My First Custom Suit - 10 Years Later (Review)

#custom #suit #notsponsored

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GUIDES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS:

VIDEO CREDITS:
→ Script: Sven Raphael Schneider & Jack Collins
→ Camera: Chris Dummer
→ Editing: Jonathan Oster
→ Visual Supervision: Preston Schlueter
→ Oxxford Clothes

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Gentleman's Gazette

00:00 First Custom Suit Introduction

Believe it or not, this video has been shaped by you guys! During our past live streams, we got a lot of comments and requests to show off some of our very first custom-made clothing pieces. And we thought it was a great idea!

00:45 What Type of “Custom” is the Suit?

It’s a (Type of custom) suit from Oxxford. We’ve previously discussed the word “custom” is an umbrella term. So I want to be completely clear with you in saying that it’s not a readily available off-the-rack suit.

02:50 Suit Jacket Details: Navy Blue, Single-Breasted, Two Buttons

I ordered it in early 2012 directly at the factory. At the time, Oxxford was advertising on our website. I had a contact and she invited me to come to Oxxford and get measured for a suit. Of course, I happily obliged and went there; got the full factory tour. And the hat cutter, whose name I can’t recall anymore, took my measurements.

06:28 Suit Trouser Details: Pleated, Cuffed, Side Adjusters

09:46 What I Would Have Done Differently

At the time, I had really high expectations for bespoke because, after all, it was the holy grail. You could decide on anything, and the garment would always promise a superior fit.

13:33 Overall Thoughts

Overall, it’s not as soft as my jackets by Isaia, for example, and it’s a combination of the coarser fabric and a stiffer interlining. But, for a suit like this, which is a bit more formal, I think it strikes the exact right balance.

Do I wear the suit a lot? Unfortunately, not a whole lot. The pants get a lot more use than the jacket, but simply because there are fit issues.

15:14 Conclusion

So, that’s my very first custom suit experience. Didn’t turn out that great after all. You might wonder, “How is that possible?” and “If you spend all that money and the first suit doesn’t turn out that well, why would you even try to go for it?”

Well, in reality, your first bespoke garment or bespoke shoe is rarely the best, typically, there’s always room for improvement, but you can still wear and enjoy it.

15:57 Outfit Rundown

[TheRockefellas]

I'm 15 years of age, and I've always been in love with dressing nice and being a proper gentleman. And I was always confused on how to dress as one, so when I found this channel it was like finding gold at the end of the rainbow. Definitely help me abunch, thanks!

[mcomeslast]

I get it! I’m learning tailoring now and have 2 jackets (1 tailored and 1 a cardigan jacket) and neither will be perfect. I’m learning so much that my 2nd and thirds will be much better both because I’ve learned more skills but also I am learning what I do and don’t like. I would recommend anyone going for a first custom suit or dress, go all in on the experience but don’t go all in with the most expensive fabrics the first time. You will be learning so much about fit and what you like. Get the dream fabrics after you and your tailor have worked out your likes and dislikes.

[davidkatzinger]

I bet a lot of people walking by were asking themselves why there is a guy in the streets caressing his suit.

[holdenbauer]

I actually have a charcoal chalk stripe from the 1940s by Oxford. Definitely one of my favorite garments. Super happy to hear they are still in business.

[dalehruszecky]

I've just ordered my first Made to Measure suit, thanks to this channel I'm finally upgrading my wardrobe in an educated way, thank you so much for your channel and contribution to menswear!

Plus I've ordered a lot of socks from your store I can't wait for! :)

[baileyross]

I think the ability to get multiple fittings and alterations is the biggest advantage of getting a suit made to measure or bespoke. Definitely a must do if you are going to spend the additional cost vs off the rack.

[baldner]

It’s very nice to finally see your verdict, it’s very very common for people to not get fully satisfied with their first bespoke suit. Greetings from Brazil!

[marianotorrespico]

WELL DONE! | Your inky blue suit remains quite wearable and stylish; lose a few kilos, and you are back in action!

[bigbadbith]

May I congratulate you on being able to fit into that suit 10 years on!

[mtvdvm]

Oh that’s is such soap box of mine. I have a custom western saddle I had made by an amazing artisan in Graham, Texas.

Took me months to find a saddle maker who actually made a CUSTOM saddle and not a saddle with some details you pick when you check option boxes they give you. I called saddle makers form Brownsville, Texas to Bozeman, Montana and all of these so called custom makers were just customizing their pre made saddled. True bespoke is so rare these days and worth every penny no matter if it’s saddles, suits, hats, or anything else.

[plusplusplusplusp]

This reminds me of my experience Raphael. Just three years ago, partly inspired by your channel I was measured for my first custom suit. I got carried away with the excitement and I didn't identify that the final product was far too tight. I don't like wearing it for that reason. My other two suits were off-the-rack and altered according to my body, and are much more comfortable. In fact, they look better because they don't make me look like a sausage in a sausage skin (even though they have minor fit issues elsewhere). I won't make the same mistake with tightness next time I get a bespoke or custom suit.

[ivanlouisjbarrantes]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video and I think Raphael's navy suit still looks fantastic and classic in its stylistic details proving that the classics would never look outdated. Its unfortunate that the arms of the jacket are quite constricting because otherwise the suit looks very neat in appearance.

I would very much like to have a very similar bespoke navy suit to Raphael's including most of the stylistic details and colour in the near future (and hopefully similar suits in the same vein) with some adjustments accounting for my short physique, personal tastes, and a lighter and more breathable fabric for the generally warmer weather in my country!

[regcrowder]

This was a very thoughtful video. It gave me some good ideas 💡 Thank you 😁

[andrewharris]

My first and only (so far) was done in Naples, Italy for my wedding. Tailor was incredible and I had 3 fittings before picking it up.

[trevorhageman]

As a retailer who works with Coppley, I have to say, I feel that it's one of the best quality:price point makes on the market!

[Aggnog]

I would expect a bespoke suit to have some reserve fabric to allow for alterations as the wearer's weight fluctuates. If that was the case the sleeves could have been altered later on at least a little bit, very strange that this is not the case.

[HumbertoClaudino]

Congratulations for another video with valuable information and greetings from Brazil.

[candicew]

I’m curious… is the jacket cut to where you could take it back and have it altered to fit better in the shoulders? It’s a lovely suit and seems such a shame that fit would further limit wearing it. I’m not a seamstress by any means but I do knit and know I’m always extremely conscientious when making a sweater for someone else. Thank you for the look into menswear as well. I found your site after taking an interest in Fountain pens and have stayed on with the intent to share advice with my husband. When solicited. Thank you for your time!

[TeamNoAffiliation]

That suit came out far better than the suits I had made in Bahrain during deployment. But, I made some mistakes, listening to friends who didn't know anything about fashion in general. Sleeves were cut too long, pant's were made too big. One suit I actually want tailored to fit me better, as it's a nice English green tweed jacket and pants, with a grey tweed vest.

[zaco-kmsu]

Live and learn i guess. One thing to learn from this is that you should always try on for the last time a bespoke suit or a suit made to your size.