Citysearch.com – Rated Best Tailor in New York
We have been rated by the Citysearch.com and Local.com as the best tailor in New York
English made Blazer Buttons from $99 to $129
By appointment to H.R.H the Prince of Wales Suppliers of Buttons and Blazers
We are proud to offer this exclusive button collection from ‘Benson & Clegg’, built over many years in England by the worlds oldest button manufacturer. Many hand operations like burnishing,spinning and enamelling , ensure that these finely tooled buttons meet exacting standards with quality second to none. These buttons go very well with our custom blazers as well as blazers from high end retailers.
We offer buttons in 4 different sets:
2 large and 8 small : for a 2 button single breasted blazer
3 large and 8 small : for a 3 button single breasted blazer
4 large and 8 small : for a 4 button double breasted blazer
6 large and 8 small : for a 6 button double breasted blazer
Hydrophobic Fabric.
I have been in tailoring business for the past 37 years and never have I come across a fabric that has got me thinking, ” How could they do that?”. Aquaplan is a summer weight, super 130 fabric that thinks it’s a macintosh ( The fabric not the computer. We still dont have a fabric that can check your email for you.). It is a very fine merino wool suiting fabric that has all the usual qualities of a Dormeuil fabric (softness, comfort, lightness etc..) but it has one important characteristic that makes this fabric very special, it is “Hydrophobic” just like a dog with rabies, it doesnt bite though. Instead of absorbing water like most of the usual fabrics, it allows water to roll on and the fabric still breaths.
So now you can walk in the rain without worrying about your umberella or maybe use your suit jacket as one to protect your lady friend from rain. And the news just keeps getting better, you might be thinking that a water-repellent fabric like this will be rubbery, funny looking but you will be amazed when you feel the fabric, it is soft very soft as I said earlier it’s merino wool Super-130. There are so many patterns this fabric is available that you will find one you like to be made a custom suit out of.
I have been spending days testing this fabric for its hydrophobic qualities and have been quite surprised at what this fabric is capable of. Yes, with coffee there was a slight milky stain left but i think it will wash off. And it surprized me with wine. I will try to upload a few videos soon.
We have a wide selection of designs in Aquaplan fabric and a lot of other fabrics from Dormeuil, Zegna, Loro-Piana, Scabal and more. We are located at 48th street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue in New York. NY. 10017
Author-
Mr. Kelly Ramchandani
Building a Man’s Work Wardrobe.
“How to Buy a Business Suit?”
As you begin to flourish in the workplace, your wardrobe must expand along with you. Always consider the atmosphere of your office, what your position is, and the long-term goals you have as you choose your business attire. And remember that what you see on the following pages needn’t be accumulated immediately or even one year. A wardrobe, like a career, tales time to build.
DO MY CLOTHES MEAN BUSINESS?
Navy Interview Suit + 3 Suits = Work Wardrobe
As with your interview suit, the suits you buy should be the best quality you can afford in classic styles.
Following these guidelines will allow you versatility and will make your budget go further.
Just like a navy suit, gray is basic but vital. Everything looks good with gray and everything mixes with it. The fabric should be worsted wool that can be worn nearly all year-round. A two-or three-button style is best there button is just as traditional and can often be more slimming, either with a single rear vent or without.
The world, of course, is not black and white, it’s gray and with good reason. It’s elegant and formal. A man in gray is serious and unassailable. The tailoring on this suit should be the same as with the navy suit .Make sure the trousers are cuffed, and if they have little buttons on inside of the waist, they’re for suspenders.
For a third suit, light gray is a smart option. It is just as versatile as its darker cousin, and can be worn further into the summer months. A khaki suit is an alternative for this as well.
Opt for some variation between your gray suits. For instance, if the dark one is two-button, make this one there.
A warm weather essential for any man, the khaki suit is like navy for the summer. Split this suit in half when on the road and you have a pair of khaki pants or a khaki pants or a khaki jacket.
The khaki suit is slightly more casual than darker suits, Dressy and polished poplin is also lightweight, which makes it ideal for summer. Because the fabric is so lightweight, be sure the suit is pressed (or at least steamed) often. Otherwise, you can look like an unmade bed.
Bullet proof ideas that help you make a statement !!!
The most formal sport jacket there is, a blazer is appropriate for any work environment and arguably the hardest-working item in your closet. A blazer with a little bit of structure in the shoulders and lining will fit more like a suit jacket than a more casual coat. Traditionally, the blazer has gold buttons (it began as a nautical uniform), but almost any store will offer dark navy buttons as well, or replace them free of charge. Go for this option.The Blue
The blue blazer is like the remote control: Quite simply, man cannot live without one. Perfect for the office, business lunch’s travel, and weekends, a blazer can dress you up and take you anywhere.
As with your suits, try to get a wool blazer that’s enough for summer and heavy enough for winter.
Two-button single-breasted is best but three-button is perfectly acceptable.
