Articles of Style shop?

[jonathanS]



I haven't tried the suiting, but I just want to say I personally met Dan at an AOS event, referred to his new line as bespoke, and he cut me off saying they were custom, not bespoke and he wanted to make that clear because he "didn't want to bastardize the word [bespoke]."

But he wouldn't.

 

[cuponoodles]

Not to resurrect an old thread, but as a client, I felt I could lend my perspective on a few things that have been both said and speculated upon.

For one, I think it's generally correct, as someone did earlier, to call this a glorified Southwick MTM. There is, in effect, a "basted" fitting that you get, which matches up with the more traditional bespoke experience. You fill out a basic profile online (pretty standard, and easily done) about your fitting experiences and preferences, in addition to some simple measurements. They then send you a (very) unstructured jacket and pants (while they say these are wearable - I didn't at all find that the case), which you then upload photos to the mainframe website, they review and then modify measurements from, and then send you a finished garment in the next few weeks.

As far as my experience, I found the fit of my basted garment poor. To be frank, though, I didn't (and still don't) care about a cheaply made garment in what I'm sure is a low-quality fabric (I tossed it after the fitting photos were complete). I did find the fit of my final garment much, much improved. There still needed to be a few alterations made (my vest fit was a bit off, and the pants fit a bit strangely, but it was all well fixable), but again, that's normal and expected for even the finest bespoke garments anywhere.

All in all, I've found Dan and the team very responsive and had a reasonably positive experience, although there are some things very much worth improving. For one, they do seem to have somewhat of a limit on some of the customization options - I get and understand that Southwick may be limited in what they want and can do, but there are a few options or modifications I would have preferred to change that I could not. Again, this seems to have gotten a bit better recently, but you still generally have to ask, and a few times I have, they've told me that the modification in question (i.e. although this may be applicable now, I was thinking of going with a patch breast pocket when I first ordered my garment, and was told it wasn't doable at the time).

Secondly, what I absolutely don't care about is the full vs. half-canvas question. I think it's lazy and not necessarily a harbinger of quality to generically assume half-canvassd garments on the whole are of less quality than fully canvassed ones. In all the MTM garments I've ever had made, I have literally never had an issue with any of my half-canvassed suits (I also own several fully canvassed garments), and generally agree with Dan in that I actually do prefer the lighter and deconstructed nature that half canvas provides. I also fully agree with the idea that canvas is often wholly unnecessary past the (very important) lapel/structure at the front of the jacket. Relatedly, I also care little (and frankly find the discussion utterly foolish) about the nomenclature surrounding the word bespoke. You can ask many well-educated individuals what that means and get a wide variety of acceptable answers, and even give some semblance of credit to Dan for adapting this to an online/virtual market.

What I would agree with the majority of users on here about is the overarching cost. Since the re-design (they have recently "re-launched"), it seems that not only do they have several options in the higher end of the 1-2K price points, but they've also increased their prices (for example, I distinctly remember their cotton suit had a $999 price tag, which now comes in at about $1200). All in all, I don't regret the purchases I've made there, but I do think it's too expensive by about $200-300. Having said all this, I'll likely buy from them again at some point.

 

[dtgsigns]

I recently ordered this dress shirt from them:
https://shop.articlesofstyle.com/product/sky-blue-broadcloth-shirt

I found it odd that they don't ask you for measurements. Instead they have you send some pictures and have you pick your body type from a drop down menu. For example:
chest = large/muscular, medium, or lean/flat
seat = large/prominent, medium, or small/flat

While it's helpful to note your body shapes it's a bit pointless without measurements.

Case in point :

After 3 failed attempts I decided to get a refund. While Dan and his team are responsive, I believe it's just too difficult to offer bespoke over the internet and by eyeballing it from photos. Like another poster mentioned, this is more of a glorified and overpriced MTM process.

I might give them another shot since I do like the fabrics they carry. As for shirts, I'd much rather stick to ProperCloth. Faster turn around time, more affordable, and so many different things you can do to tweak the fit.

