P.Johnson in Sydney

Ask Phat Guido. You might be able to reach him better via his BROG.
mostexerent.tumblr.com

There's also Zink & Sons, Pernac Paris, Bentex, MJ Bale, MR Tailors and others.

The best thing is to shop around. Ask questions, compare prices, see who you end up having a rapport with. And then decide from there.

I would say take your friend's advice. P Johnson gets a good wrap here, and they sound like they are a friendly mob. Talk to them, discuss what you like/don't like and you'll likely end up with a stylish result.

I would avoid walking into any old shop saying "I have 2k to spend on a suit" as you will get ripped off and end up with some ill-fitting OTR orphan.

As for Zink, Pernac and Bentex which have been suggested, I haven't heard much about any of them.

I'm going to suggest an alternative route. If you're not an odd shape, OTR with alterations is probably your best bet. I would recommend Herringbone or MJ Bale in Sydney... their suits start at around the $1k mark and I believe Herringbone have a sale until April 1 so you could get something even cheaper. It's a shame Ethan isn't still around as he's very good with fitting.

The rest of the $$$ you can spend on shoes / ties/ shirts, or even another suit.

Shop around and compare prices and speak with a variety of people. Best advice possible.

Really? I haven't been impressed with P Johnson for Phat Guido but what do I know...


I second this advice! Don't pick a tailor just because your friend or some one on the internet says so...

p johnson's blog stuff looks nice

A tailor will make you a MTM (made to measure) suit for you, which is based on a pre-existing paper pattern that is tweaked to cater to a series of your measurements to make you a suit that fits very well; or a bespoke suit, which is based on your measurements and a new paper pattern drafted based completely off those measurements. You will be fitted several times until the suit is just right and fits you perfectly. Keep in mind, even with the best MTM and bespoke, there's still some trial and error and experimenting before they get it just right. That's all part of the experience and the wonders of bespoke tailoring. MTM is cheaper than bespoke also.

Yes, good MTM and bespoke will always look better than an OTR (off the rack) suit. But, if you're someone who is easy to fit (ie. not a strange shape that finds it hard to find a good fitting OTR suit), then perhaps OTR is for you after all. Depends on your budget, your time contraints etc. etc. I've given you a fair few options to look at. Shop around, compare prices, take it from there. And, above all, have fun with it

It all depends on how well an "off the rack" (OTR) suit fits.

Happily, most Herringbone and MJ Bale suits fit me very well off the rack, and the only things that need to be adjusted are the sleeve and trouser length.

Some other suit brands, however, are either too tight on me, or fit me like a sack.

If you can find an off-the-rack brand that fits you well - and if you like the product that they sell (cloth, pattern etc), then you're probably just as well off buying from them rather than experimenting with made-to-measure stuff.

If, however, you want to experiment with styles, or off-the-rack stuff doesn't fit you well, or if you really want a particular cloth that you can't find in anything off-the-rack, then try made-to-measure.