I bought 3 Tom Fords and I feel terrible about it.

Geezer said:

This is true, and Jeffrey's photo shows it well - compare to many examples of bespoke on this forum that fit less well or no better.

With RTW and MTM, it is all about whether the "block" fits you to start with. From experience, you can never get the same fit from RTW/MTM that you can from good (good) bespoke, unless you are one of the 1% of people whose body shape exactly matches the "block". But you can get very, very close.

Example: I get compliments (and photograph well) in an RTW summer suit (properly altered) that cost me around $200 on sale. As many compliments as traditional paper-pattern, single cutter, Royal Warrrant bespoke costing 20 or more times as much. Why? Because the shoulders and chest fit me very well, and the rest has been tweaked to fit. Of course, the RTW suit doesn't have my preferred pocket layout, has slightly larger than desired armholes, and is made of a mass-market cloth with polyester thread and won't last anything like the bespoke, but who cares for the price of a decent dinner for two?

Unless you are an odd shape (and I am just enough tall and long-limbed to meet my definition of "odd"), I am increasingly of the view that the best options are RTW that fits where it is crucial (shoulders, chest, balance, sleeve pitch), with alterations where it isn't, or high-end bespoke, and ignore the middle ground of MTM and bargain (especialy online) bespoke.

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Shirtmaven said:

I do not know who makes the Suits for TF. I have seen the top of the line shirts from TF
they are beautiful. really well made. the price is obscene, but i can't quibble with fabric or construction.
so if it fits, enjoy.
your problem is that there is no way the pants will fit properly, no matter how much alteration is done.
if you go to the TF boutique, see if it is possible to order the jacket and pants in different sizes
they can cut to order.
I don't know how many custom tailors are going to cut a suit that will look like Tom ford

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intense2b said:

Absolutely amazing advice !

By the way I put the midnight blue TF on for my wife . She said it looked painted on. I am sure
That a custom would look better but I am relatively happy with these Fords now .

I like a tight fit around the Ribs and it seems to really cut in beautifully .

I'm clearly not knowledgeable to pick out my own custom suit but in the future I will just let the tailor pick it out for me or bring in ome of my fords or guccis and say "do something like this" .
I don't have any other choice and I'm dying to see what a custom feels like !

I've heard that the inside of a custom suit has a sort of a canvas or something that is body forming .... They can even put in a litt bit of muscle to make the chest look just right ? Is this true ?

I don't know but I can't wait to start my adventure .

Thanks for all the help and advice with my new found hobby .

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Blackhood said:

Jesus F'ing Christ!

I just went to Sexton's website to see what he's doing these days and that thing is a disaster! I couldn't get that stupid song to stop playing, had to use the computer because my ipad wont render the entirely flash-based website.

The man may be a genius with cloth but someone needs to punch his web designer.

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J. Cogburn said:

Agree. There was a bespoke tailoring website a couple of years ago (which one escapes me at the moment) which cut-up a Tom Ford suit to examine the construction.

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Suit looks great to me.

You can definitely find a custom tailor to make you a suit cut like Tom Ford. And you'd probably save a couple thousand dollars per suit.

Check my "Best Custom Clothier in America" thread for my experiences (and several recommendations from other users) with custom clothing.

So far, I've had some okay, good and amazing experiences with bespoke. But, overall, I definitely prefer custom to rack. Find a creative and reputable tailor and you won't turn back.

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