[lewi]

If you, as I do, live in Sweden you kind of live in a sartorial wasteland. The number of gentleman's clothiers are few and expensive (in Sweden we have a 25% VAT). The last few months I have been looking for a good MTM service (I can’t afford bespoke right now) in Sweden but without any luck. No tailors/menswear stores I have visited offered MTM services with that little extra. You could not even get “simple” things like workings button-cuff and they always had a key Hole buttonhole at the lapel. So basically I’m giving up when it comes to finding a good MTM service in Sweden, and instead look towards London.


My budget is around £500 but I could go as high as £1000 if needed. So a bespoke suit is not an option because of the price and because I don’t have time to fly back and forth to London several times within a few weeks for the fittings.


That leaves me with the option of getting a MTM-suit made in London. But where should I turn? Gieves & Hawkes? Chester Barrie? Jasper Littman? Lutwyche? Is it possible to get a fully canvassed MTM for a £1000?

 

[nikwik]

Sweden sucks!

I was in the same position as you. Wanted a pin-striped three-piece (waistcoat with lapels, impossible to find in RTW...). After some thought I decided to go to Ede & Ravenscroft (The Savile Row-branch) . So far I have not regretted my choice. I went for the fitting in November (when they normally have an "Personal Tailoring"-offer like an extra pair of trousers or free waistcoat etc) and collected the suit in March.

The suit is (probably) made by Wensum and I believe that if you go to nearby Gieves & Hawkes you´ll also get a Wensum-suit but it will be more expensive...

 

[suitsyousir]

You have to go to Sartoriani!

Nah, just joking.

Saville Row may be slightly out of your price range. You might get lucky with entry-level suit, but you could get more elsewhere. There have been some good reviews of George Bespoke Tailors, for example.

Also, be aware that MTM from Saville Row isn't quite what it's made out to be. I believe G&H's China-sourced MTM aren't fully canvassed.

If you're willing to take a risk, Thick as Thieves is rated highly on the Style Forum. The owner is based out of Los Angeles, but his suits are made elsewhere (don't ask, don't tell). People seem to be very pleased with the quality and construction. You send in your measurements and get a lot of features like working buttonholes for around $500. So, at your budget you could order one, make sure it fits, and then order a second and even a third.
That said, you never know who in London is having a sale on. Last I heard, Ede & Ravenscroft were having one uncharacteristically late in the season.

Also, consider whether you really need MTM. If OTR fits, then MTM becomes pure vanity. So do certain other touches. I just picked up a gorgeous suit with working buttonholes and realized that I'll quickly forget about them until it comes round to selling the thing (once my size has ballooned), at which point it will be much harder to sell. Was it worth the extra $100? The same goes for canvassing. I own everything from fused to fully canvassed (who doesn't on this forum, I suppose). At the high end, I don't notice the difference. If you buy a fused Southwick, you won't have to worry about bubbling, because that's mostly a thing of the past unless you buy absolute garbage.

At OTR, you'll find more options in London. Huntsman has some popular OTR models, although they might still break your budget. I do feel they you pay a heck of a lot just for the brand name, though. Also, as with MTM, asking who's best is like asking who's the most stylish - you'll never get a definite answer.

My suggestion would be to use this forum to figure out where you should not go, then browse all possibilities, sleep on it and choose your product on your second or third day in London.

To start off where not to go (surprise, surprise):

Sartoriani!

 

[Penang Lawyer]

Try Benson & Clegg.

 

[pichao]

Try this thread:

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=83123

It is not about London, but shows some good MTM and bespoke services in Scandinavia. You could certainly get a suit in the price range you mentioned.

 

[Simon]

Don't rule out Roderick Charles, but "press" them...at least visit

 

[luk-cha]

i'd say, go see Mr Eddie on berwick street!

bespoke at MTM price's! ask for Chris you cant go wrong!


if Chan's the mand - so it Chris cerr!