The Most Revered Luxury Suit Makers From Around the World

How the most revered design houses around the world ensure that a bespoke suit is the most luxurious item you will own.

By MW Staff

April 06, 2016

Giorgio Armani

Since 2006, Giorgio Armani’s Made to Measure suits have been a study in the fine art of tailoring, and combine the world famous spirit of Armani with the premium quality of made to measure craftsmanship.

There are a number of silhouettes on offer, with different lapel, button and pocket combinations. Customers are offered a choice of two main families of garments — the “Linea Naturale” and the “Linea Costruita”. Both lines feature garments for daywear and eveningwear.

Trousers have features to increase comfort, like a pleated waistband that allows them to adapt to your body size. Other trouser details help to ensure longer life (reinforced jet pockets), or are there to add character (button flies).

Customers can choose from a selection of linings and buttons. They are also offered a large choice of the finest fabrics in the world, including wool with a thread count that makes it feel finer than cashmere. Customers can select vicuña, a rare fabric made from the wool of the vicuña, a relative of the llama and native of South America.

As well as the visible details that come with the made to measure manufacturing technique — hand stitching on lapels, working sleeve buttonholes etc — there are also the invisible benefits: inside the jackets, a canvas made of a complex combination of natural materials like horsehair and goat’s hair makes up the hidden structure of the garment. Interfacings are stitched, so they “float”, and this ensures that jackets feel light and fluid.

There are two new models for this season, offering new stylistic features. In both these new styles, the internal construction of the jackets uses only canvas. This gives added value to these jackets, both in terms of looks and comfort. There is also a growing range of accessories available as part of the Giorgio Armani Made to Measure programme.

Brooks Brothers

For nearly two centuries, Brooks Brothers has tailored the wardrobes of countless American Presidents and politicians, actors, authors and business leaders. In 1818, they started the process of Made-to-Measure, and have been refining it ever since. They have a new factory in America to continue that process.

In the Made-to-Measure service, they create something based on their base models. There are four basic fits: Milano, Fitzgerald, Regent and Madison. It starts with a pattern that best fits you, and it is altered to your measurements to make a suit. Cutting is done through a computerized system and the manufacturing process is computer controlled, to manage the consistency of the product. Once the product is made, only minor alternations are done, with only one fitting. Customers are offered more than 2000 options of swatches, which come from some of the finest mills in the world.

This opportunity is offered to customize all the essentials items of a man’s wardrobe, including suits, jackets, blazers, vests, trousers and dress and sport shirts. Nehru jackets and vests are available in special formal fabrics, keeping in mind the festive season, exclusively for the Indian market.

Canali

Canali’s made-to-measure (Su Misura) experience begins with an in-depth consultation with one of its Master Tailors, trained at Canali’s headquarters in Italy and stationed at select Canali stores. The Su Misura consultation is a free and unrestricted discussion that’s unique to each customer’s specific tastes and needs. Canali offers an extended selection of nine basic Su Misura silhouettes to work from, each in a different cut and style. Each customer, working with their Master Tailor, will be able to quickly identify the exact style and fit that suits them best. At the first fitting, the Master Tailor will collect over 70 different measurements and alteration specifics from each customer, ensuring that the suit is created to minutely accord with their body shape, movements, posture and styling preferences. Canali currently offers a choice of over 500 fabrics for Su Misura suits, updated seasonally, 80 per cent of which are exclusive to Canali. Once fit and fabrics have been chosen, there is a multitude of other elements to consider, from 21 varieties of buttons to belt loops, extra pockets and jacket length. Each Su Misura suit is accompanied by a label embroidered with the customer’s name.

Gucci

In addition to offering fabrics from an exclusive selection, the service provides for customizable options with finishes and details and allows for personal tailoring according to the client’s individual measurements. The range of exclusive, top-quality materials includes nearly 82 textiles, which allow for 178 possible combinations of colours and fabrics — wool, cashmere and mohair in classic shades of gray, navy blue and brown, alongside silk satin, velvet and baby lama for evening, with diamante embroidery and jacquards featuring the house’s iconic horsebit in tone-on-tone combinations.

Tom Ford

Experienced artisans cut and sew a choice of three hundred cloths in unique fabric blends, such as cashmere and mohair or wool, silk and linen in factories in Italy and Switzerland, and each suit requires a minimum of 18 hours of craftmanship. There are several exclusive bases from which the client can choose, including the Windsor base, which reflects the iconic Tom Ford style, and the O’Connor base, which boasts a fresh and modern slim cut. The contemporary gentleman can expand his wardrobe with suits, weekend jackets, cocktail jackets, tuxedos and overcoats.

Trouser legs are turned up with two invisible buttons — a traditional twist that allows the cuff to be unfastened for cleaning.

Corneliani

Sartorial excellence is combined with the pleasure of being able to choose from the most prestigious fabrics in over 500 different colours. Whether it’s a business suit, a dinner jacket or morning dress, the same style is always guaranteed. In a Corneliani suit, sophisticated hand-sewn and hand-finished details (150 steps and 27 hand-crafted stages for a jacket) alternate with the most advanced technology.

Ermenengildo Zegna

In the convenience of the Zegna boutique, expertly trained professionals take the utmost care as you select the style, fabric and particulars to create customized leisurewear best suited for your character and lifestyle. This unique and important aspect ensures that Zegna’s Casual Luxury delivers more than just an impeccably tailored garment; it delivers a reflection of how you wish to present yourself to the world at large. Jackets and blazers have the following features: