MTailor Made-To-Measure Shirting Reviewed

Howdy folks! After a brief hiatus, we've taken advantage of some down-time from the daily grind to finally get this piece ready to publish. MTailor is one of the newer made-to-measure brands to hit the scene, and co-founder Miles got in touch with way back before I moved from Chicago to NYC to set us up for an in-person review. Here we go:

The Brand: As usual, we asked the brand to provide us with a little background. From Miles:

"At MTailor, we are bringing professional quality custom shirts into the modern era. We make it easy, convenient and fast while maintaining an amazing fit and quality shirts.

To do that, we measure you with your phone's camera using the latest in machine learning algorithms. We're 20% more accurate than a professional tailor. There's no tape measure involved (no need for a second person or second guessing yourself on all the measurements), and you're done in less than 5 minutes.

While we officially launched June 28, we've been working on MTailor since September 2012. Right now, we're just 2 people: Miles and Rafi. We spent over a year developing the core technology to make the measurement process easy and accurate. We then spent months testing over a dozen suppliers and shipping lots of beta shirts to customers, and we only launched once we and our customers were satisfied.

We really stand behind our shirts: if you dislike an MTailor shirt for any reason (not just fit), we'll remake it for free or issue a full refund, no questions asked."

The Ordering Process: This is probably the coolest feature of MTailor - or at least the feature with the highest coolness potential. Where other made-to-measure services require you to either measure yourself or a shirt you already own, MTailor uses a cellphone app to digitally scan your body type, requiring no actual measuring at all. Pretty damn snazzy, right? And the feature is really cool - it takes a few minutes to set up, and took me a few tries until I got myself framed properly in the camera (the process involves propping your phone to fit the image of your body inside an on-screen frame), but it was painless and actually kinda fun.

Now, all that said, there are a few things I wish were a little different - the largest of which being that MTailor is only available via app. As in, you can't browse the fabrics or customization options on your computer. I'd imagine there's an iPad version as well, which would be better, but as I just have an iPhone, I was limited to selecting a fabric off of my small phone screen. Not the worst thing in the world, but it would have been great to be able to check out some larger pictures. I'd also love to see a wider range of casual fabrics, although there is something to be said for simplicity as well!

To that point, I actually enjoyed the more limited variety of customizations that were offered - seemed to cover all the bases without overwhelming you with a million choices. In the end, I ended up choosing a dressier fabric in a blue and brown small-scale tattersall, with a widespread collar, one button cuff, the longer 'tucked' cut, and a slim fit. Though MTailor was kind enough to provide the shirt free of charge for this review, the final price would have been just $69 (their base rate), which is really quite reasonable (and affordable).

The Fabric and Construction: Starting off on a very good note, the fabric and construction are pretty entirely beyond reproach. As a matter of fact, I'd consider this one of the best fabrics I've gotten for a made-to-measure shirt. Even my Thomas Mason fabrics have come just a bit stiff and...shiny - but this shirt feels far softer and just more natural, as I'd expect a 'luxury fabric' to feel. The weight is perfect for a relatively year-round shirt. It's not flimsy by any means, but not a heavy robust flannel either.

As for construction, the bases are all hit - smooth stitching, clean button-holes, sturdy and well-attached buttons, removable collar stays and stitched (as opposed to fused) collar and cuffs.

The Fit: To be perfectly honest, when it came to fit, I was a bit disappointed when I first received the shirt. The MTailor app lauds itself as 20% more accurate than a professional tailor, and with promises like that, I expected a darn-close-to-perfect shirt on the first try. Things weren't horrible, by any means, but just not quite up to snuff. Thankfully, MTailor offers a complementary remake of your first shirt in order to nail your pattern.  This is pretty common with MTM shirtmakers, and I've actually come to kind of expect to have to tweak things throughout the first order - and for any other company, I wouldn't have been as upset. It's just that those promises made by the high-tech scanning system were so...promising! Ah well, not the end of the world, but just know their model has some kinks to be worked out.

Anyway, back to the specifics. Mainly, the cut was just a bit big throughout, with slightly long sleeves, and too low of armholes.

Just a bit too big throughout, and some funky draping.

The sleeves in particular were long and baggy.

Low armholes definitely contributed to the draping and general fit being off.

Now that we were past using the digital scanning, I decided to compare the shirt with another custom shirt of my own in order to give Miles the most precise directions for adjustments.

