Just a free comment from someone who once indulged in a couple of tailored suits.
Not every tailor is good, and there are different qualities in made to
measure suits: semi-custom-made, adapting a sized fit to your figure,
but basically constructed like an off-the-rack suit; fully
custom-made, cut and sewn individually to your measurements and with
more hand-sewn work, especially the sewing of the sleeves to the body
and hand-sewn button holes, also on the sleeves. On a
semi-custom-made suit, these will be machine sewn.
On a fine custom-made suit, on the shoulders the cloth of the sleeves
will fall smoothly without that little roll that o-t-rack jackets
have. (This is what people who care notice.) Also, such a suit
should include two trial fittings. At the first one, the tailor will
rip off the sleeves, which have been just lightly sewn on. The arm
holes should not be deep, the body molded to yours - no loose cloth
across the back of the shoulders. A good tailor will ask you what you
usually keep in your inner pockets (and disapprove of anything too
thick).
That should give you something to judge your tailor by, whereby I
admit that I have been describing the top quality service, which is
expensive. But you feel like a million dollars in a perfectly fitted
suit, and look like it, too.
I would recommend that you have one suit made and see the result
before ordering a wardrobe. You might also go to the best men's store
first, and see what expensive Italian suits look like and how the
probably more professional staff advise you.
Style and material: conservative. A good tailor should be able to
advise you and will have model photos. A better made suit lasts
longer and will look good longer, so conservative cut and material (no
checks), not too light in weight, wool, finely woven English, French
or Italian fabric. And NOT brown in any shade for business wear -
dark blues, greys, pin and chalk stripes (but not something from a
mafia film).
With conservative suits, you don't need as many, since they don't stand out.
Trousers: they do get more wear and loose their creases, so two pairs
is a good idea for a couple of suits that you expect to use more.
Tailored trousers should have elastic tabs on the side with two
buttons to allow for a big dinner or growth.
Vest or double breasted: a consideration if you have an expansive
front. A tailored vest should fit like a glove, not the way the ones
with o-t-rack suits fit. Four pockets.
What's it going to cost. Sorry, I don't know. Probably enough to
make you want to limit your wardrobe.
Tailored shirts: probably not necessary, and you can decide when you
get there. French cuffs with discrete but good cufflinks, yes. I am
an inverted snob about embroidered initials, but that is my personal
taste.
Shoes: "You can tell a gentleman by his shoes," quality, well kept,
even if obviously well worn. Black for the City and those suits.
And here is an interesting site with lots of related articles:
http://www.ravistailor.com/news.php?ItemNo=69
This is just one man's opinion.
Regards, Myoarin |
