Suitsupply Review: Custom Suiting Made Simple

I’ve always considered myself a fashionable guy, and I’ve been able to maintain the air of a distinctive style while shopping at cheaper, generic retail stores for a while. 

This behavior also applied to suiting, where I’d get most of my essential pieces from H&M. Their trendy suits were often loosely slim cut and featured plaid fabric that few were confident enough to pull off.

At least, I thought it was the fabric that kept so many people from wearing their suits.

As I learned more about bespoke suiting, the construction process, and how pants and jackets are actually supposed to fit, my stylish facade began to crumble.

The black slim suit that I picked up for less than $100 now looked shabby and awkward, where once I had thought I carried a passing resemblance to James Bond.

I decided it was high time I got myself a quality, tailored suit. 

The only question was where. 

I’d had prior experience with Joseph A. Bank and Men’s Wearhouse for wedding suits that were supposed to be tailored, but both companies didn’t seem to have a good grasp of what “slim fit” entailed.

I turned to Google and that’s when I came across Suitsupply.

What Is Suitsupply?

Suitsupply was founded by Fokke de Jong, a Dutch entrepreneur who trained to be a lawyer but decided the corporate office wasn’t for him. 

The company started entirely online with a simple website de Jong made himself, and quickly grew to require a brick-and-mortar store. 

Mr. de Jong is known for his controversial marketing tactics, which are well-represented by his decision to place the first Suitsupply store on the side of a busy highway between two major Dutch cities. 

View this post on Instagram

The idea that a suit store wouldn’t be in the luxury shopping areas of a city was so unheard of in the early 2000s that it earned him widespread news coverage, which brought healthy publicity to the store as well as the free advertising from being next to a busy highway. 

The brick-and-mortar store also allowed Suitsupply to begin offering tailored suits. 

A large part of Suitsupply’s success is their direct-to-consumer business model. They cut out many of the middlemen in traditional suiting to gain full control over the entire process, which allows them to offer a suit jacket at $500 rather than $3000. 

Mr. de Jong’s unconventional tactics are well represented by the Suitsupply mantra: “Don’t fit in, find your own perfect fit.”

Things to Consider Before Buying a Custom Suit from Suitsupply

The main consideration with Suitsupply is your budget. Their suits start at $648, but this price quickly gets higher with high-quality fabric choices. Their average suit costs around $750. 

If this seems like an eye-watering amount of money for a suit, Suitsupply isn’t for you.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a custom made investment piece but don’t want to pay Savile Row prices, Suitsupply can make you a quality suit to last for less than a grand. 

Another consideration is whether you live close to a Suitsupply store or not. 

The brand doesn’t offer personal tailoring services for online purchases, like some of its competitors do. You can still create a custom suit with a multitude of design options and some of your specific measurements, but it won’t be measured with the helpful eye of a suiting expert. 

View this post on Instagram

Their online offerings do come in various trims, like slim fit and regular, but if you want the true custom made experience, you’ll have to go to a store. 

Fortunately, if you order a custom suit online and don’t love how it fits, you can either take it to a local tailor for the finishing touch, or you can return it within 30 days for free. 

I loved the in-person experience at the Suitsupply store I went to, and would highly recommend it if you live close to one. 

Suitsupply Review

I live in Baltimore, MD, but had planned a three month stint in Paris that overlapped with my Suitsupply appointment.

Lucky for me, the brand has a store in the City of Lights and they were happy to complete my fitting there.

In-Store Experience

Suitsupply stores exude style, class, and confidence. Vibrant colors and energetic designs combine with beat-heavy music to set the tone for your experience and mood before you even lay eyes on a suit.

I saw a few in-house tailors buzzing throughout the space, surrounded by stylish equipment and materials. Everything in the store works together to create a sense that I’m going to like what happens here and end up with an enviable suit.

After being warmly greeted and asked if I would like a cup of coffee or water, I was led through several dynamic yet organized rooms stuffed to the brim with shirts, jackets, or pants to a quiet space with a large table and huge mirrors where the fitting would take place. 

My suiting expert in the Paris store, Alex, was immediately welcoming and attentive, and we got to what I was looking for in a suit quickly. 

As expected, the first step was to choose a fabric. Suitsupply has books and books of fabric swaths, categorized by season that you can browse through for an up-close look and feel. 

I wanted a material that was fairly thick and appropriate for the onset of fall and winter, but that had a distinctive flair. Alex pointed out that their new line was about to drop, which included a pure cotton corduroy fabric.

I’m a sucker for corduroy, and seeing that the fabric was fine and sophisticated enough to not look like one of the thick, heavy suits your dad dropped off at Goodwill in the 80s, I was hooked. 

While this is a more outspoken fabric than you may feel comfortable wearing, Suitsupply also has plenty of traditional fabrics for classic suits as well. 

