Tips and Advice from Tailors on How to Buy a Custom Suit
Created and designed during the sartorial revolution of the 19th century, the suit has become one of the most commonly used formal attire in the world today. It has become a fashion staple that oozes with class and elegance while masking things like the person’s short legs, long arms and droopy shoulders.
But in reality, it takes more than money (a top of the line one, can go up to $50,000 per piece) to get the best out of your three-piece suit. The good news is, designers and tailors are not shy when it comes to giving style tips and advice. In this article, we will take a closer look at the tips on how to look for the best suit when you are away from home.
To find out more about the history of suits, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_suits.
Find a good and perfect relationship
Finding a good tailor is as personal and essential as finding the right dentist and doctor. Every tailor in the world has their own way of cutting, designing and making the perfect coat, according to veteran designers and tailors. It is like learning how to write; we are all taught by our parents to write, but every person has different ways to do it. When you are looking for a potential suitor, it is worth looking at the designer or tailor’s past. Have they been in the business for a while? Is their business stable?
Henry Poole, one of the biggest coat makers in the world, was established in 1806 and is considered as the inventor of the dinner jacket (or more commonly known as a tuxedo in America). They hold various Royal Warrants and designed for famous people like Emperor Napoleon III and Sir Winston Churchill.
Click here to know more about tuxedo in America.
When you are looking for a good tailor, make sure to ask if their business is stable. In this industry, you need to find a tailor who has a good history, stature and good with people. You have to make sure that you are comfortable around them. It is all about doing your due diligence by researching everything.
A lot of respectable designers and tailors train their people through apprenticeships. It will ensure that the talent will be readily available to their business regularly. At most companies, apprentices need to prepare for four to five years. If the designer or tailor’s past checks out, make sure to look to the future of the relationship between you and the tailor. Good companies will also look for a long-term relationship with their clients. Tailors do not take customers seriously after only one visit to their shop. They become their customer after the second visit.
Understand, know and learn the language
A custom is a custom jacket, right? Well, that is wrong. From a sophisticated and relaxed Italian design to the more organized British style, finding and choosing an outfit is more than fixating on the flannel or plumping for the pinstripe. You need to understand, know and learn the language.
Bespoke – it is the crème de la crème of coats that have the most expensive price tags among all types. The pattern is made and designed from scratch to meet your need.
Want to know more about the difference between bespoke and made-to-order jackets, check out https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/01/16/what-is-the-difference-between-made-to-measure-and-bespoke.
Made-to-measure – it is less expensive and takes less time to make compared to a bespoke suit. It is cut from an existing pattern and modified for the client’s measurements.
Ready to wear or Off the rack – well, you can find it on its name, it is the opposite of a bespoke or custom suit. It is a lot cheaper, but the user cannot make any adjustment on its design or measurements.
Be very patient
There is no such thing as a quick or swift fashion in the custom coat world, so do not get excited about a three to five-minute consultation. According to experts and designers, an excellent customized three-piece suit will take at least two to three months to design and make.
For a lot of companies, the trick in finding a good tailor is constant communication. They take the client’s money, so the best thing they can do is to spend a lot of time to explain the body shape to the client. Measuring will at least take 18 to 20 minutes, and the fitting will take at least 20 minutes.
If you choose to have a bespoke suit, expect to have 20 body measurements taken and at least two fittings for any adjustments. Tailors will need to improve the client’s posture and check the garment’s finishing. Not only that, they can give the clients tips and advice on how to take good care of the suit.
Be charming and do not be cheap
You get what you pay for, even in custom suits. Paying good money for your wardrobe is considered an investment. A good-quality customized jacket can last for 10 to 20 years if you know how to take good care of it. For people who have no money to buy a thousand-dollar piece, you can always go to your nearest second-hand store and look for quality jacket or tuxedo.
For example, Henry Pool’s wardrobes start at $2,000 to $3,000, but if the clients pay in full, they can take at least 10% off the original price.
Make sure that the suit fits
A good suit is second to your skin. You should not be pulling on the clothes. Clients wearing the suit need to feel confident and reassured when they leave their house in the morning. Tugging down your undershirt or fiddling with the collar may be a sign that the one you are wearing, as well as the tailor, is not up to the challenge of providing you with a good-quality suit.
Why fit matters? Click here to find out more.
If you are dropping the money on a custom or bespoke, you have to make sure that it looks good on you and it is comfortable to wear. The suit should fit perfectly like a glove. You need to check if the armholes are not too tight or the collar of the jacket is not away from your neck. You also need to make sure that the trousers or the pants do not have a crotch that is too low.