COLLAR
The collar of a jacket or Custom suit should be lined with wool. This will help it lie flat against the neck and shoulders.
BUTTONS
Look for quality stitching around the buttons, meaning the thread is wrapped around itself many times to anchor them.
POCKETS
The pockets should be lined with rayon or cotton. This will help the jacket maintain its shape better. To ensure this even more, don’t open your jacket pockets.
Sports Jacket Patterns.
When a suit isn’t called for, a sport jacket is. While not as dressy, it is certainly appropriate for the workplace. Indeed as dress codes for the workplace have relaxed over the years, the sport jacket has become not only acceptable, but necessary; it provides flexibility and credibility. Paired with nice trousers and a shirt and tie and sometimes without one, the sport jacket still looks extremely polished.
TESTING PATTERNS
Many patterned jackets trace their origin to the hunting and fishing pastimes of Scotland, which explains the names of those sporting-inspired designs: Hounds tooth, herringbone, etc. Sport jackets provide an excellent opportunity to get some color, particularly earth tones, into your wardrobe. Since the patterns are often more casual looking, pay more attention to the therefore preferable.
HERRINGBONE
An excellent way to begin patterns because it’s tweedy without being stuffy. The chevron design comes in large and small, but smaller is subtler, and therefore preferable.
HOUNDS TOOTH
Like herringbone, hounds tooth comes in large and small variations and, again, smaller is better. Black-and-white is classic, but shades of brown are no less traditional.
CHECK
Whereas hounds tooth is more ragged (but not ragged-looking), the square check is neater and usually more bold.
PLAID
In a suit, plaid sometimes knows as a prince of Wales plaid can be formal, but in a sport jacket its well, sportier. Here, variations of brown are more versatile than black-and-white.
TWEED
Whether flecked or heathered, simple tweed adds color and texture to your wardrobe. And some of the other patterns, a tweed is more seasonal, ideal for cold weather
Quality of a shirt fabric?
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Check the fabric content of your custom shirt. Finer dress shirts are made of two-ply, which make the fabrics stronger, softer and wrinkle less.
- Inspect the seam running down the side of the shirt for smoothness and make sure it does not pucker. A high-quality custom shirt has only one line of stitching visible on the side seam, while most commercial shirts have two visible rows of stitches.
- Examine shirt sleeve a couple of inches above the cuff for a gauntlet button that closes up the sleeve. A gauntlet button and a horizontally placed buttonhole also usually indicate good craftsmanship.
- In Custom striped shirts, check how stripes are aligned. They should match making a straight line.
- The collar of a great fitting custom shirt should be firm and crisp. It should not be limp and under no circumstances it should have any wrinkles or bubbles (puckering)
- The design of the fabric should match where any two pieces of fabrics meet. For example where sleeves meet the shoulder.
- A well made custom shirt should have removable stays or built in stays for a crisper and firm look.
- The collar of a fine custom dress shirt should be constructed in two pieces and hand turned.
- The buttons of a high quality custom shirt should be sewn with a cross locked stitch to ensure your buttons stay firmly attached.
Top quality custom men’s shirts have a two-piece yoke (the part that covers the shoulders). This creates more work but allows for a better fit and more natural drape.
How to check if your shirt is a good fit.
- While the custom shirt is buttoned, you should be able to slide two fingers between your neck and collar.
- When you move your arm in your custom dress shirt, the sleeves should be long enough so that cuffs do not ride up your wrist.
- The cuffs of your custom made shirt should just be tight enough that they do not hang over your hand. You should not be able to slip into shirt sleeves without first undoing buttons on the cuff.
- To make sure your custom fitted shirt is comfortable and not too tight, check that the shirt does not pull uncomfortably across the shoulders, chest or waist.
- Check the buttons of your custom shirt they should be secure, no loose threads and well-placed with no gaping holes exposing your chest or waist.
- To check the proper shirt length of your custom shirt, raise your arms and make sure that shirt tail does not come out of your pants.
Vested Interest.
Nothing communicates tradition and authority like a three piece suit.
The vest (or waistcoat) is the perfect solution for those cooler days in Spring and Fall when a bulky overcoat feels like a cumbersome overkill. In the Winter, many offices are overheated and become stiflingly hot. It’s comforting to know that (when you’re wearing a waistcoat) you can hang up your suit jacket and still look buttoned up for that surprise visit from your number one client.
Vests can be single breasted or double breasted, but single breasted are more common. When worn during the day, vests are usually made from the same fabric as the trousers and jacket of a suit. When worn with white tie or black tie, vests are most often matched with the tie. Waistcoats for black tie events can be white, black, tartan, or any variety of brocade. Brocade vests date back to the 17th century and display a penchant for Beau Brummell dandyism.
Before wristwatches became popular, a gentleman’s time-piece was always carried in his waistcoat pocket. While this practice may seem a touch old fashioned or even eccentric, it’s important to know some of the traditional “rules” of wearing a waistcoat.
