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Style Know How: What's the Difference Between Off-The-Rack and Custom Clothing?

Let's talk about the benefits of ready-to-wear vs. M2M (Made to Measure) clothing. With ready to wear, you always know you can find great quality in a crunch. You do run the risk of not finding the size and fit you need but it allows for an immediate in and out experience.

A handsome suit is three things: it fits like a glove, the fabric is luxurious and it sends the message you want, e.g. I’m powerful, I’m unique, or I’m ready to party.

This trifecta can be difficult—if not impossible—to achieve with an off-the-rack suit from a department store. The best way to get the suit you desire is to have it made to measure by Trands, one of the top custom clothing makers in the world.

Today, a man can never have too many dress shirts. In fact, The Wall Street Journal published an article, “The Dress Shirt’s Big Moment,” and in it quoted shirt makers as saying the average number of shirts a man should have in his closet is 20.

Ermenegildo Zegna is one of our favorite brands here at Harleys in Shorewood. From ties to suits, the Italian fashion house makes the best menswear in the business. They are global phenomenon but everything they make is exquisitely crafted, with skill and attention to detail, just like when the company first began in 1910 in the tiny town of Trivero, Italy.

The quality of Ermenegildo Zegna speaks for itself. Their wool suits and sport coats are fully canvassed and made from the finest wool available, and they look beautiful and modern. Their ties are impeccably stitched and drape handsomely. Every Ermenegildo Zegna piece is made of high-quality, high-performance material, and they all have a sharp, classic, and sophisticated aesthetic.

Here are a few looks from Ermenegildo Zegna’s Autumn Winter 2014 Look Book:

Daily formalwear

Sartorial style

Casual weekend

Relaxed elegance

Come see our full selection of Ermenegildo Zegna suits and apparel at Harleys in Shorewood. Find us here.

Continuing our run on fine Italian menswear brands (see here for Luigi Bianchi and here for Magnanni shoes), today we want to blog about Corneliani (pronounced “kor-nell-yan-nee”), one of the world’s crème de la crème menswear brands.

Over the past five or so years, American men, including those in Shorewood and Milwaukee, have slowly been embracing a closer-fitting suit, much like the Italians have been doing since…well, forever, I suppose.

Luigi Bianchi Mantova, an Italian menswear line, has had a hand in this, or has at least capitalized on it. See Andrea Benedini, export manager of Luigi Bianchi Mantova, make an impassioned case against ill-fitting (read: extra large) suits to Esquire’s Nick Sullivan.

Fit is arguably the most important quality to good style. Even the most beautiful, expensive, fine Italian wool suit will look sloppy if there’s too much room in the shoulders or the arms are too short.

And yet, while fit is paramount, many men have little patience for the time it takes to buy clothes that fit them properly. This is understandable—with so many styles to choose from, and sizes being inconsistent across brands, it’s natural to just pick up the first thing you find, or just let your wife or girlfriend do the shopping.

What is the fastest way to lose ten pounds this year?

Wear a suit that fits.

Fit is everything when it comes to a looking good in a suit. If it is too tight, you look like you’re bursting at the seams (perhaps literally). If it is too big, you look like you have something to hide. And don’t be fooled: not even the nicest, most expensive fabric or designer nametag can save an ill-fitting suit.

When you’re looking for the best mens suits Milwaukee, you needn’t look any further than Luigi Bianchi. With sports jackets that will clean up any look in a flash and suits that are sharp and polished, you know that they’re all made in Italy, where only the finest fashion lives. So other than hailing from Italy, what makes this brand so great? 

When it comes to the suit jacket you choose, you have a lot of options at your disposal. Different pocket options, different cuts, and of course, all those different colors, are all just a few of the choices that you’ll be presented with. But when you want better menswear Shorewood, and a jacket that will truly complement you, it’s what’s inside that counts.

You may hear all the time about how keeping modern in today’s luxury mens clothing is all about being sleek, slim, narrow, and clean. These are all terms you’ll hear and often, it means no cuffed pants. But, does keeping it clean really mean giving up the cuff?