New York based bespoke suits by Kozinn Tailors

Saint Laurie is now Kozinn+Sons Merchant Tailors.
Same family. Same quality. Same “Made in New York.” Same tailor. New name.

In the world of tailoring and shirtmaking, what separates the men from the boys, if you will, is the issue of “fusing.”

Fusing is the use of non-woven paper or plastic saturated with glue which bonds the cloth you see to an interlining which you don’t. The interlining is critical to the look of a garment—it gives the garment structure and shape.

Fusing is a popular tailoring shortcut that makes cloth easier to work with. Very fine wools, for example, are very difficult to tailor the old-fashioned way. With fusing, lightweight, supple cloths like Super 120 wools become more rigid and thus easier to work with.

But no fused or glued garment can be shaped to the body like a traditionally-made garment. Fused clothing is generally flat, shapeless and devoid of personality. Plus there is the added nuisance of the glue gradually separating from the cloth over time creating a bubbling that is unsightly.

Process of creating clothing, by a custom tailor nyc At Kozinn+Sons they never fuse their clothing. Instead of gluing pieces together, their interlinings are first basted to the top cloth by hand. (Basting is the process of attaching cloth to an interlining with temporary stitches that are removed after the parts of the garment are permanently sewn together.) Their interlinings are woven from naturally resilient materials that can be molded to the body. In every one of their coats is a canvas, which is a mixture of wool and camel hair. It is lightweight, yet “bouncy.” On top of this foundation is a sturdier piece of canvas made of wool and goat hair that forms the chest of the coat. In the shoulder area, a woven material containing horse hair is sewn in place to keep the shoulder pad from collapsing. The undercollars of their jackets are bolstered by a insert made of Irish linen. Similarly, their shirt collars are given added support with a fine cotton webbing from Switzerland.

Historically, the difference between a “tailor” and a “merchant tailor” was that with the former a customer had to buy cloth elsewhere and bring it in to be made into clothing, whereas with the latter he’d expect to find a large selection of cloths and styles on hand. Thus, the “Merchant Tailors” in the Saint Laurie name.

Quality tailoring is not just a question of fabric or workmanship. It must also include fine design.

At Kozinn+Sons, all their designs evolve out of a creative process that takes into account the garment’s intended purpose, their own sense of aesthetics, the sensibilities of the era, and a balance of proportion and scale.

Photos and information: www.kozinntailors.com