April Update And Newsletter

April 7th, 2002

Greetings from www.ravistailor.com and welcome to our latest newsletter.

It has been some time since we issued our last periodical aimed at keeping in touch with you, our patrons.
As I am sure, a lot of our regular customers would have noticed recently, over the last couple of months, we have had major restructurings and revampings of our website with the intention of making your experience with us even more satisfying.
Some major changes have been instituted at our website recently, specially in the way we interact sartorially, as well as new product lines and features have been added to ensure a wholesome ordering process.
After a lot of trial and error, fixing of bugs in the system and a lot of hard work and heart break, we are finally done with the latest version of our Custom tailoring website.
A special word of thanks to my staff and my webmaster for all their efforts that have now borne fruit in one of the best online custom tailoring sites on the web.

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WHAT´S NEW at ravistailor.com?

YOUR ACCOUNTS at MyAccounts .. is a brand new feature added for you to be able to handle your account with us more easily. You can update your email addresses, shipping and billing addresses as well as view all your orders at one place. Tracking links for shipped orders too have been provided here. Measurements profiles for your self as well as members of your family or friend circle can be stored and edited in your accounts. Sizes that have been used to Custom make to measure your orders can now be viewed and updated easily.
For clients who have not used our services since we launched this feature, please rest assured that we still have your measurements on file with us and will update your profiles as soon as your next order has been placed. Orders placed before February may not be viewable from your accounts though.
We ask all our clients who have not used our services in the last couple of months, to please visit your account at our website and update them for your convenience. This can be done by login into your acccount at www.ravistailor.com

NEW PRODUCTS….we have added brand new fabrics in the EXCLUSIVE COLLECTIONS and the DELUXE COLLECTIONS featuring more luxurious fabrics with beautiful drape and soft hand. These materials are imported from Italy or England. New Shirting fabrics too have been introduced in all our collections. We will be constantly updating our fabric selections as new materials come in and the older ones are discontinued. Please keep checking back with us on a regular basis to see what is new.

NEW STYLES..we have introduced new styles to our catalogues including some of the very latest featuring tapered single breasted “Bond” styles that are the rage at the moment. New shirt styles too have been added as well as a lot of new choices for women´s skirt and pant suits have been introduced.

NEW Fabrics..we have added a whole new range of fabrics in the suitings of the Exclusive collections and the Deluxe suitings have been totally reintroduced. New suitings are going to be added in both these collections in the coming weeks and new ranges of shirtings in the classic and exclusive cotton collections are being added to our inventory. New colours that are either fashionably bright or grungishly dark are going to be available in the next week to ten days.

NEW PROMOTIONS..We have introduced a new range of promotional offers featured in their own special category called the WARDROBE SPECIALS at http://www.ravistailor.com/packages.php These offer set packages that introduce bulk buying savings into the sartorial purchase.

ADDED CUSTOMIZATION...a New series of measurements forms have been introduced that make it easier to view the measurements we have on file for you as well as be able to update or edit the existing measurements.
We thank you all for your comments, suggestions and feedback that have been extensively used to create these latest measurements forms which we believe are among the best on the web. The new forms can be viewed at http://www.ravistailor.com/measurements.htm

OTHER FEATURES …include fabric search functions at http://www.ravistailor.com/fabsearch.php and style search functions at http://www.ravistailor.com/stylesearch.php that can be used to search for particular fabrics or styles you may be looking for using keywords that best describe that particular fabric or style.

LET US MAKE A SUGGESTION.. We now offer the opportunity to obtain suggestions and recommendations from our master tailors customized to your very special or specific needs. This feature can be availed of at http://www.ravistailor.com/suggestions.htm . A new FAQ/Help section has been launched that better addresses your questions, queries and concerns at http://www.ravistailor.com/faq.htm


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What NEW PROMOTIONS are being offered at ravistailor.com?

Apart from our regular promotions, we hope to be able to provide even more
value for money with these custom designed promotional offers.
Our latest promotional offers are now displayed at http://www.ravistailor.com/packages.php and include such packages as the BANKERS SPECIAL of a suit from our exclusive collections and five shirts from our classics or the POWER DRESSER´S CHOICE of a suit and four shirts from our deluxe collections at substantial savings. For Women, we now have on offer the WOMENS SPECIAL of a pant suit and a skirt suit from our deluxe collections.

