Your first custom suit.

Shop for longevity

It’s easy to get caught up in all the possibilities when you’re commissioning something from scratch. The fabrics, the details, all the things you can make your own. It’s a fun part of the process. But my advice for a first suit is to shop for longevity.

You’re spending your hard-earned money. I want you to reach into the wardrobe years from now and still be happy with what you bought. Still comfortable in it. Still enjoying wearing it. That’s far more satisfying than something that looked great for a little while, then quickly went out of style.

When you’re still wearing a suit years, sometimes even decades, down the road, the cost per wear comes down dramatically. Keep that in mind when we open the cloth books.

Start with how you’ll wear it

Tell me about a normal day in the suit. Will you spend most of it at a desk? Travel in it? Wear a tie, or leave your collar open? Those answers help us choose the cloth and cut, right down to how much room you want in the trousers when you sit.

For a first suit you’ll wear often, I’d look at navy or charcoal. Both give you plenty of options with shirts, ties and shoes you may already own. If you’ve already got those covered, let’s look at what’s missing. A softer brown, a check or a little more texture might be more useful to you.

For a wedding, think about the setting and dress code, then tell us whether you’d like to wear the suit afterwards. We can keep that in mind as we make the choices for the day.

Talk about budget early

Please tell us what you’re comfortable spending. It helps us put the right cloth books in front of you and explain what’s possible within that amount. We’ll confirm the price before you commission anything.

At The London Bespoke Club, we offer semi-bespoke and bench-made bespoke. Both start with an individual pattern drafted for you. Both include full floating canvas through the front of the jacket, giving it shape beneath the outer cloth. The difference is in how the suit is made, how much is done by hand and the fittings along the way.

Semi-bespoke, from $1,800

This is where most of our clients begin. We draft your pattern, work through a basted fitting and refine the suit with you at our Toronto atelier. The finishing includes hand-sewn buttonholes and buttons, with alterations handled here too.

Allow around 10 weeks for your first suit, usually with 2 fittings. Once your pattern is established, your next suit generally takes around 5 weeks.

Bench-made bespoke, from $5,795

For this programme, Ian MacMillan cuts and makes your suit here at 146 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5C 1X6. He works through the shape with you over 4–5 fittings, with more extensive handwork in the canvas, lapels and finishing. Allow approximately 4–5 months.

If you’re interested in having your suit made in the atelier and seeing that work develop with Ian, this is the option to explore. You don’t need to choose a programme before booking. We can show you examples of both.

These are starting prices in Canadian dollars, before tax. Your cloth selection affects the final cost. If you have an event coming up, give us the date so we can confirm timing before you commit.

Choose cloth in person

Two navy cloths can look almost identical on a screen and feel completely different in your hand. This is the part I’d encourage you to take your time with. Feel the weight, look at the texture and hold the cloth against the shirt you might wear with it.

We’ll narrow the books down together. Loro Piana, Vitale Barberis Canonico, Holland & Sherry and Dormeuil are among the mills we work with, but the name on the book is only the beginning. Within each collection, there are cloths for different seasons and different amounts of wear.

Tell us if you run warm, walk to work or spend hours in a car. A cloth that feels lovely for a few minutes at the table still needs to suit your day. If you love a bolder cloth, let’s look at it. Just think about whether you’ll want to wear it as often as the others you’re considering.

Get the shape right first

Look at the whole suit before getting lost in the smaller details. The shoulder, jacket length, lapel width and line of the trousers need to look right together. A photograph can help you show us what you like; we’ll talk through how those proportions could work on you.

Say something if you prefer more room. You should be able to sit comfortably and move without feeling held in place. If you like a closer fit, we can discuss where to shape the garment and where you’ll still need room to move.

Then we can enjoy the finishing choices. A lining you love, a particular button, your initials inside the jacket. Keep them quiet or have some fun with them. You’ll see examples at the appointment, so you won’t be choosing everything from a list of names.

What happens at a fitting

Your first basted fitting can look a little unexpected. The suit is temporarily stitched together, with parts still unfinished. That gives us room to assess the shape and make changes before the garment is finished.

We’ll check how the jacket sits across your shoulders, how it hangs at the front and back, and how the trousers fall. Your part is to tell us how it feels. If something pulls when you sit, or a sleeve feels awkward, say so. You don’t need to know the tailoring term for it.

Wear or bring the shirt and shoes you expect to wear with the suit. They help us judge the sleeve and trouser lengths in context. As the fittings progress, we refine the garment and check it with you again before collection.

For your first appointment

If possible, bring a jacket you enjoy wearing, even if there are things you’d change about it. If you don’t have one you like, come prepared with a few thoughts on how you like your clothes to fit and feel.

A few saved photographs are helpful too. Point out what caught your eye: the colour, the way the trousers sit, or how relaxed the jacket looks.

Tell us what the suit is for, when you need it and what you’d like to spend. We’ll sit down with the cloth books and take it from there.

Consultations at our Toronto atelier, 146 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5C 1X6, are complimentary and strictly by appointment.