arthurashmoretailors.co.uk
 
I had remarkable success buying a tailsuit from tony brakely(sp) in the UK. Did everything via email. The fit was outstanding. You can find an email in the advertisments at the back of DanceNews or possibly Dance Beat. I will look for the email address and post it if i can find it.
 
Aleksandr Sinitsa (Lesya's dad) makes fabulous tails. The only issue, if you can call it that, is that he wants two fittings. The tails fit wonderfully, though, and he knows how to make a great set of American Smooth tails, especially since he made Max's for years. He is also great to work with.

I also recommend Arthur Ashmore in England. I got a set of Ashmore's once and they were a joy to dance in. I did get fitted in person while at Blackpool but they fit right out of the shipping box when they sent them to me.

If you are in Southern California or in Northern California and not in a hurry, I would recommend Aleksandr otherwise I would recommend Ashmore.

I was extremely disappointed in my last set of Onik tails. They looked great when I was standing still and when I did my first line up to dance but they had a common flaw when one moved one's frame around while dancing. I can pick out a set of Onik tails simply by watching a guy's back. If you dance like a rock and don't have much freedom in your upper frame maybe you can dance in them, otherwise... That said, my favorite fabric was from Onik and the work was great but they didn't fit right. Onik was also not very amenable to comments or changes.
 
smoozer said:
I had remarkable success buying a tailsuit from tony brakely(sp) in the UK.
Click to expand...

I believe his name is Tony Bailey and the company is called "Brackley's". They've got a website with contacts (i think it's brackleys.com).

I would always prefer to have it fitted in person, but it does seem that tails from the UK are significantly cheaper, so it might be worth the risk of having to get it altered locally.
 
We Yanks have the issue of the shizzy exchange rate when buying UK tails though.

Turtle, what are A. Sinitsa's prices like, compared to the UK fellas?
 
I don't know what Alek charges now. I suspect that it
runs from $1200 or so up to $1600 depending on
the fabric. In general, you want to spend the money
to get a fabric that doesn't hold a wrinkle or the wrinkles
fall out after hanging for awhile.
 
When it comes to tailsuits, can a suit made for smooth be used in standard? I've heard that standard suits do not always work for smooth b/c of the variety of arm positions -- but does a suit that is made for more flexibilty have extra room in the shoulders that bunches in closed dance position? Or, do the smooth suits use more flexible material?
 
tbrennen said:
I don't know what Alek charges now. I suspect that it
runs from $1200 or so up to $1600 depending on
the fabric. In general, you want to spend the money
to get a fabric that doesn't hold a wrinkle or the wrinkles
fall out after hanging for awhile.
Click to expand...

My partner looked into both, and when he added in the cost of getting himself to LA twice for a fitting, he decided to go with Ashmore. When he checked with Sinitsa, there was only one fabric he used, Sinitsa wouldn't send a sample, and the cost for the tailsuit was much more than $1200. I don't recall the exact details, but my partner figured that the true price from either one (based on his Ashmore fabric selection, which is one of the nicest fabrics Ashmore offers) worked out to be about the same, and he preferred to work with the person who answered their email and had a lot of experience with mail order work.

I'm really worried about him doing mail order, though, just because I can't imagine making something as complex as a tailsuit without having in person fittings. But I also can't make my partner's decisions for him, so I'm counting on Ashmore to come through for him. :?
 
Ashmore sends you the unfinished shell, asks you to put it on and take photos to show them how it fits, and send it back to them before finishing it. My shell fit fine; I'd be surprised if more than a small fraction needed any further alteration after fitting. If K can afford it, he should get a spare pair of trousers to change into between rounds.
 
wyllo said:
When it comes to tailsuits, can a suit made for smooth be used in standard? I've heard that standard suits do not always work for smooth b/c of the variety of arm positions -- but does a suit that is made for more flexibilty have extra room in the shoulders that bunches in closed dance position? Or, do the smooth suits use more flexible material?
Click to expand...

New smooth tailsuits are I think fairly rare. But anyway, a smooth suite might use not only a stretch blended fabric, but be cut in a way that made some compromises unecessary for the single position of standard dancing. It would certainly work for standard, it just might not be as perfect as something created by one of the best dance tailors specifically for standard. In that way it's probably no different than some of the budget suits being worn out there - serviceable for most purposes, but not the ultimate that is available.
 
Laura said:
I'm really worried about him doing mail order, though, just because I can't imagine making something as complex as a tailsuit without having in person fittings. But I also can't make my partner's decisions for him, so I'm counting on Ashmore to come through for him. :?
Click to expand...

The fitting of the shell Joe describes should be a good safety check. But as I'm sure you know the most important step is to get really good measurements taken. One thing to be careful of is that the waistline in a dance tailsuit is artificially high - you want to be clear you are all on the same page about what is being specified for things like the rise of the trousers (are they adding an offset height to a natural waistline, or are you specifying where you want the dance waistline?). I'd probably send pictures (alone and in hold with partner), whatever form full of measurements they want, and maybe even pictures of exactly how some of the measurements were taken.
 
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