Help rebuilding work wardrobe from Boston/NY

[Oligarch]

Hi All,

Looking for some input on a wardrobe overhaul, including any pointers on bespoke options. I’m Boston-based but am frequently in NY for work/family.

I work in finance at a business casual shop. Relatively senior (early 40s) and generally the uniform is dress slacks + dress shirt. I occasionally wear a suit, but get more use out of sportscoats.

I will be in the office more after Labor Day and need to start rebuilding the wardrobe after several years of WFH.

Previously (while London-based), I used a mix of MTM options and Luxire, where I also commissioned a linen Whitcomb & Shaftesbury suit.

My shirts from Luxire are still OK, but my trousers pattern isn’t working, and I’ve had a difficult time getting timely responses from them on tweaking it, and I’m now looking to start fresh with options accessible to me between Boston and NY.

Over time, I’m looking to add the following:

2-4 pairs of dress trousers
1-2 sports coats (thinking one hopsack and one wool/cashmere, both navy)
2-3 workhorse suits to replace my MTM English Cut (when Tom Mahon was there) grey fresco + navy birdseye which I absolutely loved, but which now no longer fit after 10 years
Several dress shirts
Several casual button down shirts in thick oxford cloth and in linen
Dinner suit

A lot of the slim fit stuff I see off the rack in stores just doesn’t work on me. I did have to buy a Peter Millar sportscoat and suit here when I had some work obligations in a pinch, and so just looking to proactively build a pipeline of better quality and fitting MTM/bespoke orders as the return to office picks up.

In Boston, I’m a 5 min walk from Suit Supply and Indochino, but from what I’m reading, they may not be the best options in terms of cut/quality/value.

Andover Shop and Drinkwaters have been mentioned on the forum, although I know at least one had a management change, and at that price point, I’m wondering if I’m better off biting the bullet with one of the options in NY.

Based on what I’ve read, I’m considering:
Proper Cloth
Divij
I Sarti Italani (any idea of next NY trip?)
Corcos (on waitlist)

My only NY MTM experience previously was a few Mr. Ned pieces while starting out.

Any other ideas of people to try in Boston/NY?

If starting with a traveling tailor what’s the best strategy? Best to start establishing a pattern with a pair of dress trousers + sportscoat, or better to start with a suit as the first commission, and move on to individual trousers/jackets later?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[marmotini]

Dude, this hit home – to the extent I thought I may have written the post beforehand and forgotten about it. I am still on the same journey and while I can’t share my experience on local tailors for you I can share some things that I learned along the way and things I would do differently this time around.

I also put on weight during Covid and thought this was just middle-age. Splashed some cash on some nice suits and thought I was looking sharp. Noticed the buttons getting tight on shirts which wasn’t a great look. Reality hit hard when I was in SouthEast Asia and thought I could / should get a bespoke suit but knew I couldn’t because I was too overweight so had missed an opportunity. Decided to do something about it, have now lost 30lbs, and am looking / feeling better but now needing to adjust all my suits. I wish I had addressed this from the start rather than being ‘something that I will get around to later …”

Spier & Mackay make some fairly decent RTW and MTM options at that pricepoint, and can often be found on sale. You can dial it in over time with your specific requirements. I found it best to go easy on price first if you haven’t locked in the perfect fit.

 

[comrade]

Hi All,

Looking for some input on a wardrobe overhaul, including any pointers on bespoke options. I’m Boston-based but am frequently in NY for work/family.

I work in finance at a business casual shop. Relatively senior (early 40s) and generally the uniform is dress slacks + dress shirt. I occasionally wear a suit, but get more use out of sportscoats.

I will be in the office more after Labor Day and need to start rebuilding the wardrobe after several years of WFH.

Previously (while London-based), I used a mix of MTM options and Luxire, where I also commissioned a linen Whitcomb & Shaftesbury suit.

My shirts from Luxire are still OK, but my trousers pattern isn’t working, and I’ve had a difficult time getting timely responses from them on tweaking it, and I’m now looking to start fresh with options accessible to me between Boston and NY.

Over time, I’m looking to add the following:

2-4 pairs of dress trousers
1-2 sports coats (thinking one hopsack and one wool/cashmere, both navy)
2-3 workhorse suits to replace my MTM English Cut (when Tom Mahon was there) grey fresco + navy birdseye which I absolutely loved, but which now no longer fit after 10 years
Several dress shirts
Several casual button down shirts in thick oxford cloth and in linen
Dinner suit

A lot of the slim fit stuff I see off the rack in stores just doesn’t work on me. I did have to buy a Peter Millar sportscoat and suit here when I had some work obligations in a pinch, and so just looking to proactively build a pipeline of better quality and fitting MTM/bespoke orders as the return to office picks up.

In Boston, I’m a 5 min walk from Suit Supply and Indochino, but from what I’m reading, they may not be the best options in terms of cut/quality/value.