After sending him some measurements and talking things over, we settled on the following changes for the second time around:

• Shoulders: -.5 inches
• Sleeves: -.5 inches (-.75 inches net with shoulders)
• Chest: -2 inches for full circumference (-1 inch when flat)
• Waist: -2 inches for full circumference (-1 inch when flat)
• Hips: -2 inches for full circumference (-1 inch when flat)
• Biceps: -2.25 inches for full circumference
• "We have edited how we calculate biceps and this is the new measurement we would make you. The shirt we sent you must have been way too big in the biceps! Shrinking this will tighten the armholes and the forearms."

The Fit (Part 2): And here's the good news, fit-wise! After a remake, the shirt fits almost perfectly. Nice and trim through the body and waist, sleeves falling at just the right length, and a comfortably snug collar and cuffs. Boom. 

Much trimmer, an a far better drape.

Sleeves hit right at the wrist without excess pooling fabric.

My only complaint is that the armholes are still just the slightest bit restricting - minor enough that I wouldn't complain for an OTR shirt, but a bit too noticeable for a custom shirt. Really, you can't even notice it with my hands at my sides - just when I raise my arms, the fabric pulls from the armpit across the chest.

Still some slight tightness across the chest.

The Customer Service: Gotta say, I was pretty blown away by just how attentive Miles was throughout the ordering process. I'm usually all over shipping tracking myself, but he saw that the shirt was scheduled to be delivered before I did, and shot me an e-mail to make sure delivery went smoothly. When my post office mixed things up, he stayed right on top of everything until the package was in my hands. Even more importantly, he seemed eager to hear my impressions and feedback, and legitimately interested in leaving me with a great shirt, rather than just making another buck. Two thumbs, way up. Beyond that, processing and shipping came in at just under 3 weeks (not exceptionally short, but also not exceptionally long), and all communication was quickly and promptly responded to by either a customer service agent, or more often Miles himself.

In Conclusion: All around, I'd say MTailor is definitely worth a try. The ordering process is admittedly cool, and if they can continue to work out kinks in their digital-fitting model, it could end up being one of the more convenient options available. Past ordering, the customer service and product quality leave these guys right up with some of the best shirts that I've had, and all with a price point that isn't too painful.

This was a sponsored review, and the products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. The article, however, remains objective and unbiased and is published without prior editing or review by MTailor. While I love to be given products to review, don't worry, I will never endorse a product I wouldn't wear myself.

Three Things I Love (Including an Update from Proper Cloth)

Over the past month or two, I had three things I really love come together in such a way that I had to share here on the blog:

1) Reader Participation: As much as I love sharing my own menswear knowledge, I never let myself forget that I myself still have tons to learn. With that in mind, one of my favorite things about blogging is getting feedback from you folks, especially when you open my eyes to new information that helps me be a more stylish gent (and more informed blogger at that). Last month, following my review of Proper Cloth, AJ helpfully pointed out one ill-fitting aspect of my MTM shirt that I would never have noticed. Take a look at the following picture and see if you catch it:

To me, it seemed like a pretty perfect fit - but take a look at the armholes. As AJ was kind enough to inform me, the armholes on a proper-fitting shirt should drape vertically (or close to it). The way that the armholes on my shirt angle inwards is an indication that the yoke was cut too wide. Who knew?! Thanks AJ, from now on this will be one of my 'checklist' areas when evaluating fit.

Which brings me to the second thing I love:

2) Great Customer Service: After AJ pointed out the above flaw, I shot an e-mail to Proper Cloth. Honestly, since I hadn't even noticed the issue, I would have been happy keeping the shirt as is, but I wanted to adjust my pattern for future orders - but Proper Cloth would have nothing to do with my lack of demand for perfection! Not only did they help walk me through the changes in the measurements that would correct the angle, but they promptly submitted an order for a re-make, no prodding from my end at all. Fan-freaking-tastic. In my opinion, as MTM options become more and more abundant, finding a brand that makes a good fit is far easier than finding a brand with a great product and customer service that sets them above the competition, and Proper Cloth rose to this challenge with great success.

And that brings me to the final item on my list:

3) A Perfectly Fitting OCBD: Just check out the difference in the shoulder and arm:

Perfect vertical arm-hole seam!

So I'll close out with two pieces of encouragement (wow, all about numbered lists today, huh?): First, check out Proper Cloth. Second, chime in! Teach me something, share your style, or just say 'Hi,' I love to hear from you.

To reiterate, this article refers to a sponsored review, and the products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. The article, however, remains objective and unbiased and is published without prior editing or review by Proper Cloth. While I love to be given products to review, don't worry, I will never endorse a product I wouldn't wear myself. 

