The Indispensable Charcoal Grey Custom Suit

Custom Suits made for men

The early death of some custom suits in a man’s wardrobe is usually not the wear and tear of the threading materials as a result of repeated uses, but rather it is just only one of two things.

And both could have been easily avoided if the man had only exercised good judgment and due diligence right from the beginning.

Simply put, the early death of his supposedly beloved and expensive tailored suits could have been prevented. The suit would have enjoyed a long and distinguished life if not for the wearer’s lapse of judgment.

The first lapse of judgment which may cause the early demise of one fitted suits could be attributed to a combination of a man’s overindulgence in food and a sedentary lifestyle, which simply means that he is not getting enough vigorous physical activity to burn off all those excess calories.

As a result, his expensive investment of a custom suit, which he had initially thought would be worth its exorbitant price since it would serve him elegantly well for many years, will have to retire early simply because it does not fit him anymore. The extra poundage is simply too much that no amount of tailoring alterations could salvage the suit.

A quality made fitted suit jacket or trousers can be usually let out or can be tucked in just few inches, perhaps maximum of 2 inches along the waist area or the sleeves. In some areas of a suit jacket like the shoulder yoke, it can be quite difficult to make even some minor adjustments without compromising the overall fit.

The second lapse of judgment that could be attributed to the early death of a man’s custom suit is merely a matter of fashion preference. Preference, that is, for being too caught up in fashion trend that one tends to forget that trends come and go. What might be in and hot right now may just as suddenly become outdated and passé a few months down the road.

And indeed, what would a man do if he finds himself with a tailored suit in a loud designs or colored patterns that was all the rage a season ago but is suddenly not ‘too cool’ to wear anymore. That is one of the dilemmas of having a too conspicuous design or too an avant garde style in one’s suits instead of opting for classic and timeless design and in solid staple colors.

 

Certainly, there is nothing wrong when a cosmopolitan man would sometimes go with an avant garde suiting style for as long as he understands that he may have to put to an early death, so to speak, this particular custom suit –no matter how much it had cost him to have it made.

Indeed, the often cited causes of the early demise of some custom suits in a man’s wardrobe are easily avoidable if the man wanted to. Both were just a matter of choice right from the start.

The Affordable Elegance of Hong Kong Tailors

In many major financial districts and metropolitan cities around the world, men wear fitted suits. Some do so by personal preference, while others do so because they have no other say on the matter.

But whatever the case, this means that many men have no choice but to be in the constant lookout for great tailors who can deliver quality custom tailoring clothes and other services.

And Hong Kong, being a city at a unique position between the Western and Eastern cultures is leading the way in meeting and supplying that rising demand all over the world.

Nowadays, there are Hong Kong tailors that number by the hundreds, if not thousands, in this metropolitan Chinese territory. Obviously, this was brought about by the increasing need of men to find not only a good quality and a fit of a suit but also that which may not strain the pockets too much.

These are, perhaps, the driving forces that have made Hong Kong tailors quite popular around the world. It has been estimated that there are more or less 42 million tourists that pass through this city annually. And it cannot be denied that aside from the usual sightseeing attractions and numerous business opportunities that this metropolitan Chinese city has to offer, tailoring tourism likewise plays a big part on the city’s allure.

Hong Kong tailors have built up a reputation for themselves for what might be called as affordable elegance. The phrase may sound incongruent at first encounter. After all, elegance has always been expected and associated with extravagance and luxury.

Affordable is just not usually said at the same breath as elegance.

On the other hand, that is what these ingenuous Hong Kong tailors have amazingly accomplished with their impeccably made custom suits and other men’s clothing apparels.

And despite what skeptics may say, tailoring tourism, which is already a billion dollar business in this city, will not have continued to thrive and flourish if it were just riding solely on its being cheap or affordable. Nonetheless, there is some truth to it that the cost of fitted suits and shirts here (even at many well established tailoring houses in the city) is only about a quarter of the price in other leading cities in the world, including London and New York.

It is undeniable though that many tourists continue to patronize Hong Kong tailors because of their excellent craftsmanship and skillful handiwork. Being affordable is just a bonus.

In other words, affordable elegance is possible.

Shoes & Socks That Fit on Mens Suits

After the state of quality of mens suits, the next thing that people notice on a gentleman is his taste in shoes and socks - if everything fits perfectly.

The shoes, as well as the socks of course, must match the whole look. Or else, everything falls apart. Not even the most expensive bespoke clothing or made to measure suits can save the gentleman’s cherished reputation. He certainly could be ruined for good and would now be the subject of whisperings in the hallowed office corridors.

Such is the power of the shoes and socks when paired wrongly with a particular custom fitted suit. One bad decision in the early hours of a fine morning could definitely have long term consequences.

But these dire warnings should not prevent anyone from developing a risk-taking attitude, fashion wise of course. Although in general, the only way one could play around with the rules and become an exception to them is to know the rules first.

One good rule of thumb to remember is that shoes and socks should be slightly darker than the pants or the men’s suit. However, if a man has the right personality for it, he can certainly make a fashion statement by wearing socks that match the color of his tie.

For example, a gentleman wearing dark colored tie such as burgundy red or deep emerald green can surely add some spice to his suit ensemble by wearing similar red or green shades of socks.

Another point of consideration is to avoid wearing black socks on any pants that is not black. Even dark navy men’s suits should be paired with dark navy socks.

As for the shoes, high quality leather is the preferred style of all times, especially when paired with an elegant-looking made to measure suit.

Similarly, it is best to stay away from black leather shoes with brown or khaki colored pants.

But in the end, no matter how well the whole men’s suits and the color of the socks and all the other pieces fit together, if the state of care of the gentleman’s shoes and socks leave nothing to be desired then nothing is achieved in the end.