Advantages Of A Custom Made Shirt

The handmade shirt has a long history worldwide and its popularity in recent years demonstrates that there is still a wealth of individuals who like the tailored look.
Perhaps they're businessmen who need to make an impression, or they're just people who take pride in what they wear, but no matter what their motivation, the handmade bespoke shirt is here to stay.
However, at times the cost of a tailor made shirts has been well outside the realm of possibility of many men, but in recent years the rise in popularity of the handmade shirt has meant that prices aren't quite so steep, with shirts now available under 75.00 specially with the advent of online custom tailors.
They can go to Savile Row to have their suit measured then take a leisurely stroll around the corner to get the shirt to match. A testament to the importance of the handmade shirt to the modern man is the amount of people who travel from the USA and beyond to get their made-to-measure shirt, year on year.
Quality is a main factor, the many years of experience offered to the creation of a handmade shirt is second to none, the sewing is beautifully accurate - no loose ends and probably the most important factor is that the shirt is comfortable to wear because it's made-to-measure for the individual.

You can choose the fabric, collar and single or double cuff designs so that you can design your perfect mens shirts, which for those that like to look good is perhaps as much a perfect proposition as it is a perfect shirt.
But aside from the perfect fit, perhaps the biggest motivation for getting yourself kitted out in a tailor made shirts is the desire to stand out from the crowd. An off the rack shirt, all be a similar style, fit, and cut. They'll also probably all be from the same shop.
Wouldn't it be nice to be the one man who's wearing a completely original, hand-made shirt that fits like a glove and looks truly amazing? A shirt that skims your shoulders perfectly, with sleeves that fit your arms to the millimetre, and a collar that neither chokes you, or gapes open round the neck, no extra fabric hanging at the back or the torso.
The shirts can be a slim fit, comfortable or loose fit with Spread collar, Full Spread, English Cut Away collar, French Cuffs, Bond Cuffs, White collar and White Cuffs,Tab Collar, Button Down Collar.
So you can see why the bespoke, tailor made shirts still lives on today despite it being an historical trend. It just goes to show that there will always be a market for the man who wants to look his best, and wear clothing that is comfortable, stylish, and completely original.

E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

Made To Measure Shirt Style

Over the past half-century, the dress shirt has gone from being an garment to holding a prominent place in many outfits. This is one reason why it is today available in so many styles, colors, and patterns. Whether one's style is chinos or suit-and-tie, shirts are an essential means of expanding one's wardrobe.

A shirt's style signals quite a bit about the wearer's intentions. A dress shirt with a button-down collar, left breast pocket, plain front, and single-button cuffs signals leisure while a dress shirt with a turned-down point collar, no breast pocket, placket front, and French cuffs signals formality. The beauty of adjusting a shirt's style is that you can design it for not only for the occasion but also to compliment your unique features.

Shirt Collars:

The men's dress shirt collar is the most important style detail, both in determining the garment's level of formality and in how it flatters the wearer's face. Button-down collars are the least formal and extremely versatile; they look great without a tie but can just as well support a tie and sweater, blazer, or sport coat combination. The wing collar, on the other hand, is reserved for formal wear and should always be worn with its companion parts. It is the least versatile collar, whose sole purpose is to signal the highest level of dress.

Most men's dress shirts sport some sort of pointed collar, but there is huge room for variety here. While the standard point collar looks good on most men, those with narrower faces do better with slightly shorter ones, while round faces carry well above long collar points. As a general rule, the greater the angle between the short sides of the collar points, the more formal the presentation. Spread collars, which leave a wide opening between them, take large tie knots especially well. The edges of the cut-away collar nearly form a straight line above the tie knot; this is the most formal collar arrangement. An exception to the parallelism of spread and formality is the tab collar: here little tabs of fabric extending from each side connect behind the tie knot, holding the collar close together and projecting the knot outward for a precise, no-nonsense look. The white contrast collar, in any style, with or without matching white French cuffs, is a favorite of power-dressers. While it certainly raises a suit-and-tie above the masses, let the wearer be warned against it if he cannot equal its eminence.

