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I rarely wear suits any more - which means a lot of mine are out of date, or don't fit my fatter ass/gut.
I'm in New York right now, and I'm thinking about having a new made-to-measure suit done here. But I thought I'd see if anyone has had any success in Calgary. Traditionally mys tuis have been off the rack from Singer, but I've never really loved it. Wide shoulders always make the pants fit weird.
I use Huey Lam and have been very happy with my stuff from there:
https://www.hueylamsuits.ca/
He has a body scanner that takes 750 measurements, then verifies important ones by hand. Last time I was in there, he had lots of materials to choose from. If anything isn't perfect when the suit is done, he is also a tailor himself so he can fix it on site.
I haven't bought off the rack dress clothes in 10+ years and have been much happier as a result.
I mean, I am sure you can spend whatever you want in New York where the sky is the limit, but if you just want a good quality custom suit that fits perfectly you can get that in Calgary at a reasonable price. I think his suits start around $600-700. You can spend 5X that at other places in Calgary but the quality is no different from what I have seen.
O'Connors still has good tailors that will make a nice suit.
Harry Rosen built me a nice one the other day too.
I think both were under $2500.
My brother went to Indochino and was happy with what he got, I have no idea what the quality is like though.
Years ago I had a sport coat made by Giovanni the Tailor Shop on 37th and 17th. Took a few weeks and a couple of fittings but I was really happy with it. I've since had it altered by Henry's Tailoring just off Macleod. Again, really happy with the results. I think he also does MTM and Bespoke work.
For a Baller like Buster, this is the only answer. Both have phenomenal customer service and if they can’t find a good brand that fits you well, then go custom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BavarianBeast
You got to plug your nose pretty hard to put up with the load of BS you get from Harry Rosen... I can’t say I have ever had a good experience when I begrudgingly go into that store.
I would go with O’Conners just because they aren’t asshats, I bought my last suit from them and while it wasn’t mtm I was very happy with the experience and it was well tailored.
For "cheaper" options, Ed Williams has been great to me.
Just remember that whenever you go into these stores, the staff work for you. Just start barking orders at them and they'll get moving. I see the Chinese do it all the time and seems to work great.Quote:
Originally Posted by killramos
I had an awful experience there when the guy sold my Hugo Boss shoes to someone else while I was trying on and comparing them.Quote:
Originally Posted by killramos
The creepy weirdo said "bless you" to me no fewer than 3x per minute for about half an hour while he was allegedly assisting me until I realized the shoes I came in there to buy were gone. Haven't been back.
Is a $500 custom suit a possible thing in Calgary?
Don’t need name brands, just something for a black tie event that will fit snug.
Pretty sure Indochino was advertising this not long agoQuote:
Originally Posted by KPHMPH
It’s not in my nature to be an asshole to people in a retail store. I find the whole situation very uncomfortable for everyone involved.Quote:
Originally Posted by BavarianBeast
It’s not like they sell anything you couldn’t buy somewhere else. My experience was fighting with the guy to get a modern suit that didn’t make me look like Donald trump ( guy was well past his expiry date ), didn’t bother telling me when my MTM suit was in, and they fucked it up and wanted me to pay more money to fix it.Quote:
Originally Posted by ThePenIsMightier
They couldn’t even get bringing me in a shirt in my size right. These jokers still call me a few times a year to come in for their sales, cannot read between the lines on my responses at all.
I just don’t think that store offers any reason to actually go in there unless you are some kind of stuck up douchebag who needs to have the Harry Rosen label on their suit bag for everyone to see.
Overall, just go to O’Conners
As for a “black tie” suit under 500 bones for one event, rent?
Went to O'connors. They didn't attend to me. Walked out. Never returned.
Went to Harry Rosen. Have one guy I deal with. Have had nothing short of exceptional service. Have 3 or 4 suits that I am very pleased with. Would recommend.
I lucked out at Harry Rosen as I found a great guy who was extremely helpful, younger, not judgmental and made me feel very comfortable about my first suit purchase. I will admit some of the other guys in there would fit the mold with some of the complaints in this thread. With that being said, this guy (Gary Diehl) earned my business and I've been a repeat customer for almost 7 years.
