As much as we as men may pretend not to care what others are wearing, a well-fitting suit is something that gets noticed from across the room. It's not about specific tabular details like a sleeve ending right at the wrist bone or a jacket ending between the thumb knuckles, but rather about how a man feels in such a suit and how it affects those around him.
For many, a ready-made suit without any adjustments can give such a feeling, but there is an equally large group of people for whom ready-made sizes simply do not fit. It is logical, companies try to hit the largest possible target, so the width of the shoulders/waist/hips and the length of the arms, legs and torso are averaged and something we call a “ready-made size” is produced. This is precisely why RTW (ready to wear – clothes that are already waiting for you in the store) may not fit you 100%. For me personally, for example, a visit to a tailor when buying a new jacket is a must.
You can also find advice on how to prepare for your first visit to the tailor in this article .
Receiving the final suit was, for me at least, a small celebration. It's hard to describe without sounding pathetic about the piece of clothing, but even though I've had a few ready-made suits altered by a tailor, this was the first piece of clothing that was truly made just for me. I experienced the feeling I described in the introduction in the first person, and it was hard not to smile the whole way home.
And it's worth it just for that feeling.
One way to have full control over what I'm wearing, how it fits me, and what details it has is to have it made to measure.This option is usually used by two types of people – someone who wants something special (whether for a specific occasion or simply to treat themselves to something a little more) and then people who don't fit in ready-made sizes and are "forced" to have them made to measure. The beauty of it is that the resulting product combines both of these desires. I recently had the opportunity to go through this process at the Alain Delon tailoring salon , so I'll try to summarize it as best as I can for anyone who is still considering whether to dare to do it.
The idea starts in your head.
Tailoring a suit doesn't start in the shop, but in the buyer's head. Its beauty lies in the fact that it knows no compromise. Cuffs, lapels, buttons, pockets, I can fine-tune everything down to the last detail. That's why it's good to have a clear idea in my head of what I want to use the suit for, for several reasons:
The first reason is the choice of fabric from which the suit will be made. You may be asked questions such as whether you will be wearing the suit all day long or what time of year you plan to wear it. The first will tell you what composition of the fabric would be best for you (a small admixture of synthetic fibers will help wool resist wrinkling), the second will tell you what weight of fabric you should choose. Pure wool with a weight of around 210-270 g/m is ideal for summer, around 300-350 g/m is year-round, and anything heavier is more likely to be a burden in the warmer months.
I wore mine (280 g/m) to a July wedding, where I didn't take it off from the lunch ceremony until 3 a.m. Or maybe a little longer, but my memories end at 3 a.m.
Tip: ask if the store can show you a finished suit made of a similar fabric to the sample you selected. The samples are relatively small and the final product may be slightly darker/lighter than you expect.The second reason, which I think is even more important than the choice of fabric, is the details .
Do I want a classic suit or a double-breasted (British) style? If classic, a conservative two-button suit, or a less formal one? With or without a vest?
Pocket inside or sewn in? Straight or slanted? Flap wider or narrower? Peak or notch?
The editing catalog that I got from Alain Delon and we went through together step by step can be a great help with this. Even if I didn't understand anything, the visualizations and accompanying commentary would guide me in the right direction.
A good idea is to bring photos of specific suits/outfits that caught your eye somewhere and discuss whether you can come up with something similar.
Trying on your first custom-made suit is an experience
Once you know what the final product should look like, you put on a “trial” suit, take your measurements, and then you have the longest two weeks of your life. Waiting for the phone call telling you that your suit is ready for testing.
During the fitting, you put on an almost finished suit, where you adjust the adjustments and remove any flaws. For example, during the fitting, I felt something was wrong with the way the trousers bent just above the shoe, but I couldn't verbalize it exactly. Without help, I would never have thought to narrow them by 0.5 cm from the outside below the knee, which ultimately proved to be the solution to my problem. One of the most tangible reasons to entrust yourself to the professionals.
Then you say goodbye to the suit once again (it doesn't have any buttons sewn on, just in case you want to leave in it) and the tailor makes the final changes. If you're like me, you start to chase away your sadness by looking in the tie window and planning which one to buy to go with the suit.
