Do you remember the first time you kissed a girl/guy/transgender person?

Do you remember your first slice of pizza?

The time you got an A+++ in Calculus? (Me either! )

Or scored the winning touchdown? (OK, I did do that!)

Well Oliver Wicks is SO good that it's not only better than any of those individually, it's better than all of them all rolled into one! It's SO good that when they deliver your misshapen skinny suit, they have a trained EMT accompany the delivery guy because they anticipate that you will faint right away from rapture!

:icon_saint7kg:

 

How can they do that with free shipping?

 

How can they do that with free shipping?

The shipping may be free but I'm sure they charge for the EMT.

 

I've seen them mentioned here, and I visited the website. The fabrics look great, and the prices seem reasonable. How are the fit and quality of the finished product?

I've bought three suits from Oliver Wick's. I have a symmetrical average body (5'10" 190 lbs). All of the OW suits, including the third (despite tweaking of measurements for each suit, amazing communication with customer service and loads of pictures), required extensive tailoring on arrival.

The workmanship is all machine and on par with average OTR. OW has one basic pattern and the armholes are way too low. The suit only accommodates minimal movement. However, OW will change the armhole on request. For your core work suits, ultimately MTM is not worth it due to the time investment, pattern issues and pitfalls. On the other hand, OW has a lot of choices in fabric and customization options. If you are going for something special and you're willing to invest a lot of time and money (80 hrs, $2000), they're a good online resource.

Based on my experience MTM is only useful for North Americans. Even for us, its a desperate last option behind Bespoke and OTR. Nobody in Europe or Asian should use MTM as there is amazing and affordable bespoke in most cities at same price point.

North Americans traveling to those places should plan to get a bespoke suit fitted during travel. If your in the US, bespoke suits (I have several) costs more but takes less time. OTR suits are often less expensive, fit better (its true) and take less tailoring and time.

 

Let me preface this by saying that I have no experience with Oliver Wicks. Having said that, I can confidently say that two things are certain here at AAAC: 1. Online MTM is considered a crapshoot at best and a disaster at worst; and 2. Any foray into the modern trend of short/skinny is generally a mistake.
Can this work for you? Sure. But we generally believe that there is no free lunch. If you end up with a quality, conservative and stylish suit that fits you well, it will be the exception and not the rule. Always better to buy something local that you can try on and return.
Plus, do you really need MTM? Most men will do just fine with OTR and a few alterations.
My suggestion is always to start local on sale (Nordstrom rack or similar if in your area,) or BB when they run a sale.
And post some pics as soon as you find something (preferably before you buy.) You can get plenty of good feedback here if you post good pictures which might save you money on alterations.
Good luck.

 

Unfortunately for me, Brooks Brothers is a no-go. I'm 6-5 and generally wear a 44XL. BB does not offer XL. I have a number of Jos. A. Bank suits, mostly their signature line, but I don't have a good feeling about the company since Men's Wearhouse took them over, so I am looking for other options. I recently bought several items from Tom James, and they do very well but are considerably more expensive than the prices that I see on the Wicks website for what I assume are excellent fabrics (Vitale Barberis Canonico, Angelico, Bottoli). I'm pretty new to this end of the garment trade, so I'm looking for advice. I hope to meet with MyTailor in Raleigh in a month or two.

 

All the more reason not to do online MTM. I have no experience with this firm, but at those prices I'm guessing that the amount of customization will be somewhat limited. If you feel you're hard to fit, online MTM is not for you. In my opinion it's not for anyone, but certainly not for you.

Have you tried Brooks Brothers? Are you basing your decision on what you've seen and tried on or just browsing the website?

As for fabric quality, VBC is ok. I wouldn't call it crap but it's certainly not excellent. It's an entry level fabric.

 

All the more reason not to do online MTM. I have no experience with this firm, but at those prices I'm guessing that the amount of customization will be somewhat limited. If you feel you're hard to fit, online MTM is not for you. In my opinion it's not for anyone, but certainly not for you.

Have you tried Brooks Brothers? Are you basing your decision on what you've seen and tried on or just browsing the website?

As for fabric quality, VBC is ok. I wouldn't call it crap but it's certainly not excellent. It's an entry level fabric.

Fact check - VBC produces hundreds of fabrics of different material and quality. Some of which are at the highest quality the industry offers. Some are of basic quality.

 

OK, thanks. Very helpful info. I'll look elsewhere. What's the general feeling on MyTailor? I don't live in a big city, and I'm not traveling to one regularly, either.

 

Again, I don't know them but I hold the same general opinion of all online services like this.

However far Raleigh is, go there and visit Brooks Brothers. Get measured and I'm alsmost certain you'll find something that works. Brooks has multiple fits from slim and modern to the fuller cut Madison. They carry different sizes and different lengths.

