Wedding tuxedo

[aww]

Hello,

I am in search of a tuxedo for my wedding in June 2024. Having done extensive research, I am turning to this forum for advice in choosing a MTM or bespoke tailor. I currently own a navy suit from Sid Mashburn RTW, which I recently bought since I no longer fit into the few Suit Supply suits I bought in my early 20s. I am 6'4" and ~175 lbs, which makes it rather difficult to find something that fits well off the rack -- usually, I fit into a 50L with the sleeves basically taken out all the way.

This will be the first custom article of clothing I purchase, for two reasons: 1) practically, MTM or bespoke will fit better than RTW given my proportions and 2) emotionally, I want a custom tuxedo to commemorate my wedding. I am based in LA, but frequently travel to NY and can do so somewhat easily for fittings.

Having started my research on Permanent Style, I’ve contacted and received pricing on the following, in descending order of price:

• Camps de Luca ~$10,000
• *Cifonelli ~$8,000
  • My ideal tailor, but the price is out of reach
• Rubinacci ~$8,000
  • Travels to LA, but does not do MTM on trunk shows
• Charvet ~$7,500
  • No travel to the US — must go to Paris 3x
• Henry Poole ~$7,200
• Gieves & Hawkes ~$7,000
• *Dege & Skinner ~$7,000
  • Stylistically my favorite of the Savile Row tailors, but still quite a high price
• Ozwald Boateng ~$4,700
  • MTM, a bit loud for my taste, have not read many reviews on the quality
• *Saman Amel ~$4,300
  • Currently the front-runner, love the house style, but seems quite expensive for MTM
• Whitcomb & Shaftesbury ~$3,800
  • Great price for bespoke, travel to LA, like the house style but not quite as much as Saman Amel

Have not contacted:
Anderson & Sheppard
Huntsman
Sartoria Solito

Does any have a recommendation or steer between any of these tailors, or MTM / Bespoke more broadly? Anyone else I am not thinking of? I would ideally like to spend no more than $5,000. I am not yet fluent in the specifics of gorge height, lapel width, and the like — but I know that I gravitate towards a shawl lapel, minimal or no padding in the shoulders — though I do like a bit of roping — and a somewhat exaggerated X shape in the body — though nowhere near as slim cut as Suit Supply, for example.

Open to any and all expertise, advice, and opinions.

Thank you.

 

[jeremygo]

I would check out The Armoury in NYC - they can do MTM tuxedos in either through Ring Jacket (their Model 4) or an Italian Maker (their 100 series). In terms of pricing it should be under $5K based on what I've seen, more in the $3K - $4K range I believe, depending on make and fabric.

 

[acconrad]

How about Steed?

 

[classicalthunde]

What is your preferred budget and what is your preferred style? You list French, Italian, British (both structured and drape cut)...

A couple of things to think about:
- Is this a one off, or the start of a relationship with a bespoke house for future orders?
- You're paying for the advice and customer service in addition to the quality of the product...buying a quality garment from someone who is a bad fitter or doesn't understand/can't translate what you're looking for is a real risk
- Big name houses/brands are going to wind up costing more for roughly the same thing as their smaller 'atelier' counterparts
- How many black tie events will you be going to in the near future (5-10 years)?
- I wouldn't fret to much about bespoke vs. MTM as long as the fit and silhouette is good
- A 6 month timeline is cutting it close for bespoke/MTM with fittings for a trunk show that might only come 3 times a year.


Off the bat, I'm inclined to recommend The Armoury:
- Their costs are at or below most of the ones you quoted below
- Their staff is top tier and will give you good input on fabrics and fit, and their CS follow up is great too
- Their Model 101 product is more structured like the British and French tailors you like and their Ring Jacket models can do a more relaxed Italian product.
- Their a brick and mortar, so I would think a 8-12 week turn around would be well within the realm of possibility
- They have a ton of content on YouTube and IG so you can see how their garments look and wear on others before committing yourself.


