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In the hierarchy of fashion perversions this surely must be heading to the hall of fame?
From WWD
From WWD
The custom suit has gone mass.
Once the exclusive province of tycoons, aristocrats and pedigreed tailors, made-to-measure suits now are being offered by a growing number of retailers and vendors at moderate prices and fast-fashion speeds. And by offering prices as low as $300, this growing wave is mounting a serious challenge to off-the-rack chains in the increasingly beleaguered suit category.
The trend is an unlikely turn of events for a sector better known for traditional and lengthy methods of production, high prices and a general focus on the monied, mature man. But even as traditional suit makers on Savile Row and global brands such as Brioni and Kiton continue to briskly sell custom suits north of $4,000, there appears to be growing demand from consumers, many of them younger men, who are responding to the notion of relatively low-price made-to-measure clothing.
That demand is fueling new businesses, like My.Suit, which creates a made-to-measure garment for $495 and delivers it in two weeks. Most bespoke and luxury brands deliver custom suits in six to eight weeks.
My.Suit, which opened a 3,000-square-foot store on New York’s Madison Avenue last month and also operates two other locations in the area, is owned by the South Korean conglomerate BK House, a privately held global company with more than 40 years of manufacturing and retail experience. “We’re a mass market custom suit store,” said James Hancock, vice president of sales, who added the store caters to men ages 25 to 45 and doesn’t sell suits for more than $1,000. “It’s like Build-a-Bear for grown men. This is the new way to build, buy and shop for a suit.”
My.Suit isn’t alone, however. Sartoriani, whose main showroom is on London’s Savile Row, opened its first New York City store in mid-January, where it sells a super 150s wool-cashmere suit for $995. In London, the deals are even more eye-catching, with two suits, two ties and two dress shirts selling for 995 pounds, or just less than $1,500. Like My.Suit, Sartoriani targets men who want “a luxury service at an affordable price,” said Marie-Royce Book, Sartoniani’s London-based managing director.
Other businesses have taken to the Internet. Indochino.com, which launched in fall 2007, calls itself the “fast-fashion” option for custom men’s wear. It makes suits (based on measurements customers take themselves) for as low as $300 and delivers in two weeks. “We’re bringing custom to the average person,” said co-founder Kyle Vucho, noting the company is able to produce so inexpensively because “there’s no middle man, no staffing, no storefronts.”
Another custom suit retailer, Astor & Black, has attracted 42,000 clients since it began in 2004 and is about to launch a service on its Web site that allows shoppers to reorder suits online. Suits start at $499 and the bulk of the business is at $895. Astor’s chief executive officer and founder, David Schottenstein, said the company has doubled in size every year and will have sales of more than $20 million this year.
“The opportunity for this market is massive,” Schottenstein said. “Better retailers have been able to meet the demand for custom, but no one is addressing a more moderate tier. Most big stores that sell these prices don’t have the service or expertise to do it.”
Given prices between $300 and $900, the new crop of custom retailers is going head to head with moderate and better department stores, which sell off-the-rack clothing at comparable prices.
Macy’s, which sells off-the-rack suits listed as high as $595, doesn’t offer custom services. Nordstrom sells made-to-measure suits from Hart Schaffner Marx and Joseph Abboud, the latter of which opens at $745. Bloomingdale’s retails off-the-rack suits as low as $695 and they go up to $2,195.
In fact, just as the custom suit business begins to gain steam, many department stores appear to be de-emphasizing their traditional suit offerings. Department stores rely increasingly on suit separates, in which the pant and jacket are sold separately and, more importantly, don’t require any tailors on staff to hem the pants.
The strategy raises the question: Could the midtier be missing a customer?
Once the exclusive province of tycoons, aristocrats and pedigreed tailors, made-to-measure suits now are being offered by a growing number of retailers and vendors at moderate prices and fast-fashion speeds. And by offering prices as low as $300, this growing wave is mounting a serious challenge to off-the-rack chains in the increasingly beleaguered suit category.
The trend is an unlikely turn of events for a sector better known for traditional and lengthy methods of production, high prices and a general focus on the monied, mature man. But even as traditional suit makers on Savile Row and global brands such as Brioni and Kiton continue to briskly sell custom suits north of $4,000, there appears to be growing demand from consumers, many of them younger men, who are responding to the notion of relatively low-price made-to-measure clothing.
That demand is fueling new businesses, like My.Suit, which creates a made-to-measure garment for $495 and delivers it in two weeks. Most bespoke and luxury brands deliver custom suits in six to eight weeks.
My.Suit, which opened a 3,000-square-foot store on New York’s Madison Avenue last month and also operates two other locations in the area, is owned by the South Korean conglomerate BK House, a privately held global company with more than 40 years of manufacturing and retail experience. “We’re a mass market custom suit store,” said James Hancock, vice president of sales, who added the store caters to men ages 25 to 45 and doesn’t sell suits for more than $1,000. “It’s like Build-a-Bear for grown men. This is the new way to build, buy and shop for a suit.”
My.Suit isn’t alone, however. Sartoriani, whose main showroom is on London’s Savile Row, opened its first New York City store in mid-January, where it sells a super 150s wool-cashmere suit for $995. In London, the deals are even more eye-catching, with two suits, two ties and two dress shirts selling for 995 pounds, or just less than $1,500. Like My.Suit, Sartoriani targets men who want “a luxury service at an affordable price,” said Marie-Royce Book, Sartoniani’s London-based managing director.
Other businesses have taken to the Internet. Indochino.com, which launched in fall 2007, calls itself the “fast-fashion” option for custom men’s wear. It makes suits (based on measurements customers take themselves) for as low as $300 and delivers in two weeks. “We’re bringing custom to the average person,” said co-founder Kyle Vucho, noting the company is able to produce so inexpensively because “there’s no middle man, no staffing, no storefronts.”
Another custom suit retailer, Astor & Black, has attracted 42,000 clients since it began in 2004 and is about to launch a service on its Web site that allows shoppers to reorder suits online. Suits start at $499 and the bulk of the business is at $895. Astor’s chief executive officer and founder, David Schottenstein, said the company has doubled in size every year and will have sales of more than $20 million this year.
“The opportunity for this market is massive,” Schottenstein said. “Better retailers have been able to meet the demand for custom, but no one is addressing a more moderate tier. Most big stores that sell these prices don’t have the service or expertise to do it.”
Given prices between $300 and $900, the new crop of custom retailers is going head to head with moderate and better department stores, which sell off-the-rack clothing at comparable prices.
Macy’s, which sells off-the-rack suits listed as high as $595, doesn’t offer custom services. Nordstrom sells made-to-measure suits from Hart Schaffner Marx and Joseph Abboud, the latter of which opens at $745. Bloomingdale’s retails off-the-rack suits as low as $695 and they go up to $2,195.
In fact, just as the custom suit business begins to gain steam, many department stores appear to be de-emphasizing their traditional suit offerings. Department stores rely increasingly on suit separates, in which the pant and jacket are sold separately and, more importantly, don’t require any tailors on staff to hem the pants.
The strategy raises the question: Could the midtier be missing a customer?
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