My Kent Wang MTM Tuxedo Experience

[Bryan101]

I recently purchased a Kent Wang MTM Tuxedo and Tuxedo Shirt (which I have not received and is apparently missing) for my upcoming wedding, 26 days away as of this posting. The experience was mixed overall, and as most of the reviews / feedback on Styleforum has been overwhelming positive, I'd like to offer a first hand account on what was / is a disappointing experience.

For some background; I usually buy Ermenegildo Zegna suits, although recently purchased a Suit Supply suit on a whim and was very impressed with the overall quality & fit at that price point. While I can get away with buying off the rack, I have a barrel chest and alterations are always a must. I therefore was looking for a MTM Tuxedo that would be mostly perfect once completed and wouldn't need an excessive amount of tweaking after the fact.

Based on my budget and the feedback on this website, I narrowed my choices down to Mr. Ned and Kent Wang. As I wanted a slimier / trendier cut, based on the reviews of Mr. Ned, I decided to go with Kent Wang.

As I live in NYC, I tried to make an appointment at the Kent Wang pop up shop. It took several attempts as Aaron wasn't able to understand some of my very basic date / time availabilities, but after several e-mails back and forth we finally settled on an appointment window more than 10 weeks out from my wedding.

The Kent Wang "Pop Up Shop" looked nothing like I would have even ventured to call a "shop". It's roughly a 100 SQ bare industrial space on a high floor of an office building across the street from Fashion Institute of Technology. There is a small rack of sample suits, shirts, and a collection of shoes. After being measured by Aaron, I put on a sample suit behind a chest high "oriental" screen, at which point Aaron would photograph me and we would then speak about fabric & suit options. I selected a quality fabric (TRG138 guabello C level) that fit well within my budget.

While I was unimpressed with the overall shopping experience (again, compared to Zegna or Suit Supply), the total price of a 3-piece Tuxedo and accompanying Tuxedo shirt was just under $1,400. The order was placed on August 28th and it arrived at my apartment on September 23rd.

While the Tuxedo arrived far ahead of the schedule, it arrived in terrible condition. It was basically rolled into a ball, placed in a plastic bag, and shipped in a small rectangular UPS box. I never purchased a suit or sports coat / blazer and then not received it on a hanger or some type of garment bag, online or in person. The pants were unhemmed (this was expected), the sleeves were a touch too long and there was a "hump" of fabric behind my neck. Also, the Tuxedo Shirt was not included. I alerted Aaron that the shirt was not included and he mentioned that it would be shipping separately and would let me know when he had more info. Again, this was on September 23rd.

In an earlier e-mail Aaron suggested that I go to Wazin Custom Tailor on 57th street in midtown to have the pants hemmed. I brought the Tuxedo in and it required the following alterations:

Shorten Sleeves on Suit Jacket - $60
Collar / Lower Collar - $60
Hem Trousers - $20

While $140 isn't an excessive amount of money, having to pay this additional amount when I've ordered an MTM suit seems somewhat ridiculous.

While the suit was being hemmed, I followed up on Friday October 4th on the location of the MTM Tuxedo Shirt. I was told "Will have more information on the shirt travel time next week".

By end of business Wednesday October 9, now 30 days out from my wedding, I still had not heard anything regarding my Tuxedo Shirt. I followed up a 2nd time, asking if Aaron would be able to tell me with certainty where the shirt was by Friday the 11th as I felt like I was getting the run around. If not, I would have liked a refund on the order. I did not receive a response. I then followed up on the 11th to the general [email protected] address to no avail.

Today is October 15th, and I still have not heard back from Kent Wang on where my Tuxedo shirt is, if it has been completed, and if it has been shipped to me, or if a refund is possible. Unwilling to wait any longer, I left my office at lunch today and walked into Paul Stuart (I'm a fan of their shoes, ties and other accessories) and purchased a Tuxedo Shirt in my size which will have to be taken in.