 

[TOstyle]

That also is the same experience I had. I'd love to be able to support AoS, but honestly they couldn't get the fit right (and I'm not an oddly shaped guy). I also agree Dan and his team were responsive, but the assessment is bang on. It's not possible to do bespoke over the interwebs, and this ends up being over-price MTM with an even great risk of not fitting properly (so worse than regular MTM).

 

[MannyGermany]

That also is the same experience I had. I'd love to be able to support AoS, but honestly they couldn't get the fit right (and I'm not an oddly shaped guy). I also agree Dan and his team were responsive, but the assessment is bang on. It's not possible to do bespoke over the interwebs, and this ends up being over-price MTM with an even great risk of not fitting properly (so worse than regular MTM).

I want to try them for a MTM suit but maybe I will avoid them...

 

[KWang94]

Resurrecting an old thread: was in NYC at the beginning of the month and stopped by the AoS store with some friends. We dropped in and Wes was the nicest and funniest dude. Really glad I got to meet him.

I'm getting a pair of trousers made in this particuliar fabric:

Signature 4-Season Worsted Trouser

Our essential worsted fabric is the ultimate go-to. It's a true 4-season 100% wool “super 120s” woven in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico. It's the perfect weight (9oz/yrd or 255g/meter) and meticulously constructed to strike the perfect balance between elegance and durability. This fabric is...

www.articlesofstyle.com

I will post pictures and review when it's done. I've had (both) good and bad experiences with custom clothing.

 

[Lancaster]

Resurrecting an old thread: was in NYC at the beginning of the month and stopped by the AoS store with some friends. We dropped in and Wes was the nicest and funniest dude. Really glad I got to meet him.

I'm getting a pair of trousers made in this particuliar fabric:

Signature 4-Season Worsted Trouser

Our essential worsted fabric is the ultimate go-to. It's a true 4-season 100% wool “super 120s” woven in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico. It's the perfect weight (9oz/yrd or 255g/meter) and meticulously constructed to strike the perfect balance between elegance and durability. This fabric is...

www.articlesofstyle.com

I will post pictures and review when it's done. I've had (both) good and bad experiences with custom clothing.

Total surprise to see this resurrection! Glad to see it. I like they're stuff, and I particularly like the way they run their site and their business. I think the fellow's name is Dan, and he has no qualms giving plugs to others and keeping it real community style. Looking forward to seeing the trous.

 

[tdellaringa]

I wanted to chime in here, because I got a suit from them last year and I am somewhat new to suiting at an older age. I quickly realized OTR suits were a disaster for me. I found J. Hilburn and have had great success with them, but I wanted to try something a little more in-depth and that's when I found AOS.

At the time, I did not have a suit at all to wear, so I got a worsted navy blue 3-piece. I went through the whole process that has been well discussed. The final garment came, and it simply fits perfect. It is so comfortable to wear and looks amazing. I believe I paid around $1250 at the time. I do realize the prices have raised a bit.

Over the summer I wore it to my daughter's wedding and got loads of compliments. As mentioned, the AOS team was fantastic to work with and I find the fabric just wonderful.

I have been trying to find another option that is close to these guys, I've not been able to. Right now I am trying out Oliver Wicks, and I had to send the jacket and vest back because the fit was way off. I am very much thinking of going back to AOS.

I also find that the fabrics and styles they have outshine a lot of other vendors, at least for me. For myself, I can't recommend them enough.

Attached a pic from the wedding.

 

[KWang94]

My orders arrived earlier this week.

Will post something more in-depth when I have pictures but overall judgmentretty good fit marred by poor communication/delivery. Will expand on it later.

 

[KWang94]

Trousers arrived. See images attached. In my last post, I wrote that it was a pretty good fit but that assessment was made after a very quick try-on and looking in the bathroom mirror.

As you can see, there are some issues. Note that these are pictures taken after a full day of wear.

My main issues:

- Front tight panel at the thigh. It's pretty uncomfortable to sit in.
- Trousers flare outwards at the hem based off how I lock my hips.
- The crease curves very strangely, particularly near my hips.
- Fabric bunching around my seat. This was the main issue I was hoping to have corrected as I noted it in my trial fitting and it's an issue that I have with all my other trousers.

