Classically there have been two main roads to acquiring a suit: an off the rack, department store jacket and pants that may fit well enough with a few alterations, but certainly nothing special. There is then the ultimate luxury in men’s clothing, the fully custom bespoke suit from one of Savile Row’s ancient establishments. Made to exacting standards and more often than not by a man older than your grandfather, it’s a suit that will last a lifetime, never mind may take that long to pay off.
There’s a new way however, one that doesn’t mean settling for less for the discerning man. A new wave of American suit makers are offering fully custom, made to measure suits that have the custom fit and fabric of a Savile Row number but for a fraction of the price. This doesn’t mean they’re cheap, these are still made from Scabal cashmere, the same fabric used by Brioni in it’s own suits and have many of the same features such as functioning button-holes (a now lost detail in all but high end suits).
One of the most promising of this new wave of suit makers however is Astor and Black, the brainchild of 25-year-old David Schottenstein. While studying abroad in Italy, Schottenstein became fascinated by the craftsmanship of fine Italian suits and noticed the lack of similar offerings in the United States. Soon after returning he opened the first Astor and Black office in his native Columbus, Ohio and since then the company has grown steadily.
They have outposts in almost every major American city and have started expanding internationally this year. What this means is that someone will be at your office or home for the first consultation and measurements and then for every subsequent fitting. Your Astor and Black representative will walk you through the multitude of options for your suit and even help you pick out matching shirts and ties to take the guesswork out of the morning rush. After every aspect of your suit is decided and fittings are completed, the finished product will arrive in about a month, not too bad for something a bit less offensive to your bottom line than a $10,000 trip to London.
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