Back in July I was out for drinks with a friend and I posed a question to her. I asked “Who do you think is the best dressed guy in this bar and why?” Obviously her immediate answer was me. But after I took myself out of the equation she pointed to a younger guy about 5’5 wearing a white linen shirt and navy trousers. When I asked her why, she replied “I really like the way his pants fit, you can tell he got them tailored.”
And she was right (she always is), when you’re a gentleman under a certain height, there is simply no way you’re going to find a perfectly fitting pair of pants, or anything for that matter. Which brings us to the theme of today’s article, getting your clothes tailored.
Can I let you in on an industry secret? That shirt, pair of jeans, suit etc, wasn’t made for you. It was made for Justin. Who is Justin? Justin is a young man living in NYC, about 5’11 (He tells people he’s 6’1, but we all know…) 170lbs and works as a fit model. Which means 2-3 times a week he goes into a company’s design studio and tries on a bunch of samples. If the samples work on him, boom the designer has their size medium. Add an inch or two for a large, subtract an inch or two for a small and that’s how clothing gets made!
So how can we take clothes meant for a guy we’ve never met and make them our own? Get them tailored. Tailoring is your not so secret style hack that unlocks not only a better wardrobe but a better you.
Our consumerist society is built on instant gratification for the customer, which is generally a no go for tailoring as you have to put in extra time to go to the tailor and pay for their services. But I find (preach vehemently), that by taking the time to dial in the fit of your wardrobe you not only look better, but feel better.
As a clothier it’s an essential part of my job to communnicate and recommend to my clients how to get the best fit possible. Which starts with finding a garment that fits in the right spots, there are certain things you have to get right and can’t tailor (and that’s a whole separate article coming soon!). Once you find the best fitting garment you have to ask yourself what could take this fit from ordinary to extraordinary.
Want to know another industry secret? Perfection is a myth. Nothing ever fits perfectly especially off the rack. Which is why tailoring is a crucial step that takes a garment one step closer TO perfection.
And with that my loving ramblings have come to a close my stylish readers. So i’ll leave you with a little piece of advice, next time you’re in a fitting room and find something you like that fits fairly well, don’t be Justin, be YOU.