Sharp Dressed Man: Bespoke to "Suit" Your Budget

[stolikat]

No offence Ex...but that suit to me is way to "novelty". Nice for a show or show of some sort. I would never attend a classy party or do business in that thing. It just screems "emo" to me

It is good lookin tho. Just too TIGHT! Fitted is one thing but that beast is skin tight.

Ya that is a stupid hipster/*** suit. Trendy but not a true male fashion piece.

[stolikat]

Thank God for the internet!

I will say since I have been here, I've been educated on a lot of things. My sense of style has been elevated past the "Armani" phase, I know a LOT more about rep everything and I've had a blast doing it! Even my wife has become addicted to the site, although she doesn't yet have her own username.

She has taken Posh's "Luxe for Less" attitude to heart (although "less" is a matter of discussion at this point with her ) She's been busy on rep bag sites as well as amasing quite a collection of Tiffany and Chopard jewelry.

We're lucky to have Posh on the site- she's got an inside track to luxury goods outside of watches that is second to none and where to source good reps. Beyond that she'll compare the reps to gens and post the results. If it wasn't for her I'd be getting one suit on Sayville Row instead of 4 with the same cut, finish and attention to detail!

Personally I liked the French Riviera post the best. Had me cracking up and gave me a look inside a world I'll probably never see unless I wind up on some State Dept wonk's EP team and he/she wants to go raving

Long Live teh Posh

I will buy Posh a drink of two but she will have to come to the NYC to kick it. Baltimore is hell! I spent 3 days there for a trade show and I would rather get shot in the face then go back.

[SFA437]

I will buy Posh a drink of two but she will have to come to the NYC to kick it. Baltimore is hell! I spent 3 days there for a trade show and I would rather get shot in the face then go back.

I spent time there and damn near DID get shot in the face.

Won't go into Baltimore without crew served weapons if you paid me!

Poshy's got a couple drinks on me that's for sure- might have to mail her a gift certificate from a winery though LOL. Hooked me up BIG TIME with suits, LV suitcases and a modded briefcase waiting for me back home. Suddenly I look classy (even if I am a Neandertal curmudgeon at heart )

[Posh]

I spent time there and damn near DID get shot in the face.

Won't go into Baltimore without crew served weapons if you paid me!

Poshy's got a couple drinks on me that's for sure- might have to mail her a gift certificate from a winery though LOL. Hooked me up BIG TIME with suits, LV suitcases and a modded briefcase waiting for me back home. Suddenly I look classy (even if I am a Neandertal curmudgeon at heart )

Thnk you everyone for liking the article. I'm glad you were all able to take something from it.

And Sfa, what does it say when you, a war veteran, wouldn't go into my home city without a gun and "your crew" but me and my girlfriends hang out everywhere and walk around freely without so much as a drop of mace. That's a shame. I like The Wire has made the city look really dangerous when that's not entirely the case.

But if you come to Baltimore, let me know and I'll protect you. I have some Blahniks that could double as a weapon if wielded properly! Do you feel safe now! LOL

[DVS]

I just had a suit tailor made for me!

Downside is that I will have to wait five weeks until it is finished...

But it is going to look great! It is a grey suit with stitched on pockets and MOP buttons. It is going to be one tight suit

I'll post pics when it arrives

[Posh]

I just had a suit tailor made for me!

Downside is that I will have to wait five weeks until it is finished...

But it is going to look great! It is a grey suit with stitched on pockets and MOP buttons. It is going to be one tight suit

I'll post pics when it arrives

Oh, you will wear the white sneakers with it, won't you, D. Diddy?

[DVS]

hehe, ofcourse!

[ironmarshal]

Thanks for a very useful and informative article. I've been looking to have a custom suit made and I'll certainly put this company on my short list to investigate further.

Much obliged.

[Posh]

Thanks for a very useful and informative article. I've been looking to have a custom suit made and I'll certainly put this company on my short list to investigate further.

