October 13, 2004

Tailor-Made

Custom Original's

They sure don’t make them like they used to.

According to Gramps, this phrase can be applied to just about anything: cars, spouses, coffee, tape dispensers.

One thing he’s right about: Tailoring just isn’t what it once was. Except at Al Ribaya’s North Beach boutique, Custom Originals, where old-fashioned tailoring and personalized styling are the order of the day. Al will tailor any item in the store — coats, suits, shirts — to make it your own, or he’ll happily create a design from scratch. Rummage through a bucket of tweed swatches or pick from more than 20 colors and three weights of gabardine. Then choose a style (trench, pea, whatever) and Al will deck you out in shmancy threads complete with bound buttonholes, lining (you pick the color), and three times the stitching of the average coat. The best part? All his designs come at shockingly reasonable prices.

Even Gramps would approve.

Custom Originals, 1314 Grant Avenue, between Vallejo and Green Streets (415-693-9900).