Andover Shop and Drinkwaters have been mentioned on the forum, although I know at least one had a management change, and at that price point, I’m wondering if I’m better off biting the bullet with one of the options in NY.

Based on what I’ve read, I’m considering:
Proper Cloth
Divij
I Sarti Italani (any idea of next NY trip?)
Corcos (on waitlist)

My only NY MTM experience previously was a few Mr. Ned pieces while starting out.

Any other ideas of people to try in Boston/NY?

If starting with a traveling tailor what’s the best strategy? Best to start establishing a pattern with a pair of dress trousers + sportscoat, or better to start with a suit as the first commission, and move on to individual trousers/jackets later?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Take a serious look at the Andover Shop. I got a sport coat from them MTM which was measured in May. It came out beautifully. As
you may know, they are a very Ivy/ Trad operation but my jacket,
has side vents and some shape.I also recommend the Amoury in
NYC. I visited their Madison Ave shop in search of an MTM suit.
After a half hour the salesman said that none of the cuts would
work well for me. Some of their vendors could not trusted to make
the proper modifications on specific models to fit me properly. That
level of honesty is refreshing! So, if you like their style,check
them out. BTW, I do not have a particularly odd build, except that I
have broad shoulders and a big chest.

 

[philosophe]

Sartoria Carrera at NoManWalksAlone is a very good value proposition. It would be ore expensive than Luxire, Speier & Mackay, PC, etc., but the quality might make it well worthwhile. As at the Armoury, the folks at NMWA would be honest with you, and they have excellent taste.

 

[twuthetiger]

I am also in Boston and travels to NYC frequently. I work with Solito and Pirozzi who travels to NYC about three times a year. I'm curious how is your W&S experience because they travel to Boston and I think they can make some wonderful trousers.

I terms of sports coats + trouser vs suits, I don't believe it'll make much difference so whichever pleases you.

 

[classicalthunde]

I use both Divij and I Sarti and am happy with both.

I Sarti would take longer (only 2 trips per year), and has a bit more of a stylistic element to it.

Divij takes about 8-10 weeks and travels to both Boston and NYC 4x per year. They’re a bit more “down the middle” style wise, which I think is prob a good thing in a professional wardrobe

 

[WhereNext]

There's a lot of great advice here, especially shops and big picture stuff. One point I'd make on a much more specific point: I'd recommend starting with a sportcoat and trousers as your first order with anyone MTM or bespoke. Since you need both suits and sportcoats, it shouldn't matter much which you get first, but as someone who has tried a bunch of tailors (and "tailors"!) when moving around the world, there's a decent chance that the tailor can make a much better pair of trousers than jacket, or vice versa. In other words, you may get back a great jacket and a terrible pair of pants or a beautiful pair of pants and a jacket that is way off. If you ordered a sportcoat and trousers, you can always cut your losses if the bad half is irredeemable, but if you ordred a suit, one bad half can make the other half unwearable, as well.

 

[circumspice]

If you are going to explore The Armoury, you may want to do so in advance or as part of their next Ring Jacket MTM weekend, which I think is coming up soon.

I don't know when I Sarti is back in NYC, I don't currently have anything in the works with them, but will likely be looking to get some stuff going. I tend to suspect Oct or Nov, historically.

NMWA's Carrara stuff also has a very nice shape, so you might want to check it out as well. They additionally have a MTM program with Rota, for trousers, I believe.

On the traveling tailor front - I think a single breasted suit is my recommendation to get a pattern down.

 

[Oligarch]

Thank you all for these wonderfully helpful replies!

I am also in Boston and travels to NYC frequently. I work with Solito and Pirozzi who travels to NYC about three times a year. I'm curious how is your W&S experience because they travel to Boston and I think they can make some wonderful trousers.

I terms of sports coats + trouser vs suits, I don't believe it'll make much difference so whichever pleases you.

@twuthetiger My W&S was my first and thus far only true bespoke, and I did all my fittings in London, as I was based there. I was overall happy, but as a first time customer and first timer with bespoke, would have appreciated a bit more of a hands on approach and guidance during the earlier stages. I asked for the more experienced veteran cutter (John?) in the hopes of getting that, and did get some input, but in retrospect, perhaps going with Sian would have resulted in more of a learning experience. That was perhaps one of the lessons learned. I know Simon Crompton amongst others have complimented the trousers. I found mine perfectly fine, but wouldn't go out of my way for them. Again, overall a positive first experience. I'd go back assuming price point is roughly the same (i.e., increased in line with inflation generally and not jumping into a new bracket).

If it does matter to you from Boston, W&S in London did after the first fitting say they'd just jump to finish. Again as a bespoke novice, I wanted the full experience, so pushed back on that. I don't think they were trying to cut corners or anything, but I'm glad I did ask, as we did make some tweaks to things like sleeve length and the back of the jacket. This actually brings up another question on the traveling tailors: WW Chan and Divij (when quoting the full bespoke service) have indicated I would basically have two visits for their full bespoke: the first measuring appointment, then a live in person (presumably basted) fitting, and then the finished garment would be mailed to me. Is this the typical approach for NYC visiting bespoke?