Proper Cloth Made-To-Measure Shirting Reviewed

The Brand:

As per the usual, I'm going to let Proper Cloth do the talking here, rather than just regurgitating their history back at you. From their website:

"The original idea was simple: make it easy for men to buy dress shirts that fit perfectly. 

In October 2008 we launched the first version of propercloth.com and sold our first shirt. We were not an instant success. The first couple years were particularly humble. We didn't come from fashion. We didn't have any contacts. We had a lot to learn. We made a lot of mistakes. We were bootstrapping with credit cards and small loans from friends and family. Our manufacturing was antiquated and slow. Our selection was limited. Our website was confusing. Then there was the financial crisis... 

But we stuck with it. Listened to our customers. Networked in the industry. Solved problems. Improved our systems. Became experts on patterning and construction. Fabric and styling. Photography and user interface. Supply chain and logistics. Our growth has been strong and steady, but we've kept our team relatively small. Five people. Really. Seph, Yura, Brittany, Harrison and Chris. We’re based in New York. We do all of our design and customer service at our space in SOHO. We’re profitable and growing. We’re not in a rush to expand and we won't use near sighted tactics to get results. We're focused on the long term. We're committed to building a lasting brand and business. We have thousands of clients. We love what we do."

The description goes on in more detail, but the takeaway is that they came here to make damn good shirts, that are damn easy to buy, and to build a continually evolving company that understands that style is about more than just clothing. They wrap it up with a line I especially dug:

"The right clothing can help someone realize who they are. Stories are how we understand the world around us. Clothing can help tell those stories. "

For more information regarding the history and values of Proper Cloth, as well as the variety of fabrics, customizations, etc. that they offer, head over to their 'About Us' and read up.

The Order:

I went into great detail about the process of customizing a made-to-measure shirt in this recent post featuring the Proper Cloth website, so I won't re-hash too much of that here, but I will provide the details of my order once more:

Fabric: Thomas Mason Light Pink Oxford
Collar Style: Soft Ivy Button Down
Cuff Style: Soft One Button
Pocket: One Chest Pocket
Placket: Soft Front Placket (although I'm very tempted to try out the popover)
Yoke: Split Yoke
Buttons: Tall Mother of Pearl
Monogram: Back of Collar in Burgundy

I chose a very expensive fabric (mainly because I wanted to feel the difference it made), which clocks in at a starting price of $140, but their standard options - which aren't shabby at all themselves - start at $85 and include both basic fabrics and more on-trend picks like denim and chambray.

A few more notes regarding the ordering process: I have to say that the Proper Cloth website is one of the prettiest MTM systems I've seen - most are clunky and unattractive, but Proper Cloth managed to squeeze a custom ordering system into a sleek and modern website. On top of that, they've provided some great additional resources, especially their 'Reference' page, which includes information like 'How a Dress Shirt Should Fit' and 'Dress Shirt Construction.'

As far as sizing goes, the folks at Proper Cloth suggest I try out their new smart-sizing algorithm. I was a bit hesitant, as I like to use the self-measuring option (just feels more custom that way, and can be a better judge of the quality of customization that you get), but I took their advice and am damn glad I did (I'll expand on this in a moment). The system itself was a breeze, with just a few questions about your body and your preferred fit. After the survey, measurements are generated, and then you are given the opportunity to tweak them as you like. I slimmed down the cuffs, and maybe adjusted a few things by very minimal amounts, but for the most part I decided to test their algorithm, and...

The Fit:

...and hot damn, this shirt fits incredibly. I have had some really good results with other made-to-measure companies, but this shirt is by far the best-fitting in my closet. Shoulders, chest, and body are all spot-on, and I usually expect those to be, even on a first order. 

Seams end right at the shoulder. Minimal excess fabric in the chest.

No billowing at the waist, slim through the torso.

What impressed me most was the perfect fit through the sleeves and cuffs, both in width and length. This has always been an area I struggled with, whether it's OTR shirting or MTM shirting - somehow I always end up with something off just enough for it to bug me. 

Sleeves stay slim through the forearm and bicep, with high armholes.

Length falls perfectly on the hand, and cuff width is appropriate.

I was also impressed with the length. I think some made-to-measure brands cut their shirts overly long to avoid having to re-make something cut short. This doesn't usually bother me, as it's never crazy long, and I usually go tucked anyway. However, it can be a bit of a nuisance on more casual shirts that you may want to wear untucked from time to time. Again, Proper Cloth hit the sweet spot, as this shirt is just long enough to stay tucked when I want it to, but the perfect length to wear untucked as well.

Tucked, un-tucked, the choice is mine.

When it comes down to it, I go into my first MTM experience with any company expecting to have to make at least a few tweaks to my pattern in order to get the perfect fit, but Proper Cloth dialed me in on the first try, and like I said, I'm impressed.

I'll take a minute here, too, to point out that Proper Cloth does offer a perfect fit guarantee, so if the fit hadn't been so great, I could have sent it back for a remake. It sounds like they offer a lot of assistance on this end - if you know exactly what you want changed, you just let them know, but if you just feel its 'off,' you have the option of sending in pictures or even calling and chatting so they can help you find the problem areas. Sounds like good stuff, and I kinda wish I could have given it a test drive, but I can't complain about perfection.

The Construction:

Again, everything here is pretty darn top notch. The stitching is straight and even, and I can't find any loose threads, snags in the fabric, or anything else to mar to finished product. Even the monogram is tastefully done, well centered on the collar, and shaped and stitched cleanly.

Monogram, collar stitching, and minimal branding on tag.

Clean side seam and reinforcing gusset.

Neatly stitched placket and buttonholes.

I'm definitely glad I went with the tall mother-of-pearl buttons. They look so much nicer than plastic, and are thick enough that I'm not worried about them breaking anytime soon.

Sturdy MOP buttons with clean crisscross-stitching.

The collar and cuffs are soft and un-fused, as I specified, and I think lend very well to the slightly-rumpled Ivy prep style. There is enough substance for them to hold shape, but not to look starched or too structured if I'm going sans jacket and tie.

Look at that gorgeous collar roll.

I'm also really loving the way the shape of the collar came out. The roll is very distinct, but it captures that ivy-league, vintage prep style perfectly and is exactly what I had in mind. I do think it makes things a bit more casual than even a standard button-down collar, but that's what I was aiming for when designing the shirt.

And that's really my only beef - and barely beef at that: the fabric is a bit dressier than I anticipated. I knew that Thomas Mason fabric would be higher quality (and should be, at that price), but was still expecting something heavier and rougher, as most oxford cloth tends to be. This fabric, instead, does have a little bit of sheen to it, and is lighter than I expected, but to be honest, these are both probably good things that will only increase the versatility of the shirt.

In all other regards, the fabric is very nice, which you would expect from Thomas Mason. The hand is soft and comfortable, but still holds a press well enough to look sharp of you're dressing it up. It does wrinkle a bit easily at the elbows, but it doesn't hold creases very strongly so all it takes is a quick iron at the end of the day and it's good as new. As I said, the weight is definitely a bit lighter than your standard oxford cloth, but is still thicker than a poplin or broadcloth alternative. Lastly, the pink color works out very well - I'm not opposed to pink at all, but I think the over saturated and bright shades are a bit too much for me. This color is more muted and works very well with the laid-back style, so I'm happy!

The Service:

When it comes to customer service, the entire process was a pleasure. While the fit guarantee is actually pretty common among MTM clothiers, their offers to really help you walk through adjustments seems like a step above and beyond, and one that I like to see. Proper Cloth makes other good moves throughout the order, like thorough e-mail updates as you shirt goes to the factory, gets packaged, and is shipped. The total turnaround was better than average as well, with the shirt arriving only seven days after I placed the order (Proper Cloth quotes a 10-16 day wait on their site, which is already well below most MTM companies). Since I didn't have any issues with the shirt, I can't speak too much for their customer service (and I gotta count that as a point for them), but all correspondence I had with them was prompt and polite, so no complaints here. 

In Conclusion:

When it comes down to it, I'd say that the only real downside to ordering from Proper Cloth is the pricing. They do have much more affordable fabrics to start with, but they lack some of the discount options you can find at brands like Modern Tailor. That said, my biggest complaint with Modern Tailor has been the quality of the fabrics, so this might just be worth it. The resulting fit and the quality of the construction definitely hold up to the expectations that come with a price point like that, so if you think your particular fabric is worth the price, Proper Cloth won't let you down. I even admittedly opted for a higher end cloth as I wanted to see the difference between a Thomas Mason OCBD and a Target OCBD, up close and personal, but could definitely have been happy with something closer to their starting rate of $85. 

To put it most simply:

Pros: Easy Measuring System; Customization Options; Fabric Selection; Turnaround Time; Fit; Quality; Construction; Perfect Fit Guarantee. Not much not to love.

Cons: Price. Really, I can't think of anything else here, and to be perfectly honest, you get what you pay for.