I've had good experiences with Divij Bespoke in Orange County, its close enough that you could visit Divij. Almost all of @Andy57 (StyleAfter50 on IG) black tie rigs are from Divij and I think they look great and are generally priced below The Armoury and roughly 1/4 of the big dawgs listed above.

 

[Andy57]

I've had good experiences with Divij Bespoke in Orange County, its close enough that you could visit Divij. Almost all of @Andy57 (StyleAfter50 on IG) black tie rigs are from Divij and I think they look great and are generally priced below The Armoury and roughly 1/4 of the big dawgs listed above.

I am always happy to add my recommendation for Divij Bespoke. They do good work, and are very reasonably priced.

 

[corpseposeur]

I need you should consider logistics more than anything for your wedding tuxedo.

For a first time customer, you'd need at least three fittings before June and even then you may not be able to have perfect suit as bespoke tailors are more of a long term relationship and you need to have a few years of experience to know what works best for you; do you want a striking military cut like Dege & Skinner or Huntsman or softer styles like Anderson & Sheppard or Steed or Solito. I also think as it's the end of November, most bespoke tailors have finished their visits to the US for this year.

For visting tailors that make bespoke, Steed may be able to help you out since they travel quite often to the US but even then it may be difficult to get a perfect fit. I think they are next visiting in February, but I don't know if you can have a fitting done.

Since you're in LA and others here recommend Divij, they may be a good option.

Interestingly I just saw Oxxford post on Instagram that they had some peak lapeled tuxedos available. If there's a retailer near you that may be a good option. I have never bought a new suit from them but I have a collection of vintage pieces are they are as good as (sometimes better) in quality as the Savile Row makers.

Given your time frame I think those three, particularly Divij and Oxxford given that they are local to you, may be your best bet.

Otherwise, a MTM suit could do the trick. If you have a suit that you like the fit of, I know that Redmayne's offers a suit-copying service where they can copy the measurements and made a soft tailored tuxedo for you similar in cut to Anderson and Sheppard as their cutter, Tom Mahon used to be their head cutter. You can make some adjustments if needed but I first tried this service during the pandemic and I was very happy with the jacket I received.

If you want something more structured similar to Dege & Skinner, maybe try getting a RTW from Edward Sexton and having it altered by a good tailor. the RTW are all hand made and are of pretty good quality.

 

[corpseposeur]

For a more straightforward recommendation, since you like Cifonelli, Dege & Skinner, et al. Grab one of these with matching trousers and alter as needed. The double breasted is nice since you don't have to worry about a cummerbund or vest or anything. If these sizes don't work, you could also ask Dominic if he can assist with a MTM version of this in a 50L.

Double-Breasted Dinner Jacket

The Sexton ready-to-wear double-breasted dinner suit. Cut in a British wool, this jacket features grosgrain lapels in the classic Sexton peak and a narrowed waist, to induce a striking silhouette. A single-breasted version of the jacket is available here, alongside a waistcoat here. Matching...

www.edwardsexton.co.uk

 

[aww]

Following up with both an update and a question.

I decided on Saman Amel MTM for a combination of its house style, price ($3.5k), simplicity (fewer choices to make than bespoke) and convenience (2 total fittings in NY).

It has so far been a lovely experience working with Saman himself, and I look forward to having the tuxedo soon.

This brings me to my question — from where to purchase a shirt, ideally MTM or bespoke? Again, location is an issue with LA, which rules out Luca, Simone, and some of the other usual suspects.

I am considering Enzo Custom in Beverly Hills, though I am going to London just for a weekend in March. Is there anyone worth seeing there (e.g. Budd, Drake’s, Wil, etc) who can make a shirt in a single fitting or who travels to LA? I am looking for a more contemporary spread collar shirt, which gives me pause in using Budd or T&A.

Thank you.

 

[comrade]

Anto bespoke shirts in Beverly Hills. They make some
wild shirts but have been in business for decades and
have an excellent reputation:

Bespoke

Since its opening in 1955, Anto has been dedicated to uniting elegance with irreproachable craftsmanship. Bespoke shirts make up the foundation of the Anto establishment. The results are some of the most exquisite and luxurious shirts made in the world today.

antoshirt.com