Latest Project: Mycustomtailor Suit!

[Hemingway Jones]

Hello Fellow Loungers,

As you all know, I am always up to something; some sort of project, and today is no different.

One day, I went through the mycustomtailor website and came across a description and photo of the following suit:

Hollywood drape two button single breasted with broad rope shoulders and extremely tapered waist no vents snug silhoutte matched with double pleated wide leg cuffed pants

Well, that sounded vintage enough for me.

Also, you all know my aversion to used clothes and the difficulty of finding vintage suits in a 44L.

So, just for fun, I went through the process; entered my measurements, picked my fabric, and selected my extras: buttons for braces on the pants, Italian silk lining, and a matching pocket-handkerchief.

All of this came to $260, plus shipping, which brought it to about $295; cheap enough for me. The best part was; they sent it to me in about 10 days. I think that is pretty impressive coming from Thailand.

So, here are the results. I am very pleased. The only thing off were the pants, which were about an inch too long. After these photos were taken, I took it to my tailor to be taken up a little. (They do not look short in the photos because I pulled the waist as high as I could.)

Without further ado, here are the pictures, courtesy of Daisy Buchanan:



The material is Super 120 in wool and cashmere. There were many other fabrics to choose from. I chose brown so it would match with all of my many brown fedoras, including this vintage Borsalino in this photo.

I am very pleased with the results. So much so, I am going to order two other vintage style suits that they have.

I welcome your comments.

P.S. Here is a post with Jay asking about this suit pattern.

 

[Feraud]

That is a nice looking suit!

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

I don't like the opening for the vest so much but I'd still wear it. NICE!

 

[Veronica Parra]

I like it too! I think the vest closes much higher than the jacket does, but maybe that is part of the look.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

It is indeed.

This suit is very similar. Notice where the jacket buttons well below the vest.

Of course, I am NO Bogart!

This suit has a similar high vest:

 

[MrBern]

and on the tenth day....

TEN DAYS?
Thats great service.

You look very spiffy.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Thanks Bern,
It's always nice to hear from you, my friend.

 

[scotrace]

Very nice!

I'm grateful to you for being the Test Victim among us - with good result.
Our eyes are used to a standard of the cutomary one vest button visible above the buttoned jacket opening. But it looks great.
Well done!
How's the quality of workmanship, stitching, buttons, etc.? How high are the pants (waist)? Did you have to specify 'long rise' trousers? How's the fabric 'hand" - lightweight/hefty/soft/scratchy? Did you get a full lining or skeleton lining?
Sorry for all the questions, but you are now The Man in the Know.

Very nice suit! They always are - I'm beginning to think you just wear everything well.

Applause,

Scott

*Edited to add: Armholes?

 

[Nathan Flowers]

.

Wow, very nice. How are the armholes? If you raise your arms, does it disrupt the look of the suit, or does it stay where it should?

 

[MK]

UGG!

Nice looking suit. I look forward to hearing about the details. Great price! That is not one of the better photos of me though.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I'm grateful to you for being the Test Victim among us - with good result.
Our eyes are used to a standard of the cutomary one vest button visible above the buttoned jacket opening. But it looks great. Well done!

Thank you, Scott. You know, coming from you, I appreciate it; I truly value your opinion.
Now to your questions:

How's the quality of workmanship, stitching, buttons, etc.? Did you get a full lining or sketeton lining?

Actually, the quality is rather extraordinary. The lining is especially nice. It is fully lined and the pocket openings are joined to the material of the jacket. The lining is taunt. The seams are tight as are the buttons.

How high are the pants (waist)? Did you have to specify 'long rise' trousers?

The waist is high, higher than normal, but not quite as high as it should be for a true Bogart suit. I didn’t specify it to be a high rise and in retrospect, perhaps I should have. Though it is indeed high, just not high enough.
The good news in that is that I could wear this to the office, probably without the vest. If the pants were as high as we would want, it would limit my use.
I did ask them to remain true to the pattern, so I can only assume that this is how it was meant. When I get it back from the tailor’s, I’ll post some pictures.

Did you get a full lining or sketeton lining?
Sorry for all the questions, but you are now The Man in the Know.

How's the fabric 'hand" - lightweight/hefty/soft/scratchy?

Ah, well, this is where I part ways with some of my fellow Loungers; I think that vintage suits have terrible fabrics. I have never felt a vintage suit that was soft enough for me. They all feel like boiled wool! And I have felt hundreds of vintage suits. My Ralph Lauren suits have spoiled me, and since I spend most of my waking hours in a suit, I love cashmere wool blends.
In other words, this fabric is very soft.