I have bought lots of clothes from O'Connors, Supreme and HR over the years when I didn't know any better and before I went the full custom route - in my opinion you aren't getting anything extra there except a nicer store to shop in and a lot more smoke blown up your ass compared to many of the online options or in my experience, Huey Lam. The same materials and build quality can be had for a fraction of the price from places that don't have a giant retail store to run from everything I've seen. There's a point where all you're paying for is a brand name that nobody can see, and that point is pretty low IMHO.
Mine was 600$ I believe. Full body scan, made from scratch to fit, you pick the fabric / colours / if you want pockets/ how many buttons / etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by KPHMPH
@OP I forget the exact business name but go to the Wild Rose Cleaners on 14st and 15th ave SW, it’s inside there. It’s tiny hole in the wall place but top notch quality. They have a full 360 degree body scanner and everything. They do all the measurements and then send it off to a professional suit maker. All the fabrics on the wall so you can pick whatever Color and pattern you want. It takes about 4 weeks I believe but when it showed up it fit flawlessly and was cheaper that most department stores. Pricing was cheap too, I (vaguely, 3 years ago) believe it was like 600$ for suit and pants though they have some fabrics that are a bit more expensive
Edit: Someone else mentioned the name here, HueyLamsuits.ca
Yup that is Huey Lam. The store itself is nothing special at all but if you care about service, price, and quality it's at least as good as all the super overpriced stuff you buy from the larger high-end stores. I think some people just need to spend $3-5K on a suit to feel like they got something really good, but there is honestly no difference aside from the brand name stitched inside. If it fits perfectly and is made well, nobody you meet is going to know whether it was $600 or $6000.Quote:
Originally Posted by pheoxs
So, are these Huey Lam suits a canvas construction (like the well made suits being sold at O'Connors, Henry Singer's etc) or are they fused with glue? I had a look on the Huey Lam website and they don't mention anything about canvas construction, which is something I suspect they would , considering they are tossing around the "bespoke" aspect.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitsu3000gt
can anyone comment how much were the custom shirts at Huey Lam ?
was there a non-iron option?
I haven't bought new dress clothes in quite a while, by far your best bet would be to give him a quick call and get a full rundown to make sure he offers exactly what you're looking for.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pacman
Even Indochino and Suit Supply use canvas construction now though.
From what I have seen, pretty much every company uses the word "bespoke" for anything that is MTM, regardless of quality - all it means is "made for you", it doesn't refer to a certain construction type.
- - - Updated - - -
I am pretty sure they are either $60 or $65, they were quite a bit cheaper than pants which I think were $160 or $170. Not sure about non-iron option. Prices may have changed a bit since I was last in there but I suspect that is close.Quote:
Originally Posted by deee_wreck
I have a few friends who have Huey Lam suits and they are decent but there is a noticeable difference in fit, quality and structure between one of his suits and a ZZegna or Canali, for example. To some people this won’t matter and it’s not a big deal or it’s good enough value. To a guy who wears a suit everyday, this could make a difference in your purchase decision. Additionally the fabric options Huey has don’t hold a candle to the options you get from Harry or O’Connor’s. Again, to some this isn’t a big deal and i’ve recommended Huey to a number of people but considering the OP, i’d recommend the bigger two options.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pacman
On the other hand, I cheap out on shirts and typically use Maxwell’s or Huey, I personally don’t see the value in the expensive brands which also don’t fit me well due to my body type.
Great thread everyone.Quote:
Originally Posted by 90_Shelby
I wonder if Huey lam sees a greater degree in variability because of the nature of mtm.
I presume you can also spec higher end fabrics with him?
You can - I don't know where the 'ceiling' is for him but his suits are not all the same price.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buster
I have a ~$2500 Versace suit that was gifted to me and I personally can't tell a difference between it and Huey Lam in terms of quality, but I acknowledge that there are people here probably more knowledgeable on the intricacies of suit construction than myself.
