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Thoughts on where to go for a bespoke suit???

I am contemplating treating myself to what would be my first bespoke suit. I live in Birmingham, AL so Harrison Limited, which made it onto GQ 100 Best Suit Shops in America, would be a fine choice. Harrison Limited sells the Samuelsohn line of men's suits, which are Canadian if memory serves. Another possibility is Jos. A. Bank, which has a Reserve Custom suit option using Italian fabric from Ermenegildo Zegna and others.

I am curious to learn what other options might be out there and whether anyone has personal experience with either of the two options I mentioned above.

Tim
 
Tailors from Hong Kong will travel to the US ( and also other countries ) and will stay in one city for 10-14 days. They will measure you and allow you to pick a fabric. They return to Hong Kong. 6 weeks later, you get your suit in the mail.
You might have to drive some distance, but the price of the suit makes it worthwhile.

See www.apsleytailors.com.hk
 
Huh, I had imagined there were more fellow badgers out there with bespoke suits. Are they perhaps more common in Europe than here in the US?

Tim
 
I've never had a suit made in America. You can get a decent off-the-rack suit at Neiman Marcus, and they can fit it closelt enough to look bespoke. My favorite suit maker was Réty, in Paris, but now they are Ermenengildo Zegna. The quality of their work is as good as ever, but they used to carry better materials by Brioni, and Kiton.

I recently had a suit made by a tailor here in Tokyo, using Zegna fabric. You would think getting anything European would be tough in Japan, but it's not. I told the tailor that I liked to have my suits made with a lining the same colors as my family tartan. Surprisingly, he was able to get it, though I had to wait an extra two weeks for the lining to be shipped.
 

strop

Now half as wise
I've never had a true bespoke suit, but have had several MTM form Tom James, and recently one from Dillards, which was from Hart, Shaffner and Marx.
 
I have one bespoke suit which was made in Beruit, Lebanon for my brothers wedding (also a shirt and tie). Great experience with Jon Jacque, he asked a ton of questions regarding my preference for fit and then took all the measurements. Three days later he delivered the suit, shirt, and tie to the home where I was staying. Seventeen years later I am still wearing the suit and my brother is happily married with two amazing children.

The suit was a gift from my brother which adds to the joy of wearing it when I officiate weddings.
 
Here are my $0.02. My understanding is that there is a difference between 'made to measure' and 'bespoke.' Here is the discussion.
'
Made to measure
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the record label of the same name, see Crammed Discs.
Made to measure (MTM or M2M) typically refers to clothing that is sewn from a standard-sized base pattern. A tailored suit is a common example of a made-to-measure garment. The fit of a made-to-measure garment is expected to be superior to that of a ready-to-wear garment, because ready-to-wear garments are constructed to fit the manufacturer's definition of an average customer, while made-to-measure garments are constructed to fit each customer individually. However, made-to-measure items are seen by many to involve less workmanship than bespoke or "custom made" garments, as made-to-measure garments always involve some form of standardization in the patterning and manufacturing processes, whereas a bespoke garment is made entirely from scratch based on a customer's specifications. Typically, a made-to-measure garment will be more expensive than ready-to-wear garment but cheaper than a bespoke one.

I have had a number of made to measure suits by this definition. These are a pleasure! I have an 'athletic' rather than a 'corporate' build, so most standard suits do not fit that well. Working with the best men's shop here in Seattle, I was able to select the manufacturer whose cut came closest to my build, then get optimal measurements to assure the garment fit perfectly (at least according to LOTH)!

I have not had a 'bespoke' suit as the difference is not worth the cost for me. If I really wanted a bespoke suit, then I would go to one of the well known London or Italian houses (likely during a vacation) for the needed fittings. If you are going to spend top $ IMO then you should be certain to get what you are paying for.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Good point on M2M vs. Bespoke. I suspect the options that the OP is considering are M2M rather than bespoke.
 
My first suit was a made to measure (MTM)suit for my wedding. The post exchange near my unit in Germany had a visiting tailor from London and he carried about two dozen styles of basic suits. He would put one on you, take measurements and four weeks later your suit would arrive for a final fitting. I gave that suit to a young man at church last year because I no longer have a 29" waist. That suit still looked like the day I bought it...double breasted, three piece wool in a classic style that is worn today.

