Alternatives to Paul Stuart suits (ny)

[xct89x]

I remember seeing quite a few on poshmark and eBay? I mean just check measurement and ask seller for tag?

edit what’s your size?

48 regular, up from a 44 5 years ago :/ and a 42 years ago

 

[clee1982]

Yea size that big might be great bargain or hard to find? Also probably more 48L than 48R

 

[xct89x]

Yea size that big might be great bargain or hard to find? Also probably more 48L than 48R

Yes, very often. I have a hickey freeman suit I like a lot but the internet is of the opinion HF is terrible these days. However they can be found in my size at discounts very often. Guess I need to lose weight

 

[xct89x]

On a slightly different note, I’m looking through the suit hierarchy google doc on this forum and it seems way off from what I’ve heard/personally experienced. It has both HF and Suit Supply above brands like Paul Stuart and The Ring, for example. And Samuelson way below as well.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

It seems like Paul Stuart mtm suits can be had for cheaper than their ready to wear suits, based on comments in this thread. So I was wondering if they have poorer construction or quality.

the cost, or better yet price, of off the rack or made to measure depends much on the fabric as well as who actually made that garment.

There’s nothing low quality about Paul Stuart’s made to measure. Now, their Custom Lab program I’m not familiar with. Those are two separate things.

You’ll find some Paul Stuart ready to wear suits cost more than others. Similarly, the made to measure, your selection of fabric will have a large impact on the overall cost. Some of the finishes will add to that but that will be more marginal.

I don’t know where you live and if you have mentioned it before, I apologize, but if you live in, or are close to, Chicago, DC or NYC I’d recommend visiting Paul Stuart and seeing what they have off the rack and talk to them about their made to measure program. They hold 2 MTM events per year where the surcharge is waived and other offers are available.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

On a slightly different note, I’m looking through the suit hierarchy google doc on this forum and it seems way off from what I’ve heard/personally experienced. It has both HF and Suit Supply above brands like Paul Stuart and The Ring, for example. And Samuelson way below as well.

I would recommend not looking at arbitrary “suit hierarchy” lists. The notion that Samuelsohn is of a lesser quality than something from suit supply strikes me as naive at best, downright unqualified and simply ignorant at worst.

 

[xct89x]

I would recommend not looking at arbitrary “suit hierarchy” lists. The notion that Samuelsohn is of a lesser quality than something from suit supply strikes me as naive at best, downright unqualified and simply ignorant at worst.

Got it, thanks.
Samuelsohn sits right in my price range but wondering if paying an extra 400-600$ makes more sense. I’ve been burned so often opting for the cheaper option. However I know samsuelsohn isn’t a cheap/low quality brand.

 

[xct89x]

the cost, or better yet price, of off the rack or made to measure depends much on the fabric as well as who actually made that garment.

There’s nothing low quality about Paul Stuart’s made to measure. Now, their Custom Lab program I’m not familiar with. Those are two separate things.

You’ll find some Paul Stuart ready to wear suits cost more than others. Similarly, the made to measure, your selection of fabric will have a large impact on the overall cost. Some of the finishes will add to that but that will be more marginal.

I don’t know where you live and if you have mentioned it before, I apologize, but if you live in, or are close to, Chicago, DC or NYC I’d recommend visiting Paul Stuart and seeing what they have off the rack and talk to them about their made to measure program. They hold 2 MTM events per year where the surcharge is waived and other offers are available.

From NYC, I’ve been meaning to check out their store if it’s open but have been too busy

 

[Phileas Fogg]

From NYC, I’ve been meaning to check out their store if it’s open but have been too busy

You really should because what is offered online varies greatly from what is available in store.

 

[breakaway01]

You really should because what is offered online varies greatly from what is available in store.

Plus their SAs actually seem to know what they’re talking about, so you’ll get some useful info from them.

