Why A Store-Bought Men’s Shirt Can’t Compare to A Men’s Bespoke Shirt
As a reformed, long-time buyer of men’s shirts from traditional retail department stores, I want you to know why I now have all my shirts custom-made by My Custom Tailor. While there are numerous reasons for going in this direction, it really comes down to getting shirts that are designed for me and my physique, choosing the best fabrics, and the quality of the workmanship. Those benefits even override the fact that I pay about the same for custom-made shirts as I used to for mass-merchandized ones. I also began ordering shirts that represented an upgrade for me because of the combination of even better quality and value than I could ever get from a store-bought shirt from even a high-end specialty shirt store. More on that later.
The importance of having shirts designed for me plays out in two ways. First, I get to specify the type and style of shirt I want from a fashion consultant who also happens to be a Master Tailor. When I first met a My Custom Tailor at one of the My Custom Tailor Travelling Master Tailor Roadshows, I brought him a shirt style that I had been wearing with my business suits for 10 years. It was a 16-inch neck/34 inch sleeve length, blue, slim fit, spread collar, pin-point cotton shirt that worked better for me than any of the regular–cut shirts that always looked baggy around my waist. I have an athletic physique from years of playing soccer in high school and college, and I work out three times a week.
I had regularly frequented three or four different retails stores; some store always seemed to be having a sale that allowed me to pay a lower price for my rolling inventory of eight dress shirts that included various colors of blue and white in solid colors and stripes. I generally replaced any given shirt after two years of wear or when a particular shirt lost its shape or became frayed around the collar or sleeves. While the wear pattern seemed to be different for certain brands, I just attributed that to the effect of multiple shirt launderings/starching and travelling 25% of my time. It turned out that my shirts, bought from multiple sources, were made from fabrics of varying quality.
One of my physicians and a good friend told me about a Travelling Master Tailor Roadshow that was coming to my town and suggested I go with him to see the kind of work they produced. His suits and shirts always were of the highest quality, and I was sure he was paying twice what I was to buy his clothes. I went with him out of curiosity to see how custom-made shirts were made and how much they cost. My friend told me to bring along one of my standard dress shirts.
David made an appointment for the two of us and off we went. Kwan, the Master Tailor we met, greeted my friend as if he was part of his family. They obviously knew a lot about each other and traded updates on the wellbeing of each other’s family members. He greeted me warmly and told me of his experience as a life-time tailor, having grown up in the merchant mills in and around the outskirts of Bangkok Thailand. He was wearing the most beautiful white dress shirt I had ever seen. The sheen of the material screamed quality and the buttons were made of a striking off-white material I had never seen before. I immediately noticed how the shirt added stature and elegance to his appearance.
My friend asked Kwan to show him his My Custom Tailor personal profile that had been started five years ago and updated every year since. We went to the computer and reviewed the database that included a series of shirts and suits that David had bought over the years. The profile also included a physical template that the tailor had created from measurements he had taken of David when they first met. The tailor explained the importance of this template and that it had been updated twice to accommodate changes in David’s physique that had evolved over the five years they had been working together.
Kwan then explained the process for making custom-made shirts and the way a Master Tailor approached this task. He said the specialty of his craft was limited to the expertise and skills associated with a true Master Tailor, also known as a Custom Tailor or originally, as a Bespoke Tailor. He explained how each custom-made shirt an original design was based on the style specifications for each client and his unique measurement profile. He referred me to a link on the My Custom Tailor Website where I could see the way My Custom Tailor tailors and fabric cutters used proven, traditional, hand-made technique to create their custom-made apparel.
He went on to explained how different this process was from shirts that were often described as custom-fit or made-to-measure and available in retail s stores all over the world. I felt slightly embarrassed as I showed him the shirt I had bought. He respectfully inspected it and asked me to put it one. He asked me why I liked it, how often I wore it, and for what purpose I wore it. He then asked me what I paid for it. He pointed out how the shirt pulled slightly across my chest and under my arms where the shirt sleeve met the shoulder opening.
