How much does it cost to get a custom suit made?

One of the biggest concerns people have in shopping around for a custom suit is cost. It's no secret that getting a custom suit made can be expensive. But how expensive? And why should you shell out for it instead of just getting something off the rack? Considering the interest in the topic, we thought we'd write a post on the cost of our custom wear at Watson Ellis and how / why we believe it's justified.

So here's the thing, it's difficult to give a comprehensive breakdown of costs because the spectrum is just so broad. At Watson Ellis, we carry over 4500 fabrics, and just about all of those fabrics are priced differently depending on type and quality.

What we can do is give an indication on starting prices for the different types of garments we offer.

For men, women and nonbinary peoples, our two piece suits start at $1675. Tuxedos start at $2050. Blazers start at $1250. Overcoats start at $1750. And our custom shirts start at $250. While they might be our lowest-priced items, we nonetheless still stand by the high quality of each of our entry level products. We only source fabrics from the premium mills in Italy, France and the UK. Their entry level materials are still top of the line by any standards.

In terms of how high the prices go from there, it's really a question of how long is a piece of string. For example, our finest cashmere options for a two piece suit are priced as high as 10k. And then we have offerings at basically every price point between there and the entry level. So you can see why it's difficult to be precise as to the question of how much does it cost to get a custom suit made. There are just so many potential price points because there are so many differently priced fabrics.

While our cut and sew costs are generally fixed, another factor that influences price is the level of service required. If you are a really challenging fit, it may be required that you do a semi-bespoke, extra muslin fitting before the final goods are made. The types of fitting services we offer are explained very well here:

Semi-Bespoke service adds $500 for a two piece suit to the base cost of whatever fabric you choose.

The only other thing we'd like to point out is that tuxedos are the most expensive things we do. The reason being that we use 100% SILK satin on the lapels and trim. Many other companies use polyester satin. Also, it takes more time and care, along with a more skilled tailor, to work with satin, so the cut and sew costs are a little higher than with our other garment types. There is a further up-charge of about 2% when we are working with WHITE tuxedos for the same reasons: they require more time and more skill to complete.

Overall, we like to think of pricing as a transparent conversation between us and the client. We don't apply any pressure to go with more expensive options, and we're not in the business of blindsiding our clients with the costs of our fabrics. We discuss the client's budget early on and aim to find the best option within that. It's as simple as that really.

Why should you pay more for a custom suit instead of just getting one off the rack?

Now to the question of why you should be considering a custom suit instead of buying one that's ready-to-wear, especially when the custom option is usually more expensive.

The shortest and sweetest answer is that a custom suit is made for you and you alone. It's not a generic product, just as you're not a generic product. Our suits are made with your unique body and personality in mind. To put it more specifically, perhaps you have uneven posture where you might be completely different from the right to left sides of your body: We can compensate accordingly for that, where ready-to-wear garments will not. Or perhaps you're looking for something completely outside the realm of what might be considered a 'normal' suit: we can do that; in fact, we always relish the opportunity. Or maybe you're a 'fit outlier' and nothing ever fits correctly straight off the rack: Our garments will actually fit you like nothing you've ever worn before.

What all of that essentially boils down to is the fact that the design possibilities are endless when you come in for one of our custom suits. There are no limitations when it comes to, say, lapel widths, buttonhole styles, or anything else. As we've done many times already, we can quite literally sketch up the garment of your dreams and turn it into a reality.

Another reason is that our custom garments are made to last, unlike fast-fashion garments. We've always said that we're in the business of making heirloom pieces at Watson Ellis, not throwaway junk that'll be droopy and dead within a few years. In order to make heirlooms, we have to take the highest quality approach to the making of our custom garments. All our suits are made by hand, from the interior canvassing, to the armhole seams. These seams are all set by one tailor who makes the garment from start to finish. There is no factory-line, cookie-cutter assembly approach here. Instead we deploy one set of expert hands, along with focus and care to ensure the highest quality pieces.

If you have any further questions on price, please don't hesitate to book in for an obligation-free phone call so we can discuss it.