Designing A Suit That's All Your Own

            When you go custom, you're not just getting a suit that fits perfectly. You're getting an experience as well as a tangible extension of your personal style. While it's true that off-the-rack suit options can save you time, opting for a custom fit is certainly worth the extra planning involved. Choosing your own fabrics, features, and exact measurements to your comfort level from the beginning means that you won't have to shop for suits every few years or make constant unnecessary and expensive trips to your local tailor every time you need an adjustment.

            But with all the options available online and advertised by local stores and larger chains, how do you really know if the suits they're offering are in fact custom made? As many retailers offer tailoring services in some capacity, getting measured in their stores when you try on one of their suits might feel as if you're getting the custom treatment. But the alterations they can do for you will only go so far, since they're taking measurements after the finished product is made rather than before. A true custom seller will always take your precise body measurements before the manufacturing process even begins.

            The way we design and customize suits here at Enzo Custom goes well beyond the standards for what would be considered a comprehensive process. Our free consultation provides customers with the ability to properly pace out the timeline to the completed product, estimate costs, and go over materials and design customizations that we have to offer. Once your free consultation is completed either in one of our stores or virtually from the comforts of your own home, you'll be asked to come into one of our physical locations so one of our clothiers can take your measurements, 31 of them to be precise. This ensures that you receive the best possible fit with our finished product. Once your suit or tuxedo is ready, we'll take some final measurements and make any alterations as necessary.

            Compared to many other manufacturers and retailers out there, it's easy to see that with Enzo Custom, you have the ability to truly design a suit that's all your own, from each stitch of fabric down to the size of your trouser pockets. In this piece, we'll go over all the things you should look out for during the selection process and how to craft a suit that genuinely reflects your personal style.

--Measurements--

            Thirty-one different measurements might seem like a lot, but the more measurements taken, the more your suit will fit comfortably and correctly to your individual body dimensions. Each tailor will vary somewhat on how and what they measure depending on the articles of clothing you're shopping for, but when it comes to suits, extra precision is needed in order to achieve that perfect fit. In addition to the standard measurements that determine the dimensions of shoulder width, trouser length, waistline, and arm length, more nuanced measurements for armhole width, wrist, biceps, inseam, half hem, and knees can really help to elevate your custom suit to the next levels of style and comfort.

            Although it's safe to say that all measurements are important, some will carry more weight than others in terms of how a suit wears on any given individual. The waistline measurement is of particular importance, and you may even want to let the tailor know to leave a little extra room depending on what you plan to wear underneath the suit, as climate and standards of dress can greatly influence a person's formal ensemble throughout the year.

            The trouble with some of the smaller measurements—wrist, bicep, inseam, etc.—is that the wearer may not notice that something is off right away, which means that accuracy is of utmost importance before the suit is set to be made. Although adjustments can be made later, it's best to have everything ironed out correctly from the beginning. As a precautionary measure, taking measurements more than just one time for any given body dimension is always a good idea in order to ensure a proper fit and allow the tailor to double check his own work.

            If you've ever perused our online suit and tuxedo collections before, you'll notice that we've added 3-D rendering to our customization page for better visualization of the finished product. While this isn't a substitute for seeing the material for yourself or getting measured, it's a good starting point for figuring out how your next custom suit or tuxedo might look once it's done. Depending on a suit's particular style, your measurements might also need to be adjusted differently to account for slight variations in pocket sizes and the overall cut of the jacket. Trouser lengths can also vary significantly depending on a suit's style, as some are expected to be worn with a higher belt line than others.

--Style--

            To recap, most suits available on the market today come in three distinct styles: American, British, and Italian. While all of the components of each type are the same, there are both slight and significant variations in how each style is cut. Aside from measurements themselves, paying attention to each of these three types is vital when it comes to expressing your personal style exactly the way you want to. Slowly but surely, there is even a fourth suit style that is emerging with various attributes of the original three, but this global style type is not quite yet well defined.

            The American-style suit evolved in the early 20th century out of the sack suit and to this day still retains the perception that it's more comfortable than its European counterparts. Considered by some to be baggy and roomy, this extra comfort comes with a few tradeoffs. The overall look of an American-style suit isn't quite as sharp-edged as suits that fall into the British or Italian categories, but its softer, more well rounded appearance can compliment just about any body type. For gentlemen who want to stay comfortable and look professional at the same time, an American-style suit is sure to be an excellent addition to their wardrobes.

            On the opposite end of the style spectrum is the sleek and slim Italian-style suit, ideal for men who aren't afraid to show off their figure. Purposefully designed to enhance the natural contours of the body with a tapered waist and scant padding in the shoulders, a properly tailored Italian-style suit can really elevate your formal wear to the next level. The only downside, however, is the perceived loss of comfort due to the tighter fit. In spite of this, a good tailor will know how to keep you comfortable and nimble while wearing an Italian-style suit. For this style, accurate measurements are key as there is much less room for error.

            The British-style suit, in terms of how it's constructed, generally lies somewhere in between American and Italian styles, balancing comfort with a sharper aesthetic. With its structured shoulder padding, high armholes, and higher waistline, the British-style suit puts forth classic style combined with a subtle and restrained form ideal for both everyday office attire and dressy special occasions. Its tapered waist and stiffer canvas sometimes give the impression that a British-style suit loses a few notches in the comfort department, but with proper tailoring even the suit's more rigid structure shouldn't restrain one's movements to any significant degree.

            When it comes to suit style, most gentlemen do have a preference for one over the others depending on individual body type and desired comfort level. But it's also not uncommon for men to have at least one of each type accessible in their wardrobe, as more options allow for more style versatility depending on the occasion or setting.

--Material--

            When designing a suit that's truly your own, choosing the right material is another important factor to consider. Arguably less vital than individual measurements or the particular style aesthetic you strive for, the material itself can go a long way in determining a suit's comfort level, how it wears, and even longevity.

            No matter a suit's particular style, wool is generally considered to be the gold standard when it comes to formal wear, since its intrinsic properties combine the important aspects of comfort, utility, and versatility needed for something that's worn on a regular basis. Wool's superior wicking attributes have the ability to keep a person comfortable regardless of the ambient temperature. As it is also a natural material, wool is regarded as comfortable to wear and soft to the touch.

            In spite of linen's lighter weight compared to wool, each strand of linen fabric is in fact more durable, which allows for lower thread counts on the finished product. This lower thread count is advantageous in warmer months and hotter climates where linen suits tend to be more popular for their superior cooling abilities and better airflow between fabric strands. As linen is also a natural material, suits made from this fabric are known for their comfort and flexibility whether you're standing up or sitting down. Suits made from linen are particularly useful for daytime events outdoors, as some gentlemen swear by the material's ability to allow better movement.

            When you require a suit that needs to hold up to the gradual wear and tear of everyday use, particularly in professional office settings, blended fabrics can offer some relief. With blends, the fabric of a suit tends to be stronger than each constituent material is on its own. The potential cost savings of blended fabrics can be an attractive attribute during the suit-buying process, as well.

            Here at Enzo Custom, we understand that there's no right way or wrong way when it comes to individual design preferences. There is, however, a right way in delivering a finished product that matches a customer's expectations. Without taking any shortcuts, our expert clothiers will ensure that your next custom suit from us will be something that you can truly call your own, down to every last strand and stitch.