Noble suit

Based on my good experiences with Jantzen, I'm very intrigued with Noble Suit (noblesuit.com). Does anyone know anything about the quality or value of the suits/service?

Sure, I feel bad about looking to outsource all my MTM clothes, but hey, I've still got college loans to pay off.

Thanks.

Yeah, I have a suit and a couple shirts made by Noble House. A local salesman will take your measurements and have the clothing made in Hong Kong. I've found that their prices are only slightly less than W. W. Chan's prices, so I pay the slight premium for fully custom clothes as I was fortunate enough to have my measurements taken at Chan's when I was in Hong Kong.

The suit fits well, but it is my only MTM suit, so I cannot really compare it with another MTM suit. The fabric selection is pretty good for both suits and shirts.

The thing that really turned me off about Noble House was the constant attempts to upsell me on fabrics. I was looking for items at a certain price point and the salesman kept showing me more and more expensive fabrics. The guys at W. W. Chan never pull that stuff on me. Of course, if you work with a different salesman, you may not have that problem, or, that may not bother you. I just prefer to feel like my tailor is someone I can trust, not someone I have to constantly watch in order to get what I want.

Regards,

dan

Does Noble Suit fuse their jackets, or is it full canvas? Also, I'm assuming that the construction and fabrics are inferior to suits at similar pricepoints (at least when you get on sale), but that there is real value in the MTM aspect? For example would you want a MTM Noble Suit for $450, or an OTR Hickey Freeman Collection for $500 (discount)?

I just checked out WW Chan. Geez, that sort of seems like a good way to go for $800. The quality seems to be shooting for that of an Oxxford, does it not? (In other words, it appears that they handstitch virtually the whole jacket). If they do the measuring the in United States, I assume that you don't do three separate fittings, right?

Chan is undoubtedly an exceptional value. I don't wear suits for work, but I had them make me a tuxedo for a friend's wedding and the detail work is great. I love the working sleeve buttons. Unfortunately, I'm still learning what constitutes good suit construction, so my critiques are only somewhat informed. Also, I'm not sure if Chan will measure you for a suit if you're unable to visit Hong Kong. I've ordered additional clothes from them on their trips to the US based on the multiple fittings I had while in Hong Kong. You should email them and ask.

I'm not sure if the Noble House suit is fused or canvased. I've read all the different posts on how to tell with a suit and I'm still unsure. I will say that it fits me noticeably better than any of my RTW suits. I wore an older RTW suit to church a couple weeks ago and noticed how poorly it felt compared to my Noble House suit.

With regard to your question about Noble House MTM vs. Hickey Freeman RTW, I think it would come down to fit. For me, RTW suits are always a compromise when it comes to fit, so I don't buy RTW anymore. If you're fortunate enough to fit into RTW suits, the Hickey Freeman might be acceptable. I will say that a $450 suit from Noble House will be made from their lowest-line fabrics. A suit in Super 100's or 120's will probably be between $500 and $600.

Regards,

dan

I don't know anything about Noble, but just wanted to chip in a post about WW Chan.  I've never been to their HK store, and have purchased 4 suits (well, 2 are on the way) and a couple of shirts from them.  All measurements taken during US trips.  

If you do a first order with Chan during a US trip, they ask you to wear your best-fitting suit to the appointment.  What they'll do then is try to duplicate the measurements of that suit as a basis for their pattern.  After taking those measurements they will adjust whatever you want adjusted (again, based on the suit you take to them), and they will also suggest other adjustments.  Then they go back to HK, and a couple of months later your new suit arrives in the US.

The problem with this system is that the first suit becomes more of an experiment than it would be with multiple fittings (isn't that the same problem you'd have with lots of MTM suits bought in the US?).   The first suit I got from them was very well-made and fit fine.  But the gorge was a bit too low making it a bit off balance.  The next time they came to the US, we discussed some tweaks to the style, and they went back to HK with those instructions on how to modify their pattern.  My second suit, based on those instructions, was perfect.  So I'd suggest that for a first order done on their US trips, you order only one suit, in whatever their least expensive fabric is.  That ought to work out to something like a $750 suit.

I much prefer dealing with WW Chan to purchasing RTW and having it altered.  I have difficulty finding RTW suits that I like with the 8-inch drop I require, and I am often disappointed by the quality of alterations work I get from inexpensive tailors (and expensive tailors can drive the price of RTW into CHan territory anyhow).  This way, I have a pretty much guaranteed fit at a fairly good price.  

I do not think a Chan suit is the equal of an Oxxford, but it is a very good value.  You can dictate every detail of the suit (hacking pockets? ticket pocket? side vent? center vent? no belt loops?) and get it for less than you'd spend on an MTM suit from most US stores.