Compared to my older Indochino stuff (2012-14ish), Huey Lam is noticeably higher quality in my opinion, in terms of structure, perceived durability, stitching, buttons, zippers, etc. I know Indochino has improved over the years as well so the gap might not be as big anymore.
Everything I have ever bought from indochino has fallen apart eventually, most things within a few months.
Fabric tearing, seams falling out, useless hemming. Quality is shit across the board. This is in the past 18 months so clearly quality is not that much better.
Not bad if you only need a suit to last a weekend I guess lol, it all looked ok initially.
Almost my entire work wardrobe used to be Indochino, and the stuff I had lasted a pretty long time. Much of it did eventually wear out but only after heavy use for many years. I got my money's worth out of them probably 10x over, but my elbows did eventually wear through on a few of my shirts (probably more an issue with my measurements), and the pants got that "shiny" look to them where the zipper/metal was after many years and literally hundreds of wears. I replaced a few buttons but it was always my fault (catching on something). The suits I have from them though have all held up great and still look brand new, but I wore them less often and nowadays mostly just for occasions. I've never had anything fail inside 18 months though, not even close, more like 70-80 months of ~weekly wear for the stuff I had. Some of the pants I definitely wore more than once per week over those years. I figure if it can hold up for 5-7 years of frequent use, that's pretty good for the price. My Hugo Boss stuff and the couple shirts I got from O'Connors didn't last any longer, so I figured I had a pretty good run with the Indochino stuff. Apparently their quality has improved steadily over the years, particularly with their suits - but I don't have any of their newer suits to comment.Quote:
Originally Posted by killramos
My recommendation to fabrics and styles would be to go into Harry Rosen, Singer, O'Connor's etc. to get an idea of what looks good and in style then go to Huey Lam to compare. Regarding suit material, he has a limited selection that he carries from his suppliers and these would not be high end fabrics that would be available to the bigger names and he's priced accordingly. This may or may not matter to you but when I go to Huey's and compare the designs and options to my ZZegna suits there is a big difference. There are several other specifics that I've noticed related to Huey's suits or other custom options that I could mention but to most, these details don't matter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buster
Indochino is junk, don't waste your time.
How long are you in New York Buster? If you have time try to make your way down to Proper Cloth in Soho. They will get you measured up, and then you can keep your measurements in your online profile for shirts/suits etc, and order online from them. Quality is nice, and they have TONS of fabrics to choose from. Their online shopping experience is great and you can read customer reviews on the fabrics before you order.
I also like having a couple different profiles for dress shirts....one that is meant for tuck in, and one that is for more casual shirts that you can wear untucked.
I'm leaving this afternoon. Darn. This looks perfect.Quote:
Originally Posted by 91_Integz
this, i dont have a suit from them but from all the ones i have seen they are junk.Quote:
Originally Posted by 91_Integz
You guys saying Indochino is junk, how much stuff have you actually owned from them and for how long? What year did you buy it in? (their quality has changed over the years) How often did you wear each item? Most of the people saying it's junk don't seem to have actually owned any of it, or are choosing not to provide any details whatsoever if they have. I think I am the only one here who has actually owned dozens of their items (Shirts, pants, suits) over 5+ years of daily use, and they held up well over that time. As mentioned some articles did eventually wear out but after literally hundreds of wears, which I would expect of most clothing types. Huey Lam is better, but I wouldn't say Indochino is junk, especially for the price.
easy there, the honda civic is still the greatest car of all timeeeeee.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitsu3000gt
Sometimes you dont have to own something to know it's shit. You don't own anything else other than the Honda civic but you dont have a problem bashing every other car out there?!
What are you even talking about? Ever since that thread you embarrassed yourself in, you have been extremely hostile. Comes off as very childish to be honest. Just forget about it and move on, it's just the internet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Team_Mclaren
I've owned several Indochino shirts and for the price you pay, it's better to buy BR shirts and get them altered by a seamstress. Their fabrics are horrendous.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitsu3000gt
EDIT: Bought them 2009 and tossed them out months after. Stopped by their Chinook store and it's alright. Like a fancy Tip Top.