On most decent dress shirts, the collar's points are kept straight by collar stays. These 2- to 3-inch pointed splints are inserted into slots on the underside of the collar after ironing, and later removed for washing. Besides the plastic ones that come with most shirts, you can buy them in brass, silver, and even ivory, but their material has negligible effect on their function.


Shirt Cuffs:

Barrel cuffs, standard on most dress shirts, come in a variety of styles and except for the most formal of occasions are never a bad choice. The common variety has a single button; cuffs with two or even three buttons are somewhat more artful. French cuffs are de rigeur for formal wear; they look good with a suit but are always optional. A button in the sleeve placket helps the sleeve to stay closed during wear and can be opened to iron the cuffs; it is optional but nearly ubiquitous.

Shirt Pockets:

The traditional left breast pocket adds a little depth to a dress shirt, especially if worn without jacket and tie, and can be useful for holding pens, tickets, and the like. A shirt with no pockets can look slightly cleaner with a coat and tie, but since the coat covers the pocket the difference is minimal when wearing a suit. As with most things, simplicity equals formality, so the pocket-less shirt is the dressiest.

Shirt Front & The Placket:

The standard placket is a strip of fabric raised off the men's dress shirt front with stitches down each side; this is what most casual shirts and many dress shirts have. In the more modern French placket, the edge of the shirt front is folded over, creased, and held together only by the button holes. This cleaner front sharpens more formal dress shirts; it should not, however, be combined with a button-down collar. There are also hidden button plackets, and as the name suggests hide the front buttons under a sheath of fabric.

Shirt Back:

Men's backs are not flat; thus we use pleats on the back panel of a shirt so that the fabric may hang from the yoke (the piece covering the shoulder blades) and better conform to the body. There are two common varieties of pleated shirt back styles: the box pleat consists of two pleats spaced one-and-a-half inches apart at the center, while side pleats lie halfway between each edge and the center of the back. While the former are more common on ready-to-wear shirts, the latter better align with the actual shape of the back, and thus fit most men better. A well-made custom shirt can be cut and sewn to fit its wearer perfectly without pleats, and this makes it cleaner and easier to iron. Nonetheless, many men prefer to have pleats even on their bespoke dress shirts.

Monograms:

A man may elect to have his shirt monogrammed, usually on the edge of the breast pocket or on the shirt's cuff. Monogramming originated as a way to identify one's shirts in a commercial laundry, akin to writing a child's name on the tag of their jacket. More recently, as the shirt has taken a more prominent role in men's dress, the monogram has emerged as a way to subtly communicate the care a man has taken in obtaining his clothes. While large, garish monograms certainly do more harm than good, many men enjoy the quiet display of their initials, usually in a color similar to the shirt's own.

E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

The History of Tailoring : An Overview

The knowledge and art of tailoring, of cutting and sewing cloth -- the two basic aspects of constructing clothes from a pattern -- developed slowly and gradually in Europe between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The Oxford English Dictionary's first reference to the word "tailor" gives the specific date of 1297; and certainty by that date tailoring guilds, as well as those of weavers, and cloth merchants were well established in Europe.

During the Middle Ages clothing had been regarded as a means of concealing the body. But with the Renaissance came the accentuation of the human form. The loose robe, that standard uniform of the medieval period so easily constructed from a single piece or two of cloth, was shortened and tightened, and eventually cut, pieced, and sewn together in attempts to bring into prominence the contours of the human form. This was the birth of tailoring and, in fact, of fashion.

These attempts at re-constructing the human body in fabric called for a growing expert skill and division of labor. Soon the cutter (the one who makes the pattern) and tailor (the one who does the sewing) joined other craftsmen as important members of the community.

Until this time the cloth had been the distinguishing feature of garments, and the wearer took most of the responsibility for the design ~ and, in most cases, the actual production ~ of his own clothes. But little by little, the tailor took on equal importance with the weaver, and gradually came to overshadow him. Master tailors in the growing towns eventually became responsible for the clothing needs of society, and the art and science of tailoring became a highly specialized, complex, and jealously guarded craft.

