Fashion, Shopping

Looking Like A Lawyer: Buying A Bespoke Suit

Should you take the plunge and buy a custom-made suit?

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Some lawyers are sartorially challenged. The pages of Above the Law burst at the seams with tales of fashion mishaps. Yes, we know about the stylish Skadden lawyers featured in the New York Times — but they’re the exception, not the rule. When I profiled legendary New York lawyer Eddie Hayes, a member of Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame, a few years ago, he offered this indictment of attorney attire: “There are some terrible dressers at big firms! They must go to a special school to learn how to dress that badly.”

Could getting custom-made suits be the solution to this problem? Last year, my then-fiancé (now husband) treated himself to a bespoke suit. It turned out beautifully, garnering him constant compliments — so I decided to investigate for myself. (And for ATL readers; when I mentioned on Twitter that I was looking into custom suiting, several readers asked me to write about the process.)

In late May, I walked a few blocks north from the Above the Law offices in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood for my appointment at Michael Andrews Bespoke (“MAB”), where my fiancé had his suit made (after being referred there by a friend who’s an editor at GQ, which has previously covered MAB). The Michael Andrews showroom is located in Great Jones Alley, a little byway running parallel to Lafayette Street that was named after Samuel Jones, a prominent lawyer regarded by some as “The Father of the New York Bar” for his work in revising New York State’s statutes in the late 18th century. You press a buzzer to be admitted to the gate-protected alley:

And climb a short flight of stairs to the studio:

The Michael Andrews showroom is less retail store and more gentlemen’s lounge. Young people today are more into experiences over things, and MAB makes buying a custom suit into a bit of both. The open floor plan features a sitting area in front, a fully stocked bar on the right as you enter, and marble-inlaid tables in the center, where well-dressed salespeople conduct consultations with clients — asking them questions, entering the responses into laptops, and showing them swatches of fabric.

I passed on the offer of an alcoholic beverage, wanting to be sober for my reporting, and met with Cory Sylvester, MAB’s vice president of operations, who looks like a younger Ethan Hawke. Cory asked me a number of questions so he could understand how Michael Andrews could best cater to my needs, such as why I was interested in getting a bespoke suit, how often I expected to wear it, and for what types of occasions. A client’s answers to these questions will affect such things as the cut of the suit, the weight and durability of the fabric, and the lining, all of which lie within your control when you get a bespoke suit.

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I came with a specific purpose: to get a suit for my upcoming wedding. My fiancé already had his blue bespoke suit from Michael Andrews that he was planning to wear for the occasion, so I wanted the exact same suit, just in grey (our wedding colors were blue and grey). But I also wanted the suit to be versatile enough to wear after the wedding, for business purposes such as meetings, conferences, and speaking engagements.

Because I wanted to replicate a suit whose details MAB already had on file, all I needed to say was, in essence, “I’ll have what he’s having.” But Cory still walked me through all the choices a client gets to make. For example, on the hot-button issue of lapels, did I want peak lapels or notch lapels (or various other options I’d never even heard of)? How wide did I want the lapels to be? Or consider the lining — did I want a full lining, half lining, quarter lining, or no lining? Or take something I never think about, like buttons — what shape and color did I want, and what material (e.g., black horn, natural horn, gun metal, mother of pearl)?

Making these selections, which reflect your individual style and personality, is part of the fun of getting a bespoke suit. During this process, the MAB representatives might make recommendations, but in the end it’s up to you as the client. As Cory explained, “It’s custom — so it should be personal. In that regard there are a lot of ‘right’ answers. Our job is to guide our clients through the process and ensure the selections they make are ones they’ll be satisfied with in the end.”

Even though my suit followed my fiancé’s design in almost all particulars — I deviated from his only by opting for a ticket pocket (which I view as distinctive and useful, and he sees as affectation) — I did have to pick my own material. For color and pattern, I opted for a medium grey glenplaid (also known as the Prince of Wales check) with a blue windowpane that picked up the blue in my fiancé’s suit. For the fabric, I went with a Super 100 wool (fun fact: labeling of wool products in the U.S. is governed by statute), in a medium weight (10.5 ounces per yard). Cory assured me that this fabric would be perfect for my outdoor September wedding as well as for future business trips (due to its resistance to wrinkles).

Because MAB suits are “bench made,” not produced on an assembly line, the process takes time. Typical turnaround for new clients is eight to ten weeks, with subsequent orders ranging from six to eight weeks on average.