Attached are pictures of the completed Tuxedo, along with the shirt I purchased today. My overall impressions are:

-Overall a well-made garment.
-Great fabric at a great price
-Terrible shopping experience and customer service
-A MTM suit that requires alterations
-Sill missing an item from my order with no response from anyone at the company

I still have a small hump of fabric behind the Collar, but this is due to the excess fabric of the shirt. It was more than twice this size when I first received the Tuxedo.

In summary, while I’m happy to wear this Tuxedo to my wedding… if I had to do it all over again, I would take my business elsewhere.

I also should note that the Tailor at Wazin was excellent and I will likely use his services in the future.

 

[benjamin831]

You'd have a better tuxedo if you went with Suit Supply or Spier & Mackay. Sorry to hear about your experience. Just take it as a learning experience.

 

[bdavro23]

You'd have a better tuxedo if you went with Suit Supply or Spier & Mackay. Sorry to hear about your experience. Just take it as a learning experience.

I have no dog in this fight, but thats a pretty bold claim. I'm not sure how you would even support that opinion based on the information available in his post.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

This should be put in the dedicated KW thread.

While some of these are very valid grievances (lack of information about the tuxedo shirt), others just come with the territory of either working with KW or with MTM generally.

The spartan pop-up shop and "condition" of your garment as shipped to you are all part of KW's "no-frills" approach, which allows them to keep costs low and to charge you a "great price" for a "great fabric." I think this is all explained on their website.

As for the alterations... almost all first-go MTM requires a little altering. If the sleeve measurement actually came out longer than specified in your order, KW should comp you, but the trousers and the collar adjustment come with the territory, at least on your first try. If all you had to do was adjust the sleeve length and lower the collar, then you did get an MTM tuxedo that was "mostly perfect once completed."

 

[benjamin831]

I have no dog in this fight, but thats a pretty bold claim. I'm not sure how you would even support that opinion based on the information available in his post.

I've been on this forum long enough to see the countless disasters made by online MTMs, all of whom would be better served with off the rack suits. Off the rack suits have very little risk and brands like SuSu and S&M have perfected the contemporary fit. I recommend SuSu to my friends and they all look great in it.

 

[bdavro23]

I've been on this forum long enough to see the countless disasters made by online MTMs, all of whom would be better served with off the rack suits. Off the rack suits have very little risk and brands like SuSu and S&M have perfected the contemporary fit. I recommend SuSu to my friends and they all look great in it.

Well, this wasnt online MTM. Also, sweeping generalizations tend to not be very accurate, especially when you say things like the bolded sections in your quote. The fact of the matter is that RTW has its own challenges and certain cuts/ brands wont work for everyone. RTW by definition is a compromise, trying to fit a large group of people into a couple of fits. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt, but you also dont get to pick the details like you do with MTM. As you say, you've been on the forum for a very long time, so I'm surprised you dont know this already.

 

[classicalthunde]

I'd second jumping in the KW thread, Kent himself chimes in semi-regularly.

I used Kent Wang for my wedding tuxedo, and overall I am happy with the suit and subsequent items I've purchased but the problems do appear from time to time. I still use KW, but I typically give a longer runway than 6 weeks, knowing it can take up to 2 weeks from the initial reach out to have the order input and details locked away. I've also gone back a second time and have Aaron update my pattern after the first suit and now their jackets fit better than any others I've had and i can't imagine doing any better shy of bespoke (which i'm currently giving a whirl with Hemrajani Bros).

Also, for what its worth, their 'no-frills' style really does pass on through to the customer. I'm aware of at least one other prominent MTM shop that uses the same manufacturer and fabric books, and their suits start at $200-300 more than the KW price point for same fabrics, construction, etc. The only difference is a designer website, prime location, and branded shipping

 

[Bryan101]

I'd second jumping in the KW thread, Kent himself chimes in semi-regularly.

