Fit
noun
"the particular way in which something, especially a garment or component, fits around or into something."
The most important part of our process would be the fit and deciding which patterns to use. This process would be similar to ordering a steak, people have a preference on how they like it cooked.
Clothing is no different; there is a British fit, an Italian fit and an American fit. Business casual has also brought a trend into our industry over the last few years, 90% of what we do is soft construction.
Italian historically has been soft construction and soft fabrics, which are easy to wear and feel more like a sweater than a constructed jacket. Think James Bond with Daniel Craig, whose clothing was made by Brioni in Penne, Italy. In recent years we've seen a hybrid evolve, taking the soft construction of an Italian garment and adding the fit of a British garment.
The British fit is one that has its roots in fine tailoring; with quality buttonholes, heavier canvases, and patterns with higher arm holes. This type of clothing photographs well and works well for weddings, but can take some getting used to. or the Thomas Crown Affair in 1968 with Steve McQueen whose clothing for the movie was made by Douglas "Dougie" Hayward, a London based Savile Row tailor.
Long gone is the skill of being able to cut cloth by hand for an individual customer. Computers and CAD programs have simplified this process, allowing us to focus more on developing relationships with clients, and ultimately doing more business.
A true bespoke tailor can take as long as 8 to 20 hours just to make a jacket. Depending on the size of his workshop and his apprentices, this will limit the number of suits he sells to around 150 to 200 each year. It takes 8 to 12 years to learn how to be a tailor, one can become a doctor in roughly the same amount of time!
One of the true great American tailors has been Martin Greenfield in Brooklyn New York, who has dressed eight American presidents.
The American fit has historically been built for a larger individual and would have deeper armholes with shoulders that are forward, think of a CEO who sits behind a desk or has dinner meetings.
The American fit is all about comfort and are the easiest of the fit profiles, it's all about comfort and ease of fit.
For me personally, it was always about how the clothes made me feel; confident and a sense that I belonged. Great clothing will build confidence, it will attract people and opportunity.
We like to tell our clients that when you wear one of our garments, you'll walk into the room and everyone will notice. They will notice that you walked into the room but they'll have no idea why they noticed.
We pride ourselves on the construction of our garments and the quality of our work. We listen to the requests of our clients and build their wardrobes around their lifestyle.
We encourage you to sample our work and see for yourself the difference it will make in your life. The shopping process simplified.