A Corduroy Suit: Made to Measure by Alexandra Wood Bespoke

I've featured corduroy here on the blog a few times over the years. I wear it a lot, trousers in particular, but have long wanted a corduroy suit. A collaboration with Alexandra Wood Bespoke has at last made this possible and I'm now the owner of a navy blue suit.

Alexandra Wood made to measure corduroy suit

Alex recently expanded her tailoring business from her Bishops Stortford store and last year opened in Shoreditch. She also sees clients in Savile Row and is responsible for the dapper suits of Rory Bremner and Labour MP, Chukka Umunna. She offers made to measure and bespoke services (there's a tailor based at her shop in Cheshire Street, Shoreditch). It was here that I met her to be measured for my suit.

Alex had originally suggested a wool suit, but was more than happy to accommodate my request for a made to measure corduroy creation. She loves making clothes for men and I totally agree with her view that dressing well is the best way for a man to make himself attractive and sexy. Somehow it's very gratifying being told that you look great in your new suit by a woman tailor; the message doesn't quite have the impact when it comes from a man.

I selected a navy blue corduroy cloth from Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, an attractive two-tone lining in a blue/red and, as I usually do, real horn buttons. Some weeks later I saw Alex again for a fitting and, a few tweaks later, the suit was mine. 

I love wearing corduroy because it's fundamentally casual in nature. It's a cloth with a relaxed feel to it and adopts an attractive character as it's worn in. This makes it it ideal for the relatively new concept of what I call a 'casual suit': the suit you can wear with or without a tie for less formal use.

As a made to measure suit, it was made from a pattern (block) which was adapted to fit my measurements. I asked Alex to make the shoulders fairly soft - not too padded - and that is what I got. I selected details like the number and type of buttons and pockets, the colour of the lining and the cut and length of coat and trousers. The trousers are on the slim side, but dimensions like the width of the leg are all adjustable to the wishes of the customer and fuller trouser legs can be cut if needed. The corduroy is soft and comfortable and a beautiful deep blue colour. 

A made to measure suit represents excellent value in terms of pounds spent to quality of fit.  Prices usually start at little more than good quality off-the-peg suit but the fit will be far better. My suit would cost you £1500. A bespoke suit (where the process would be much more time consuming, with more measurements and fittings, some hand stitching and a greater choice of details resulting in a perfect fit), would cost around £3,000.

Alex offers not only tailoring services but a selection of stylish ready-to-wear products. See her website here.

This was a collaboration with Alexandra Wood. I am working with Alex on her spring/summer collection and look forward to introducing you to that soon.

Artefact London: Made-to-Measure Tailoring

Artefact London is a relative newcomer to the tailoring scene, but judging from the suit they've just made for me, they've hit the ground running. Founded by young entrepreneur, Tatyana Kozhevnikova, whose enthusiasm for tailoring is infectious, Artefact London focuses unashamedly on made to measure (MTM), as opposed to bespoke tailoring. The thinking behind this boils down to a balance between value for money and the quality and fit of the final product.

The completed suit from Artefact London

So great is Tatyana's belief that MTM represents good value, that she offered to make me a lightweight wool suit, confident that I would be very happy with the result - and I have to report that I am. She is very clear and honest about the key differences between MTM and bespoke, pointing out that the "pattern [was] made on a computer and laser cut...buttonholes [were] machine stitched and the floating canvas made with help of a machine, but shaped and attached by hand". A bespoke suit may have more hand stitching and more time would be spent on fittings and detail, but she points out that this additional care comes at a cost and argues that an excellent MTM suit can be made at a fraction of the cost of bespoke.

One of the most important aspects of having a suit made is how well the tailor works with the client, interpreting and gently guiding their wishes and expectations. Tatyana is excellent at this and long discussions ended up with a suit that precisely echoes my aims, but included a number of suggestions from her.

The system is flexible enough to allow multiple and often minute changes to the block, allowing the client almost exactly what they requite in terms of fit, shape and design. I asked for roped shoulders, a slightly fuller cut to the trousers and a double-breasted coat. All were delivered as I expected,

In measuring a client, Tatyana tells me, she will "look at your posture: stooping, erect or leaning forward, do you have a curve to your back or perhaps a dropped shoulder, or prominent blades? I look at the position of your arms relative to your body to eliminate any creasing around the bicep area. These are all the things that you cannot gauge with linear measurements, but will have a great impact on the fit".

Images Paul Harries

My conclusion? The suit is excellent and I'm more than happy with it - it fitted well with out any alterations. A similar suit made bespoke might cost four or five times as much. To anyone aware of the details of tailoring, the additional little touches and flourishes of a fully bespoke suit would be important enough to merit the extra cost and care. However, it would take an experienced eye to be able to see the difference between a well-made MTM suit and a bespoke one.

The pure bespoke experience is one that I'll treasure and everyone who can afford one should try it at least once. However, in terms of pure value for money (so unromantic I know) the well-made MTM suit is hard to beat. The fitting process revolves around a pre-existing block (rather than a bespoke pattern) and CAD is used to create the pattern. There is much more flexibility in the MTM process than I'd expected and it was possible to include all the little touches I wanted in the suit in terms of details like cut, lapel shape, button configuration and so on.

Having a knowledgeable and enthusiastic tailor who can guide the client as well as Tatyana does helps the process along and I'd recommend that you try Artefact London, who are based in New Bond Street, London, studio to discuss your needs.