As towns became cities, then city states, and finally empires of power, fashion followed. First Italy, then Spain and France became the center for fashionable dress in concert with the power, wealth, and influence of those empires. Italy reached its great flowering during the age of Michaelangelo, followed by Spain early in the 17th century. France reached its fashionable peak for tailoring during the long reign of Louis XIV (1643 - 1715), when foppish young men from all over Europe flocked to Paris for their wardrobes. Almost every comic play written in the second half of the 17th century includes the character of a Paris-dressed fop, perfumed and beribboned, with powdered wig and silver-buckled shoe in the latest French mode. But by the time of the French king's death in 1715, there had already begun a shift in power, and influence -- and fashion.

Even during Louis' long lifetime a great shift in masculine costume was occurring. In the middle of the 17th century men began to give up the doublet, hose, and cloak that had been the staple items of their wardrobe since the 1500s, and began to wear coat, vest, and breeches, the three components we can begin to identify as modern dress.

Across the Channel, the English had not only turned away from the doublet and hose, but quickly moved through the phase of embroidered ostentation decreed by the French court. They had just survived a bitter but democratizing civil war (l642 - 1649) which, among other things, called into question the brocades and velvets, the silk and pastel satins and powdered wigs and other ostentations of aristocratic French court dress. Over two centuries later, Oscar Wilde would quip that the Puritans and Cavaliers who fought that war were more interesting for their costumes than their moral convictions.

The English moved away from the highly decorative and delicate court style, and took up a more practical form. The costume of both the landed gentry and the newer mercantile class became progressively less gorgeous and exquisite during the 18th century, and far more somber and sober. By the early decades of the 19th century, sobriety (in dress at any rate) had begun to penetrate even the court circle itself, and kings, consorts, and princes were seen to dress in a manner almost identical with their subjects. By mid-century the age of stovepipe hats, umbrellas, and frock coats -- each in glossy black -- was firmly in place.


English tailors, particularly those in London, now came to dominate the fashion scene. First, the English had evolved a style for masculine clothing that was a subtle blending of landed gentry, sporting attire, and bourgeois business wear produced in the tremendous wake of the Industrial Revolution. Secondly, aristocratic court clothing had not been constructed so much with a concern for fit as it had with concerns for decoration, fabric, and color. But when the shift away from ornamentation and ostentation began to occur, fit became the criterion of dress for men. We take it for granted today, but the idea of "fit" as a criterion for men's clothes is a fairly recent one. It is an idea calling for great skill in execution.

The English tailor was trained to use woolen cloth, and over years of experimentation and practice he developed techniques for "molding" the cloth close to the body without exactly duplicating the true form of the wearer. In short, the tailor could now actually develop a new aesthetic of dress: he could mimic the real body, while at the same time "improving" and idealizing it! It was no longer a question of voluminous yards of flowing silken brocade. Men became "gentlemen" (itself a 19th century term) and frowned upon gaudy display in favor of discretion, simplicity, and the perfection of cut. It was, in terms of fashion, the culmination of that radical turn taken in mid-17th century: the Modern had finally arrived! And the Modern was the tailor's art.

There have been tremendous innovations in these past hundred years in fashion and the art of tailoring: sewing machines now do the work on straight seams better than could be done by hand; new fabric technology has history produced more comfortable cloths; fashions have adapted to more leisurely, climate-controlled lifestyles. But tailoring is still, and likely to remain so, an art. It has not been brought down to the level of a science. The tailor still believes in making personalized clothing, statements of fashion for the individual, as he always has done.

Even since the invention of ready-made, cheaply-produced clothes in the middle of the last century, the demise of the tailor has been predicted. Like the panda and the whooping crane, it has been said, the march of modern life is against him. Mega-international corporations seem to own everything, calculatedly obsolete gimmickry)· abounds, and Coca-Cola now sells clothing as well as soft drinks by the millions of units. But craftsmen have indeed managed to survive in this age of the mass-produced and quickly thrown away, even to prosper. There is still a clear need for the uniquely personal and individual in our lives. In this age of the shoddy and the quick, the vulgar and the mass-consumed, tailors can still be counted on to champion uniqueness and quality. It is the hallmark of their tradition.