Much obliged.

I'm glad you found it enlightening, Marshal. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I'm just glad that the people involved with these companies granted me some time within their uber-busy schedules to provide me with this information to give to you all. Asuitthatfits.com just expanded their options somewhat since I wrote this and now there's MORE choice but not too much to overwhelm the unfamiliar or new buyer. Mr. Bennett contacted me recently to let me know that they have a new promotion currently that entitles the buyer of a suit to one free hand-tailored shirt. Now be a great time to get a whole custom-made ensemble for less than the price of an off-the-rack/peg sport coat at Nordstroms/Harvey Nichols.

Also, during a follow-up with Harry Shahari, CEO of Makeyourownjeans.com, he told me that he has recently expanded his firm's custom suit product offering, somewhat rivaling Asuitthatfits.com (albeit that's a TALL order). The company offers exceptional quality on their jeans ( I love mine!) and promises the suits will offer that same exceptional fit and quality that his jeans customers have come to expect. Since in this economic climate saving money is a paramount concern for most people, if they spend any money at all, it may be good to hear that the price of his suits start a lower than those at Asuitthatfits.com.

Again, thanks Marshal! More than you wanted to know but it's valuable info either way.

[SFA437]

Hey Posh- glad to see ya back. This place gets all dismal without you around

Got rerouted on my way home and would up going thru DeGaulle.

Going to fly mil-air next time so I KNOW where I'll wind up!

[Posh]

Thanks, S!

I thought you were going to blow through Heathrow. I'm appalled you went through DeGaulle!

Mr. Bennett was looking froward to meeting you and assisting you personally as a kickback for favorable coverage in the International Retailers Consortium's annual report. He was getting his back scratched to scratch yours! LOL

[Archronos]

That may be a better option for some members but how can they get in contact with these firms and where do these firms operate? And can cloth be confirmed as being from the textile mills they say they're from?

You can find their tour dates on their websites. WRT cloth, I might be suspicious of Raja, but in the end it's still a half-canvassed suit for $750 or so. This is also the company that fitted Tony Blair when it got out that somebody else in Labour had a $4k suit from Saville Row (and I think they've fitted Lakshmi Mittal before too). I know that some Congressmen have been fitted by Raja, but then again, they're just Congressmen. If you know what you want, wrt cut, cloth, vents, buttons, lapel, pockets, etc., it's a pretty good deal.

I'll be getting fitted by WW Chan in the coming year. I guess I can ask how I would be able to verify the cloth that my suit will be made of. I'm not really too worried about WW Chan though.

I really can't bring myself to by a fused suit unless it's at a good price. I know that nearly all of the suits at the local retailers are fused (including some Canalis, and the other major suit manufacturers). I remember asalesman at Nordstroms telling me that I wouldn't be able to find a canvassed suit for under $2,000, but he probably just wanted me to buy a fused suit for $800 to $1200.

These ASTF suits seem to be a pretty good deal. Sure beats paying 50% to 100%+ more for an off the rack suit.

[TatsNGuns]

wow , i get excited when my belt matches my shoes ,,, this is way over my head kinda stuff ! but great to hear so many views

[Posh]

wow , i get excited when my belt matches my shoes ,,, this is way over my head kinda stuff ! but great to hear so many views

I just break it down and find those that can help me break it down. Navigating any of this stuff can be time-consuming and leave you, in the end, looking dumber than before. However, I think all the men's clothing experts I consulted eased the way for all the men here to get the most out of their money and their style.

[explorerII]

^ were have you been?

[Posh]

^ were have you been?

I went out to get something to eat.

[Bande]

Very informative thread. I have been thinking about getting a bespoke suit for a long time but have put it off due to cost and lenght of time it takes to get one. I was wondering if there is a place in the US equivalent to the UK shop you mention.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[ttngu234]

I'm American and I rarely see anyone wear a suit well. Nothing looks better to me than a well tailored/tapered suit.

