The $50,000 Suit

My first job out of college was managing the Made-to-Measure program at Ralph Lauren for the company’s United States fleet retail locations, approximately 55 locations in 2012 that housed the “bespoke” expression of the designer’s behemoth company.

Mr. Lauren was always an admirer of British textiles and a very natural finish. He detested fabrics that had luster or a white backing that washed out the design. This specific and critical view certainly created the world that until then only existed in his mind, but when you saw it, you knew right away that it was “Very Ralph”. His philosophy of textiles and aethestic was supported by his designers and production team that knew the small Italian, French, and British houses that could help Ralph’s dreams come to life.

In my role leading the Made-to-Measure Clothing division as a buyer and merchant, I had the rare opportunity to liase with boutique textile artisans

Dress for Your Success

A familiar mantra that always has been dolled out as failsafe advice because it always elicits results. The way you dress and carry yourself of course has an affect on people’s perception of you. It is quite shocking that strangers, dates, interviewers tend to make seemingly snap judgements of you, studies have shown anywhere from 7 seconds to as a little as 5 seconds from first interaction.

Not only do you only get one chance at a first impression, that opinion of you is at a lightning speed- a trait developed from the time of early human evolution, to quickly make judgements was imperative for our survival in all epochs of development.

These practices have not disappeared but have become underscored in so many facets of our human interaction. Those who realize that by taking into consideration the way they dress, they have unlocked a profound way to control their outward perception to others they come into contact with be it personal or professional. What exactly does “dressing for success” mean?

The secret to that question starts with the hypothetical imperative to tailored clothing that people often don’t realize. By Kantian definition, a hypothetical imperative is a goal that is "the practical necessity of a possible action as means to something else that is willed (or at least which one might possibly will)." To summarize, a rule of conduct that is understood to apply to an individual only if he or she desires a certain end and has chosen (willed) to act on that desire. When it comes to the professional setting, it would be easy to assume that a professional or executive wants to be perceived at the same level as their resume would suggest. Those who work hard (and work smart) want to be perceived as hard working and intelligent and when people are forming their opinions about you in 5 seconds or less- time is of the essence.

How can you get your clothing work to your advantages?

• Proportions & Fit

• Design and Style

• Invest In Premium Textiles

PROPORTIONS & FIT

Perception is Reality: In order of importance, your clothing proportions is truly the biggest secret to looking your best. Not only is it the first thing people will notice about you, it’s the first difference you’ll notice about yourself when things just fall into place. We manipulate and control these attributes by teleological means of length, circumference and posture of our client. While it is true that nobody is perfect, it is also true that “no body” is perfect but through a custom cut, we can account for everyone’s unique physique to make the perfect cut for the wearer- and really no one else.

INVEST PREMIUM TEXTILES ( & Yourself)

The fabric that comprises your garment is directly correlated to how often you’d want to wear your custom piece and the function that it has in wardrobe. Some fabrics are made to be worn hard, workhorses meant for heavy commutes, long hours and utility, while some fabrics are meant to be luxurious and soft, brining you a new life for a special occasion that will be cherished over a lifetime. The power is given to the client to decide the experience they want and the utility they require- however by investing in any premium Italian or English textiles, no matter the selection the textiles are the best in the world are meant to be donned over a lifetime saving you time replacing and more time enjoying.

DESIGN & STYLE

Dependent on what the intention of the custom piece, for the sake of professional or business wear, less is often more and you want to match the tone or aesthetic of your suit design to industry standards. With any of the premium textiles we offer, they are built to last which is why we always encourage classic and timeless style that will be suitable for this year’s wedding or a night out on the town 15 years from now- we believe in style that lasts for years, not for a fashion that is fickle.

Luxury Clothing, Sustainability, & The Vicious Dopamine Cycle

The Luxury apparel business has struggled to contain it’s wasteful practices in recent years as the consumer base becomes more aware of the negative impacts that fashion at large contributes to waste and excess which not only is harmful for our planet, but I would also say in harmful to our mindset.

What’s On the Inside Counts

Full canvas construction has always been the best, and correct way to make a tailored clothing jacket. First some sartorial anatomy.

The exterior fabric of your suit is connected to the interior lining. Unlike a shirt, a jacket has a foundation that the fabric attaches to by way of glue (fused) or threads against canvas, the best version being hand stitched threads.

Department store suits, while being incredibly affordable, are glued or fused, together. It’s just what is sounds like, hot glue suiting may be flattering for one wear, but one trip to the dry-cleaner will create immediate changes in the shape of a fused, or "hot glue” suit.

The better way a suit can be constructed is by using thread and before mentioned canvas. Suiting canvas is typically made of natural fibers like linen, cotton felt, and sometimes horsehair; all of these textiles are malleable when they interact with body heat. This creates a “living” garment that will actually wear better over time.

Half Canvas vs. Full Canvas

As we’ve identified that having a canvas suit is far better than the glue option, any cursory search will bring you to the half canvas vs. full canvas question. I’m going to let the cat out of the bag; there is absolutely never an occasion that a half canvas suit is better than a full canvas in any serious suiting conversation. The only beneficiary of a half canvas suit is the company that sells that construction as it less expensive than full canvas.

Automobile vernacular is an appropriate analogy here where half canvas would be a four cylinder and full canvas would be 8+ cylinder. It is called half because of how far the interior canvas extends down the front of the jacket; half usually extends to the middle or top button instead of extend to the bottom skirt as in full canvas construction.

The Red Herring that companies often present is to conflate canvas construction to lining style; don’t be fooled. Canvas construction is a completely separate conversation as you can have a fully canvassed suit jacket that is unlined, 1/2 lined of fully lined.

At Beyond Measure Custom, we take pride in our fabrics and textiles we use on the outside of all of our suits which is why we only create full canvas suiting for the ultimate engine and construction built to last for years and decades to come.