You Get What You Pay For: Here’s the truth!

Don't be fooled by designer brand materials 

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. There are many tailors that fly down from Asia and offer bespoke or tailored Designer brand materials for an amazing price - maybe $500.00.

To offer a  handmade suit in a designer material such as Bvlgari, Armani, Versace, Gucci, Zegna, etc., for such a low price while covering expenses such as return airfare for all the workers that fly down, plus accommodation, materials, labour, etc. seems quite impossible.

A westerner would attribute the amazingly low price to the cheap cost of labour in Asia – partially true – they are probably using inexperienced or average tailors to put the suits together. A Master Tailor, even in an Asian country is actually still relatively expensive.

However the major reason the tailor is able to offer such a low price is because the material is not actually what he claims it is. The real designer material alone would cost around $450, on top of which a retailer would add their own margin, plus the cost of paying a Master Tailor even in an Asian country would be enough to drive the price up to a good $800 - $1000.

Well, it's your decision, but don't be surprised if you find some of the buttons falling off or the suit coming apart at the seams – and most likely, the material not being of good quality and probably not even actually being Super 150s pure Cashmere wool. Most often the material will be a polyester-wool blend.

Here's a pictorial comparison between a cheap suit and a good quality suit...
NOTE: The cheap suit is a suit offered in one of those package deals that you see e.g. 1 jacket, 2 trousers, 5 shirts, 2 ties all for USD $350!! Sounds attractive doesn't it? Wait a few months and you'll realise that you flushed $350 down the toilet.


Cheap Suit - poor finishing

No Woolen Felt underlay beneath the lapel for reinforcement - it's just left bare. The centre stitching of the back of the lapel is also out of alignment with the centre stitching of the back of the jacket.

Button falling off after a few months of use as no reinforcement on the back side.

Uneven, unfinished, non-matching white stitching can be seen on the outside of the pocket.

Good Suit - assurance of quality

Woolen Felt underlay beneath the lapel for reinforcement.

Pocket is finished correctly with thread matching the colour of the suit cloth.

Exquisite patterned linings to add extra flair, with superior finishing inside and out.

Not all tailors are made equal...

This brings me to my next point: despite cheap labour and tailor shops being abundant in Asia – not all tailors in Asia are made equal! Yes some have offers where they’re selling 2 suits + 1 Blazer + extra trousers + 2 shirts + 3 silk ties all for USD$350, or some such deal. You will often see these advertisements in the airline magazines when you are on your way to an Asian country. Once again – sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? It probably is and you will get what you pay for.

The majority of “tailors” are just shop fronts or showrooms that stock the rolls of materials and where measurements are taken, a suit is designed, and fittings are conducted. Many of these shopfronts ultimately use the same actual cutters, stitchers and finishers (collectively called tailors) who put the suit together in workshops that are hidden away somewhere offsite. The flashier looking larger shops just charge more, even though they may be using the same backend manufacturing as the tiny shop next door.

So how do you find a good tailor?

Well – there are three ways:

1. Word of mouth - which for a number of reasons can be inaccurate. It may be that the person who is recommending the tailor has a vested interest. It could be that the person doesn’t really know what a good suit is, and may be satisfied with the quality he’s received (for the time being until the suit starts falling apart!). Or it could be that the person has only tried one tailor and that’s the only one he can recommend.
2. The second method is Trial and Error. You will need to go to multiple tailors and invest quite a bit of money to get suits made – then compare the quality, style and fit yourself.
3. The third method – (being a blatant attempt at marketing, I know) is to come to Sydney Custom Suits  where we retail Finestitch & Co suiting. I am confident in blatantly pushing our brand because I guarantee quality and satisfaction - AND you have a point of call as we are based in Sydney. We have gone through all the trial and error. We use real Master Tailors that are vastly experienced who will expertly hand craft your suit. We use real Super 150s Pure Cashmere Wool from Italy. And our prices are not astronomical – we believe that we strike the perfect balance between high quality and reasonable prices starting from $399 for a custom tailored Cashmere Wool suit. Our Contact details are in the link above – so call us now for more pricing details and to book a visit from a Design Consultant.

Suit Materials

Cashmere Wools

All high quality suits are made from Cashmere Wool, as it is a natural, durable, and breathable material for Summer or Winter, and it falls exceptionally well. Cashmere is an extremely soft, luxurious fabric made from the hair of the Cashmere goat - native to Kashmir in north-western India. Cashmere is obtained from the animal by combing rather than clipping, and hence it maintains a softer and more complete feel than clipped wool. The fabric is light in weight and magnificent to wear.

There are three main types of wool weaves used for suits, including:

1. Worsted

Worsted wools are the most popular fabric and wool weaves for suits. Worsted wools usually consist of gabardine, houndstooth, plaid, and nail-head variations in the weaves. They are quite light and durable and may be worn all year round.

Depending on the “Super” number of the weave, worsted wools can vary from slightly lighter to slightly heavier, but are generally considered to be a mid-weight fabric when compared with Tweed or Flannel.

If you are familiar with “Super” numbers, e.g. Super 100s up to Super 180s, when it comes to wool, you may have mistakenly taken it to mean the quality of the fabric. The Super number is not necessarily an indicator of quality. The Super number indicates that the worsted wool has been twisted more times. So the higher the number, the more times the wool yarn has been twisted when manufacturing the material.

The effect of the higher twist is that each fibre of the twisted wool yarn becomes finer and therefore more fibres can populate a square inch. This results in a finer cloth and lighter weight as you go up in the Super numbers. This is why higher twist wools are pricier than lower twist – because the material is softer, lighter and has a more luxurious look and feel to it.

Having said that, lower twist wool can be thicker, warmer and more durable than the higher twist. So for everyday wear, I recommend that you purchase something in the Super 100s – Super 130s range. Whereas for higher-end, less regular wear, the Super 140s – Super 180s is more suitable.

2. Tweed

Tweed is a very heavy wool fabric, and is more popular in colder places such as Britain. Tweed is for more mature gentlemen, and is beginning to be a dated style amongst the younger generation. It is usually used to make Sports Jackets and Blazers, but rarely used for a full two or three piece suit.

3. Flannel

Aside from Tweed, Flannel is the heaviest wool weave. It is quite durable and especially warm in the winter months. It is probably too hot to wear in Summer and also in most indoor office environments, but would make an excellent Winter Jacket for the colder part of the year.

Other Fabrics

Suits may be made from other fabrics as well, but these are not considered high-end quality suits.

1. Cotton

Aside from wool, Cotton is an acceptable material for suits. If you live in a warmer climate this is an alternative to wool, however it does not bring the prestige or luxury of a pure cashmere wool suit. Cashmere Wool can also be light and cool in warm climates depending on the twist of the yarn and hence the weight of the material.

2. Linen

Linen is quick to wrinkle and does not fall well, but is still a popular material for some. For a business suit it is not appropriate at all. It has traditionally been used for safari suits, very casual suits, or simply white or cream casual jackets but is not really in fashion in the present day.

3. Polyester

Polyester is not the best choice for a good quality suit, and must only be resorted to if the budget is tight. A good quality tailor-made suit would certainly never be made from Polyester or a Polyester-Wool blend, as the material has a cheap looking artificial finish to it.

4. Micro Fibre

Micro Fibre is just variation of polyester. For some reason it gained popularity in the late 90s. If you do have a Micro Fibre suit, don’t worry – everyone makes mistakes. But now it is time to forget the past and move on to Pure Cashmere Wool suits!

At Sydney Custom Suits we sell only 100% Pure Cashmere Wool suits. You can be assured that you will get a high quality custom Finestitch & Co. suit styled and tailored to perfection.