Editors Note: If you are interested in purchasing a shirt from Proper Cloth, use our referral link for a discount on your first order.

So there you have it. Have any of you tried Proper Cloth? What were your thoughts? Anyone with other MTM shirting companies to compare? Chime in using the comments or our social networks.

This was a sponsored review, and the products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. The article, however, remains objective and unbiased and is published without prior editing or review by Proper Cloth. While I love to be given products to review, don't worry, I will never endorse a product I wouldn't wear myself. 

Made-To-Measure on a Budget: Tailor4Less Reviewed

A few weeks ago, a company called Tailor4Less approached me out of the blue about reviewing a blazer from their Made-To-Measure collection. I had never heard of the brand before, and some quick research didn't bring up anything too impressive, but I'm a big fan of the growing availability of custom (or closer to it) clothing for men, so I wanted to give them a try. I went ahead and ordered a blazer, sat back and waited for it to arrive. Honestly, when it came, I was pleasantly surprised! Based off of the fabric descriptions, low prices, and general lack of a preceding reputation, my expectations weren't very high, but the blazer I got fit fantastically, wore very comfortably, and has been earning me compliments left and right. Here are the details:

The Site and Ordering Process:

This is all pretty similar to any online MTM brand. The site isn't mind-blowing, but they are in the apparel business, not the web design business, so that gets a pass. It does automatically direct you to their Spanish(?) language site when you go to Tailor4Less.com, but switch over to English (or your chosen language) and things move along easily. My only complaint here is that they ask you to pick you details before you pick you fabric. This might just be a personal thing, but I tend to base my style customizations pretty heavily off of the fabric I'm using. For example, a thicker wool fabric with a plaid pattern will probably get more casual detailing, where a slicker fabric with more of a sheen to it might be styled up for a more formal situations. What I ended up doing was throwing in some random customizations just to get to the fabric menu first, and then going back and altering my decisions. No biggie, just slightly inconvenient. 

Customization Options:

I'll preface this section with the fact that the blazers start at just $159 (compare to $300 at Indochino, or $379 at DragonInside). Therefore, the fact that the customizations are relatively limited, when compared to those other options, is pretty acceptable in my book. You still get all the basics (peak vs. notch lapels, 1 or 2 vents, 1 to 4 buttons, pocket styles, functioning cuffs, etc.). However, there is no choice for half-lining, slim/wide lapels, hacking pockets, or pick stitching. They may accommodate these types of requests via e-mail though, as they were able to switch button colors for me that way (although I ended up sticking with their standard per their recommendation).

For the record, I went with a single-breasted jacket, slim-fit, peak lapels, 2 buttons, a breast pocket, 2 double-welted pockets, side vents and non-functioning buttons.

Fabric Options:

Here is where the low price point comes into play again. I was on the hunt for a winter wool blazer, and it is damn hard to find one in their selection that is 100% wool. Most have a pretty decent percentage of polyester or other artificial fabric. However, there are many more 100% compositions available in linen and cotton. I ended up settling on a dark green (seasonal, eh?) wool/terylene blend called 'Glenmore,' which started at $195 (note, this is also where the price starts to creep up). I had actually never heard of terylene before, so I shot them an e-mail to inquire and they told me "This 10% of terylene (or polyester in other cases) adds wrinkle free properties to the garment, as it remains smooth even if you wear it all day long and it is much more easier to iron. Moreover, this material makes the product more resistant."

Ivory lining and monogram.

Final Customizations:

After picking your fabric, Tailor4Less gives you the chance to add a few more personalizations. Unfortunately, these all come at an extra cost that can quickly negate the originally 'bargain' price point. Picking a specific lining color, which is often included is an extra $17 or so. A monogram is $13, and a felt lining under the collar is another $5. Since I was getting mine on the house, I got all the accoutrements, with an ivory lining (all linings come in polyester, rather than bemberg), and a monogram and neck lining in matching (or as close as I could get) colors. You can also add elbow patches for $17, a pocket square for $13, or colored button holes for $5, but I passed on those. 

The Price:

Honestly, the starting price of $159 for a MTM is pretty unheard of, so I wasn't surprised that there would be a bit of a bump in order to get a decent fabric (not 100% polyester) and a few of my personalizations, but by the time I was done my blazer rung in at $229. Again, this is significantly less that the starting prices at Indochino or DragonInside, but it's starting to get a bit beyond true budget-range. That said, it's still a good enough price to make me happy, as long as the jacket itself doesn't fall in true budget-range quality.

