How to Identify a Well-Made Custom Suit - HARTTER | MANLY (2024)

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How to Identify a Well-Made Custom Suit - HARTTER | MANLY (1)

Suits are always going to be an investment. More often than not in menswear, you get what you pay for. Here, we’re going to talk a bit about what it is that makes a suit worth more. Ensure you are making a worthwhile investment by learning howto identify a quality, well-made suit.

In order to identify a suit’s quality, you need to look at all aspects of the suit, including the fabric, the proportions and cut, the lining and other aspects of the construction, and the tiny little details, like the buttonholes and the seams.

First, What’s It Made Of?

With a cheap suit, you are going to see polyester or blend fabrics which, if you ask us, is an immediate quality disqualifier. Most well made custom suits use only 100% wool. Beyond looking at the tag for the fabric composition, you can determine quality by feel as well. Pure wool feels softer and more flexible than a polyester or a polyester blended suit. Additionally, you will see a better drape over your body, and the fabric is more breathable. If the material is blended, look for predominantly wool composition with a satin or a cashmere blend. Avoid polyester! Satin and cashmere blends with wool are some of the highest quality fabrics on the market. The suit’s tag might identify where the yarn comes from. In that case, look for Italy, France, England, or the United States.

How to Identify a Well-Made Custom Suit - HARTTER | MANLY (2)

Second, How Is It Constructed?

Standard Suit Patterns

All suit-making requires patterns. Where that pattern comes from can be a good way to tell the quality of a suit. Ready-made patterns result in one-size-fits-all construction. A ready-made pattern means the suit will never fit you perfectly even if you take it to a tailor after purchasing. Suits you find atJoseph A. BankorMen’s Wearhouseall use the same pattern and will never have a perfect fit.

Custom Suit Patterns

High quality, well-made custom suits are bespoke or made-to-measure. If you want the bespoke look but don’t want to break the bank, consider our hybrid MTM process. We alter a pattern with your measurements, so the pattern fits your body before we start constructing the suit. This process produces a suit that’s a perfect fit. Even better, ourH|M Mobile Tailorcalculates your precise measurements down to a millimeter at home. All it takes is two photos from your smartphone camera.

Half Canvas vs Full Canvas Custom Suits

The jacket interlining is a great indicator of quality. Cheap suits usually have a fused interlining, which means the lining is glued onto the fabric of the suit jacket. High quality suits, on the other hand, have either half or full canvassed interlining. In these cases, the lining is sewn instead of glued. Full canvas means the whole lining is sewn to the jacket. For a half canvas suit, only the most important part has sewn lining: the shoulders and collar. Canvas provides flexibility and breathability in your suit. A canvassed jacket molds to your body, fitting better over time.

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Third, How Do the Details Look?

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Sometimes you can tell whether a suit is cheap or quality just by looking at the little details, like the buttonholes, the buttons, and the stitching. On a cheap suit, the buttonholes are machine-made, and typically have fraying on the thread. In a quality custom suit, you will find buttonholes that are either hand-sewn, or are machine-made with a high quality machine, resulting in neater, cleaner stitches without fraying.

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The buttons themselves are another good indicator. Cheap buttons may be plastic, and are more than likely attached with glue. Quality buttons are composed of nacre, or Mother-of-Pearl – the inner shell layer of an oyster, and are stitched on. Here at HARTTER MANLY, we use a hybrid approach. Our process utilizes both hand-sewing and high-quality machine techniques to construct the details of your suit. Combined with our customization tool, we can make your suit exactly the way you want.

How to Identify a Well-Made Custom Suit - HARTTER | MANLY (5)

How to Identify a Well-Made Custom Suit - HARTTER | MANLY (6)

As we all know, a lot goes into constructing a well-made custom suit. Some suit-makers cut corners, use cheap materials, or speed through the construction. In order to make sure you are getting the most for your money, you can use this guide to analyze a suit and know with certainty that you’re making a quality investment. Ready to have your very own bespoke suit? If so, start shopping for your custom suit to get the creation process started.

Love these tips? Want more?

Book now for a free discovery call with our style experts. We’ll work with you to create a look that is uniquely yours.

AUTHOR

Ezra Lambert

Ezra Lambert is a barber and freelance writer. In addition to his work in men’s grooming and lifestyle, he has also written numerous fiction pieces: two screenplays and a YA novel. He lives in San Diego, CA, with his dog, Toni.