I used Kent Wang for my wedding tuxedo, and overall I am happy with the suit and subsequent items I've purchased but the problems do appear from time to time. I still use KW, but I typically give a longer runway than 6 weeks, knowing it can take up to 2 weeks from the initial reach out to have the order input and details locked away. I've also gone back a second time and have Aaron update my pattern after the first suit and now their jackets fit better than any others I've had and i can't imagine doing any better shy of bespoke (which i'm currently giving a whirl with Hemrajani Bros).

Also, for what its worth, their 'no-frills' style really does pass on through to the customer. I'm aware of at least one other prominent MTM shop that uses the same manufacturer and fabric books, and their suits start at $200-300 more than the KW price point for same fabrics, construction, etc. The only difference is a designer website, prime location, and branded shipping

I'm going to post something in that thread regarding the still missing Tuxedo Shirt shortly, but as it's 500 pages on all sorts of topics, I didn't think it was the appropriate place for a somewhat negative 1,000+ word review.

 

[aaronatKW]

Sorry to hear of your experience.

Please email me at [email protected] and I will respond immediately.

Regards

aaron

UPDATE: OP's shirt is in the mail to him and he has been compensated for alterations.

 

[benjamin831]

Well, this wasnt online MTM. Also, sweeping generalizations tend to not be very accurate, especially when you say things like the bolded sections in your quote. The fact of the matter is that RTW has its own challenges and certain cuts/ brands wont work for everyone. RTW by definition is a compromise, trying to fit a large group of people into a couple of fits. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt, but you also dont get to pick the details like you do with MTM. As you say, you've been on the forum for a very long time, so I'm surprised you dont know this already.

Sure ok, you do you lol

 

[Johnsson]

You'd have a better tuxedo if you went with Suit Supply or Spier & Mackay. Sorry to hear about your experience. Just take it as a learning experience.

Much of this depends on the individual's level of knowledge and who they deal with.

I accompanied a friend to SS and the salesperson insisted on putting him in a size that was clearly too small. Even after we got him into the correct size, this salesperson was pushing for too tight / too short alterations. SS represents a pretty good value, but that visit could have just as easily ended with my man walking out looking like the goofy **** they put on their website.

Spier & Mackay I really like, but they botched the initial incarnation of my friend's suit a few years back. They made good on it very quickly, but given this gentleman's timeline and location, probably not worth the risk. To their credit, the MTM fits in their thread appear to be constantly improving. I would definitely try them if I wasn't so happy with my KW pattern. My only quip with them is that sometimes they use what I consider suiting as jacketing, which dents my confidence in their advice. Of course, I am admittedly (and proudly) stodgy, so take that with a grain....

In terms of this particular commission, unless this is a shotgun wedding, frankly this was poorly planned. A first MTM order this close to the date is risky! The end result is ok, but my unsolicited feedback would be to consider lowering the collar further and letting out the waist. I also think this gentleman could use a little more shoulder structure and less taper + higher rise on the pants next time, but this still beats the hell out of a rental.

None of that excuses the lack of communication from KW, which thankfully I've never encountered.

Wishing Bryan the best of luck with the wedding and his new life!

 

[Bryan101]

Following up on this thread, as you can see above Aaron reached out to me on the 16th. That day he confirmed that the shirt had been completed and was in their warehouse in Texas. He also credited me $100 towards the cost of the alterations on my suit.

The shirt was received on Friday the 18th, and you can see the updated photos here with the MTM Shirt & Tuxedo. Obviously the shirt fits me much better than off the rack, but it appears the sleeves are about an 1/2 inch - 1 inch too short for the Tux. As I noted previously, I already had the Tuxedo sleeves shortened, and I might do so again prior to my wedding on the 10th.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

The tux looks great. The shirt looks great. You had to do minimal alterations for a first-time MTM. The stress about the shirt was regrettable but it seems like KW made up for that with the tailoring credit.

Bring it back to Wazin and have him shorten the sleeve another quarter to half inch and you'll be good. Shouldn't cost you anything else.

All-in-all I'd be very pleased if I were you.