ratchet up my wardrobe - OR NOT??

[masterphotog]

SFers, Lately, I've been strongly considering upgrading the quality of my wardrobe.
Please forgive my ignorance with the question, as this will potentially be a new
venture for myself.

I've always cared about the way I dress and the amount of importance I put on
it. As a prior serviceman, I try to carry myself professionally in all
situations. Dressing properly and having clothes that fit is where it all
starts, in my opinion. If you dress like a slob, then you tend to work,
act and feel like a slob.

Anyway, I'd like to ratchet up my wardrobe a bit and have some custom
clothes that REALLY fit vs. off the rack items - that have been tailored.

Just to give you a brief description of my profession, I work for a company
that provides my work attire, the good about this is that my dress clothes
last a very long time. The bad about this is what we're provided is garbage.

So, my dressing up is more for the weekends and evenings. I have clothes
that are several years old and are in great condition! However, I'd still like to
step up to another level.

I really enjoy wearing, nice slacks, dress shirts and will often throw a
sports jacket on. I also have a few Bill's Khakis that go great with my
rough leather Allen Edmonds (Lubbock). This will also be coupled with a
nice dress shirt.

My question is, how will I benefit from visiting a custom tailor to order some
dress shirts and really nice slacks, differ from what I've done in the past?
In the past, I've simply purchased nice Brushed twills, Broadcloths and Oxford
Cloths from local clothiers (Andrew Davis) and department stores (Von Maur/Nordstrom)
and have had them tailored to my fit. Fortunately, I'm an average build and have
had decent luck with off the rack items fit close, then even closer when tailored.
Am I missing out on reversing this process and starting out with having a shirt built
for me, vs. going about it backwards? I'm just curious on how much of a significant
difference there is between what I've been doing and what I'd like to try. If it's negligible,
then I'll continue to have my stuff altered. If I'm REALLY missing out, then I'll have to
give it a shot.

Thanks for your time and feel free to open my eyes to angles I've not
considered when visiting a custom tailor.

Chuck in Indy

 

[JLibourel]

Well, if all goes well, you should get a somewhat better fit and a more handsome garment by using a custom tailor...at least in theory. If you are presently satisfied with how you look with decent OTR apparel, you may not find the incremental difference worth the extra expense.

Speaking personally, I like to use custom tailoring for suits and jackets, but I can be quite well satisfied with OTR shirts and trousers. I do have a half-dozen or so custom shirts, and, yeah, they're nice, but I could be just about as well served with quality ready-to-wear. Due to the peculiarities of my physique (chest disproportionate to shoulders), I find custom-made jackets and suits a distinct improvement over RTW. However, that's just me. I doubt if it is going to bankrupt you to test the waters with a few custom shirts and a custom-made pair of slacks, so why not give it a try if you're curious?

 

[F. Corbera]



My question is, how will I benefit from visiting a custom tailor to order some
dress shirts and really nice slacks, differ from what I've done in the past?

Chuck in Indy

How do other men in Indianapolis dress?

Perhaps you have already acrued all practical benefit from the wardrobe that you already have.

 

[DrAvant]

A venture into tailored clothing won't hurt and if you don't end up getting hooked you might get some ideas on ways to improve your OTR clothes. You mentioned your dress clothes last a long time and you'll get years of wear out of any garment you end up with.

It might be a good idea to go with something classic for a first tailored experience. It might be tempting to experiment with cloth and other flair but you'll get a better sense of the benefits of tailoring with something simple.

 

[masterphotog]

I like the direction this is going, I agree with "why not give it a try" and the suggestion to "experiment with cloth".

I think I'll dabble with a minimum order of dress shirts, 2 or 4, depending on which tailor I choose. This should be enough to get my feet wet and help me determine if this is what I'll do from now on.

...Now on to find someone worth visiting??

I'm in Indy, so Cincinnati - Chicago - Louisville are all places I'd be willing to travel if I can get some good recomendations in these cities.

I'm leaning toward Cincy (closer of the 3 options) for my initial appointment, this may require multiple return trips. The 1st trip will be to be measured, the 2nd trip to be fitted for what has been made and possibly a 3rd trip to ensure the adjustments were correct.

Thanks again!!

Chuck in Indy

 

[masterphotog]

+

 

[sborg]

I think it would be an easy transition from buying in retail to having it custom tailored since you already know what you want in your wardrobe.