I've just uploaded the images to AoS for their review.

Now to speak on the whole process which I've partially discussed:

I visited NYC in July and met Wes at the AoS store. Really good dude and I really like him. Really humble and down to earth. We picked out a fabric and I even tried on some try-on garments in store. He took pictures of me wearing said garments. Part of my reason to go in-person was to use these try-on garments to reduce the margin of error on Southwick's part. Wes said that they would aim to have the final garments to me by fall.

In August, I received my trial trousers. Don't have pictures with me on hand, unfortunately, so you'll have to take my word for it. I took pictures and sent them to Dan and Wes for review, noting what I liked/disliked as well as sending them images of what my ideal fit would be.

In early October, I received an email from Dan:

"We're having some trouble adjusting your pattern in the tailor shop, to the desired result...

I have a meeting at the factory on the 21st to go over the issue we are having.

I realize this order is now over due, and wanted to be up front with you.

Are you okay to wait on the pant until we can work on this pattern? Would you prefer to cancel the order, or put the purchase toward another garment (such as a jacket or outerwear piece)? I can offer you a 15% discount if you wanted to apply the amount toward another purchase. Right now we are just having difficulty with your pant fit, and I don't want to deliver any garments that are not up to AOS standards.

Let me know what you think, apologies for the inconvenience."

I was fine with waiting and told them so. He didn't say when they would be able to deliver it but promised to update me when he could.

In early January, I sent an email to followup and Dan replied:

"My sincerest apologies for the delay here.

We got to working on some pattern adjustments, using your order as a case study, and the project got really out of hand (as did the timeline).

We are expediting the order for you.

Really sorry man. Thank you for your patience, we will certainly make it up to you with a discount of your next order."

Satisfied, I decided to wait for the package to arrive in the mail. However, as you can tell from my previous post, it didn't actually arrive until this week. Note that the package arrived after I messaged Wes on IG for an update, which he didn't respond to. It's a bit funny but a just few days before the package arrived, I was strongly considering asking for a refund.

So that's how things have developed so far. Overall,it started off strong but I am a bit disappointed. I understand that it's hard to make adjustments to fit based on some pictures but I was hoping for better.

Paging @induere_to.

 

[induere_to]

View attachment 1336859 View attachment 1336860 View attachment 1336861 View attachment 1336862

Trousers arrived. See images attached. In my last post, I wrote that it was a pretty good fit but that assessment was made after a very quick try-on and looking in the bathroom mirror.

As you can see, there are some issues. Note that these are pictures taken after a full day of wear.

My main issues:

- Front tight panel at the thigh. It's pretty uncomfortable to sit in.
- Trousers flare outwards at the hem based off how I lock my hips.
- The crease curves very strangely, particularly near my hips.
- Fabric bunching around my seat. This was the main issue I was hoping to have corrected as I noted it in my trial fitting and it's an issue that I have with all my other trousers.

I've just uploaded the images to AoS for their review.

Now to speak on the whole process which I've partially discussed:

I visited NYC in July and met Wes at the AoS store. Really good dude and I really like him. Really humble and down to earth. We picked out a fabric and I even tried on some try-on garments in store. He took pictures of me wearing said garments. Part of my reason to go in-person was to use these try-on garments to reduce the margin of error on Southwick's part. Wes said that they would aim to have the final garments to me by fall.

In August, I received my trial trousers. Don't have pictures with me on hand, unfortunately, so you'll have to take my word for it. I took pictures and sent them to Dan and Wes for review, noting what I liked/disliked as well as sending them images of what my ideal fit would be.

In early October, I received an email from Dan:

"We're having some trouble adjusting your pattern in the tailor shop, to the desired result...

I have a meeting at the factory on the 21st to go over the issue we are having.

I realize this order is now over due, and wanted to be up front with you.

Are you okay to wait on the pant until we can work on this pattern? Would you prefer to cancel the order, or put the purchase toward another garment (such as a jacket or outerwear piece)? I can offer you a 15% discount if you wanted to apply the amount toward another purchase. Right now we are just having difficulty with your pant fit, and I don't want to deliver any garments that are not up to AOS standards.