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I had my initial measuring on my first visit to MAB. Cory took a plethora of measurements — my chest and waist and sleeves, of course, but also some more obscure ones, like shoulder slope, gorge-line height (the gorge line is where the collar meets the lapel), and button stance (which determines how high or low the button fastens on your torso; typically the most flattering button stance is half an inch below the natural waist). The MAB database has fields for more than 100 possible measurements, although not all are used for every client.

Initial measurements get turned into each client’s personal suit pattern, in a process similar to how architects use computer-assisted design (CAD) to make building blueprints. Cory described the system as “a marrying of old-world tailoring with new-world technology.” This personal pattern distinguishes a bespoke suit from a made-to-measure suit. A made-to-measure suit involves adjusting an existing pattern to a few of your particular measurements (e.g., your sleeve length), while a bespoke suit results from a pattern that’s unique to you, like a fingerprint, and reflects all the quirks of your physique.

A few weeks later, in mid-June, I returned to MAB for the basted fitting – a crucial step in the process of turning abstract measurements into the reality of a suit. I tried on not an actual suit but a “test garment” that would then be used to make my pattern. The test garment was made out of a wool and polyester blend, not the fine fabric used for the actual suit, and it was held together with basting threads (hence the term “basted fitting”). You can see the white basting threads in this photo:

My basted fitting, which took about half an hour, was quite the production. They took photos of me wearing the jacket and pants from four different angles; I had to turn 90 degrees each time, like a suspect having mugshots taken. I felt like quite the little prince when, at one point in the fitting, there were four people scrutinizing, measuring, and tugging at my suit — including founder and CEO Michael Andrews himself (a former King & Spalding lawyer and self-described “recovering corporate attorney”). The pants were pretty perfect, but the jacket required a number of adjustments, including fixes to the height of the collar, the slope of the shoulders, and the size of the chest. (This is why MAB recommends a basted fitting, even though it’s not strictly required; it ensures the most optimal fit possible, all before any cutting of the actual fabric the client has selected, making for a truly bespoke garment.)

In late July, I came in for the first fitting of my actual suit. It took well under half an hour and revealed the need for a few small tweaks, such as taking up the sleeves and taking in the jacket. A week after that, and around ten weeks after my first visit to Michael Andrews, I returned for my final fitting. On this visit, my fiancé tagged along — partly to see me in my suit, and partly to get his own suit evaluated for a “tune up” of sorts. MAB will happily make alterations to a suit of its making (for free in the first six months after purchase, and for a nominal charge after that).

My own suit fit magnificently – which didn’t come as a surprise, given how well it fit even at the first fitting, but I appreciated the asymptotic approach to perfection – and it felt great too. The jacket followed and flattered my silhouette, having been taken in slightly since the prior fitting, but without being constricting. The pants were pure perfection – no belt needed, obviously, and with the break of the pants hitting my shoes just so.

While in the showroom, I saw a client trying on a black blazer made of pure cashmere. It looked – and felt , after Cory encouraged me to touch it – amazing, even though it wasn’t really my style (or in my price range, at $6,000). But that’s the nice thing about custom clothing: to each his own.

So should you spring for a bespoke suit? If you can afford it (read: you work in Biglaw), then get at least one. You’ll wind up with a suit that fits you like no other. But it’s not just about the destination; it’s also about the journey. The process of essentially designing your own suit, including selection of all the little details that express your unique personality and reflect your particular lifestyle, is enjoyable and interesting. A bespoke suit isn’t cheap, but it’s not insanely expensive either — a first-year associate’s Cravath-scale bonus can easily cover it, even after taxes.

Think of it as an investment in your future – the confidence-inspiring garment you’ll break out for that critical client meeting, court hearing, or deal closing. As our columnist Gary Ross put it, “Dress like a lawyer. Maybe 80% of life is showing up, but an additional 10% is showing up looking the part.”

Disclosure: Michael Andrews Bespoke provided me with a complimentary suit to facilitate my writing about the suit-buying process from the client’s perspective. The suit I received would retail for $2,295, and the basted-fitting process would be an additional $1,000. (The basted fee is waived for purchases of three or more suits; also, if a client purchases three suits in their first year as a client, the fee is then offered back as a credit to the purchase of the third suit.)

MAB would like to provide something special to Above the Law readers as well: mention ATL and receive 10 percent off your first order. So please feel free to pay them a visit!

Earlier: An Afternoon With Ed Hayes, Celebrated Litigator and Memoirist
What Can You Buy With A Biglaw Bonus? Ask These Stylish Skadden Lawyers
Dress Like A Lawyer

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