 

[clee1982]

Oh yea PS was back then the only place told me they couldn’t sell that vest to make it a 3 piece because they can’t alter to make it right. I’m not sure if it’s still the case today though

 

[NoobLord]

I just looked at their site. I don't know how they're able to deliver a bespoke suit for $1,500.

Quality fabrics typically cost about $60/ meter and you need 4 meters to make a suit. The cost can quickly go up depending on the cloth you choose. Trims will add another $100 to $200 to the cost for the tailor. This makes raw materials alone about $350 to $450.

It takes about 40 hours to make a handmade suit. When you account for fittings, retail space, and other people in the operation, I don't know how you can deliver a bespoke suit in the United States for $1,500.

Some of the more affordable operations get around this by having their clothes cut on-premise and then sewn overseas (sometimes the entire thing is done overseas, Hong Kong being particularly popular).

If the person who fitted you just happened to have a measuring tape around their neck, they may have been a fitter, not a cutter. If they cut on-premise and sew locally, it will be very difficult to deliver a quality suit for $1,500.

Ultimately, the only thing that matters is that you have a good suit, not how many fittings it went through. You can judge the quality of a suit by how it looks on you. If you want to post fit pics here for feedback, people can give you their opinions on your suit. Otherwise, it sounds like you're in or around NYC since you visited The Armoury. Many bespoke tailors visit that city. I Sarti Italiani and Divij Bespoke are good options if you're on a tighter budget.

Alan David’s factory is in LIC NY. I’ve got a lovely bespoke suit from them for $1800. I asked how they were able to make a bespoke for that price and they said they’ve had long standing relationships with the fabric mills and they own their LIC factory. AD was recommended to me by the amazing David Reeves.

 

[NoobLord]

Really not my place to say since I've never spoken with them or been in their shop but personally I would be incredibly suspicious of a $1.5k bespoke. As dieworkwear mentioned it is hard to imagine how they'd be breaking even let alone making any profit.
If it were me I'd want to know who is doing the cutting and where that is happening, where the sewing is happening, and what elements are hand done vs machine done.

According to them it’s all done in their own factory in LIC NY, which they’ve had for decades.

 

[taxgenius]

Alan David’s factory is in LIC NY. I’ve got a lovely bespoke suit from them for $1800. I asked how they were able to make a bespoke for that price and they said they’ve had long standing relationships with the fabric mills and they own their LIC factory. AD was recommended to me by the amazing David Reeves.

How many fittings did you have?

 

[rjc149]

I just looked at their site. I don't know how they're able to deliver a bespoke suit for $1,500.

Quality fabrics typically cost about $60/ meter and you need 4 meters to make a suit. The cost can quickly go up depending on the cloth you choose. Trims will add another $100 to $200 to the cost for the tailor. This makes raw materials alone about $350 to $450.

It takes about 40 hours to make a handmade suit. When you account for fittings, retail space, and other people in the operation, I don't know how you can deliver a bespoke suit in the United States for $1,500.

Some of the more affordable operations get around this by having their clothes cut on-premise and then sewn overseas (sometimes the entire thing is done overseas, Hong Kong being particularly popular).

If the person who fitted you just happened to have a measuring tape around their neck, they may have been a fitter, not a cutter. If they cut on-premise and sew locally, it will be very difficult to deliver a quality suit for $1,500.

Ultimately, the only thing that matters is that you have a good suit, not how many fittings it went through. You can judge the quality of a suit by how it looks on you. If you want to post fit pics here for feedback, people can give you their opinions on your suit. Otherwise, it sounds like you're in or around NYC since you visited The Armoury. Many bespoke tailors visit that city. I Sarti Italiani and Divij Bespoke are good options if you're on a tighter budget.

I've been buying "bespoke" suits from a traveling Hong Kong tailor for around $700- $1K, but now I'm starting to think they're actually MTM... the website doesn't specify beyond stating they are "tailored."

Is a fully bespoke suit possible at this price point, even from Hong Kong?