Why fit bodies need custom suits

Football players tend to be large, muscular men. Basketball guys are extremely tall. Everything needs to be made to measure. In most cases, athletes also have very broad shoulders with skinny waists, so with most jackets, they would have to go up to a bigger size to accommodate their shoulders, but then the front of the jacket would be too big. When measuring, we would reduce the waist of the jacket so the front panels fit properly. Another common issue is the thighs of pant legs being too tight (due to muscular quads). With custom pants, we can increase the thigh area for more comfort.

I have found that the younger guy surprisingly is new to the sartorial world and tends to stay more basic; solid blue suits, for example. As these gentlemen mature, they look for more interesting fabrics and patterns, as well as different models—maybe adding a ticket pocket or having peak lapels. Athletes also want suits that fit close to the body to accentuate their physiques. In one instance Devin McCourty from the New England Patriots direct messaged me through Instagram because he saw this fabulous silk formal jacket I had just posted. He said, ‘I need that!!’ He came by and we measured him and went over all the details, like picking a custom lining, model, buttons, and even the satin for the lapel of the jacket. He has a twin brother who plays in NFL and the two of them try to one up each other with cool, beautiful jackets. I guess they are even competitive off the field.

Suits should fit so that your point-to-point, from one shoulder to the next, lies nicely and not hanging over your shoulders. The front of the jacket should have just a slight bit of tension on the button. Jacket collars should not have a bubble underneath and should fit snug to your neck. Pants should also be a nice slim fit, with a shorter rise and narrow bottoms.

When packing a suit, put some paper or plastic between the fold where the garment is folded in half. Also, pack it inside your garment bag. We tend to suggest great travel fabrics that are made to be more wrinkle-resistant, too. For example, Ermenegildo Zegna makes a fabric they refer to as 'high performance.' This fabric travels incredibly well. They also have a 'cool effect' fabric that is treated to reflect UV rays in the sun, so you can wear darker-colored jackets and suits in warm weather while remaining cool. These are a better fit for the athletic lifestyle. Lastly, try not to have your garment dry-cleaned often; dry cleaning ruins the finish on the fabric of the garment and after time, the fabric will look shiny and worn. Unless you actually spill on your clothing or really sweat, have suits hand-pressed instead.