Part of what sets Alan David Custom apart is the basted fitting. After a client’s measurements have been taken, a unique paper pattern is created. It is from this pattern that the garment is carefully hand cut, assembled, and temporarily hand stitched with white basting thread. At this point, the basted garment is ready for fitting. This allows you to try it on, and small adjustments can be made for a truly custom fit. Whether your suit needs to be taken in or let out at the shoulders or pants, or if you just want to change the lapels, it can be addressed during the basted fitting. Once your suit fits perfectly, the whole thing is sewn together by expert tailors in Alan David’s own New York City workshop. A word of caution, beware of others that claim to make custom clothing but in reality only make “made-to-measure” garments. What […]

Well-crafted clothing is fundamental when you want to look your best. In fact, dressing up also changes our own psychology, according to a recent study. The research, conducted at California State University, Northridge, found that formal attire goes beyond making us feel more powerful to even allowing to us to think more broadly and holistically. Surely those sophisticated thought mechanisms make it easier to strategize, prioritize, and manage within business, as well as in personal settings. Formal attire comes in a range of qualities, though, the highest quality of which is bespoke or custom. Perhaps the easiest way to understand why custom suits are the right choice is by looking at them in comparison to the two other options: off-the-rack (OTR) and made-to-measure (MTM). Bespoke vs. off-the-rack: More efficient Having custom clothes made is more focused and less unwieldy than shopping for mass-produced garments. When you shop off-the-rack, it can […]

Many people look for custom suits and shirts when they are preparing for job interviews, have a similar career advancement meeting, or want to stand out in networking circles. For these scenarios, it helps to know what you might be unintentionally conveying about yourself through the color of your suit. The same basic ideas hold true in any scenario, helping you visually convey a certain message at an important milestone, in a romantic setting, or at any other key event. Why should you care about first impressions? They are tremendously powerful, according to scientific research. A 2011 study on first impressions by Bertram Gawronski et al. found that without a change in context, a first impression would persist despite contradictory information attained thereafter. In other words, first impressions are strong to the point that they are almost rigid. Since those initial readings of you are so difficult to change, anything […]

“A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life,” said Oscar Wilde. “Looking good isn’t self-importance; it’s self-respect,” said Charles Hix. These two acclaimed writers agreed that style is anything but superficial. On the contrary, a carefully designed and constructed suit can make an incredible difference in the way you impact those around you. A finely tailored custom suit is not style over substance but style introducing your substance. How is that style defined, though? One of the primary elements of style that can be exhibited in a custom tailored suit or other garment is seasonal color. It helps to look at suit colors through two different standardized approaches. Let’s have a look at our suit color guide. Seasonal color approach #1: personal Many men do not want to hear about the particular color that might fit a season, since the discussion of seasonal clothing is often framed in […]

You want your suit to look its best every time you wear it. It all starts with making sure your jacket is on an appropriately sized hanger. If the hanger is too big, it will push the shoulders out, and they will get more wrinkled. If the hanger is too small, then the shoulders will droop over the edges of the hanger and get wrinkled in that way. If the hanger is “just right,” then it provides protection to the shoulders and prevents wrinkling. What else can you do to spruce up your suit? How do you clean a suit jacket? Let’s first talk about why dry cleaners are problematic. Then we will describe a simple 3-step process to de-wrinkle your suit using steam at home, followed by scenarios in which a dry cleaner does make sense. Dry Cleaning: not to be overused It’s easy to get into a cycle […]

a sewing needleThe Best Custom Suits NYC Has To Offer!