My First Custom Suit – 10 Years Later (Review)

Because of how carefully made and pricey custom a custom suit is, it can be a common expectation that it should last long and give you more wears. So, today, 10 years later, I review my first ever custom suit, what I still like about it, what I would change today, and overall, my experience with it and how things have changed.

As you know, the terms “custom” and “bespoke” are not protected and different people interpret them in different ways. Because of that, we created a guide that clarifies what exactly it is that we mean when we say “custom” or “bespoke” suit.

In a nutshell, it means it all started with a paper pattern that was individually created for me in this case. It was then traced with chalk on fabric and then cut by shears. The details were all customized to my tastes, and I didn’t choose or pre-select from a range of options.

History of Oxxford

My very first custom suit came from the company Oxxford from Chicago, which has been around since 1916. It was founded by the brothers Louis and Jacob Weinberg and is still in existence today. They produce ready-to-wear garments, but you can also get full bespoke garments. We rank them highly in our ready-to-wear suit ranking post, that’s because it is a handmade suit that is not machine-made, and it’s not offshored.

Through menswear’s golden age, famous people like Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, and Joe DiMaggio wore suits made by Oxxford. Today, Oxxford is one of the very last producers of handmade suits in the United States.

Since 1994, Oxxford has been part of the clothing conglomerate, Tom James, which also offers custom clothing under the Tom James label. They also own a bunch of other companies, including the label Holland & Sherry.

For the bespoke garments, they use paper patterns. They trace it with tailor’s chalk and they cut it with shears by hand. There’s a lot of hand work in the collar, the lapels are hand-padded, the collar is hand-stitched, and requires nine separate steps. Overall, there are more than 160 steps that go into making the suit jacket alone.

So, how’s this different from our “Is It Worth It?” series? Well, it’s more about the choices I made, how things have held up, and not an overall assessment of the quality of Oxxford. But, I will speak to that as well.

Raphael’s First Custom Suit

Let’s talk about my very first custom suit, which is this navy blue, single-breasted version with two buttons.

I ordered it in early 2012 directly at the factory. At the time, Oxxford was advertising on our website. I had a contact and she invited me to come to Oxxford and get measured for a suit. Of course, I happily obliged and went there; got the full factory tour. And the hat cutter, whose name I can’t recall anymore, took my measurements.

He was Italian and had been tailoring all his life. He immediately noticed that my right shoulder was more sloped and lower than my left one. I wanted a very traditional, classic suit, so I chose a darker shade of navy in a heavier fabric that was a plain weave, worsted wool. Though I can’t recall the exact weight, I wanted something heavier because I wanted it to drape nicely and last for quite a while.

Jacket Details

After I picked the fabric, we talked about the jacket details. I wanted a single-breasted jacket with two closing buttons because that’s what I had for my previous Caraceni suits and I knew I liked that. I also wanted notch lapels, not peak lapels because it was quite traditional. And I wanted something that wasn’t too wide, but also not too slim – something in the middle that I could wear for years to come without ever being out of style.

I remember I wanted slightly roped shoulders because I liked the look of them. I wanted a minimal amount of shoulder padding. I also remembered that I distinctly wanted angled pockets. We decided on flat pockets that could be converted into jetted pockets. But, the angle gave the whole suit jacket a nice dynamic or, at least, so I thought. I wanted a typical four-cuff button on the sleeve, and I wanted them to be working. Of course, I opted for side vents because this suit wasn’t meant to be worn when horseback riding.

I remember, at the time, not talking much about the quarters and the opening in the front. I trusted the tailor and his choice. We also didn’t talk about specific patterns and cuts, so this jacket here actually has darts that extend all the way down through the pockets. If you look at Neapolitan jackets, oftentimes, that dart is moved closer to the front quarters. But, I actually quite like the look here in this jacket.

On the inside, I didn’t customize a whole lot. I wanted a phone pocket on the left, a pen pocket – because, as you might know, I started my interest in men’s clothing through fountain pens – and then I had the regular pockets on the left and right. And the lining, I chose this changeant green fabric with a contrasted, hand-stitched, yellow thread.

For the buttons, I just wanted something matching in horn, so I got these really dark horn buttons. For button stance, I wanted something that closed a little higher than typical and that’s what I got.

