No two Gents are built the same way. And, once upon a time, all clothing was custom-made, to deal with that. But in recent years most of us have bought mass-produced products, maybe only opting for a suit or two to be custom-tailored. But technology (and consumer demand) have brought back the tradition of custom-made clothing into the mainstream, and Gents should know what options they have out there (and it’s not just suits!).
Suits
Indochino
Okay, while we aren’t only going to talk about suits we should start with them. Indochino began life as a startup in 2015 focused on tailored suits, but has become a recognized go-to for menswear essentials.
They have in-person show rooms which you can go to in order to get fitted (or adjusted, after your order arrives) or you can follow the detailed videos on their website to get the proper measurements.
They offer free shipping on orders over $150 and promise 3-4 week delivery once you’ve placed your order.
Dress Shirts
Woodies
Woodies started life in 2014 on Kickstarter. They originally asked for a few people to give them $10,000 to get going: they ended up getting almost 300 supporters and $40,000. While they started with dress shirts, they now also make flannels, chinos, and chino shorts. They have a particular focus on performance fabrics that:
- repel stains
- wick moisture
- resist wrinkles
Their newest offering? Bomber jackets (and yes, they are back on Kickstarter…if it ain’t broke)
Apposta
If you really enjoy and appreciate lots and lots of choice, Italian dress shirt maker Apposta is perfect for you. You can pick:
- color
- pattern
- weave
- fabric producer (yes, seriously)
- materials
Those materials can start at $78 and go all the way up to $956, so there’s something for everyone. And you get that “made in Italy” cachet.
T-shirts
Son of a Tailor
T-shirts are worn more than any other outergarment, but that’s probably why it was the most neglected. Danish company Son of a Tailor, like Woodies, founded in 2014, set out to change that.
Their watchwords are: fit, quality, and sustainability. By making sure that each t-shirt is custom-made, they cut down on waste. Each t-shirt is made by one person and one person only. The fabric is high-grade 100% cotton known to be exceptionally soft and to keep its shape and color after washes.
Even better? Their custom algorithm only needs your height, weight, age, and shoe size. Check them out here.
Socks
Nice Laundry
Lest you think we are going overboard, there isn’t a custom-tailored sock company…yet. Socks are actually one of those pieces of clothing that fit everyone fairly well.
Sock manufacturer Nice Laundry is more about letting you add a personal touch to your socks, specifically, monograms. Details do matter. If you’re just looking to refresh your collection, you can pay $99 and handpick the 10 socks you’d like to add.
Nice Laundry offers free shipping on all US orders and also has underwear and loungewear among their offerings. They also have a passion for sustainability and offer a prepaid recycling shipping label with every order they send out. Simply send them your old socks and/or underwear in the packaging they sent you and they will take care of the rest.
Once you’ve worn quality clothing that was made specifically to fit your body, it’s hard to go back to off-the-rack. It’s a great time to leverage the technology and the offerings in the marketplace to try that feeling out for yourself.
Do you have any custom-tailored clothing? Let us know about it in the comments!