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What are other e-shoppers ordering this month?

More tapered jackets with snug fit is coming back into vogue with a James Bond style of British Cut being favored over the more continental fit for suits. Shirts are becoming more tapered and less full, especially around the torso. Darker perennial colours are coming back into play and while plaids and checks are out, stripes of all kinds, pin stripes, chalk stripes, subtle stripes are back. Herringbone is out though.

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What´s new For our resellers and wholesalers?

A completely new section is going to be introduced soon which is designed as a separate private area for our resellers who would be able to log in securely, place orders that would calculate the reseller discounts instigated for each individual reseller, submit bulk orders, track orders in real-time and maintain their accounts with us, all at one place! Resellers would be able to avail of real-time fabric availability updates, access our style checker that can be used to search for specific style criteria, edit orders placed with us, make changes to their specifications, and a lot more from the reseller´s area. Measurements profiles of the reseller´s clients can be stored, viewed and edited from here as well. This would enable our resellers to place repeat orders for their clients without having to resubmit information that has already been submitted.

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Whats new on the FASHION GRAPEVINE ?

It turns out that clothes are more important than you think. In fact, researchers have come up with some scientific evidence to support the notion that what you wear really does make a difference in how you influence the world around you. So now you know what you always suspected! The guy down the hall who didn´t know poop and got the vice-president´s slot got it not because he was smart, but because he knew how to look smart.
In situations such as job interviews, court appearances, sales presentations and first dates it is important to make a not just good, but a great first impression for maximum credibility and authority.
Behavioral scientists tell us that the effect of a first impression is a strong one. The process of sizing you up is something that goes on almost subconsciously. Your evaluation by a stranger takes 30 seconds or less, and can be so strong that it could take as long as five years to erase.
Why not take advantage of the research on human nature and utilize the knowledge to enhance and control how you are accepted? Since about 90 percent of you is covered by apparel, the clothing you choose makes a significant impact. This is such an important area -- but at least it´s one in which you can effect the greatest impression by just knowing what you´re doing.


On a different note, here is some history of NECKTIES!

The history of neckties dates back a mere hundred years or so, for they came into existence as the direct result of a war. In 1660, in celebration of its hard-fought victory over Turkey, a crack regiment from Croatia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) visited Paris. There, the soldiers were presented as glorious heros to Louis XIV, a monarch well known for his eye toward personal adornment. It so happened that the officers of this regiment were wearing brightly colored handkerchiefs fashioned of silk around their necks. These neck cloths, which probably descended from the Roman fascalia worn by orators to warm the vocal chords, struck the fancy of the king, and he soon made them an insignia of royalty as he created a regiment of Royal Cravattes. The word "cravat," incidentally, is derived from the word "Croat."