Today, skilled tailors can be found in Rome as well as Richmond, VA, Paris and Pittsburgh, Hong Kong, Kansas City, Rio and Dallas -- as well of course as Milan, London, and New York They are the fitters and pattern drafters, the stitchers of the handmade buttonholes, the cutters of the fine worsted and cashmere and heathery tweed. And they are all standing in the long shadow of tradition and craftsmanship that is the art of tailoring.

E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

Dressing For Success

DRESSING FOR YOUR NEXT POSITION

Power dressing means looking ahead, knowing the path you want to take, and preparing yourself for it in every way. You wouldn’t expect to be hired for a job and then acquire the skills necessary to do it. The same is true for your look: The higher you rise, the more subtle the cues. No one is going to run the risk of “We’ll see if he’s up to it or ends up looking the part.” You have to look and act your future now. Dress for tomorrow. Act as though you’ve already reached your goals and you’re halfway there.
HOW TO LOOK MORE

Professional : Wear a suit. If you already wear a suit, upgrade your suit-better fabric, better tailoring Choose details that instantly signal polish and decorum, such as sleek high heels, a crisp, collared shirt, or pearls. Other symbols of corporate credibility:
Dark colors and immaculate grooming, and anything that suggests utter organization,

Responsible/Reliable: Make sure every detail is attended to.
Have a great haircut. Get a manicure. Organize the elements in your handbag. Have your shoes polished.

Management-worthy : Good management is a balance between approachability and authority. Cultivate a refined mix of the two styles by giving a laid-back look a single splash of authority. For a softer corporate look., wear a suede jacket with a pencil skirt and high heels. Or choose a relaxed beige suit-khakis with a sleek suit jacket.

Independent : Take a risk. Deviate from the norm. If your colleagues are stuck in a middle-of-the-road business appropriate rut, wear a suit. Wear it with a colorful blouse. If you’re surrounded by suits, wear your with a denim shirt. Or red stilettos. If you wear glasses, choose frames that express your style. If you don’t wear glasses, consider getting a pair as a fashion statement.

Open : Unbutton your shirt collar a little.Don’t lacquer every hair in place with spray. Try a sweater set in place of a suit jacket.
Every once meaning or a pair of feminine sling backs.

Creative : Express a little personal style. Wear a scarf in your hair. Test drive the latest trendy shoes. Try the season’s key-lime green, gypsy purple. Wear a necklace, bracelet, or earrings that you love. Tamper with the corporate dress code.

Authoritative : Upgrade your suits. Upgrade your shoes, your handbag, and your coat-fine fabric and expert handwork indicate serious business. Wear details that signal power and command, such as pinstripes or the color red. Invest in a high-quality, signature accessory, like a Hermes scarf or a designer handbag.


We Remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

How To Dress Smart For The New Workplace

Your Investment Strategy

SHOP SMART BUY LESS, BUY BETTER
This step in the wardrobe building process is important: Clothes take up real estate. And salary. The key is to buy less, better ,and buy clothes that will work together. Filling your closet with well-chosen, good quality, versatile pieces will enable you to “work” your wardrobe by mixing and remixing.
The result: Endless combinations that don’t require an endless supply of clothes.
Buy the best you can afford on your budget. You’ll go home with fewer items, but they will be of better quality. This is especially important when purchasing items worn every day-coats, shoes handbags-the better the quality, the bigger your return will be. In general:
• Clothes in season less fabrics are the best investment. They can be worn most of the year, and pack well. The best are lightweight knits.
• Don’t buy the color of the moment if it makes your face look drab or your body bulky. Wear it as an accent strategically placed.
• If a color gives you a glow, and makes you smile with approval, incorporate it into your wardrobe mix. Not only will you feel best wearing it, it will become a mark of your personal style.
• One very good quality item can upgrade almost any outfit.
• When you find a brand that suits you, in the future.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD A WARDROBE• It takes time.
• It takes focus.
• It takes Patience.
• It takes work.
• It takes restraint.
• It takes self-knowledge.
• It takes a budget.
• It takes boldness.
• It takes enterprise.
• It takes commitment.

