A Gentleman’s Step-By-Step Guide to Getting a Custom Suit Made
Looking to get a custom suit made but don’t quite know how to start? Browse through these local tailors' and designers’ tips for getting your first custom suit
Words Mika Geronimo
Photos courtesy of Tailory Manila
March 6, 2024
Gentlemen, believe us when we say that even those uninitiated in the craftsmanship of formalwear or those who consider themselves not too keen on fashion could be converted by a good suit.
With just the right measurements, shape, color, and style, any special occasion can be made even more memorable by the simple act of wearing a sleek yet refined piece of clothing.
This is the belief shared by Tailory Manila’s JP Montilla, BARÒ LABEL’s Creative Director Mac Intia, and fashion designer AJ Javier, who each have cultivated a legion of loyal clients thanks to the unprecedented confidence and experiences their services bring.
Inching to finally own a suit that fits you like a glove? Read through JP, Mac, and AJ’s tips on what you should expect before getting your first custom suit.
Consult yourself first before booking an appointment
Let’s talk budget. There’s nothing wrong with picking up a suit off the rack, but for JP, there may be unwanted discrepancies in both the style and quality of store-bought suits. For instance, there’s the risk of settling with inferior materials or losing shape to alterations.
“That is why you go to a tailor because you’d like to check all the boxes in your requests,” JP emphasizes.
When you’ve decided that custom-made is the way to go, make sure to book an appointment ahead of time to ensure your tailor or designer’s full attention, AJ says.
“Personally, I want to focus on the client I am meeting so I am able to connect with them and better understand what they want in an outfit I make for them,” he adds.
Pick your style of suit
There are two leading styles of suits. You have your standard two-button, single-breasted suit – similar to the wardrobe of Double O Seven himself. But there’s also the equally classic four-button, double-breasted suit ala the movie Kingsman.
“The double-breasted type [is] what I usually recommend to people that already have had a few suits done already,” JP notes, adding that the style makes a good addition for someone looking to switch things up in their formalwear. For pants, one could opt for a semi-slim fit, or perhaps the more trendy baggy or oversized style.
Find the right color fabric
The next step is to find colors that complement your skin tone. It is routinary for tailors and designers to pull out swatches of the different color fabrics they offer, draping them over their clients to get a better grasp of which enhances their skin the best.
One could never go wrong with basic colors, specifically those that fall within the spectrum of navy blue, grey, and black. Clients could also opt for shiny or matte fabrics, even patterned or windowpane ones if they’re feeling a tad more adventurous.
While quality is expected with custom-made suits, AJ wishes that clients would not overlook the labor that goes into creating these garments. “It is the most intensive part of dress creation,” he says.
From sourcing the fabrics and beads, creating patterns, down to being sewn by meticulous seamstresses, every step of the process is “made with intention,” which is worth more than the added cost and time spent alone.
For Mac, it “all boils down to the fit and ‘minor’ details,” citing their hand-made buttonholes for example, which he believes make all the difference.
Communicate with your tailor or designer
If you have yet to define what your personal style exactly is, it’s always best to consult for an expert’s opinion. But a good tailor or designer would ask you the right questions anyway.
Do you want to look a bit slimmer? Taller? Tailors and designers could always find ways to cut their clients’ suits to help mimic their desired figure.
While most men’s coats come in the traditional, straight-down frames, clients could also ask for tailors to provide a more defined shape than usual to help draw less attention to certain features, or alternatively, to accentuate them.
For Mac, every appointment with your tailor or designer is a two-way street. “We treat it as a collaborative work between our client’s vision while staying true to our brand identity,” he says.
Since, after all, “Having a custom suit made is a process. With this, clients who ask us a handful of questions during consultations and fittings give us an opportunity to extensively discuss every single detail for their satisfaction.”
As much as you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, constructive criticism is also welcome and even vital to arrive at both the satisfaction of the client and the tailor or designer.
“You have to remember that we designers are not mind-readers; if there are any issues or concerns that you have about the garment, you have to voice it out to us,” AJ stresses.
Remember that compromise can be necessary
Say you’ve been enlisted as part of a wedding entourage. Whether you’re the best man, one of the groomsmen, or the father to the betrothed, a bit of compromise could fall upon wedding clients, especially when the prescribed color for the special day is beyond their taste or does not fully suit their skin tone.
For these types of scenarios, tailors would instead make up for it by focusing on the fit of a suit to still retain that sense of confidence.
Look good by feeling good
The best yet underrated accessory to a good suit is mobility. After dancing the night away, shaking hands, and giving out warm hugs, you would want to wear your suit and have it move along with you, rather than have it wear you down.
Tailors and designers would have clients do a simple wear test, involving them sitting up and down, moving around to ensure that their movements are far from constrained.
“What is the point in you spending for something that’s custom-made if you feel like [you’re wearing] a straightjacket?” JP quips.
But at the end of the day, a great suit appears as such thanks to the neatness and intention behind the tailor or the designer’s work. For AJ, it also means having both the “perfect fit” and the right combination of quality materials.
It can also serve as an experience in and of itself. Mac says: “A good suit is not just about the suit itself; it is also the total experience of our clients from the start to finish. We always make sure that our clients feel good wearing our suit.”