I didn’t make any specifications for the flat pockets but, as you can see, they’re nicely curved in the front and then a little more pointy in the back;  therefore, underlying the dynamic look that I was going for.

The only other thing I specified was that I wanted handmade buttonholes and also a handmade lapel hole that was straight and not a keyhole. And I got that.

Lapel width, I opted for about three and a half inches, which is a classic width of ties – it’s nine centimeters – and very timeless.

Trouser Details

The trousers are much more unique because I knew that Oxxford specialized in those old school Hollywood waistbands, which meant there was no actual waistband, and I really liked that look, and I wanted that. I asked for double inward-facing pleats because I always prefer them over outward-facing pleats. I think they drape more nicely and look better, too.

What they did and I really like that I didn’t specify was that the pockets are cut in a way in the side that they almost look like an extension of the pleat; therefore, creating a very harmonious look from the front. I chose elastic side adjusters with buttons – no belt loops – because I wanted this to be worn with suspenders, which is why it has suspender buttons on the inside.

In terms of back pockets, I had a button added to the left one, but nothing to the right. For my cuffs, I wanted something substantial that wasn’t too out there, so I opted for two inches or five centimeters. I didn’t specify any protection on the inside, so it didn’t add anything. Probably because the fabric was heavier and they weren’t concerned about premature wear. If you take a look at it, even on the inside, there’s a lot of hand work on those pants.

One final thing I asked for was a coin pocket that was flapped and pointed with a button in the front; not because I would use a lot, but it was just an individual stylistic hallmark that you couldn’t find on ready-to-wear garments at the time.

The hat cutter suggested I get the pants half-lined in Bemberg in the front, and I followed his advice. However, I specified that I wanted a button fly front just like in the golden days of menswear, which made perfect sense with this Hollywood waistband.

In terms of rise, I wanted something that sat on my natural waist and they obliged and it came up right to my belly button. I remember discussing a fishtail back, but we opted for their standard Hollywood trouser waistband in the back with the side adjusters because the tailor felt that was a better fit. I’m actually glad I made a choice because, that way, I can wear it with or without suspenders. If I had a fishtail back, I wouldn’t have to wear suspenders at all times.

The trousers are by no means super skinny, but they’re also not super wide even though they have two inward-facing plates. I just wanted something that accommodated my thighs and was made for me and not following a specific fashion trend.

Final Fitting and Suit Delivery

After I’d chosen all the details, a few weeks later, things were ready and I had never seen the Oxxford store in New York City, which existed at the time, so I decided to have my fitting actually there. So, I traveled to New York City, had the fitting, took some photos of it, and then traveled back home.

When the suit was done, it was shipped to me in Minnesota. And I think that’s the biggest regret I had because I just got it, I put it on, and that’s what it was. I think if I had actually gone back to Chicago, and put the suit on with a tailor, we could have made more adjustments there.

What I Would Have Done (or Done Differently)

At the time, I had really high expectations for bespoke because, after all, it was the holy grail. You could decide on anything, and the garment would always promise a superior fit.

Fit

When I had the jacket, I realized my biceps were usually rather large and so, often with ready-to-wear garments, I felt constricted. That same thing happened with this Oxxford garment. It was relatively tight in the sleeves and I felt I didn’t have enough room in the back for my round back.

So, when I’m moving, it always feels rather constricting and it still does that to this day. So, my biggest regret about this suit is that I had it shipped to me; that I didn’t try it on with a tailor there because then we could have made adjustments and could have optimized the fit.

I also regret that I didn’t go for an additional waistcoat. I think I didn’t want to overextend my welcome and, when they offered to make me a suit, I didn’t want to take advantage of them and also ask for a waistcoat. Frankly, if I’d had a waistcoat, I could wear the jacket unbuttoned, which would mean I have a little more freedom in moving around.

And while if you look at the back of the suit it looks quite nice when I stand, it’s actually not so comfortable to wear because I can’t easily raise my arm, way for a cab, or even when I sit down to eat, it’s just not very comfortable.

The old suits I had from Caraceni, which weren’t made for me but fit me quite well, were a lot more comfortable than this bespoke garment. I suppose it can be hard ascertaining from just a weight number and a feel in a small swatch to what it actually feels like when you wear the suit. 