Dress shirts is another ball game as well. Being a person with a slim build in the U.S., it is very difficult to find dress shirts that fit. I always resort to purchasing a shirt and getting it altered to fit, just like my $300 suits I buy from Zara.

I'm a fan of the thin lapel since it lengthens my silhouette (5'8" 145 lbs). If anyone has recommendations for custom tailored dress shirts or suits, please feel free to contribute.

I may give www.thickasthievesla.com a try.

[Posh]

Very informative thread. I have been thinking about getting a bespoke suit for a long time but have put it off due to cost and lenght of time it takes to get one. I was wondering if there is a place in the US equivalent to the UK shop you mention.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Thank you, Bande. I'm glad you appreciate the effort. Seriously, without all the wonderful people that have helped me via my company and connections they have, I wouldn't have been able to compile the info I shared. A lot of doors would be closed, believe me!

Anyway, I think there may be a few companies, some mention them in the comments of the first page, like Thick As Thieves. I'm afraid I find their cuts a little too retro, a little too Mad Men. That isn't a look that translates well to a normal office environment or job interview as it's strictly for evening events at clubs, popular restaurants and soirees, at least in my opinion. I emailed Win to get his take on these period cuts, fabrics, styles, etc. and he believed that they could be used for a work environment or geographic location where "sartorial whimsy" is not only approved of but also encouraged. This could mean you're a real estate agent in Miami, L.A. or Vegas. Or maybe you're a writer for a coffee table magazine like Architectural Digest. However, a suit from Thick As Thieves would probably not help you curry favor at PrceWaterhouseCoopers.

Where would you be wearing your suit?

I'm American and I rarely see anyone wear a suit well. Nothing looks better to me than a well tailored/tapered suit.

Dress shirts is another ball game as well. Being a person with a slim build in the U.S., it is very difficult to find dress shirts that fit. I always resort to purchasing a shirt and getting it altered to fit, just like my $300 suits I buy from Zara.

I'm a fan of the thin lapel since it lengthens my silhouette (5'8" 145 lbs). If anyone has recommendations for custom tailored dress shirts or suits, please feel free to contribute.

I may give www.thickasthievesla.com a try.

That's for sure. I think because people think off-the-rack/peg means ready-to-go-wherever.

[Bande]

I travel is an oddly diverse circle. Mainly I wear them when dealing with powerful DC types (government/lobbyists/lawyers) so need the classic power suits for that crowd. I do some work with venture capitalists, invesrtment bankers and the like who are less conservative but obviously appreciate quality. Lastly I do some work with the LA entertainment world where you can go either powe suit or something a bit flashier if you can pull it off.

[Posh]

I travel is an oddly diverse circle. Mainly I wear them when dealing with powerful DC types (government/lobbyists/lawyers) so need the classic power suits for that crowd. I do some work with venture capitalists, invesrtment bankers and the like who are less conservative but obviously appreciate quality. Lastly I do some work with the LA entertainment world where you can go either powe suit or something a bit flashier if you can pull it off.

Well, with a working and playing environment as varied as that, Thick As Thieves is a more than SUITable choice as long as Brooks Brothers is wedged in next to them.

[SFA437]

I've gone from knuckledragger in cammies to business development and venture capital.

Needless to say suits are going to be playing a MAJOR part of my immediate future.

Again thanks for the time and effort to post style tips for us clueless Alpha male types!! You just might civilize me yet

[Bande]

Thanks! Will give Thick as Thieves a shot -- already have the BB -- they have a huge once a year sale that got me some nice suits but nothing I am crazy about -- though maybe I am just too picky.

[daanv]

there's a "made to measure" store in Antwerp, by the grandchildren of Van Gils. You might be interested in this link: http://www.cafecostume.com/

(prices starting at about €450)

[DVS]

'made to measure' is the way to go imo!

Make sure when you buy a suit it fits! This may sound stupid, but I see a lot of men who wear suits that are too big.

Be sure to check Scuderi