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Dallas Shops

Four top shops for custom-made clothing—because there’s a dandy deep inside us all.
By Kristie Ramirez |

Made to Order

The Fitting Room. Whether you have a piece of clothing you want replicated or a pattern made for your dream dress, designer extraordinaire and Fitting Room owner Bea Harper can do it all. For example, after wearing a pair of fabulous BCBG slacks with leather detail around the waist—the perfect Christian Dior Addict knock-off from fall 2002—approximately 157 times, the zipper went kaput. We took them to tailor after tailor after tailor, but because the zipper had to be pulled over the leather, no one would touch them. Bea was our last hope. When we turned them over to her, she said, “No problem.” One week later, the slacks were back in our wardrobe rotation. Tue-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. 4111 Lomo Alto Dr. 214-520-3600.

OK Alterations and Monograms. Our latest obsession is monogramming everything we own—from terry cloth hoodies to underpants. We’re not kidding. If you’ve been to a boutique or mall lately, you will have spotted a slew of monogrammed tank tops, blue jeans, and button-down cardigans à la Laverne DeFazio. But sometimes the script isn’t quite right, or, even worse, your initial is sold out. No need to shed tears, sugarplum. OK Alterations and Monograms in Snider Plaza has about 100 colored threads and a variety of scripts to suit your taste. In about a week, you can go from ho-hum to super-fly with your new, personalized dress shirts, miniskirts, or anything else that needs your mark. It’s less than $10 for a big single letter. Laverne would be so proud. Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 6612 Snider Plaza. 214-750-1202.

Peters Bros. Hats. Company founder Tom Peters Sr., who learned the craft from John B. Stetson, started this Fort Worth business in 1911, and five generations of the Peters family have been running it ever since. They’ll shape a hat according to your facial features, so it’s truly a custom job. If you don’t see anything you like in the store, they can mix and match styles to come up with your dream chapeau. If you already have a lid that you love, but it’s seen better days, they can renovate or reshape your hood. Mon-Sat, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 909 Houston St., Fort Worth. 817-335-1715. www.petersbros.com.

Q Shirtmakers. Brothers Ravi and Raja Ratan grew up in the apparel business (their father owns custom suit maker K.T. Ratan in North Dallas), so it’s only natural that they would make the foray into the custom-made shirt business. The 1,100-square-foot boutique houses more than 2,500 fabrics and four shirt styles from which to choose. A shirt will take up to four weeks to make, but it’s worth the wait. Still not convinced? Then browse their selection of dress and casual ready-to-wear shirts or ties from the likes of Ike Behar, Valentino, and Versace. Mon-Wed, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thu-Sat, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun, noon-6 p.m. West Village, 3699 McKinney Ave., Ste. 303. 214-780-9888.

Photo by Abel Sanchez

LEARN THE LINGO:

If you’re buying a custom-made shirt, it helps to speak your tailor’s language. Q Shirtmakers gives us the lowdown on cuff and collar terminology.

 

COLLARS

Butterfly: A pointed collar with a curvature on it that lies flat against the garment. Also called the “Pat Riley” look.

 

Point: A formal style with a higher stance; the points are more pronounced and closer together.

 

Regular: Medium-length points and medium spread from each other.

 

Spread: A classic style that is worn with a tie.

 

CUFFS

 

Convertible: A French or turn-back cuff that usually doesn’t require cufflinks.

 

French or Double Cuff: Cuff that requires cufflinks.

 

Self: Matches the color or print of the shirt sleeve.

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