Buying a suit in Bangalore

Recently I decided to buy a suit for business purpose. So I looked out online and offline for the best shops that provide in-expensive ready-made and/or tailor-made suits in Bangalore.

I had my suit made at Reid & Taylor, Brigade Road. The guy at the fabrics counter was very polite and helpful in selecting the right fabric. I chose a 100's grade fabric that was Rs. 1594 per meter. (Note: Always go for a fabric that is >= 100's quality. Starting price per meter ~ Rs. 1300 and above at the time of this writing) I needed 3.25 meters.

TIP: When you select the fabric, ask shop keeper to drape it on you. Also ask him if there is ready-to-wear a suit available with the same fabric and/or pattern. The latter will give you very good idea of the final look than the former.

The tailor took the measurements. Before that he showed me a suit that was made for another customer. I was really impressed with the making. I was told it was an Armani style making. Actually I had made up mind to stitch the suit at Sree Vigneshwara Textiles, 90 Dispensary Road (decent tailor for Rs. 3000). But I changed my mind and chose the Reid & Taylor's tailor after seeing his work. After all stitching matters more than the fabric. A bad tailor might ruin a good fabric not vice versa. So be careful in choosing your tailor. I was asked to come for the 1st Trail some 4 days later. Based on my comments he would make adjustments in the final product it seems. I look forward to it (I will update you once).

Fabric cost was Rs. 5181. Tailor cost was Rs. 3940. So the total cost was Rs. 9121.

Some example terminology in suit:
Type: Slim fit, Notch lapel, 2 buttons, Single breasted
Color & Pattern: Solid Black
Vents: Two
Lining: Tonal black burgundy
Pleat in pant: No pleat
Pockets: Straight bone pockets dropping out, Slanting chest pocket


You can also try Raymond Shops (another famous brand in India) in Koramangala, Commercial Street. I checked their shop at Marathahalli and M.G Road but not upto the mark.

Note:If you need expensive bespoke/custom-made/tailor-made suits, you can try

1. Google "Lokesh Ahuja"
2. http://www.pnrao.com/
3. http://www.syedbawkher.com/

If you need ready made suits, you can try

1. ShopperStop shops in Bangalore
2. http://tailorman.com/
3. http://www.mrbutton.in/

Thanks to the below URLs which helped in finding the right fabric and shop.
http://www.quora.com/India/How-much-would-it-cost-to-get-a-bespoke-suit-in-India
http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/ShowTopic-g297628-i2499-k5324509-Bespoke_Made_to_measure_Suit_tailor-Bangalore_Karnataka.html

Goodluck with your suit ;)

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How to get Apostille

1. Please go to  the concerned Regional Authentication Centre for initial attestation.
2. Thereafter, please bring the following documents to the branch secretariat.

•         Original documents along with a copy thereof (back to back)
•         Photo identity proof i.e. passport copy
•         A fee of Rs. 50/- is payable by means of Postal Order or DD drawn in favour of Pay & Accounts Officer (PAO), Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, for Apostille on each document.

I wanted to get Apostille for my PCC (police clearance certificate) and BC (birth certificate). PCC was a central govt. (Regional Passport Office) issued document so I skipped the first step. As BC is a state govt. issued document, as per the above steps, I should first get authentication from "Regional Authentication Centre" for my state. It's a long process and could take months. I was in a hurry, needed a short-cut and found one too ;)

Non-educational documents (BC, marriage certificates etc. ) can be authenticated by  Regional Authentication Centre of the state or Sub Divisional Magistrate, New Delhi. I chose the latter which is just 2  days job (Please make sure the country to which you gonna submit the documents accept the latter method). As I am not a resident of Delhi, I hired an agent. He did the work for Rs. 1500 in 3 days (including postal delay).

Once you are done with the 1st step, the 2nd step is a child's play and a day's job.


Thanks for the below sites for helping me out in getting Apostille.
http://krkrishna.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/certificate-attestation/
http://abhijith1729.blogspot.in/2012/06/getting-apostilleonly-is-one-of.html
http://cogzidel.in/blog/2011/03/16/apostille-and-attestation-of-documents-for-use-in-countries-abroad/

Goodluck in getting Apostille ;)
 

How to get Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) in India

You might need PCC for various purpose. The following is my experience in getting Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from Passport Seva Kendra (PSK), Bangalore.You can also apply via Commissioners office. It has separate procedure. But PCC via PSK is the easiest and fastest way.

1. Online application
2. Documents submission and payment
3. Police verification and documents
4. Collect PCC

1. Register as a user at http://www.passportindia.gov.in/. When you register make sure to select the right PSK for your address.
2. Apply online. Provide correct details. Know your police station.
3. Print application reference no.
4. You don't have to book any appointment at PSK. For PCC, you directly walk-in and submit the documents.
5. Passport, Passport copy, Proof of Present Address. I submitted 1 year bank statement (make sure it has present address and bank seal). The following link lists other documents that can be submitted. http://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/docAdvisor/pccPassport.
6. When you report to PSK if all the documents are in order, they will provide you a token no and send you inside for further process. Once you are inside the processing section, they will guide you appropriately. The process will be smooth. It could about 1 hour maximum (though it took me just 30 minutes).
7. Once the document submission completed, a police verification will be initiated immediately. If you are in a hurry you can visit the police station the next day. Otherwise wait for their call.
8. Though the PSK accepts bank statements as proof, the police won't. Make sure you have some document that is 1 year old with the present address. Last year's rental agreement, phone bill, broadband bill, bank statement via post etc.
9. Bring all the documents that you submitted at PSK for police verification along with 2 passport photos and additional proofs. If the documents are in order, you will be asked to fill in some application and sign at 2 places. The verification is not over yet. It will be forwarded to respective commissioners office. From there it will be forwarded to PSK. If you are in a hurry visit commissioners office to check your status. They have a online status tracking system. But it was done at the time of writing this post.
10. Upon receiving the verification details from commissioners office, PSK will SMS/E-mail you to collect the PCC.
11. Bring original passport with you to collect PCC.