The Measurement Process:

Everything standard here. Enough measurements to be thorough, but nothing too crazy where you're going to need to be up all night with a team of assistants and 10 measuring tapes covering every nook and cranny of your body. To be honest, I was in a bit of a rush so I just used my measurements from my recent DragonInside order and decided to hope for the best.

The Result:

Ugh, impossible to get good lighting in the winter.

Well first of all, stupid me, I didn't write down the date I received the blazer, so I'm not 100% sure how long the wait was, but it wasn't bad at all. Granted I wasn't hanging on the edge of my seat, or on a deadline to wear it for a specific event, but I do know I didn't feel like I was waiting unreasonably long. So here we go: Off the bat, the fit was pretty darn impressive. Maybe next time I'll add a cm or so to the sleeves, but they are perfectly fine as is. The jacket is slim but not tight, and lays nicely on my shoulders and chest. The collar may be a bit high in the back too, but it doesn't bunch and it really just is extra help in avoiding collar gap. Again, something I may adjust ever-so-slightly on a future order, but will serve me just fine as is.

Despite the artificial-fiber component of the fabric, the hand of the jacket is quite luxurious. It's not quite as thick as I was hoping for as a winter wool, but the green is rich, the jacket is soft, and, in the few times I've worn it so far,

Maybe a tad long in the sleeves?

it has yet to develop any of the standard signs of cheap fabric (shininess where it rubs, pilling, etc.). Also, I didn't have high hopes from a 100% polyester lining, but it too is soft and the whole combination makes it actually one of my most comfortable jackets.

The styling came out great. I mentioned my individual specs previously, but the big picture look I wanted was winter-appropriate with a bit of a formal edge. I stuck with a heartier winter-weight wool in a very seasonable dark green, both of which might initially lean casual. However, I kept a dressy aspect with welted pockets and peak lapels. The ivory lining definitely, when seen, definitely lends to the classiness of the whole jacket as well. So far, I've worn it to two holiday concerts, with fantastic results, and I actually am probably going to wear it again this New Year's Eve, as my suits are at the tailor (woops, bad timing).

Peak lapels.

Double-welted pockets.

Evenly-spaced buttons and clean stitching on the button-holes.

Tailor4Less branding inside the collar.

Bottom Line:

Overall, my low expectations were definitely exceeded. I'm not sure I would choose T4L over DragonInside or even a decent OTR jacket from Frank and Oak. However, if you're a guy on a strict budget and non-standard proportions (or just eager for that customized fit), this may be the way to go. My own jacket creeped up in price, but there are definitely some extras I could have done without that would have left this closer to the $200 mark. I have yet to try any of their other many options (coats, suits, shirts, etc.), but it's definitely a MTM option to keep in mind. 

My First Suit (Part One)

Alrighty, so I'm going to a wedding this fall in Boulder, CO (very excited to go) and am using the event as an excuse to purchase my first suit (a menswear blogger who doesn't own a suit...shocking, right?). I've had some money sitting around for a while that I set aside for the very purpose, but just hadn't had a need to buy one yet, so instead I browsed. And browsed. And browsed. Now I'm giving myself this deadline to finally make a decision.

The Suit:

First, I just wanted a decent idea of what kind of suit I wanted. As fun as it would be to have some plaids or patterns or rich fabrics or tweeds, I'm a sensible guy, and I'm sticking to the staples for my first two suits: grey and blue all-season wool. For some reason the blue is just calling to me, so I'm heading that direction.

From there, I really just started browsing the web, focusing on some of my favorite menswear bloggers. Here are some styles of blue suits that stood out to me:

Mr. Van Der Beek, if I'm not mistaken. Love the fit and lapels, but the blue is a bit bright.

Wes, of The Style Blogger. Closer in color to my choice.

Found via Google Image search. Almost exactly what I want, but a bit boxy.

Dan, of The Style Blogger. This, is a gorgeous suit. More pics here, but this is my main inspiration.

Through browsing and critiquing I now have a good (and kind of picky) idea of what I want, but I've already decided to go with a Made-To-Measure suit, so I"ll be able to make all these choices in my order. Briefly, MTM is halfway between bespoke and ready-to-wear. Rather than be measured by a tailor, you measure yourself and submit your measurements. Like bespoke, you get to pick your fabric and features, although your options aren't quite as expansive. You can read a very comprehensive guide to MTM suiting here. Bottom line, I get the make this thing my way. So here's my rundown: Navy suit, two buttons, peak lapels, pick stitching, flap pockets, double vents, no cuffs or pleats, functioning sleeve buttons, and probably half-lining. To pick out a few highlights:

Peak Lapels: For a while, I was a notch-lapel-only kinda guy, but a few months ago peak lapels really started to grow on me. They have to be tasteful, and can easily cross in gaudy, in my opinion, but if done right they put a little bit of panache that makes a staple suit a little less ordinary.

