Creating a Wardrobe of Men’s Custom Clothing
Men approach the task of buying clothes completely different than women do. Women are defined by the clothes they wear. Fashion is important to women; they take pride in how they look. Some women like to keep the clothes they have until they go out of style. To them clothes shopping is done selectively when an occasion requires something different to wear. Or they change their wardrobe wholesale when they get tired of what they have in their closet, when they get a new job or when their inner personality demands a new look. Other women obsess over the latest trends and shop endlessly. If they see something they like or that someone else has that they like, they buy it.
Most men are strategic about their clothes buying habits. Depending on the kind of work they do, the clothes they wear are symbolic, an outer badge of honor. Professional men like doctors, lawyers, bankers, etc., take great pride in the image they portray. They buy suits, formal wear, sports jackets, trousers, casual pants, jeans, sweaters, and coats that give them a wide variety. They complement their clothes with accessories that make them feel complete. Some men are fastidious about what they buy and how they dress, everything has to be perfect; the other side of the spectrum includes men that have nice clothes but seem unkempt most of the time because they don’t take the time to make sure things match well, fit as they should, or are neat and unwrinkled. There are lots of men in between these two extremes.
This article will cover two key elements of how to create a balanced wardrobe of men's clothes. The first is what should the wardrobe contain and how should it be put together. Then, we’ll focus on an equally important thing, where to get it from. Going to retail outlets and specialty clothing stores is old news. The best way to get a men’s wardrobe that fits every occasion and also fits the buyer perfectly, is to seek a relationship with a Master Tailor, also known as a Custom Tailor or a Bespoke Tailor.
One common resistance to having clothes custom made is the presumption that engaging a Custom Tailor is a luxury that only wealthy people can afford. Wealthy people use Master Tailors because they know they get great quality and value from having their clothes custom-made. It is important to know that a given style, a given fabric, and common finishing details for a suit bought at a men’s retail clothing outlet will cost about the same if made to your specifications by a Custom Tailor. Let’s better understand why that is true.
Men who wear suits every day want to look professional and well dressed. Some men choose to have multiple suits in their closet, perhaps as many as 10 that they rotate from week to week and season to season. We realize that some men in the entertainment business or the sports world with unlimited budgets may choose to have 100 suits in their closet. The point is that men determine standards for how they want be seen and valued.
Men that don’t understand the value of a relationship with a Master Tailor have a tendency to shop multiple retail stores and aren’t always loyal to one style or brand. It’s human nature. You see a suit you like and you buy it, sometimes with a shirt and tie combination that complements the suit. This kind of conspicuous consumption can cost upwards of $1200 or more. Maybe they do that once or twice a year.
My Custom Tailor is third generation custom clothing manufacturer that serves men and women all over the world. They are especially known as Travelling Master Tailors that conduct road shows in major cities on a regular basis to educate new clients on the benefits and value of buying custom-made clothes. They bring sample of their work, the wide variety of fabrics they have access to, styling analysis, and an understanding of how they typically engage their clients. They seek to create consulting relationships on how to create a wardrobe of men’s clothes that will fit every occasion and every budget. Look at the My Custom Tailor Web Site to see the various collections of men’s clothes.
So, a man that engages a My Custom Tailor Travelling Tailors describes what he wants in a suit and what his ideal budget is. The Tailor will further qualify his desires and then will show him what can be made to meet those requirements. A My Custom Tailor Master Tailor will take his measurements in a way that no normal tailor can do. These are bespoke artisans that have years of experience in measuring and capturing measurements for the purpose of making custom-made clothes.
When someone leaves a My Custom Tailor Roadshow Event, he will know what a bespoke and custom made suit will cost. It will reflect styling, fabric choice and finishing that exceeds anything he can see in a suit that is mass merchandized. If someone is a size 42 and they go into a typical retail store they will try on a suit that is made to fit the average 42 size person. But who is average, certainly not you. Chances are your sleeve length, chest size, triceps width, leg length, thigh width, etc., is not average. Why is it that when you buy suits from a retail store that costs $800, that you often need $100 worth of alterations to make it fit right? Even if they waive alteration charges, the suit that you bought has been modified so that you think it fits you perfectly.
What kind of advice does a Master Tailor provide to convince a man that he should order custom-made suits and custom-made shirts from him? It begins with a measurements profile that captures all the critical specifications for making a suit or shirt. Then the tailor works with his new client to share his extensive expertise and guidance:
A men’s wardrobe ideally has business and formal essentials, at least one, if not several custom-made suits. Four to five custom-made shirts are also necessities. The shirts and suits must be coordinated in terms of colors, stripes, patterns, and styles. They need to look like they go together and complement each other. Having the right combination of shirts and ties that are custom-made to synch up with the suits is easy to do when they all get designed with a common purpose.
