It is not often that a man can buy a suit off the rack without alterations but what about when you purchase a "custom made" suit? Where does that company send their garments to be altered? Even more, how can you know to trust the sales associate to get it right first time around?
Understanding a mans body takes years learn and on top of that understanding how to pin and adjust a suit to be properly altered is not as easy as a good tailor makes it look.
With new companies coming onto the market, new business owners are quick to jump on the "custom suiting" band wagon, offering custom suits without any background or knowledge of the suiting market. As a tailor it becomes harder and harder to talk to men about proper custom suiting because companies such as these flood the market with inexpensive and poorly fitted clothing.
For most good tailors they spend years working under a mentor to learn the craft, learning the curves of the body, how to shape a suit, and how to finish the suit so that a man is comfortable in his new clothing.
What should you be looking for? What makes a good suit a good suit?
Pay attention to the fit around the chest of the suit. Most custom suit makers will often falter in the chest fit. Lapels will either break along the chest line or show major gaps around the arms.
There are many aspects to suit making that a man should be looking for. I usually start along the shoulder line, move down through the chest and then tackle the sleeves. The foundation of a good suit starts at the shoulder line and flows from there.
Going to a tailor rather than a salesman can make a world of a difference in the way your suits are made and finished. You will end up with a product that you enjoy wearing because an experienced tailor can walk you through the intricacies of suit construction and fabric composition.
-Just Saying