Fabric

This wool is definitely on the heavier side, so it’s not something I would wear when it’s warm outside because then, I’m really sweating. So, considering it was my very first suit, going back, I probably would choose a slightly lighter weight fabric because that would have given me a greater range of use throughout the year.

Nevertheless, the fabric held up really well. I never ironed it too hot or brought it to cheap dry cleaners, so it looks very nice, it drapes well, and it is a pleasure to look at. I really like the two-button seal width.

Configuration and Construction

I’m glad I didn’t go with a three-button or a three-roll-two. I also still like the jetted pockets. Maybe the buttons, I would have chosen something a little lighter, maybe a dark brown to make it a bit more casual.

For the lapel width, maybe I would change it to 4 inches or 10 centimeters, just to get a little more width. On my sleeves, the corners are very pointy and, whenever you have that, typically, they wear much more quickly.

So, I would probably go back today and ask for them to be rounded just like on a Caraceni suit, for example, which actually takes half an hour of work to achieve. But, it means that the suit will not wear out as quickly in this area, which is typically the area that wears out first.

Color

The lining colors may seem flashy to you but are chosen rather intentionally. As you may know my father’s from Brazil. I have a Brazilian passport among others. And so, Brazil has the colors of green, yellow, blue, and white on their international flag. So, I wanted to pick that up in my suit. 

And if you pay attention, you can see the color scheme is replicated in my tie and shirt combination because it’s green with a sub-shade of blue with the yellow stripe and the white. So, in other words, it’s my very formal Brazil navy suit.

Final Thoughts

For most people, they would argue that they wear out the pants before the jackets. And so, they prefer to have two pants made for one jacket; therefore, giving them a longer life of the suit. In my experience, and with my rather extensive wardrobe, I found that I’ve never worn out pants of suits necessarily because I rotate stuff so often. Because of that, I don’t miss that second pair of trousers.

I do miss the missing waistcoat, especially within a double-breasted one because, with a custom operation like Oxxford, I’m sure they could have given me a nice cut that wouldn’t have been available otherwise with a ready-to-wear company, for example.

Another thing I do like about the fabric is that the weave, overall, even though it’s a plain weave, is rather large. If you compare it with more common fabrics, you can see the difference in the weave size. So, this larger weave almost makes it feel a bit like a sharkskin or a hopsack in a sense that it adds more texture to your suit, and I quite like that.

I also really enjoy the shoulders and how relatively soft they are. I remember, at the time, I asked for horsehair interlining, but I didn’t want it to be too stiff and military-like, but more on the softer side.

Overall, it’s not as soft as my jackets by Isaia, for example, and it’s a combination of the coarser fabric and a stiffer interlining. But, for a suit like this, which is a bit more formal, I think it strikes the exact right balance.

Do I wear the suit a lot? Unfortunately, not a whole lot. The pants get a lot more use than the jacket, but simply because there are fit issues.

Conclusion

So, that’s my very first custom suit experience. Didn’t turn out that great after all. You might wonder, “How is that possible?” and “If you spend all that money and the first suit doesn’t turn out that well, why would you even try to go for it?”

Well, in reality, your first bespoke garment or bespoke shoe is rarely the best, typically, there’s always room for improvement, but you can still wear and enjoy it.

In my case, I think that the restrictive element in the back is a little too much but be prepared that not everything is going to be a hundred percent when you get your first custom suit.

What your first custom experience was like? Share it with us in the comments!

Outfit Rundown

Today, of course, I’m wearing the navy Oxxford suit I talked about in detail. My white and yellow striped Winchester shirt with a classic color comes from Paul Fredrick, and it has French cuffs with cufflinks.

In line with the theme of the suit, I chose blue and white, enamel, double-sided chain cufflinks that I found vintage somewhere. My tie is a faux grenadine in green with elements of blue from Hermes. My pocket square and my boutonniere from Fort Belvedere, just like my socks, which are navy and yellow, shadow-striped socks. They’re over-the-calf, and I’m combining them with a pair of Yanko brown suede Oxfords. Of course, I could have gone with some black Oxfords, but I wanted to make it a little more casual.