With the fabric decided, we ran through the design specifications of both jacket and pants. I appreciated having Alex’s expertise and opinion to guide me through this portion, as there are lots of design options I had never encountered before. 

Once those were decided it was time to take some measurements. 

I put on a generic, untailored set of jacket and pants, stood in front of a mirror, and Alex pinned several areas that needed to be taken in or let out. To my surprise, hardly any measuring with tape was needed.

I was apprehensive of this at first, given that Alex was simply adjusting things with a practiced eye, but the results were outstanding. I’m also happy to not have had too much measuring with tape, which can sometimes be awkward.

With the pinning finished, all I had to do was wait 2-3 weeks, and then come back to the store to pick my suit up and test the fit. 

Jacket Design Details

Since the corduroy fabric I chose was more adventurous, I kept the details of the suit more reserved. 

To that end, I went with standard notch lapels and a two button closure. For the back vent, I often steer towards a single vent for its simplicity. However, I was advised to choose two back vents, as the single vent construction can sometimes splay out slightly and give an hourglass figure that you may not want. 

I’m happy I went with the double vent, as this helps maintain the sleek profile of the jacket from every angle. Suitsupply also offers the option to have no vent on the jacket, but this is typically for eveningwear and fancier occasions than I have access to. 

For the interior construction, I chose a light half canvas, which has two layers instead of four. In most jackets this would result in a very light, sporty construction. The corduroy, however, is already a thick material and pairing it with a four layer full canvas construction would be too heavy for my taste. 

I like the option to layer a shirt and sweater or chunky turtleneck underneath my suits, so the two layer half canvas worked best.

The remaining design considerations were options I had yet to encounter with competing brands, which again made me grateful for the guidance and expertise I had access to with an in-store fitting. 

For example, Suitsupply also gives you the option to include a ticket pocket, which is an exterior pocket above the right jacket pocket. True to its name, this is where gents of the past would keep their tickets for the opera or other performances. 

I didn’t include this with my jacket as I wanted to maintain the sleek exterior, but I think it’s a cool option to have.

The design details for this jacket got specific enough to choose the lapel buttonhole style. Prior to this, I didn’t know there were multiple options to choose. 

There’s your standard lapel buttonhole, which is just a reinforced slit used to pin flowers or a boutonniere, and there’s also the handmade Milanese style. This is a hand-sewn lapel buttonhole that lends a subtle accent, and historically implies a higher quality to the jacket. 

I liked the historical detail, so I went with it. Rather than just a straight slit, the Milanese style is rounded, like a thin teardrop. 

For the interior lining, I went with a butterfly style, which keeps the jacket light and also increases the flexibility of movement. I chose a dark brown color for the lining, and carried that brown through to the four kissing buttons on the sleeves.

There are a total of 39 buttons you can choose from for your sleeves, and I went with a light brown tortoise style.

Suitsupply also lets you choose the felt that goes underneath the collar, and I chose the same dark brown to match the interior. You can have your initials stitched into the underside of the collar, but I went for the classic option of the lining instead.

Jacket Fit

The jacket fits like a glove. 

Imagine that—a suit that is custom made for your body actually fits well? It sounds like this should be a given, but after several experiences with tailoring that was less than satisfying, my Suitsupply experience was a breath of fresh air. 

The jacket perfectly framed my shoulders and hips, was easy to button, and didn’t have that annoying ‘X’ around the front closure that’s a dead giveaway of the jacket being too small. 

Standard jacket arms are usually a little too wide for me, so I had them take in the sleeve width slightly and am super happy with the result.

The two layer half canvas construction and butterfly lining go a long way in making the jacket light and easy to wear, especially with a fabric like corduroy. Without the guidance of Suitsupply’s staff I would have chosen full canvas and lining, which would have been like wearing a winter coat.

The jacket’s length was also perfect, coming down to the top of the pants inseam like it should. 

I’m most impressed with the quality of the corduroy fabric. After some research, it turns out I have good reason to be. 

Suitsupply sources its corduroy and velvet fabric from the Pontoglio mill, which is based in Italy and has been creating fine fabrics since 1883. This mill is world-renowned for the quality of its velvet and corduroy, and it shows in my jacket.

I’ve never felt such soft corduroy, and this luxurious fabric has me finding any excuse to wear the jacket. 

Trousers Design Details

The trousers had more design details than I expected, which I realize in hindsight shouldn’t have been a surprise, given Suitsupply’s attention to detail.

For the waistband, I chose a standard button closure, which is placed slightly offset to the right with these pants. I’m a big fan of this detail, which gives the pants some subtle class and style. 

Suitsupply offers a bunch of options for the waistband, even to the point of a fully elasticated one with drawstrings. I also noticed the option later to add a cargo pocket to the pant leg, so if you wanted a suit that loosely resembled sweatpants, you could have it.