Like a Gillette New Standard or Bostonian, made to last with style.
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
I agree, it sounds like the examples you mention are made to measure, not bespoke. But MTM is a great option and true bespoke is very expensive (though the traveling Hong Kongese tailors sounds manageable). I have an MTM suit from a place here in Washington DC that suits me well - bad pun intended. JAB seems to get a bad rap at most of the menswear forums I read. But who knows? If you like the fabric and are happy with the service, go for it. I've never heard of Harrison, but having just looked at their website, it looks quite nice. Samuelsohn is indeed a respected name in suiting and makes many of the suits for Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and places like that.
 
I wish I could give you the name of my bespoke tailor, but alas, I only have one in my dreams. In other words...I can't afford it! Fortunately I am a perfect 44R and generally I can pick up nice suits off the rack with minimal alterations. I have promised myself that someday I am going to treat myself to a true bespoke suit. I hope you enjoy your bespoke or MTM experience...I am sure it will be a treat!
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Fortunately I am a perfect 44R and generally I can pick up nice suits off the rack with minimal alterations. I have promised myself that someday I am going to treat myself to a true bespoke suit.

If and when one finds an OTR suit that fits really well, that's like money in the bank.

I have heard from those who are "into" the whole bespoke (ie truly bespoke, made-from-scratch) suits that the first suit or two with a particular tailor tend to be "okay" while you and the tailor work out the idiosyncrasies of what you need for a truly well-fitting suit ... there's a "getting to know you" period, if you will.
 
Fortunately I am a perfect 44R and generally I can pick up nice suits off the rack with minimal alterations.

The last suit I purchased, a H S M New York fit in 38R, fit me so well all they had to do was hem the trousers. If I need another suit, I'll definitely stick with the same.
 
I've always done well with off the rack suits tailored to fit. HSM and Nino Cerruti brands. I rarely wear a suit these days though. More often a simple sports jacket sans tie.
 
I'll preface this by saying that I have not bought a suit in about 20 years. For many years I bought mostly Southwick suits - cut, quality and fabric selection generally hit the marks for me. Because of my fitting issues - disproportionate between jacket and pants sizes, I used a Southwick program whereby you selected fabric from swatches, specified the cut and the suit came basically deconstructed. The tailor assembled the suit from "the parts" and adjusted to fit. The upcharge was minimal and I ended up with a semi custom suit. Don't know anything about Southwick these days but others might offer this.
 
<first suit or two with a particular tailor tend to be "okay">

My hopes are dashed! I would love to have one bespoke suit. The thought of having to go through a couple to get to a third that really does what a bespoke suit should, makes me despair!

Interesting about Southwick. Way back Southwick was a top brand. But the last Southwick suit I had, which was literally three or more decades ago was ultra cheap. I assumed they had sold the brand and someone was trying to cash in on whatever was left of the reputation. But maybe I was wrong. It would be interesting to know the history of some of these brands. I suspect everyone of them, except perhaps for Oxxford and I am not sure about it, have undergone ownership changes which had huge impacts on the quality of the brand.
 
If Harrison is in the GQ top 100, I would give them a chance first and support a local business. Samuelson is a good suit. If for some reason you don't care for the people at Harrison's, a lot of the Saville Row Tailors travel to major cities several times a year.
 
I want to thank everyone for the excellent feedback and additional advice related to my original question. I definitely learned a lot, especially about the distinctions between a truly bespoke (constructed from scratch) suite vs. a made-to-measure suit.

I will do a bit more due diligence speaking with representatives at both Jos. A. Bank and Harrison Ltd. to confirm whether what they are offering is a MTM suit our a constructed from scratch or bespoke suit.

Tim
 
My best bespoke suit is from Evan Delaney. He's in Denver now, but for the right amount he will come to you - not sure how much you're looking to spend. I had a suit made by him in 2003 and it still turns heads when I wear it - a beautiful dark brown with blue pinstripe, with English styling - side vents, ticket pocket, etc.
 
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