Anyone have pics of Huey Lam suits being worn? Curious how the shoulders are structured.
@Buster SuitSupply is pretty nice (NYC locations)
https://www.thepeaklapel.com/home/20...tsupply-part-2
I have one Indochino suit that I've basically worn once a week for about a year. It's at the top of my list of favourite suits for the time being and still in pretty good shape.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitsu3000gt
If you are in NY ..
Just shop for some nice suit, wide range of selection .. should be some fit you nicely!
I’ve had 1 custom suit and 2 custom shirts done by Huey Lam, I’d say quality is good but material is below average.
I also have 3 custom suit and many custom shirts done by Suits by Curtis Eliot. Very modern slim fit and quality is just exceptional. It’s been about 2 years since I got them but it’s less than $200 more for the suit than Huey and it blows everything away that I’ve ever come across. The bamboo custom shirts are a DREAM, it’s $250 for 2 shirts but quality and workmanship is just unbelievable.
Suit by Curtis Eliot had a small office location DT and based out of Edmonton, also it takes a bit of time for them to make it and shipped over(I’m guessing out of country). 100% worth the wait. If there’s any adjustments they can get it done locally quickly. You guys should at least get their bamboo shirts, it’s crazy comfortable and top notch quality! If you do go for the suit, keep in mind they tend to go very tight and slim fitting so make sure to tell them to give more room if you prefer, I never needed to adjust the jackets but I did for the pants. All personal preference.
Is Huey Lam in that Wild Rose Alterations shop?
YeahQuote:
Originally Posted by sexualbanana
If anyone is looking for a cheap option Indochino's blackfriday deal is a custom suit for 389$
https://www.indochino.com/COLLECTION/BLACK-FRIDAY
I decided to try both Indochino and Huey Lam Suits and the fit is far superior with Huey Lam Suits.
Wearing them one after the other puts the Indochino's suit fit to shame.
Huey Lam Suits are more fitted, proportionate, sleek, and fits my shoulders, waist, hips, and collar perfectly. He got it right the first time, and no further adjustments were necessary.
Indochino had issues from the get-go especially the shoulder and collar fitment, even after a second adjustment.
Sorry if it has been mentioned already, but how much does a standard 2-piece run at Huey? I see his site says they start at $499, but is there quite a range in price for different fabrics and/or design elements?
St.Fox is really good and they do shoes as well http://www.st-fox.com/
Can someone recommend a tailor, I had just purchased a Hugo Boss suit looking to have altered
Umberto's Custom Tailors downtown is awesome. I'd highly recommend them for getting a suit or jacket made.
Henry's. Reasonably priced and very good.Quote:
Originally Posted by shadowz
I paid the big bucks to use Giovanni's in the past for a suit tailor and honestly wasn't that impressed, and it was ~$250 for some very minor alterations - for another ~$250 I can get a brand new full custom suit.
Huey Lam Suits can tailor them for you. He's just up in Centre Street between 8 and 9 Avenue NW.Quote:
Originally Posted by shadowz
I think $500 is the bare minimum you can spend (blended wool, polyester, cotton fabric).Quote:
Originally Posted by beyond_ban
For $600-700 you get into a higher tier fabric like 100% wool and nicer fabric look and feel.
Henry, been my go to for the last decade. Amazing work every time.Quote:
Originally Posted by shadowz
I Went there once and was very NOT impressed. I wouldn't go again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitsu3000gt
Pretty much this, I think mine was 500-600$ in the end; there's a bunch of fabrics that are the base price and then there are some premium ones. Just depends which you like more but there were a lot of good options at both price levels.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaylo
Thanks guys, I'll go to Huey this week
Does anyone know if he does alterations on dress shirts?Quote:
Originally Posted by jaylo
Yeah he does. No idea on pricing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Impreza
Huh didn't realize he moved.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaylo
Probably for the best - the old place was super tiny and most of it was taken up by his drycelaning business. Did the job though.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDL
Thanks for the feedback, seems pretty in line with Suits by Curtis Eliot pricing.Quote:
Originally Posted by pheoxs