Shop Smart
The goal: To broaden your closet with wardrobe enhancers (well-chosen items that go with other clothes in your closet and expand their possibilities immeasurably). Among the enhancers of choice: A smattering of shirt and blouses (to go under jackets and spruce up skirts), sweater sets and other bright knits, and tailored separates that take the pressure off the single suit that helped you soar through your early years with flying colors .
How to Buy a Work Outfit

SHOP SMART: THE JACKET
A jacket is professional in appearance and pulls and outfit together. It is also a good way to add color, pattern, or texture to your wardrobe mix. Shop for jackets that complement your suit bottoms. This will give your wardrobe more mileage. If in doubt about mixing things up, a safe bet is to wear all black as a base.
Black = Sophisticated, urban. It’s the most versatile.
Navy = Classic but difficult to match with other shades of navy.
Gray = Serious business.
Beige = Sleek, skillful, and friendly.
Red = powerful.
Fabric:
Year round: Lightweight wool, worsted wool, and wool crepe.
Summer: Cotton blends, seersucker, featherweight wool, linen blends.
Fall and winter: Wool, wool blends, cashmere, corduroy, gabardine, tweed, suede, velvet.
Pattern: Solid, pinstripe, plaid, tweed, houndstooth.

SHOP SMART: SHIRTS
A change of shirt will change your look. Your closet should contain about at least five tops. Be sure to buy colors or patterns that complement on their own.
• Shirt sleeves should hit the base of the thumb, and extend about a half an inch beyond the sleeve of the jacket.
• There should be enough room in sleeves so you can move your arms comfortably, but not too much that sleeves get bunched up when worn with suit jacket.
• When buttoned up, you should be able to breathe comfortably and there should be no hint of your undergarments or nipples.
• Straight hem: Can be worn untucked in casual environment.
• Fitted: Crisp and clean, feminine style.

• Rounded collar: Delicate, traditional.
• Spread collar: Best worn outside jacket for splash of style.
• Button-down collar: Man-inspired, down-to-business, sporty.
• Collarless: Creative, independent.
Color.
Cream = Sophisticated, feminine, approachable.
White = Crisp, classic, down-to-business; wardrobe basic.
Black = Sharp, powerful, assertive.
Monochromatic = Clean, contemporary, elegant.
Fabric: Those with stretch add comfort.
• Cotton: Clean, crisp.
• Silk: Formal, conservative, dressy.
• Jersey: Easy upkeep, comfortable.

SHOP SMART: KNIT TOPS
Knits can introduce color and texture, and when worn as a sweater set provide a feminine alternative to a suit jacket. The lighter the weight the more sophisticated the knit, but beware of sheerness, which is never right in the workplace.
Quality is determined by how pure the yarn is and how tighter the knit, the higher the gauge. A one-ply sweater will be a lighter weight, but tighter-knit than a two-ply sweater. An eight-ply knit is very heavy and loosely knit, and more sporty than a one- or two-ply knit. The lighter the weight, the more likely a knit is to shrink, so dry-clean only. Lighter shades take less dye so softer in feel than draker colors, which use stronger dye.
Fit: Should be fitted, but not tight; too baggy can look sloppy.
• Everything about a turtleneck depends on its fit. Anything oversized or baggy is too casual for the office.
Texture:
• One-ply cashmere is light and more versatile than thicker plies.
• A flat knit is dressier and more versatile than a ribbed one. Worn under a suit jacket, however, the ribbed knit creates a tailored, sporty look.
Fabrics: A top quality merino wool or cotton knit is superior to a poor quality cashmere, which will easily pill and droop.
Color: A sweater is a perfect way to add a dash of color to a neutral suit, whether the season’s trendy shade or one that has always suited you.
Smart Options:
Twinset = Classic, feminine.
The black turtleneck = Edgy, urban. Has attitude.
V-neck = Preppy, casual.