Incidentally, for those interested, I Sarti confirmed they intend to visit in the fall, but haven't yet set dates, but consistent with @circumspice they did say Oct/Nov is the likely timeframe.

I'm off to NYC next week and will reach out to NMWA about a MTM jacket perhaps and maybe pay ProperCloth a visit for beater shirts/slacks. Armoury's next Ring trunk will unfortunately conflict with my calendar, but will pop by to check out RTW/chat and hoping to put in something with Divij/Sarti/Chan.

Thanks again for all the helpful replies!

 

[classicalthunde]

I'm in the same boat in that I like a decent amount of advice and input, in my mind part of what I'm paying for with bespoke and MTM is expert advice to keep me from making a poor decision. With regard to that aspect:

Armoury - top tier advice, best I've received even when I pop in just to try something out and not necessarily place an order (I'm always up front about that). Alex and Daniel have been the guys that I work with, and I dig both of their styles and appreciate their advice.

NMWA - don't have any experience, but the owner Greg (@gdl203) posts here pretty frequently, I'm sure he'd steer you right and offer input if you noted that's what you're looking for

Divij - Does not necessarily offer a ton of style advice, I find it helpful to bring pics to communicate what I'm looking for when it comes to style nuances. That said, he's very good on the fitting end of things for not being a cutter per se

I Sarti - English isn't Salvo's first language, but he's gotten remarkably better over the past 2 years. In my opinion, Peter brings a ton to the table with his translation skills and stylistic input. They helped me pick out trousers to go with my jacket and offered input during the fittings.

 

[twuthetiger]

Thank you all for these wonderfully helpful replies!



@twuthetiger My W&S was my first and thus far only true bespoke, and I did all my fittings in London, as I was based there. I was overall happy, but as a first time customer and first timer with bespoke, would have appreciated a bit more of a hands on approach and guidance during the earlier stages. I asked for the more experienced veteran cutter (John?) in the hopes of getting that, and did get some input, but in retrospect, perhaps going with Sian would have resulted in more of a learning experience. That was perhaps one of the lessons learned. I know Simon Crompton amongst others have complimented the trousers. I found mine perfectly fine, but wouldn't go out of my way for them. Again, overall a positive first experience. I'd go back assuming price point is roughly the same (i.e., increased in line with inflation generally and not jumping into a new bracket).

If it does matter to you from Boston, W&S in London did after the first fitting say they'd just jump to finish. Again as a bespoke novice, I wanted the full experience, so pushed back on that. I don't think they were trying to cut corners or anything, but I'm glad I did ask, as we did make some tweaks to things like sleeve length and the back of the jacket. This actually brings up another question on the traveling tailors: WW Chan and Divij (when quoting the full bespoke service) have indicated I would basically have two visits for their full bespoke: the first measuring appointment, then a live in person (presumably basted) fitting, and then the finished garment would be mailed to me. Is this the typical approach for NYC visiting bespoke?

Incidentally, for those interested, I Sarti confirmed they intend to visit in the fall, but haven't yet set dates, but consistent with @circumspice they did say Oct/Nov is the likely timeframe.

I'm off to NYC next week and will reach out to NMWA about a MTM jacket perhaps and maybe pay ProperCloth a visit for beater shirts/slacks. Armoury's next Ring trunk will unfortunately conflict with my calendar, but will pop by to check out RTW/chat and hoping to put in something with Divij/Sarti/Chan.

Thanks again for all the helpful replies!

That's awesome, those are good places to start. In terms of the traveling tailors, both Solito and Pirozzi does at least three fittings at least. It's pretty standard for bespoke where it'll be taking measures and picking cloth, a baste fitting, and a finished product. Then maybe there will be an additional tweak before they send the tailoring to you. Though with a lot these two traveling tailor, I would say their English aren't great. Pirozzi actually uses a translator and she is in the process of learning a lot of terms of the trade. Solito knows enough English to ask you how everything fits. So beyond that and small talk I'm not sure how much of a meaningful conversation one can have without knowing Italian. Especially if you ask about different fabrics, they probably won't understand what you are asking specifically. But this is where you have to trust their judgment as long as you told them if you are looking for summer/all season/winter etc. and smart or casual.

With W&S, I have made a full on suit and a rain coat with them. I did everything in Boston on their trunk show so I mostly worked with Suresh and Manish. They work surprisingly well and gave good advice for not being actually tailors. With that said, I do agree that Sian is probably the best to work with. I think I'll probably be making trousers only and maybe some overcoats with W&S as I found that general British cut doesn't look good on me as Neapolitan cut does. But considering there are infinitely more options in NYC, I think you are a good starting point. Any of those will be great options than what most people wear off a RTW rack at the mall.