Let me know what you think, apologies for the inconvenience."

I was fine with waiting and told them so. He didn't say when they would be able to deliver it but promised to update me when he could.

In early January, I sent an email to followup and Dan replied:

"My sincerest apologies for the delay here.

We got to working on some pattern adjustments, using your order as a case study, and the project got really out of hand (as did the timeline).

We are expediting the order for you.

Really sorry man. Thank you for your patience, we will certainly make it up to you with a discount of your next order."

Satisfied, I decided to wait for the package to arrive in the mail. However, as you can tell from my previous post, it didn't actually arrive until this week. Note that the package arrived after I messaged Wes on IG for an update, which he didn't respond to. It's a bit funny but a just few days before the package arrived, I was strongly considering asking for a refund.

So that's how things have developed so far. Overall,it started off strong but I am a bit disappointed. I understand that it's hard to make adjustments to fit based on some pictures but I was hoping for better.

Paging @induere_to.

When, or if, I open up my own company, I would never sell custom products to people on-line and this is the reason. This has nothing against Articles of Style, because I’ve seen the other trouser fits @KWang94 owns. He is a tough fit and it seems a lot of people struggle with his posture. Even I did at first.

It’s hard enough getting garments to fit right off a first try from a professional measuring and documenting profile and posture. I have guys send me pictures of how their garments fit them asking me how I’d fix them and without seeing it in person, it’s hard to fix the problem exactly without seeing the issue in person.

Trousers are the hardest garment to fit, says I, and I’m constantly puzzled by a lot of my customers fit issues.

I’ve dedicated the latter part of my experience in made to measure to trousers, and I’ve even worked with @KWang94 in the past. The solution to these trousers isn’t even really all that drastic, but they’re not changes that can be done to a finished garment, unfortunately. I should have taken a look at the seams to see if there’s room to work with these, cuz I’d love to play around a bit to fix them, but I’ll wait in case they need to be remade.

 

[KWang94]

So AoS offered their suggestions for alts and I also spoke to Ian MacMillan to see what he thought. He said that even if I had the trousers altered, he didn't they'd look good. Sent an email asking what they thought/next steps and it looks like the only option I have is a refund (they won't do a remake unless you do alterations - in which case, that sounds stupid because the alts won't help).


I can do a refund but shipping is on me and I also have to pay for the cost of the try-on trousers which is 100 USD. So I'm basically out 120+USD-ish. Not happy tbh

 

[jonathanS]

So AoS offered their suggestions for alts and I also spoke to Ian MacMillan to see what he thought. He said that even if I had the trousers altered, he didn't they'd look good. Sent an email asking what they thought/next steps and it looks like the only option I have is a refund (they won't do a remake unless you do alterations - in which case, that sounds stupid because the alts won't help).


I can do a refund but shipping is on me and I also have to pay for the cost of the try-on trousers which is 100 USD. So I'm basically out 120+USD-ish. Not happy tbh

Reject the charge on your credit card?

 

[Verve]

I wanted to chime in here, because I got a suit from them last year and I am somewhat new to suiting at an older age. I quickly realized OTR suits were a disaster for me. I found J. Hilburn and have had great success with them, but I wanted to try something a little more in-depth and that's when I found AOS.

At the time, I did not have a suit at all to wear, so I got a worsted navy blue 3-piece. I went through the whole process that has been well discussed. The final garment came, and it simply fits perfect. It is so comfortable to wear and looks amazing. I believe I paid around $1250 at the time. I do realize the prices have raised a bit.

Over the summer I wore it to my daughter's wedding and got loads of compliments. As mentioned, the AOS team was fantastic to work with and I find the fabric just wonderful.

I have been trying to find another option that is close to these guys, I've not been able to. Right now I am trying out Oliver Wicks, and I had to send the jacket and vest back because the fit was way off. I am very much thinking of going back to AOS.

I also find that the fabrics and styles they have outshine a lot of other vendors, at least for me. For myself, I can't recommend them enough.

Attached a pic from the wedding.

Just curious, did you go back to AOS with the significant price increases that they had this past year or 2?