SHOP SMART: SKIRTS
A straight, black, knee-length skirt in lightweight wool a clean waist-no belt loops-is acceptable in even the most conservative settings. It is slimming, can easily mix with other wardrobe items, and can dress up or down.
Fit:
• A slender heel keeps a knee-length skirt from looking overly sensible .
• A fuller skirt looks best with a fitted top and flatters most body types .
• Straight = To the point, classic, smart.
• A-line = Sensible, friendly.
• Bias-cut = Dressy, sexy.
• Pleated = Youthful, flirty.
Fabric: Should not be heavy or stiff but have a soft drape.
• Lightweight wool: Seasonless, versatile, can be paired with any other teture.
• Jersey: Lightweight stretch fabric best for spring, summer, and early fall.
• Cotton : Ideal for spring, summer, and early fall.
• Silk: A more dressed-up look, appropriate for spring and fall.
• Knit: least versatile option . Both light and heavier weaves are acceptable. Best to purchase with a matching top.

SHOP SMART: PANTS
Fit: Use a three-way mirror. If you have a panty line, invest in a thong. Try on panty with the shoes you plan to wear with them to ensure they break softly no top of your shoes. If you are short, avoid visually. Avoid pants that tug against tummy or things-try a cut with pleats, a fuller leg, or fabric that drapes. If a waistband is casing waist, avoid belts, or wear with tops that are just loose enough to camouflage. Pockets should not pull. Tailors can remove troublesome or visible pockets. Fabric should drape smoothly over the hips to the floor, without pulling or bagging. A fabric that has stretch can make pants more comfortable, fit the body bet

We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

Tailored Clothing For Smart Dresser

Tailored Clothing For Smart Dresser
LAWS OF DRESSING
1. You don’t have to spend a lot on clothes to look like you’ve spent a lot.
2. Dark color will always look more authoritative.
3. Classics are classics for a reason.
4. Dressing appropriately is like having good manners.
5. A tie should always be tied and in place, not worn half mast.
6. Nobody sees the label.
7. Quality is more important than quantity.
8. When in doubt, wear navy or Grey.
9. Clothes don’t make the man. (Though they can fake the man.)

TIPS OF SMART SHOPPING
1. Dress appropriately for the stores you will be shopping in.
2. Wear a white dress shirt, dress socks, and the shoes you would wear for the outfit.
3. Always try things on.
4. Always look in the mirror , preferably a there-way mirror
5. If it doesn’t look good in the store, it won’t look good at home.
6. There’s nothing with the lights in the store.
7. When something is on sale, don’t buy it unless you would have bought it at full price if you could have afforded it.
8. Something that’s a little big can be tailored to fit. Something that’s tight will only get tighter.
9. Shoes don’t stretch.
10. The salesperson is supposed to tell you it looks great on you.

DEADLY SINS
1. Jackets that are too tight in the shoulders, snug in the waist, and won’t button make you look like a trussed turkey.
2. Wear socks to the office, unless you work at the beach.
3. Just because it looked good on you ten years ago, doesn’t mean it still does.
4. Until you see the animals lining up in toes, don’t have your pants tailored too short. They should have a break. Don’t let your jacket be too short, your bottom line should never be visible.
5. Belt are to hold up your pants not some sort of technology tool holder. Pagers, phones and other digital elements belong in jacket pockets.
6. Pants that are too baggy look silly and pants that are too tight just look uncomfortable.
7. Wearing suspenders and a belt is redundant and redundant.
8. You will look like a squeezed tube of toothpaste if your shirt is too tight in the collar.
9. Hoods on overcoats.
10. If you have to ask if it goes together, it probably doesn’t.

Strategic Dressing

WHO LOOKS PROFESSIONAL AND WHAT ARE THEY WEARING?
One of the basic rules of office attire is: Dress for the job you want to have, not the job you have. So look around. Who has that job now? And how does he dress for that job? Now, who does he work for and so on.
Every office or corporation has a dress code. Learning to read yours properly is a major step toward getting ahead.