I opted for side adjusters rather than belt loops on the waistband since these are tailored pants. This gives a sleek finish to the pants and suit overall, and shows the quality of the tailoring since it fits perfectly without needing a belt. 

The next design option was pleating, and I went with a standard, single pleat. If you prefer, Suitsupply also offers double pleats.

I went with a plain hem for the bottom of the trousers to maintain the sleek profile, but you have the option to leave it unfinished or turned up. The turned up hem creates a cuff, which grants the illusion of height and adds extra weight to the pant leg for a nice drape. 

You also have the option to add suspender buttons and select your level of leg lining. I went with suspender buttons, since they’re nice to have, and left the pants unlined to keep them light and breathable. 

Trousers Fit

Like the jacket, the trousers fit perfectly. 

The waist is snug, with enough room for a shirt to be tucked in and no need for a belt. The trousers run slim through the legs, and break just slightly at the top of my shoes.

The trousers sit comfortably at my natural waistline, which is slightly higher than I’m used to wearing my pants. This helps to elongate and frame the shape of my body well, and is still comfortable when sitting. 

I’m a big fan of the side adjusters, which can easily be let out or taken in to make the fit more comfortable and secure. 

The waistband also has a notched back, which is a high-end feature in bespoke suit pants that allows for more movement and flexibility. Since the waistband is a bit stiff and sits at my natural waistline, this notch goes a long way in keeping these pants comfy.

I’m still impressed with how well these trousers fit without any measurements being done to find the circumference of my thighs or calves. 

Alex, my suiting expert, also noticed some particularities to my posture that caused the pants to crease slightly at the backs of my knees. I’ve always noticed this crease in other suit pants and been annoyed by it, so I was immensely grateful when he showed me the cause and how to avoid it. 

The corduroy fabric is, again, ridiculously soft. It feels like wearing a pair of sweatpants or pajamas. Sometimes I just wear them around the house because they’re so comfortable.

Overall, I’m perfectly pleased with how well this suit fits. It’s refreshing to have a custom suiting experience that actually delivers on its promise.

What Do Other Reviewers Say About Suitsupply?

View this post on Instagram

Reviews for Suitsupply are very positive. Satisfied customers reported great experiences with the brand’s customer service, whether that be online or in-store, and high-quality suits that fit particularly well. 

Many positive reviewers left the name of the store they went to and the suiting expert they worked with for their fitting so that others could have the same level of customer service.

Of the negative reviews I could find, several claimed that Suitsupply was hiding the fact that their suits are made in China. While Suitsupply sources its fabric from Italy and manufactures the suits in China, they make no effort to hide the fact and instead mention that many of the best suit manufacturers are located there. 

Apart from that, several customers had bad experiences with a rude staff member, but these instances were few and far between.

Suitsupply Alternatives

Indochino

Indochino is another player in the affordable, bespoke suiting arena. 

Their suits are made with a high-quality blend of wool and cashmere fabric which makes them comfortable for most seasons. They have a large number of customization options for your suit and the whole experience can be done online if you don’t live close to an Indochino showroom.

While their suits are slightly cheaper than Suitsupply’s, I had a better experience with Suitsupply’s tailoring. However, some of that is dependent on the store representative who does your fitting, and we know that many guys have gotten well-fitted suits from Indochino.

Indochino doesn’t offer returns on custom made garments, however, but they do have a Perfect Fit Promise that allows you to make alterations for free until the suit is just right.

Bluffworks

Bluffworks creates clothing that’s meant for travel, and their collection includes men’s essentials and suits. 

Their suits are lightweight, due to being constructed from 100% polyester fabric, but they still wear and drape like wool. This fabric makes their suits easy to pack and resistant to wrinkling, and it’s also flexible and breathable enough to keep you comfortable in hot environments.

Best of all, these suits can be thrown right into the washing machine. 

While Bluffworks’ suits aren’t custom-made or tailored, I was surprised by how well their Presidio Travel Suit fit straight out of the box. Bluffworks’ suits can also be tailored after purchase, as long as your tailor is comfortable working with polyester.

These suits also come equipped with no less than 16 pockets, many of which are hidden or zippered, to ensure that your small items stay secure.

J. Crew

If you’re looking for something more in the realm of legacy suiting and Savile Row, check out J. Crew. 

This storied men’s clothing brand uses fabric from the famed Abraham Moon and Sons Mill to make its slim Ludlow suit, which is a favorite of mine. The heavy English wool drapes nicely and is thick enough to be ideally suited for colder months. 

The Ludlow suit typically costs around $700, which is slightly less than some of Suitsupply’s offerings, but more than Indochino’s or Bluffworks’.

This suit is also not custom-made or tailored, but J. Crew offers a wide variety of size selections with different jacket lengths to help get the right fit. This suit is only offered in a slim cut, which can be restrictive for heftier guys. 

My Thoughts Overall On Suitsupply

FAQs