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How to Identify a Well-Made Custom Suit - HARTTER | MANLY (2024)

FAQs

How to Identify a Well-Made Custom Suit - HARTTER | MANLY? ›

The jacket interlining is a great indicator of quality. Cheap suits usually have a fused interlining, which means the lining is glued onto the fabric of the suit jacket. High quality suits, on the other hand, have either half or full canvassed interlining. In these cases, the lining is sewn instead of glued.

How to tell if a suit is well made? ›

Here are a few things to look for to determine if a suit is well-made or not.
  1. Hand-Made Button Holes. Also called “Milanese buttonholes”, these are very sharp and sleek. ...
  2. Smooth Lapel Roll. ...
  3. Self Lining. ...
  4. hand-Set Collar. ...
  5. Genuine Horn Buttons. ...
  6. Surgeon's Cuffs. ...
  7. Seam Allowance. ...
  8. Pic Stitching.

How to check the quality of suit fabric? ›

The higher you go, the more fragile the suit. While judging fabric quality requires experience, one of the fundamental ways to test is by scrunching the fabric swatch in your fist. If it bounces back into shape easily, the fabric is of decent quality.

How to tell if a suit is expensive? ›

Expensive Suit: Expensive suits are typically crafted from premium materials such as high-quality wool, silk, or cashmere. These materials offer superior comfort, durability, and a luxurious feel.

What does a well tailored suit look like? ›

A well-tailored suit is characterised by strongly tapered sides and minimal shoulders – an exact opposite from the off-the-rack suits that often come with generous shoulder padding as a means of reducing labour.

How expensive should a good suit be? ›

Mid-level suits range from $800 to $1,500. They're usually made of all natural fabrics and will be custom-made to fit you. High-end suits are usually $1,500 and up. They're often bespoke suits, meaning sewn from scratch, and always use all-natural materials.

What are expensive suits made of? ›

Expensive Suit: Expensive suits are typically crafted from premium materials such as high-quality wool, silk, or cashmere. These materials offer superior comfort, durability, and a luxurious feel.

What are the most expensive fabrics for suit? ›

Vicuna is the most expensive suit material in the world. It is water-resistant, breathable, has natural UV protection, and a luxurious feel.

What are cheap suits made of? ›

Cheap linings are usually made of polyester, which is a chemical fiber that traps heat and doesn't breathe at all. It's especially bad if it makes a “scrunchy” or “swishy” sound when you move around in it - because then it's not just hot and sweaty, it's also noisy and annoying.

How to spot a cheap suit? ›

If there's very little fabric left and it's just an overlock stitch that keeps the fabric from fraying, you'll likely have a cheap suit in your hand. If the suit has cuffs, you can also take a look at that because a proper cuff is long and folded and in theory, you can take out the stitching and elongate your pants.

What is the difference between a custom suit and a bespoke suit? ›

For bespoke suits, pattern-making goes beyond just measurements. With custom tailoring, there's an initial consultation to take measurements and another when your suit has been made.

What is the difference between a custom suit and a tailored suit? ›

The key difference between custom suits and tailored suits is the construction of the garment. Custom suits are designed exclusively, and the pattern is cut from scratch to fit the client's body. Tailored suits, on the other hand, are made using existing patterns, which are adjusted to flatter the client's body type.

Is $1000 a lot for a suit? ›

Buying An Expensive Suit That Suits Your Style

The Expensive Suit ranges from $1,000 and up and will typically be either custom-made with the best fabrics or designed by one of the best designers.

Which suit is worth the most? ›

High card by suit and low card by suit refer to assigning relative values to playing cards of equal rank based on their suit. When suit ranking is applied, the most common conventions from lowest to highest are: ♣♦♥♠ English alphabetical order. clubs, followed by diamonds, hearts, and spades.

What suit is the most valuable? ›

The Stuart Hughes Diamond sports suit is priced at $892,500. The World Record Academy records that the Stuart Hughes suit is the world's most expensive.

What is the difference between a good suit and a cheap suit? ›

Quality of Materials

Cheap Suit: In contrast, cheap suits often use lower-grade materials, synthetic blends, or polyester. These materials may lack the same level of comfort, breathability, and durability as their expensive counterparts.

What is considered an expensive suit? ›

The Expensive Suit ranges from $1,000 and up and will typically be either custom-made with the best fabrics or designed by one of the best designers.

Is it worth buying expensive suits? ›

Expensive suits are worth the investment if you require a high-quality, durable garment for frequent use or special occasions. They offer superior craftsmanship and materials.

What is the life expectancy of a suit? ›

When properly maintained and cared for, a high-quality suit can literally last a lifetime -- well, until you grow out of it, at least. Unfortunately, though, it's not uncommon for guys to replace their suits just years or even months after purchasing it.

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