ALL DRESSED UP AND SOMEWHERE TO GO
Once you have cracked the office dress code, you have to consider what to wear for different professional occasions and situations. What may be appropriate for a morning meeting might not work for a business lunch or for a presentation. Begin by asking yourself what message you want to send and then find the appropriate clothes in your closet. Here a few different scenarios:

Leading a meeting Obviously what you’re after here is authority, and nothing says authority like a suit. After all, there’s reason why when people refer to management they call them “suits” Since, in many offices, men remove their jackets while working, pay attention to the shirt you’re wearing: Make sure it’s crisp and clean.

Giving a presentation When giving a presentation, you clearly want to have authority and draw attention to yourself. The key here is not to draw so much attention that you take away from the presentation.
Once again, a suit is called for with a shirt and tie. And here is how you draw attention to yourself: With the tie. Without being too ostentations or visually distracting, the shirt-and-tie combination should reflect power. Perhaps a shirt with French cuffs and a woven tie?

Client lunch It is, of course, most important to come across as professional, but you must also be able to read the culture of the culture of the person you are meeting. Do they wear suits? Sport jacket? What about ties? The goal here is to be yourself but, at the client by dressing more formally than they do; rather, show them the proper respect by dressing up more than you normally do if their corporate culture is more formal than yours.

Job review This is just like a job interview so look your best. If you normally wear a suit to office, do so now. If you don’t usually wear one, doing so will only make you look stiff and feel uncomfortable. In that case, you should still dress up: Wear a sport jacket and tie. Show that you care, but don’t look at thought you’re trying too hard.

Boss wants to have drinks First of all, relax. It’s only good. If you wear in trouble, you would go to boss, the boss, the boss wouldn’t come to you. That said, look sharp. Yes, it’s a social to show your personally. In other words, wear a tie that the boss might admire. Or a unique pair of cuff inks that might spark a conversation. And don’t drink too much.



From – Dress Smart for Men

We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

How To Choose A Good Custom Tailor

God made man.
A Tailor makes a gentleman- anon.

Working in an office every day with a virtual who's who in the business world affords me the opportunity to see a lot of designer clothing labels. Time and again I see young executives, up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and even established movers-and-shakers waltz in with today's most prestigious designer brands. Before I educated myself and learned what to look for in a well-tailored garment, I must admit that I was awestruck. A top-shelf suit, not unlike a Rolls Royce or a Bentley, is often construed as a status symbol- a testament to one's level of success and achievement. But no matter how expensive the fabric may be, or what the label on the inside says, if a suit's not tailored properly you may as well wear it to wash the family car. The key ingredient to an appropriately personalized garment is a good tailor.

We've all been to the larger department and men's specialty stores that promise to have you looking your best in minutes, thereby making you a life-long customer. More often than not the salesman has a predetermined idea of your size, and will ask you to try a size that reinforces his conclusion. Before you know it the jacket is off the hanger, on your shoulders and you're wearing a garment that is literally swimming on you. Sound familiar? You know this suit doesn't look or feel right but your sales associate not so subtly reassures you that "all that extra fabric can be taken in here and there", and "don't worry about a thing". Personally I'm uncomfortable with this degree of guesswork and would like a more precise fit from the get-go. Sometimes the best alteration is no alteration. People today are busier than ever before, and men supposedly don't like to shop anyway. This heightens the temptation to buy an ill-fitting suit quickly because a supposed seasoned professional says it looks good on you. Instead I advise to take your time shopping for a suit- be thorough in examining all the garments that appeal to you in stores in your area. Be sure to include at least one well-recommended local tailor in your search. Making your final selection doesn't have to consume an entire day, but allow at least two or three hours to do the job properly. After all, if you didn't care about your appearance you wouldn't be buying a suit in the first place, so why rush something that is so critical to your personal presentation and how others perceive you?

