I've done this separately to my JBR as it is somewhat negative, and everything else about our week in Bali was so great.
I wasn't going to get clothes and shoes made in Bali, as I'd had a less than satisfactory experience in Vietnam, but as I'd always had good work from the leather shops, and because so many people had recommended Cintya, I decided to go ahead.
I deliberately chose items that weren't too complicated to copy (simple T top, basic pants, shirt, camisole, slip on shoes, simple bag) and I took examples of these along as well as my own material - I made sure this was linen and cotton like the originals as this can make a difference. Wasn't cheap either. The only item I thought might be troublesome was a backpack I wanted - I didn't have one to base it on so I took printouts from the Internet as well as measurements and drew pictures. I knew this would be tricky but I was prepared to accept it as long as it had all the basic requirements.
Cintya came to the hotel on time and we talked about each item and about adjustments like the camisole straps being shorter. She took lots of notes and I packed up all my template clothes and shoes for her. We also discussed the backpack and agreed on how the front pockets would be done and that it would be in soft light leather so it would be easy to carry around.
When she brought everything back 5 days later (she'd delayed for an extra day), there were some problems.
My templates for the pants and top didn't seem to be used apart from getting the general vibe of the item - the pants were too tight and the waists too high. The tops looked like they had been done by the work experience kid - the darts were at the wrong angle (it looked like I had some kind of strange growth on my chest), the armholes gaped and the sides went straight down instead of shaped like the original.
The shoes didn't look like my shoes at all. The toes were quite a different shape than my template shoes and one pair wasn't the colour we'd agreed on - Cintya said she though my shoes were ‘broken' which is why the toes were changed.
The backpack came back in hard heavy leather with no front pockets, so I said I couldn't take it. It was a nice bag but it was at odds with what I'd specifically requested and I didn't want to spend that much money on a bag I knew I wouldn't use. Cintya did offer to try and fix it but at this point we had two days to go and I wasn't confident that it would end up being what I wanted. She took the bag back without a fuss.
The shirts were good, very much like my original, although I found when I got home they had some ‘loopy' stitching indicating that the sewer didn't have the tension right on their machine - basic dressmaking. Not a problem if it's a seam but not so nice if it's top stitching that's seen. One also has black marks on the collar and cuffs, which no amount of washing and scrubbing has been able to get out.
The camisole straps were longer rather than shorter but I could change them so I took them as well.
The two simple leather bags were really well done and I was happy to take those.
Cintya said she'd fix the pants, tops and shoes and bring them back.
When she brought them back, the shoes had been redone, and they were much more like my shoes, although they were still a little ‘home made'. Since I've got home I've found that they aren't leather, just a synthetic lookalike (I can see the loops of the backing material at the seams and my feet sweat in them - sorry about that mental image). It's a good look alike but they're just not comfortable to wear for too long, especially when it's warmer. No, I didn't specify leather, although the sample material Cintya had shown me was leather. More fool me I suppose.
The pants waists were lower although they were still tight, so much so that I've had to let the side seams out them so I can wear them, lucky I'm OK at sewing. But the tops were no better - the darts were still wrong and weren't even the same length, and the fit was still sack-like. I didn't take or pay for them and Cintya gave me a further discount because they hadn't turned out.
On top of this, Cintya was over an hour late for three of our four meetings. I do know about Bali time, but I think this is pushing it. As much as I liked my hotel room, I didn't want to hang around in it and I especially didn't like wasting time on my last day.
But the thing that really browned me off was that one of my original shoes went missing - after Cintya had left from our last, somewhat tense, meeting, I discovered that she had only brought back one of my shoes. I definitely packed both of them in with my templates for her but she SMSed back to say she had only ever had one. I can't imagine this was deliberate - but even if it was a lack of care or her not being bothered to return it, it didn't make matters any better.
While Cintya is a very nice person, and some of the items were OK, I'm still disappointed about the other items that ranged from just acceptable to downright amateurish - I didn't expect couture design but I did think that copying some basic clothes wouldn't be that difficult and that I would get back all my own things. I certainly can't recommend her services and I won't be getting anything tailored again - I found plenty of quality clothes, bags and shoes in the shops and I didn't have to wait for those.
So rant over - this isn't only a whinge, I wanted to share my experience so anyone interested in using Cintya's services can make an informed decision.