How much does a custom-made suit cost?

How much does a custom-made suit cost? In the past, tailors have served the wealthiest clients. As time passes by more men have experienced the luxury, comfort, and sharpness that is offered by hand-tailored suits. Trust me there’s no better way to enhance your brand awareness. Nothing speaks louder about professionalism and success like a proper cut and fit tailored suit. Because of this, serious gentlemen do not take their looks lightly. So, it’s reasonable to think that you will get the best return on your investment in custom-made suits.

 

Whether you’re interested in a quality business suit or if you’re looking for a dazzling tuxedo for a special evening, how can you be sure you are getting the best of the bargain? Commonly speaking, business outfits and wedding events are the most usual request for custom-made clothing. Now, let me tell you something, you could spend time going from tailor to tailor to get this information, but I know, that really isn’t practical, is it? It’s way too time-consuming. The easy way? Take advantage of our experience in the custom tailoring industry. Follow these dependable guidelines for gouging price vs. quality for custom-tailored suits. Here’s how to make sure your dream matches reality so that you can truly understand what really drives the price of tailored suits.

 

Key characteristics of custom-tailored suits that drive their overall price:

 

• Individually handmade (not mass-produced)
• Tailors spend time with you to take your measurements and offer professional advice.
• Exclusive, quality fabrics, which are bought and stocked in small quantities
• Each garment is individually shipped (not in bulk).
• Highly-skilled master tailors construct each suit properly. 

 

Better quality suits will be half or fully canvassed and hand-stitched. Given these intricate details and costs, it’s surprising the final price of a custom-tailored suit is affordable and typically, less expensive than most of the big-name suiting brands. A custom-tailored suit’s cost depends on three main points:

 

1. Where the suits are made

There’s usually no need to worry if the tailor makes his or her suits in Asia (Bangkok, Singapore, etc.)These countries have well-developed tailoring industries. However, there is a big difference between Asian suits for local markets and Asian suits for export markets.

 

Tailors local to Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong generally use cheaper materials, while a local brick-and-mortar tailor who imports from Asia usually opts for higher-quality. If the suits are made elsewhere, especially in Australia, the US, Canada, UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, or Japan, you can expect the tailoring costs to be higher due to the high cost of labor in these markets.

 

2. How the tailor’s business is structured

As with any business, the structure of the operation affects its overheads and costs.

 

Some tailors buy and stock their material, while others operate a shopfront and outsource their work to overseas tailors.

 

So, always ask if they buy their fabrics. If they do, you can depend on them to know what they are doing, and they should be able to pass their cost savings of buying in bulk on to you.

 

3.  The quality of fabric you select

As most custom clothiers use the same tailor for all their suits, price differences depend on the quality of the suit fabric you select. A good quality Super 110s is always cheaper than the luxurious Super 150s. Expect to pay as much as double the price once you start purchasing fabrics in the super range. So, what does this boil down to? How much should a good quality custom-tailored suit cost you? Well, if you can believe it, it’s about the same as a regular priced off-the-rack suit:

 

• $500 to $800 range: Good quality
• $800 to $1,200 range: Very good quality
• Above $1,200: Exceptional quality

 

But like off-the-rack garments, unless you’re buying Super 150s and above, you could be paying for the brand name alone.

 

4 ways to get custom tailored suits

When considering how much you’re willing to pay for your next suit keep these pros and cons in mind:

 

1. Buy local: brick and mortar tailors

These tailors have a local showroom.

 

They stock suit samples and fabric swatches and offer a customized and immersive store experience.

 

They may manufacture locally or outsource overseas, but if they do outsource, they usually use export quality fabrics.

 

 

 

Summary

 

• Deal face-to-face with a professional tailor, not a salesperson
• Style advice included
• Extensive fabric ranges
• Local support for any type of problem
• Sample garments available for your perusal
• Professional measurements so you can get fit guarantees
• Measurements on file that makes everyone’s life easier
• Alterations included in the price
• Typically, superior half-canvassed construction
• Fair pricing (ask for special deals)

 

2. Buy from a fly-in tailor

These tailors do not have a local showroom, but instead, fly in occasionally and book a hotel room for a couple of days.

 

They stock suit samples and fabric swatches but offer limited support.

 

They manufacture entirely overseas in areas like Singapore, Bangkok, or Hong Kong.

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

• Reasonably good quality and fit
• Extensive fabric ranges
• Professionals take every measurement
• The finished suit needs steaming and pressing (you pay for this)
• After-sales support can be lacking
• Only available a few times a year
• Likely to be of inferior fused construction; uses cheaper fabrics from the local Asian market (not export quality)
• Fair pricing (ask about specials). Beware of the suits that seem too cheap. Often fly-in tailors are not honest about suit construction and fabric

 

3. Buying from an online tailor

These tailors have online websites but no physical locations.

 

You cannot see suit samples and fabric swatches and there’s often limited support.

 

They are generally manufactured entirely overseas, usually in Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and some other regions in China.

 

 

 

Summary

How much is a custom suit?

 

• Reasonably good quality, but check the construction and fabric
• Measurements on file so re-ordering is easy that’s a plus
• The big risk of poor fit (because no professional is taking the measurements)
• Difficult to know exactly what you’re getting from just photos off the Internet
• No style advice
• Complicated alterations policies (you pay first, then try and claim back from a faceless business)
• After-sales support can be lacking
• Likely to be of inferior fused construction due to using cheaper fabrics from the local Asian market (not export quality)
• The suit needs pressing and steaming (costing you more)

 

This may turn out to be a cheap option but does indeed have quality issues. Does the suit seem too cheap to be true? It probably is, because online tailors may not tell the truth about suit construction and fabric.

 

4. Buy when traveling overseas (Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong (i.e. China)

Most of these tailors have overseas shops only.

 

You do get to see suit samples and fabric swatches, but there’s no customer support once you leave.

 

They manufacture entirely overseas using cheaper fabrics from the local Asian market (not export quality).

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

• Suits made in the local Asian market are generally of poor quality because a quality suit takes more than a couple of days.
• After-sales support is non-existent
• Likely to be of inferior fused construction using cheaper fabrics from the local Asian market (not export quality)

 

While this is a cheap option, beware of overly cheap suits. Often, overseas tailors tell you “white lies” about suit construction and fabric. After all, they’re not likely to see you again!

 

What if I just want a jacket?

 

Fortunately, you don’t have to buy a complete suit; most custom tailors offer the option to purchase a blazer, dinner jacket, or sport coat. Thus, if you select this option, expect to pay about two-thirds of the full suite cost just for the jacket. As you can see, there’s more to buying a custom suit than meets the eye. Fortunately for you, at Tillman Style, we’ve done the research.

 

Our staff of master tailors guides you through every step of the process from picking a complimentary design to choosing fabric to tweak the finished garment for a glove-like fit. We offer world-class customer service as our goal is to establish a long-term relationship with you. Schedule your no-obligation styling session today and start to experience the luxury and comfort that used to be only for the wealthiest men. Don’t you deserve it?