Cloth light tan Prince of Wales check from Holland & Sherry's Cool*Breeze range in pure wool worsted. Prices from £960 for a two-piece suit. Shirts, overcoats, morning and evening wear also available.

The suit was provided for this review by Artefact London. I received no financial compensation for this review. All views expressed are my own unless otherwise stated.

Moss Bros Made to Measure - a linen suit for summer

Moss Bros have introduced a made to measure service, Tailor Me, which they've given me a chance to try. Guaranteeing a perfect fit, the process costs a mere £100 more than the base price of a suit (provided that base price is £200 or more). For those readers who ask me for reasonably priced tailoring, this is one to look at as it means that a made to measure suit could cost from around £300.

The range of fabrics for the service includes options from Cerruti, Zegna and Savoy Tailor’s Guild collections, as well as Moss Bros’ extensive collection of its own fabrics. Additionally there are a further 47 premium quality wool fabrics exclusive to Tailor Me. 

I wanted a summer suit, so selected a mid-blue linen cloth. As with all made to measure, the process starts with a standard fit suit which is altered to fit the customer. You can select from a basic skinny, tailored or regular fit and go on from there. I was able to choose the colour of the lining, cut of trousers and coat and details such as buttons, turn-ups, lapels, single or double-breasted and so on.

Once all the details and options have been confirmed, the suit is delivered 30 days later. In my case it all fitted when I picked it up and no further alteration was required.

Moss Bros see this as a contemporary take on the traditional made-to-measure service and intend to make it a 'flagship service', rediscovering some of the tailoring heritage of Moss Bros. See Moss Bros Tailor Me for more information.

I was not compensated for this post, however the suit was provided free of charge. All opinions are my own.

Hardy Amies: Grey Fox reviews their made to measure service

Hardy Amies is a name that echoes through the menswear world and has done so since the middle of the last century. From number 14 Savile Row Amies himself declared, "A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them." A comment that perfectly describes the art of dressing with style. Nowadays the Hardy Amies name is in new ownership, but the determination to allow men to dress with style is as strong as ever. 

I was recently invited to try Hardy Amies made to measure service (link below) and went through the very pleasurable process of being measured and fitted for a new suit. 

Discussing the detail while being measured for the suit

The made-to-measure suit is based on their Brinsley block; a regular suit pattern less slim than their Heddon block. However, this doesn't mean that you're restricted to a narrow range of choices in putting together your made to measure suit. You have over 200 British and Italian fine fabrics to select from, can choose double or single-breasted and have a say in other details such as collar shape, buttons, fullness of cut and so on. The guidance I received from Hardy Amies staff throughout the process was excellent; informed and helpful with knowledgable styling advice if required.

The first fitting - looking good

I selected a Dugdale (made in Yorkshire) dark blue pinstripe cloth, single-breasted with a longer coat, peak lapels (to be a little different), slightly fuller trousers with side adjusters, buttons for braces and turn-ups. All these choice are made at the initial measuring session. This is followed by one or two fittings at which the shape and style can be tweaked to arrive at the perfect fit. 

The first fitting: turn-ups or not? How long should the trousers be?

Made to measure suits cost from £995. For that I've ended up with a superb suit that feels stylish and comfortable to wear. This is a suit to put on and forget about; Hardy Amies himself would have approved. The service guarantees a beautifully made suit with a renowned pedigree at a fair price. See Hardy Amies Made to Measure for more information.

I was paid nothing for this post. This suit was made for me free of charge by Hardy Amies. All views expressed are my own.

Edit Suits Co: accessible made-to-measure tailoring

Edit Suits Co. are on a mission to make the made-to-measure suit more accessible. They are doing this by combining excellent customer service and quality fabrics with ease of use and reasonable prices. 

They made me a suit to enable me to test these claims. The process couldn't have been easier, as the tailor comes to your office or home. This may initially restrict the choice of cloths, but if this matters to you (it didn't to me; I had a good choice), you can visit them if you need to see an even larger range. Normally the suit will be completed after one or two fittings, but if more are needed, Edit will accommodate that.

The emphasis is on modern cuts and quality construction and materials and the client has very free input as to the style, cut and details. I wanted a fairly classic shape and selected an Italian fabric from Vitale Barberis Canonico which has exceeded my expectations, being crisp yet compliant and staying fresh even after train and car trips. The salt and pepper grey gives a good muted textural framework for a variety of shirts and tie colours and designs. 

I wanted a soft shoulder line with full canvas construction, a very slightly shorter than classic jacket and slimmer-cut trousers with turn-ups (I select turn-ups on the assumption that they can be got rid of at a later date if no longer required, whereas they can't be newly altered for later). 

I was hoping for a comfortable suit made from a forgiving cloth; and that is what I've got. Little details like initials embroidered above an inside pocket, a beautiful silk lining and well-made side waist adjusters make for a suit that's a pleasure to own and, at  a price of £599, is very competitive for made-to-measure using this quality of cloth. Prices vary between from £389 to from £979 depending on details and the quality of the cloth you select (they supply either their own house fabrics or from Ermenegildo Zegna, Dormeuil, Holland & Sherry and others). Once measured, the client's size, measurement and preferences remain on file for future orders.

Visit Edit Suits Co. to choose and order. I also had a shirt made and will talk about that in a future post.

Suede Oxford brogues: Cheaney for Mr Porter (no longer available)

Tie: Augustus Hare

Socks: Missoni

Fox tie pin: Vintage

Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt

Pocket square: Pheres, Italy

With thanks to Jonathan and Rai of Holdall & Co for taking the photos on a visit to IWM in London.