In establishing a basic collection of custom-made suits, traditional colors like black, navy and charcoal grey should be chosen. Depending on your personal color tone you might also want to choose a dark brown, an oxford grey, or a herringbone as well.
The bespoke and custom made men's shirt collection should feature sold white, light blue, tan and perhaps pales pink to go with pin stripe suits. Plain color suits work best with stripe or check shirts.
Shoes and belts round out a men's wardrobe and help to differentiate the suit from day to day through multiple belt and shoe options. Formal and casual shoes in black and brown are preferred colors. High quality leather belts in black and brown complement the suits and shoes.
A custom made Classic English Blazer, in traditional Navy, is an excellent casual dress item that can be paired with oxford grey pants in a more formal environment and with khakis or chinos in a more casual environment. The navy blazer is one of the most versatile items in a men’s wardrobe. A custom-made shirt in white completes the blazer pairing elegantly and cleanly.
A men’s wardrobe will never be complete without a good seven fold necktie. Ties are true personality statements in terms of their fabric, color, and style. They transform ordinary suit/shirt combinations into a distinctive and distinguished outfit.
Khaki pants and custom made denim jeans are increasingly important components of a men’s wardrobe. Plain color slacks in blue, black and grey are also important additions. These together with polo shirts or turtle-neck shirts are closet staples for the distinctive casual look. Casual shirts with complex patterns are increasingly being work with suits and blazers or with your array of casual pants.
Sweaters add a nice dimension to a wardrobe, particularly when temperatures go down. Invest in both neutral and colorful wool and cotton varieties as a great alternative to coats and jackets.
Cold weather climates will require you to invest in one or two overcoats or trench coats. Wool is the preferred fabric in black, blue or camel. For the discerning man, cashmere is a very distinctive look.
Now that you have a solid recommendation for what a men’s wardrobe should consist of, think about the logistics of going out and purchasing all these clothing articles. You could visit multiple stores and hope that all your purchases would synch up well into a coordinated and functional wardrobe. Assume everything would fit ok and that shirt/tie/suit combinations would be interchangeable. The cost of putting all that together would likely be in the $2000 to $5000+ range.
Visit a My Custom Tailor Roadshow and initiate a dialogue with one of the Master Tailors. Give him a detailed description of what you want and a budget range you want to stay within. This budget should be consistent with what you think you would spend on the wardrobe you would buy from retail outlets. Have your measurements taken and documented. Assuming the cost of a custom-made wardrobe is very close to your budget range; think about the advantages of having that same wardrobe made by My Custom Tailor Custom Tailors:
The clothes will fit perfectly because they are made to your exact specifications
The fabrics will be the best you can buy for the type of clothes you have specified
Accessories in the form of linings, buttons, pleats, collars, waist details, cuffs, zippers, etc., will be much better than what you will get from mass merchandized clothes
The clothes will be designed and assembled by master tailors and cutters, all of which are true artisans with years of experience.
The quality standards will be the best available
A single source for all your wardrobe needs
Your measurements are on file as part of your My Custom Tailor Profile so you can order more custom-made clothes online any time you want to
Meeting one of our Travelling Master Tailors is a unique experience. When you determine a site that works for you invite your friends and make a special day of it. Working with friends, comparing options, and having common questions answered will give you the confidence you need to move forward. We always welcome a bottle of wine or two to keep the environment informal.
If you don’t see a roadshow location in your city, you can still engage My Custom Tailor over the internet and then ask any questions you have by calling our customer service resources. Here’s how you get started:
Visit the My Custom Tailor Website and review one of the online collection catalogs and review style options. Choose the one(s) that suits you best
Click on the form or the ‘order’ button to select the style, color, and fabric as shown in the image
When designating the style, review the many fabric and color choices. Choose the fabric and color that suits your tastes
Select the measurements profile for this item. If this is your first order, you can add a measurements profile on this page and submit your measurements any time after you have submitted the order. Or, complete the information listed in the My Custom Tailor Measurements Kit that we will send you.
Next, you will see a series of tabs for further customizing your item. Here, various finishing accessories can be specified such as buttons, sleeve cuffs, collars, monograms, etc.
After completing your selections, proceed to the check-out page. Your order total will be visible at all times at the top right-hand side of every page next to the shopping cart.
My Custom Tailor customer support personnel are available to answers any questions you have or help you make final decisions. Their contact information is provided as part of the order entry details.
Provide billing and shipping information at checkout
If all this seems new to you and difficult to comprehend, let us ease your mind. We have been doing business this way with thousands of clients all over the world for 30 years. Our clients are very loyal supporters and repeat customers. We look forward to getting started with you soon.