In your hunt for that master clothing craftsman you should keep a few things in mind. First- do your homework. Finding the right tailor can be a formidable task if you don't know how to look or what to look for. There's a wealth of information on the subject on the Internet, in books and magazines. Begin by searching the GQ or Esquire online archives; many articles on tailoring have been written in these two magazines in recent years. Log on to www.StyleForum.net, www.SuitYourself.com, or www.AskAndyAboutClothes.com. Don't be afraid to ask advice on purchasing tailored clothing at any of these sites. Many of the gentlemen who congregate there are seasoned suit buyers, and are only too happy to assist you. Many excellent books also exist on the subject- Bruce Boyer's Eminently Suitable and Elegance, Bernhard Roetzel's Gentleman, and Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style, and Alan Flusser's Style and the Man, and Dressing the Man. For the most comprehensive listing of tailors and specialty stores with great in-house tailors, pick up The Men's Clothing Guide by Steve Brinkman, or check his web site at www.MensSpecialtyRetail.com.

A truly competent tailor should interview you, rather than the other way around. He should ask you questions about your lifestyle and what sort of person you are. What career have you chosen and what are your short- and long-term goals? What kind of office environment do you work in, with what sort of dress code? What image do you wish to project about yourself- today and in the future? A tailor worthy of your trust should ask these questions because he or she should be more interested in you, and working together to achieve a style that works for you, than the size of your wallet. Finally, a prospective tailor should determine if it's really necessary to make you a true custom garment. Are you difficult to fit? Can he make some minor alterations through a vendor's made-to-measure program before suggesting the time and expense of true custom? If you've agreed that money is no object, then your tailor is free to work with you on selecting fabric, cut, and style that will make your clothing a true work of art that will stand the test of time. In reality most men, even if they're difficult to fit, can buy off-the-rack or made-to-measure tailored clothing. Few men are candidates for the rarified air of the $3,000 and up custom suit, but it is the ultimate expression of personal style.


In The Men's Clothing Guide Steve Brinkman raves about the service he received at a tailor in Fairfield, CT. Mr. Brinkman reports that this establishment was the only store of over 1300 he visited that took the time to press his shirt and suit while also dispensing invaluable advice about style, fit, and what worked best with his body type and occupation. Before I ventured into this store for the first time, I had fallen prey to the department store routine, buying one ill-fitting suit after another. Few things can deflate an ego faster than a co-worker or loved one telling you that your new suit is beautiful, but it looks a little big on you. Such was not the case at this tailors who asked all the questions outlined above before even allowing me to try on a garment. Then he took a tremendous amount of time with me to make certain that the fit of my suit was perfect both for my physique, hair and eye color, and my complexion. He also made sure the suit I selected was a good fit for my budget and my lifestyle. In contrast, department store salespeople rarely took the time to explain anything to me and always seemed more interested in closing the deal than making sure I looked my best. From my perspective the problem with the larger department stores is the lack of intimacy, the salesman see so many people on any given day, that's its difficult to remember a specific individual. You're likely to be remembered as "the 46 regular I sold last month", rather than by your first and last name.

When interacting with your tailor, try to keep an open mind. Sometimes we like to remember ourselves as being a size 42 when in fact time and Mother Nature have subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) changed our dimensions. A good tailor will point such matters out to you, never to offend or humiliate, but to be certain that your suit is tailored to your body type, and not the other way around. You're not fooling anyone but yourself trying to fit into the same size you wore to your wedding! A proficient tailor will make you look two inches taller and twenty pounds lighter. In the end you're the boss, but keep in mind your tailor has much more experience in the sartorial arts. Have fun with the process, but if you go into it with a negative attitude, that's what you'll get out of it. And who knows, you may learn something new about yourself. Maybe your tailor will suggest a new color that really makes you shine or perhaps a particular pattern or weave that's just the kick that your wardrobe needed. Your tailor will be able to point you in the right direction.

I hope that I've been able to shed a little light on the subject of selecting a good tailor. If you take away nothing else from this article, I implore you to remember that designer names and labels can be wonderful, and many are certainly synonymous with the highest quality craftsmanship. But what would a Rolls Royce be without the hand finishing and painstaking attention to detail? The same thing an expensive designer suit would be without a skilled craftsman tailoring it to your body- a bad investment.

We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com