Suitopia

Suitopia

01 October, 2009
by: Tom Jeffreys

I love suits. There's nothing better than having a suit made expressly for you – not only can you get exactly what you want cut to exactly your shape, but you can guarantee that nobody else will ever have one quite the same. So when I heard about Scandinavian online tailoring company Suitopia (via their ads on Spotify) I just couldn't resist.

Suitopia's step-by-step process is extremely easy to use and actually quite fun. You first choose your fabric – I opted for a rather natty grey and yellow Prince of Wales check in 100% cashmere. This bumped up the price quite considerably but I reckoned it would be worth it. If you're worried about not being able to properly examine the choice of fabrics on your screen you can always request a free sample book to aid you in your selection.

You then get various styling options – single/double-breasted, number of buttons, vents, lapel style, ticket pocket, turn-ups etc. I plumped for a classically elegant three-piece number: one-buttoned single-breasted jacket with notched lapels, two side vents, ticket pocket and turn-ups on the trousers. The turn-ups were the result of much deliberation and discussion with my sartorially-minded chums, many of whom were forcefully against the idea. But then I'm nothing if not a maverick when it comes to such matters.

The crucial stage in many ways is the one in which you enter all your measurements. Now if you've had suits made for you before then it's worth getting in touch with your tailor at this point – all tailors should keep your records on file. If not, then it's imperative that you get this part right. Suitopia, quite rightly, don't take any responsibility if you enter your details wrong, so make sure you follow their instructions carefully and get somebody else to measure you.

One thing worth mentioning here is that you should adjust these measurements according to how you want the suit to look. So, for example, I wanted slightly cropped jacket and trousers so lowered the measurements appropriately. If you like a particularly tight jacket/short sleeve/loose trouser leg then here is the place to make these minor but important adjustments.

Once all this is done you pay your money and wait 3-5 weeks (very quick for a bespoke suit). Then it's time for the moment of truth. And what a moment it is! My brand new suit is pretty much perfect – Suitopia give you exactly what you ask for. In a sense that can be a weakness – part of the joy of bespoke is the consultation process between customer and tailor – but if you know what you want, then Suitopia is brilliant. Lovely fabric, expertly cut, fuss-free and fast. Plus at €485 for a three-piece suit in the most expensive fabric they offer, it's a complete bargain.

Of course, being more than a little pedantic when it comes to matters of the cloth, I do have a couple of minor quibbles about my otherwise fantastic suit. The upper parts of the sleeves are a tad baggy for my tastes, and the left sleeve arrived a little crumpled. I'm not a huge fan of the small bits of red stitching on the inside and the lapel is pressed higher than I would have chosen. But these are rather small points – Suitopia effectively delivers beautifully made suits, quickly and for a fantastic price. I for one will certainly be using them again.


Image courtesy of Phill Taylor: www.philltaylor.com

www.suitopia.co.uk

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Tom Jeffreys