- It is considered bad form to wear a belt with a waistcoat.
- One should wear braces or wear a pair of trousers with side buckles.
- The bottom button of a vest should be left undone, just like a suit jacket (except for a single button jacket). This style was created when King Edward VII was the Prince of Wales and couldn’t manage to button up the bottom of his vest. It instantly became “a la mode” and the style still lives on today.
So if you want to look stylish today with the elegance of yesteryear, it might well be time to invest in a vested suit.
About the Writer –
Luke Mayes is a textile designer, an independent filmmaker (Red Shift director), and a freelance writer. His work has been published in Style, Apparel, Corporate Wardrobe, Cigar Aficionado, For The Groom, Playboy, and GQ.
Coordinate Men’s Clothing: Colors and Pattern Matching.
It is common for most men to face dilemma in mens fashion coordination.
Our typical questions are:
- How to match colors for mens dress shirts and mens dress pants?
- How to coordinate checks with stripes?
- What are the colors suitable between my suits and ties?
- Are the colors and patterns matching my suits and ties?
These questions kept popping up because men generally has a poorer power of visualization than women. Men cannot imagine the way things look like based on the colors and patterns through imagination. So there is a strong reliance for pictures to provide guidance for men’s dressing.
Therefore, I will attempt to address these concerns and provide the fundamental information necessary to achieve the best coordination. When we look at color coordination, there are two aspects to focus on:
- Coordinating mens clothing against our complexion.
- Creating color harmony between different hues and shades.
For dealing with colors involving our complexion, we would not want to wear colors that brings out the negative aspect of our complexion. For example, if you are very fair with light colored hair, then you should not be wearing pale colored shirts like yellow or white that will wash out your facial complexion further. Instead choose earthy colors to warm up the face with vibrancy.
Color combination between clothing would require the understanding of hues and tones. It is the similarity and contrasting criteria of hues and tones that brings the harmony when combining these colors. We must learn how to use the vivid colors against the dull and light colors to accentuate different parts of your men’s clothing. It catches attention and yet not steal the focus away from your face.
For mixing pattern, there is coordination between pattern of same design and patterns of different designs. The ultimate challenge is mixing three or four patterns together but not looking ridiculous at all. The fundamental art of working with patterns is the understanding of scales and sizes of patterns so that you can merge them together without creating tension or strong clashing vibration.
Overall, the aim of coordination for colors and patterns is to achieve naturalness as well as bringing out the best blend that brightens up the man’s overall look.
In order to learn the art of achieving the best coordination, we would have to play around with our clothing to realize the concept. Thereafter, mixing and matching colors and patterns would just come as a natural flow in you. It is through the consistent trial and error that we build up our knowledge of what goes with what and how we can best coordinate them.
Author: Leroy Fong
To learn more on the art of men’s fashion coordination, refer to the author’s ebook:http://www.mens-fashion-tips.com/dress-for-success-ebook.html
Copyright 2006, Leroy Fong and Mens-Fashion-Tips.com
Wearing Tailored Jackets with Jeans
There’s been much debate and much confusion about how and when one should wear a tailored jacket with a pair of jeans. While the jacket and jeans “look” is very à la mode, it is advisable to temper the desire to look hip with a view to always appear elegant.
Many aspiring magazine writers, desperate to appease the fashion labels that pay the magazine’s bills, tell us that there are no rules when it comes to dressing. These writers tell us that we can wear jeans with conservative pinstripe suit jackets, jeans around our knees, sneakers with suits… the list goes on. The truth is there are recognized and respected rules about how professional gentlemen should dress. Most financial, legal, and medical organizations have corporate manuals that specify these dress codes.
If you’re not working for a company that has a documented dress code, here are a few pointers when it comes to wearing jeans with a tailored jacket:
Double breasted suit jackets should never be worn with jeans…ever!
Jeans are best paired with single breasted jackets. Single breasted jackets can incorporate a peak lapel or a notch lapel, but the jacket has to stand alone as a garment that could also be worn with a pair of plain colored trousers. If you simply pull a jacket off one of your suits and put on a pair of jeans, you might very well look like you’ve just pulled a jacket off a suit and put on a pair of jeans. That being said, some suit jackets are still appropriate.
The best suit jackets to wear with jeans are either solid in color or jackets that feature strong design details; contrast stitching, bold stripes (boat stripes), checks, and unusual fabrications (corduroy, velvet, seersucker). The most important thing to remember is that the jacket should be set apart from a classic conservative suit jacket.
So unless you’ve just gone Platinum with your latest music release, take heed of a few dress code rules and bring a little elegance to your tailored jacket and jeans combination.
About the Writer –
Luke Mayes is a textile designer, an independent filmmaker (Red Shift director), and a freelance writer. His work has been published in Style, Apparel, Corporate Wardrobe, Cigar Aficionado, For The Groom, Playboy, and GQ.
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