It wasn´t long before this new style crossed the channel to England. Soon no gentleman would have considered himself well dressed without sporting some sort of cloth around his neck -- the more decorative, the better. At times, cravats were worn so high that a man could not move his head without turning his whole body. There were even reports of cravats worn so thick that they stopped sword thrusts. The various styles knew no bounds, as cravats of tasseled strings, plaid scarves, tuffs and bows of ribbon, lace and embroidered linen all had their staunch adherents. Nearly one hundred different knots were recognized, and as a certain M. Le Blanc, who instructed men in the fine and sometimes complex art of tying a tie, noted, "The grossest insult that can be offered to a man comme il faut is to seize him by the cravat; in this place blood only can wash out the stain upon the honor of either party."
In this country, ties were also an integral part of a man´s wardrobe. However, until the time of the Civil War, most ties were imported from the Continent. Gradually, though, the industry gained ground, to the point that at the beginning of the twentieth century, American neckwear finally began to rival that of Europe, despite the fact that European fabrics were still being heavily imported.
In the 1960s, in the midst of the Peacock Revolution, there was a definite lapse in the inclination of men to wear ties, as a result of the rebellion against both tradition and the formality of dress. But by the mid-70s, this trend had reversed itself to the point where now, in the 1980s, the sale of neckwear is probably as strong if not stronger than it has ever been.
How to account for the continued popularity of neckties? For years, fashion historians and sociologists predicted their demise -- the one element of a man´s attire with no obvious function. Perhaps they are merely part of an inherited tradition. As long as world and business leaders continue to wear ties, the young executives will follow suit and ties will remain a key to the boardroom. On the other hand, there does seem to be some aesthetic value in wearing a tie. In addition to covering the buttons of a shirt and giving emphasis to the verticality of a man´s body (in the same way that the buttons on a military uniform do), it adds a sense of luxury and richness, color and texture, to the austerity of the dress shirt and business suit.
Perhaps no other item of a man´s wardrobe has altered its shape so often as the tie. It seems that the first question fashion writers always ask is, "Will men´s ties be wider or narrower this year?"
In the late 1960s and early 70s, ties grew to five inches in width. At the time, the rationale was that these wide ties were in proportion to the wider jacket lapels and longer shirt collars. This was the correct approach, since these elements should always be in balance. But once these exaggerated proportions were discarded, fat ties became another victim of fashion.
The proper width of a tie, and the one that will never be out of style, is 3 1/2 inches (2 3/4 to 3 1/2 inches are also acceptable). As long as the proportions of men´s clothing remain true to a man´s body shape, this width will set the proper balance. Though many of the neckties today are cut in these widths, the section of the tie where the knot is made has remained thick -- a holdover from the fat, napkin like ties of the 1960s. This makes tying a small, elegant knot more difficult. Yet the relationship of a tie´s knot to the shirt collar is an important consideration. If the relationship is proper, the knot will never be so large that it spreads the collar or forces it open, nor will it be so small that it will become lost in the collar.
Standard neckties come in lengths anywhere from 52 to 58 inches long. Taller men, or those who use a Windsor Knot, may require a longer tie, which can be special ordered. After being tied, the tips of the necktie should be long enough to reach the waistband of the trousers (the ends of the tie should either be equal, or the smaller one just a fraction shorter).

Credit for this article goes to the MODERN MAN magazine.

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What´s new in Thailand?
The weather here is warm and getting hotter! Nothing unusual for this time of the year.
We are all looking forward to the annual Thai New Year holidays that occur in the second week of April. Although continuing to operate, we will be on a skeleton staff so please expect some slight delays to our responses during the period from 7th or April to the 17th of April.

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The Excerpts
From THE BANGKOK POST

TRUTHS I HAVE LEARNT…

I´ve learned - that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I´ve learned - that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you´ve had and what you´ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you´ve celebrated.
I´ve learned - that we don´t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I´ve learned - that no matter how good a friend is, they´re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I´ve learned - that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you´re down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I´ve learned - that your family won´t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren´t related to you can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families are biological.
I´ve learned - that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I´ve learned - that just because someone doesn´t love you the way you want them to doesn´t mean they don´t love you With all they have.
I´ve learned - that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I´ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don´t care back.
I´ve learned - that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it..
I´ve learned - that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you´d better know something.
I´ve learned - that you shouldn´t compare yourself to the best others can do.
I´ve learned - that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I´ve learned - that it´s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I´ve learned - that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I´ve learned - that you can keep going long after you think you can´t
I´ve learned - that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I´ve learned - that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I´ve learned - that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I´ve learned - that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I´ve learned - that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I´ve learned - that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I´ve learned - that sometimes when I´m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn´t give me the right to be cruel.
I´ve learned - that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I´ve learned - that it isn´t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I´ve learned - that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn´t stop for your grief.
I´ve learned - that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I´ve learned - that just because two people argue, it doesn´t mean they don´t love each other And just because they don´t argue, it doesn´t mean they do.
I´ve learned - that you shouldn´t be so eager to find out a secret It could change your life forever.
I´ve learned - that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I´ve learned - that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I´ve learned - that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don´t even know you.
I´ve learned - that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I´ve learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.
I´ve learned - that it´s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people´s feelings and standing up for what you believe
I´ve learned – that life is a lesson and each day, we fall, to stand ,and stand, to fall!

by Ravi the Tailor