Done wrong, IMHO. Too much lapel for me.

Pick Stitching: Pick stitching is a visible line of stitching that follows the edges of the suit. It's usually the sign of a higher quality, usually bespoke suit, although now (obviously) it can be found on less pricey options. Honestly, I could go either way with this, but most recently I've been noticing that a lot of blazers that I see and like include pick stitching, so I'm adding it to the mix.

Pick stitching, illustrated by Indochino

Functioning Sleeve Buttons: Also called surgeon's cuffs, many people avoid this feature on a first suit order because it really limits the room a tailor has to alter the sleeve length. The general advice is to wait until you know your measurements are right (2nd or 3rd order). I'm going to flaunt this advice though. I have a jacket with perfect sleeve length that I can measure for them, and I really want to be able to roll up my sleeves a bit when appropriate because...

Half-Lining: ...I am most likely going to get a half-lined jacket. I have an unlined summer jacket and I love the way it drapes and wears without the added structure of the lining. I do want this to be an all-season jacket, so getting a half-lining will allow me to wear it at least sometimes through the hotter months. On top of that, I love to layer in the fall and winter, so losing the little bit of insulation shouldn't be a problem. I've consulted to the twittersphere, gotten mixed results, so I'm going with my gut and going half-lined. Decision, made.

The inside of a half-lined jacket.

Everything else is pretty minor and just personal preference, no real reason why I chose the way I did besides that's what I like best. If I get real ballsy I may add a ticket pocket, or maybe slanted pockets both features I've liked before, but am not totally sold on. I'll look around the web and see what I like. God bless Pinterest and Google Image Search.

The Company

Next came picking out which MTM service I was going choose. Initially, I had really only heard of Indochino and Black Lapel, so I started off comparing those two. Here's what I was looking at:

Shoulders: I have a pretty specific picture in my head of how I want this jacket to drape. Without going full bespoke, my best option to get that is to find the MTM company that constructs their standard shoulder closest to what I have in mind. Personally, I wanted a very natural shoulder with little padding.

Turnaround Time: I'm starting to cut it close for this wedding, and I don't want to rush this and screw it up, so I've resigned myself the possibility of maybe no getting my suit in time to wear it in Boulder. Life goes on. But, if possible, I'd like it to be ready

Fit/Quality of Construction: I'm turning mostly to the reviews here, and of course I want something that lives up to expectations as far as construction and fit go. Even more importantly, I'd like to choose a service with a reputation for getting it right the first time, so I don't have that suit in hand at this wedding and still can't wear it.

Price: Well, duh. Low = Good. High = Bad. My budget falls around $500. Just low enough that I can't afford to buy what I want from SuitSupply and get it tailored.

So I started searching, reading, reviewing, and honestly I've been doing this for months anyway and kind of already had an idea of what I'd decide. I'm not telling anyone who to buy until I've tried them myself, but from what I read: Indochino is the most popular choice, but this doesn't mean they are the best. From the more sartorially inclined customers, complaints include the 'hybrid' canvassing used as well as problems with poor fits. On the other hand, it sounds like the customer service is pretty good at fixing anything that goes wrong, and their $75 tailoring credit doesn't hurt either.

On the other hand, Black Lapel seems a bit more expensive, but not unjustly so. The general opinion is get just a little better quality with Black Lapel, from the fabrics to the construction. However, the fit is not as appealing to me. From the pictures I've seen, I find the Black Lapel suits to lean a bit more towards to side of being boxy, or at the very least, not the soft shoulders I'm looking for. Maybe I can ask them to do something different for mine?

From Black Lapel - notice the boxier shoulder.

Quandary.

Then, out of nowhere I saw a recent post by Sabir Peele on Men's Style Pro featuring an 'every day' grey suit by Dragon Inside. The suit looked great and is pretty much exactly what I want, only in blue. I'd never heard of Dragon Inside, but I've been following Sabir on MSP for a while and definitely trust his taste (I got in touch with him later, and he confirmed his recommendation, said they did great work). Price-wise, they were definitely competitive with Indochino. It actually really unfortunately looks like they just bumped up their prices (not a ton, and really I could be completely off base). Still, they are definitely no more than Indochino, and therefore also less than Black Lapel. Honestly, the pictures on the Dragon Inside website kind of threw me off a bit (sorry, guys at Dragon Inside), and I didn't think the suits looked great on them. Instead, I looked up some more 'real life' examples of guys who have purchased these suits, and I think they all look really good:

Sabir M. Peele, of Men's Style Pro

Sabir, again.