Kwan next asked if he could take my measurements. I agreed to what I thought was a simple process that actually involved 34 different measures he took. He then pulled out a series of fabric samples he had brought and showed me three different ones that represented a range of quality for me to choose from. He explained the design and wear characteristics of each and then showed me one he could use to make me a custom-made shirt that would cost about the same price I was paying for the shirts I had been purchasing. He then showed me a fabric he could use that would cost 20% more than what I was accustomed to that he said would wear better and last three time longer than what I was used to.
I increasingly knew I had entered into a new era of evaluating the quality and the value of my shirt selections. It was apparent that I could order shirts that were designed for me and specifically assembled to fit me perfectly. I could alter the type of fabric I bought for my shirts to match how and where I wore them. Certain fabrics would stand up well for the constant grind of business wear. Other fabrics could be used to make shirts that were reserved for special occasions or formal/semi-formal affairs. The more wear applications I chose to include in my order the greater was the value I would realize.
While the ability to choose my fabrics, select the designs I wanted, and get a perfect fit were important in my decision to order eight shirts, it was the integrity of the Master Tailor that sealed the deal. His engagement style, his knowledge of everything related to shirt-making, and his ability to create a perfect measurement profile as the foundation for custom-making these shirts provided confidence and trust in a true artisan. Before I consummated the order he took me through the quality standards that My Custom Tailor Master Tailors adhere to in their shirt and suit making. David’s strong recommendation was also an important factor.
A true bespoke shirt is completely different from a shirt that is made from a standard design that is manufactured to be mass distributed through global retail outlets. A size that is defined by a collar width and a sleeve length is made to fit the average size person with those defining measurements. It can’t possible fit everyone with those dimensions so buyers get an imperfect fit that they live with or they get alterations to get it in the neighborhood of fitting well enough.
I had ordered five business dress shirts made out of a high-quality cotton fabric that was superior to what I had been buying for years. I bought two higher quality Cotton shirts that would be worn for select purposes or for semi-formal occasions. My final selection was an Egyptian cotton tuxedo shirt to be used the one or two times a year I wore a tuxedo. It was to be finished with hand stitching, custom buttons and a specially reinforced collar. A few weeks later my new shirts were delivered to my home.
When I put these shirts on, I was truly amazed at how they looked and fit. The unique feeling of wearing a custom-fit shirt that is very special. The shoulders were perfectly sized and the transition from the top of my arm, along my chest down to my wrist was very smooth. The collar of my shirts fit my neck as they never had as did the length of my sleeves. The reason was my true neck size is 16 and one eighth and my true sleeve length is 34 and one quarter inch. The shirt fit those exact dimensions.
The fit across my chest and along my waist was perfectly proportioned, enhancing the appearance of my natural physique. The softness of the cotton material was materially different than anything I had ever experienced. The stitching was very tight and perfectly spaced providing a smooth finish all over the shirt. I had chosen a unique button material and each button sat perfectly attached all along the button line to the bottom of the shirt. The overall length of the shirt was two inches longer than I had been used to which was designed to help keep the shirt comfortably tucked in all through the day.
The My Custom Tailor Master Tailor had exceeded my expectations. The unique satisfaction of wearing a custom-made shirt, designed, and crafted just for you that fits perfectly is something I encourage you to try. I received an email inquiring how I liked the shirt and offering to make any changes in the event it wasn't exactly as we designed it. He was the consultant, designer and fabricator but I felt like I was a co-designer in creating a new shirt collection that I would now wear proudly and confidently.
My expenditure for the five dress shirts was a total of $65 more than what I had been used to paying for five shirts before. The higher quality cotton shirts cost me about $20 dollars more per shirt than what I was used to but the difference in quality was so obvious. The formal shirt, the quality and finish of which I had never seen, cost me $150. When I took this shirt to a quality shirt store and compared it with what I thought was of equal quality, I was amazed to see the comparable shirt was priced at $225.
The Master Tailors from My Custom Tailor conduct Travelling Master Tailor Roadshows, like the one I attended, all over the world. They make custom-made clothes for discerning men and women that have become accustomed to buying the finest quality at the best value available. Look at the My Custom Tailor Website to review the full line of clothing collections they offer. Look at the Travelling Tailor Roadshow Schedule to see when a roadshow will come to your city. Make an appointment and experience the unique opportunity to engage a Master Tailor to make one or a number of custom-made shirts for you.