Very nice suit! They always are - I'm beginning to think you just wear everything well.

Thank you, Scott, I sincerely appreciate your feedback.
I have another beautiful pocket square to go with it.

Wow, very nice. How are the armholes? If you raise your arms, does it disrupt the look of the suit, or does it stay where it should?

Thank you, Zohar,
The armholes are smaller than your usual American cut suit, but not to, say that English early 60s standard.
If you raise your arms, the suit rises, though not nearly as much as a sack suit.
This picture shows the armholes:


Another thing about this suit: the pockets are amazingly deep, Doctor Who deep.

Nice looking suit. I look forward to hearing about the details. Great price! That is not one of the better photos of me though.

Oh, I don’t know, MK, I think you look rather dignified. Beside, it’s the only picture I have of us together.
Also, I bought this for New York, so you will certainly see it there.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Hey now Mr. Jones,....

.......that IS one helluva nice suit for being tailored off-site and sight unseen so to speak. I particularly like the lapels,....seems near impossible to get those vintage-look lapels on anything other than a double breasted jacket these days. Suits bought off the rack for twice the price often require more fixing than just the inseam length. :eusa_doh: I think I shall look into this myself, thanks for putting us on to it. :cheers1:

 

[Matt Deckard]

First things first... congratulations... Awsome! $300 and it looks beautiful. More soon.

Congratulations.

 

[Mojave Jack]

A damn fine suit, sir, a damn fine suit!

Nice comparison photos with Bogart, too, by the way. That suit certainly matches up well to the photos. How about a couple pics without the jacket so we can see the whole vest, etc.? The Spectators really make the combo, too.

Very sharp! :eusa_clap

 

[Hemingway Jones]

.......that IS one helluva nice suit for being tailored off-site and sight unseen so to speak. I particularly like the lapels,....seems near impossible to get those vintage-look lapels on anything other than a double breasted jacket these days. Suits bought off the rack for twice the price often require more fixing than just the inseam length. :eusa_doh: I think I shall look into this myself, thanks for putting us on to it. :cheers1:

Thanks, Nick. I am glad to be of service. I would definitely do business with them and will… soon, knowing me!

First things first... congratulations... Awsome! $300 and it looks beautiful. More soon. Congratulations.

Thank you! That is a high compliment from such a discerning gentleman as you! In NYC, you can see it close up.

A damn fine suit, sir, a damn fine suit!
Nice comparison photos with Bogart, too, by the way. That suit certainly matches up well to the photos. How about a couple pics without the jacket so we can see the whole vest, etc.? The Spectators really make the combo, too.
Very sharp! :eusa_clap

Thank you, Jack. I am happier with this than any other project I have taken on. Their tuxes look very nice as well.
I can take pictures with just the vest once I get my pants back on Friday.
And yes, you have to have the spectators to pull off the 40s suit.

The one thing really cool about this suit is how built up the shoulders are, how dramatic the taper to the waist is, and the silouette it makes, very close to the sketch in the first post.

 

[Senator Jack]

I can't believe yours fit on the first shot, HJ. I just had two come in from mycustomtailor and I had to send them back for alterations - they were way too big! And this is after I was on the phone with the guy for a half hour to make sure they were going to be snug.

I'm glad you had better luck with them than I am having. Looks like the spring suits I ordered aren't going to be here till summer.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Benny Holiday]

Exceptional looking suit!

Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness? Nah! I vote for Hemingway Jones.

The colour of your tie is also a very nice contrast. The suit looks a million bucks! (Well, a lot more than under $300 worth, anyway!)

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

Very Sharp ...

very sharp suit indeed and it matches your hat perfectly!

The actual picture used by the tailor shows a slightly higher button stance and a more nipped in waist to the jacket. I am not sure of your build, but you do look like you are tall and slim enough that they could have given the jacket more of a shape like the pic. Are you happy with their interpretation of the picture? Is it really like the vintage suit in the picture? Did you need to give them a lot of information to get the suit made, other than your measurements?

Also can you show me more detail on the vest? Is it 6 button, and a cut similar to 30's / 40's vests?

Your new avatar is great by the way!

Cheers

Peter

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I've never given them my business for one reason only: on their website, they almost never show photos of the suits they make. Instead, they have images from vintage fashion plates, movies & TV shows, and even other designers (such as Ralph Lauren).

I do think that Mycustomtailor does good work; but I want to see exactly what a type of suit will look like before I order it made.

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

Agree totally Marc

... maybe we should all give them that feedback if we buy from them. Would be good to actually see their work

Cheers

Peter