Everyone Loves a Man in a Suit, But How Much Is the Suit?
DID YOU KNOW that there are THREE kinds of suits with THREE kinds of costs!??! (There are.) NPR’s PLANET MONEY REPORTS:
1. Bespoke: “Created from a custom pattern,” $5,000+
2. Made-to-measure: ”A tailor alters a standard pattern to fit a customer’s measurements,” $1,000 to $2,000
3. Off-the-rack: “A factory-made suit created from a standard pattern,“ $99 to $1,000
THE QUESTION IS: Do you think we can tell the difference!?
ANSWER KEY, BASED ON ZERO FACTS:
1. Bespoke: Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (no factories, also, ALL THE $$$$$$); Daniel Craig as James Bond (he’s James Bond); Richie Tenebaum (I mean, it could go either way, but … I think bespoke because what a wild and quirky guyyyyy); Edward Cullen in Twilight at prom (lol, he has all the money and all the time sooo bespoke, yes).
2. Made-to-measure: Draper in Mad Men (too many to be bespoke, right??); Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love (maybe he has one or two bespoke?); Will Smith in Men In Black (would not kill aliens in $5,000 suit, but $2,000 yes, okay); Stringer Bell in The Wire (???)
3. Off-the-rack: Travolta and Jackson in Pulp Fiction (somebody who has seen this 20 times, tell me the exactly, I know you know); Stabler in SVU (public servants have no money, also he obviously doesn’t care); Gus in Breaking Bad (he totally could have afforded bespoke but he’d be too smart to be flashing that kind of money around); Dawson at prom (no doubt, unless it’s rented).
This is relevant to my interests.
One of the things that was great about The Wire (and Breaking Bad) was that a lot of the dudes had really ill-fitting outfits that were way too big (the cops and Gus, respectively). And that’s much more realistic than most TV shows (Parks And Recreation) where all the dudes have perfect-fitting clothes. Nobody in Indiana looks that good.
Also, if you pay good enough attention when you buy off-the-rack and have a good enough tailor, you can make a cheap(er) suit look a lot more expensive.
@Reginal T. Squirge WALT’S SHOES. I love them. They are the worst, dorkiest shoes ever.
Also there are a couple of men’s suits stores (like in the MALL) that have a tailor on-site and it makes me SO JEALOUS.
The best BB outfit is Holly’s purple one that Marie bought for her at some point after Hank and she took the kids in. Marie’s unrelenting obsession with all things purple is probably my favorite running gag in all of television.
@Megano!
Oh, you mean the Clarks Wallabees? I bought some a couple weeks ago. They’re stupid fresh.
@Megano!
Also, most of the tailors that are extensions of a retail store are ass. You’re much better off with someone whose establishment is dedicated solely to tailoring.
Right, like the guy in the $3000 suit is gonna help you answer your rhetorical question. COME ON.
@deepomega Sure, the guy in the $4000 suit is gonna read this article written for people who don’t make that in a month. COME ON.
i am very happy that the Doctor is the lead off for this article.
@cliuless I smiled as soon as I saw the image and headline. Clutch pairing.
Other than John Hodgeman’s endorsement, I don’t know anything about the actual fit of Duchess Suits, but they have a line of bespoke-ish suits for under $1000 in Portland. I’m sure the truly custom ones are more, and they are vintage styles, but seem like a pretty good deal for a made-in-America independent suit.
@ElBlynx No such thing as a bespoke-ish suit!
@DON Okay, after a little more research, they seem to have expanded their business and are now made-to-measure and have their main production in Thailand. When they were smaller, I think they were more into creating custom patterns.
Although being someone who does not wear men’s suits, I have to wonder how many different ways there are to make pants. What makes pants bespoke as opposed to completely customized?
@ElBlynx I think it’s like… ok, so say you are a world class artist, right? oil painter, or whatever. And you color in a color by number like no one has ever colored by number before. Your painting will be beautiful, but you are no Michelangelo. You know?
Kanye West, from Estelle’s “American Boy:”
“Before he speak, his suit bespoke”
Love you forever, Ye.
@Mrs. Beeton THANK YOU
@Mrs. Beeton I love that line.
Gus’s manager suits, sure, but the one from *THE END OF SEASON FOUR*? Definitely bespoke.
Even if you get an off-the-rack suit, TAKE IT TO THE TAILOR. I beg of you. If you’re in DC, I use Mr. Kim’s Custom Tailor right near the Navy Yard, and he does good work with a good turnaround at a good price. I’ve had a couple suits spiffed up by him, and a bunch of chinos and slacks. Also pretty much don’t buy black suits.
Stringer Bell: Extra Large.
We think that fit is everything. You can get a made-to-measure suit from us or another online tailor for under the $1000 price point mentioned. Just make sure you do the measurements precisely as instructed and keep an eye out for a generous return policy.
http://www.7regentlane.com