Mistakes Men Make Buying Custom Clothing (II) | Men’s Clothing Style Guides
Men’s Clothing Style Guides
So you’re considering buying custom clothing – Congratulations!
A tailored suit, shirt, or coat can be one of the best investments a man makes. Done right, a good piece of tailored clothing will last for years or even decades, fit like a dream, and make the wearer look great. There are, however, pitfalls that even an experienced clothing buyer can stumble into along the way to a great custom outfit.
Mistake #5: Trying the New Clothes On Once | Men’s Clothing Style Guides
Here’s something tailors don’t like to admit: even the most detailed measurements aren’t precise.
They can get very close. But numbers on paper are still only going to be an approximation of the body the clothing eventually has to go on.
Expect that your custom tailored clothing will require adjustments after the first version is “finished.” Count on it, in fact.
Typically, you’ll be measured in detail once, and then the tailor will make your clothing. After that, you come in, try the clothing on, discuss the fit, and have it adjusted as needed.
Check ahead of time and make sure your tailor is willing to repeat that last step as many times as necessary.
This alone is a good reason to choose – or not choose – a tailor; see our previous point on not giving tailors a pass on customer service and adjustments.
Once you’ve put the first version on and taken care of any immediately obvious adjustments, take it home and wear it around for a while.
Try it on that day; try it on the next day. Wear it at different times and in different temperatures. Try the clothing out at different levels of physical activity. Practically sleep in it. Then go back and tell your tailor what’s working and what’s not.
If you found a part that catches when you move, or a cuff that rides up when you sit, or anything else that isn’t entirely perfect – talk to your tailor about it! Get it fixed. That’s what custom clothing is all about.
If you pass this step up after the first fitting, it could be weeks until the clothing gets a real “trial by fire” out and about in the living, breathing world.
That’s not when you want to notice problems.
Spend some serious time trying the clothing on as soon as you get it, and make sure your tailor is willing to make some final tweaks after a few days of test-wear.
Mistake #6: Missing the Break-Even | Men’s Clothing Style Guides
Not Wearing the New Clothes Enough. What is good clothing really worth?
That’s not entirely a philosophical question. You’ll know, at the very least, what you paid for a finished piece of custom clothing.
Ideally, you should be wearing your custom clothing (and anything you buy, for that matter) often enough to “break even” on that price.
Think of it in terms of £/outing. Wear a £1000 suit to a single gala event, and that evening of looking good cost you £1000. But if you wear it to the gala and the wedding, it only cost you £500 to look good at each one. And so on, divided by however many useful wears you get out of your piece of clothing.
This is where custom clothing – if it’s selected wisely – starts to earn its high price tag. Say you’re a trial lawyer with a decent number of court appearances every year.
You could buy a mass-market, off the rack generic business suit for maybe £250 on sale. That’d have you looking at least passable, and it’ll probably last you two or three years.
Alternatively, you could have a tailor hand-make you a bespoke suit from high-quality materials for £1000. If it lasts a decade, and you wear it as often as you would have that cheaper, less sharp-looking suit, you’ve broken even on cost alone, and you’ve looked better the whole time.
That said, if you’re not using your custom clothing regularly, it’s going to take you a long, long time you hit that break-even point. That’s an argument for being careful what you buy, and than you necessarily need to in a lot of situations.
Go ahead and break the suit out from time to time even when you could have gotten away with a blazer and slacks. Wear the custom dress shirt casually untucked with some jeans. Put the wardrobe to use. Don’t make the mistake of tucking your best clothing away in a sealed bag for most of the year and only dusting it off for the most important occasions.
Clothing was meant to be worn. If your tailor did his job right (and if you’re cleaning the clothes and doing preventive maintenance as needed), your custom-made items should hold up to plenty of hard wear.
Put them on your body where you belong. Otherwise, the money you spent is just hanging in the closet unused.
This, incidentally, is another reason to only buy a few pieces at a time, and to stick to classic styles at the start – you don’t want to overload your wardrobe with so many flashy new pieces that each one only gets worn a couple of times.
Start out with a couple really great, really versatile pieces and put them through their paces hard. It’ll tell you a lot about the quality of your tailor’s work, and it’ll get you to that break-even point much more quickly.
Mistake #7: Forgetting to Upgrade Accessories | Men’s Clothing Style Guides
With a few oddball exceptions, no custom tailor will be providing your entire wardrobe.
Shirts, suits, jackets, trousers, and overcoats, yes. Those are the bread and butter of your modern tailor (and, if we’re being honest, quite a few long-dead tailors, too – the job hasn’t changed all that much over the years).
You’ll even find people custom-making things like jeans and tight-fitting henley shirts, long-sleeved T-shirts, even plain old athletic tees, especially for young, fashion-conscious consumers with lots of money to spare (think the movie and music industries).
But for the most part, you’ll only be wearing custom clothing for your “core” items: your trousers and whatever sort of jacket you’re wearing, and maybe your shirt. That means the rest is completely up to your discretion – and that’s where a lot of people stumble.
Make sure you’re upgrading the rest of your wardrobe to look sharp if you’re spending money on custom clothing. It doesn’t make sense to drop £1000 on a suit and then wear it with a ratty pair of trainers (unless, of course, that’s the look you’re going for, because there is a certain rock star appeal to a dark suit and colored canvas sneakers in the right setting).
Plan on pairing custom clothing, for the most part, with good leather shoes and belts, with long wool or cotton overcoats, and with accents like pocket squares and wristwatches. You need those finishing touches to complement the elegance of a perfect fit.
Conclusion: Spend Wisely, Spend Freely
For the first-timer, custom tailoring can seem like an impenetrable world of moneyed elites. But in reality, it’s a worthwhile and accessible investment for most people, rich or poor.
Choose your first forays carefully. Shop around for a good tailor, and start with one or two pieces along timeless, classic lines.
Have a clear idea what you want, and don’t be afraid to pay a decent chunk of money once you find the man (or woman) who’s going to be able to produce it for you.
Be bold but also be wise. Remember that not all custom clothing is good clothing, and that even the best fit in the world won’t make you happy with a piece that doesn’t fit your personal style or your life needs.
Buy something that’s going to be one of the most-used pieces in your wardrobe, and then get out there and use it.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what custom tailored clothing is all about: giving you something you’ll use, over and over again, long past the point where a cheaper, off the rack option would have given out.
This is just the beginning of your style journey? Stay connected for the upcoming articles.
Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence.
Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy of the content in this Guide, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions.
Also, you should use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk.
Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; in fact, it’s likely that they won’t be the same, and you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly.
Finally, use your head. Nothing in this Guide is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader.
So have fun and learn to dress sharp!