Ken Yau, from his blog.

Justin Jeffers, of The Fine Young Gentleman

They seem to drape much more naturally than either Indochino or Black Lapel, and that's something I really want in my suit. Icing on the cake is the reputation their customer service has. I'm only at the stage of ordering swatches and they've already been fantastic. From what I've read, they take a lot of effort to work with the customer to get exactly the suit they want. That makes me confident that the peak lapels will look good, the functioning buttonholes won't be a problem, the pick stitching won't look tacky, and that this suit will turn out a beauty. So, voila, Dragon Inside it is. I hope to give Indochino and Black Lapel (among others) their own turn later down the road, but for now my decision is made.

At this point, I have the fabric swatches en route to my apartment so I can narrow down which blue I want. At that point, the measuring begins, and then it's just a matter of time. I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, I'd love any feedback on my choices!

WIWT - 5/16/2013 (a.k.a. Trying Something New)

So, for this look, I was busting out a bunch of brand new summer-wear items that have been recent additions to my wardrobe. This outfit is in no way 100% ideal, which is actually why I wanted to share it. First, the outfit:

I just bought this lightweight, cotton/linen blend blazer from Uniqlo after I visited their store in NYC and got to try a few things on for a sizing guide. Now that I know what fits, I will definitely be ordering more. This jacket is going to be my savior this summer. I've become so accustomed to wearing a blazer over the past several months, and don't really want to break the habit just because it's summer. However, even in my light wool blazer, the full lining has had me sweating even on just warm days. This unlined jacket, however, is light and airy enough to keep me cool even as we hit those Chicago heat waves.

Under the jacket I wore my custom Modern Tailor shirt (review here). As I've been wearing it more, and going back and forth more between this custom shirt and my other off-the-rack shirts, I've been appreciating the incredible fit more and more, and am definitely springing for a few more MTM pieces in the near future. Once again, feel free to use my Modern Tailor referral code for a sweet $20 off your purchase.

I also went with this dark red (I think they called in 'wine') knit tie from The Tie Bar. My love of knit ties just keeps growing and growing. Not only were they perfect in the winter as something with a little more heft, the looser weave also works great in the summer with your lighter clothes. This wine color too was not something I expected to go with everything, but somehow it really does. I find myself reaching for this tie multiple times a week, and I have a collection of options that's not to be sneezed at. Silver tie bar finishes the picture.

I also just bought these blue lived-in chino's from Gap. Somehow, between some crazy in store sale prices and discounts from signing up for Gap Card, I got these and one other pair for a grand total of less than $25.00. I practically danced home. I'm not a die-hard Gap fan, but their chinos are so damn comfortable. I grabbed these light blue ones to put a little spring color into my business-casual attire without being too in-your-face with go-to-hell pants.

I finished off the outfit with my new blue suede shoes by Bass, courtesy of an eBay steal. I've worn these once or twice casually, and wanted to try to work them into a work outfit and though this was a good outfit to experiment with. Here is where I wish I had made a few changes. I do love the shoes, and think they go well with the rest of the ensemble. However, the white/off-white laces lend to a more casual look. I think next time I'll try out some colored laces if I want to add a little more pop, or something darker, maybe even black, for something a little more muted.

Also, I had hoped that my sock choice would contrast with the shoes and tie in with the pocket square (a grey chambray number from Frank and Oak). Unfortunately, they kind of blend with the shoes in color, and I like my socks to really pop, so I'll try something else next time.

And there's my message is for this post. It's perfectly fine to make mistakes. Especially when trying out new things (I'm still working on my summer attire, as well as colored pants at work, for example). If you find something you think you like, just go ahead and try it! Unless you're a celebrity or a model or I don't even know what, the people in your day-to-day life shouldn't give you grief over some uncoordinated socks, or a non-matching tie. On the other hand, recognize what does and doesn't work, see the changes you want to make, and apply them as you pick out your clothing combinations in the future. It's all a learning process, and it's not fun unless you go outside your comfort zone from time to time. Also worth noting, while I messed around with colors in my pants, shoes and socks, I kept the rest of the outfit gloriously simple. Can't ever go wrong with a white shirt and navy blazer, and like I said, that dark red tie goes with everything.