I want to get a custom tweed jacket or suit - where should I go?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I have been very satisfied getting some off-the-rack suits from Men’s Wearhouse which were adjusted, but I want a tweed jacket, maybe an entire suit. I was prepared to spend $1,000 or so at Men’s Wearhouse for a custom suit, but they discontinued the tweeds I liked.

So can anyone recommend anywhere else for a custom tweed jacket or suit?

I specify custom because of my shape and size it’s hard to find things off the rack, but if you know of places that make larger sizes, maybe I’ll go for that.

What do you think?

2

The last time (ap 1985-86) I got custom tweed it was a modern-made copy of a 1920s flyfishing coat; went through a firm on Bond Street in London - I believe their trade/finished goods label was “The Range”. The cost wasn’t that bad at all. I would check more with “mom & pop” type tailors or old-school shops if I was looking to do the same thing today.

3

Why don’t you ask them if one of their sister chains (likely one more upmarket) is now doing them?

4

It kind of depends where you live and how much you want to pay. I happen to like Brooks Brothers and there are lots of them around the country, but I’m pretty sure it will run well over $1,000. A local tailor might be a considerably cheaper option, but be sure they’ve actually made clothing before as opposed to just repairing it, and ask to see examples.

Regarding your being difficult to fit–what about buying a suit you like (if you can find one) and having it tailored to fit? Lots of stores will do this for free, and they should if you’re dropping $1000 on a suit. Or again, take it to a trusted local tailor. I suspect that will be less expensive than a custom-made suit.

5

I had good experience purchasing custom shirts at indochino.com. They also do suits.

6

I can’t get to the indochino link.

I stopped in by the local custom suiter. It looks like a tweed jacket would run $2,500-$1,600 to start. That’s out of my range.

Regarding having an off the rack item altered, in my size there isn’t much range of choice in off the rack. If they have anything that close to alterable for me, there’s very little choice in fabrics/colors/patterns.

I haven’t yet found a Big/Tall place that has the kind of tweed I’m looking for.

7

I don’t know where you’re located, but in LA I have heard about (but not used) tailors from Hong Kong who come over for a week, take your measurements, and then some weeks later ship you a bespoke suit. Supposed to be reasonably priced, but I don’t know if that means a couple hundred dollars reasonable, or cheaper than Jermyn Street reasonable. I would think you might be able to find something similar in other big cities but this is the sum total of my knowledge.

I wonder if the trouble is the fabric, since you want a particular type of tweed? Could you find the cloth separately and then have it tailored? Perhaps you’d save a little bit of the markup on the cloth and just be paying for the labor?

8

If you can find an independent tailor locally whose work you like, you should be able to do it significantly cheaper than that. I had a custom wedding dress made locally for less than that! (I don’t like most mainstream dresses, and it would have cost hundreds to have an off-the-rack one altered anyway. Plus I wanted something more original, and I got it.)

9

You can spend an infinite amount of money on a wedding dress, but generically, a suit is more complex than a dress. You have to pay more.

10

Sorry, that’s a typo— $1,500-$1,600

11

There are all kinds of specialty sites on the internet; you should be able to find something–for example:

12

Searched their website; doesn’t look like they do tweeds. Sorry. It sounds like an interesting business model.

13

Hm, I assumed you meant $2500-$2600. Honestly, $1500 for a custom made suit doesn’t seem out of line–pretty much the low end of the price range I would guess, unless you can maybe send measurements to Hong Kong or India or something.

14

It’s not a full suit. It’s just for the jacket and that’s the base price. It’ll likely be more depending on specifics.

15

Oh sorry, I misunderstood.

16

Hong Kong.

17

Just heard from my Men’s Wearhouse guy. He’s got some new tweed swatches. That’ll be much more affordable.

18

I haven’t had much luck with Big/Tall stores when it comes to sport coats. In order to get a size that is big enough for my middle, the shoulders are way too big. Every jacket I have tried on tries to have that waist-smaller-than-chest silhouette, when most of us “big” guys aren’t built that way. Even the “Executive Cut” at DXL is that way. DXL is the only actual physical store in my area.

So I had a couple of sport coats and a vest made to my measurements at an online place, called Hockerty.com. The most I paid for a sport coat was $230. They fit pretty well, but if I were very fussy I would probably then take them to a local tailor for a little refinement.

19

Those are VERY attractive prices. How do you find the quality of the material and the workmanship? Do they last?

20

Depends on the dress. Part of the issue with mine was that I wanted/needed more structure than the vast majority of off-the-rack wedding dresses provide. Then there was the embroidery. It wasn’t a simple sheath dress.