 

Unfortunately for me, Brooks Brothers is a no-go. I'm 6-5 and generally wear a 44XL. BB does not offer XL. I have a number of Jos. A. Bank suits, mostly their signature line, but I don't have a good feeling about the company since Men's Wearhouse took them over, so I am looking for other options. I recently bought several items from Tom James, and they do very well but are considerably more expensive than the prices that I see on the Wicks website for what I assume are excellent fabrics (Vitale Barberis Canonico, Angelico, Bottoli). I'm pretty new to this end of the garment trade, so I'm looking for advice. I hope to meet with MyTailor in Raleigh in a month or two.

I see your problem.

But I think if you're patient in gathering information and exploring your alternatives as contrasted to wanting a quick answer and acting, you'll likely be able to find something that will better suit your needs. (I'm an impatient person and tend to do the latter. :redface

While you're a tall guy, tailored clothing for men your size is available through quite a few sources. There are big and tall retailers that sell your size. A lot of it is junk, but some also carry lines from decent quality manufacturers. You'll get a reasonably well made garment with acceptable cloth that with the attention of a competent alterations tailor will make you look better than any on-line MTM ever could. Focus on the result, not names. The best cloth in the world made into an unsuitable garment will still look like heck, and make you look worse.

While I enjoy deriding JAB as much as anyone, for your circumstances I wouldn't discount them simply because of the merger with Men's Warehouse. Men's Warehouse had a Joseph Abboud MTM program that is now operating withing JAB. There have been creditable reports of quality manufacturing. Of course, any such program is dependent upon the experience/skill of the individuals doing the fitting and ordering, but it's probably something from which you could benefit examining.

 

I'm not sure what quality level you're looking for, but menssuitseparates.com definitely offers 44XL. Not high end, but I've found them decent, and long enough. They are Hardwick suits, made in TN. The website is not great.

 

I'm not sure what quality level you're looking for, but menssuitseparates.com definitely offers 44XL. Not high end, but I've found them decent, and long enough. They are Hardwick suits, made in TN. The website is not great.

I've purchased several things from them and been pleased. But please note that Hardwick has changed their line and their cut and how much they allow retailers to discount. I attempted to purchase a sport jacket last autumn, and they no longer had it available.

 

Brand new guy to the forums here, but I thought I would post my initial thoughts from my first suit with Oliver Wicks. But some heavy caveats up front.... I've historically not been a real clothing afficionado and I have not needed to dress particularly well for work or my personal situation. I look better than most...but let's be honest, that isn't saying much these days. Some recent changes in my professional situation require me to step up my game, and I'm having a lot of fun learning. Prior to this I would just drop in to JAB when I needed something and it generally worked fine for my needs.

I am pretty opposite the OP in terms of build. I'm a stocky 5"7' 40s...or so they always say on a quick eyeball sizing. In reality I'm probably more like a 39s with particularly short arms, a bit of an athletic build, and with a problem on the width of my arms at the triceps area compared to my shoulder points. So my fitting is a bit tough from those angles.

I ordered a 40s in the Q line from Oliver Wicks. The thing showed up in like 3 days...nicely impressed. The suit seemed very well constructed and the fabric was nice to my eye (Super 140s). But the jacket was pretty big on me. So I emailed them on an exchange. After a few days of no response I emailed again and they said they did not receive my first email. May have been a spam related issue or something...but they very promptly sent out a 38s to me with no hassles and without requiring that the original suit be immediately mailed back. The second suit came in another 3 days and it fit me much better. The only thing I don't like about it is that the shoulder pads seem a little thick for my tastes and it seems there is a little over-hang past the seam into the arm. It gives a slight look of a dimple in my shoulder area...but that may also be because of the aforementioned tricep width issue. A very good tailor in the area confirmed that I am a little odd in that respect. So I don't fault OW for this.

Incidently, I'm also having some fun on eBay, looking for good condition deals. I bought a Suitsupply 38s jacket in Super 110's. That jacket probably fits me better than the OW. But I think the general construction is not as good. I recently bought a Mantoni suit in Super 130's that was only like $180. I know it is not a high quality suit...but it is serviceable and it fits me well. To my still untrained eye, the Suitsupply jacket is very similar to the Mantoni jacket. I do think the OW suit is a better suit. And....you get a $50 alteration credit on the RTW suits or $100 on a MTM suit there. That process was very easy to navigate with them.

So, if you are still reading OP....you might want to run up to Liles in Raleigh (Cameron Village). I live just north of you. I have not been, but in my research it looks like a very legit clothing store and they work with bespoke options as well. I plan to go there this weekend to get a true and proper fitting, and get an assessment on my current wardrobe.

If I had $2,500-3,000 I wanted to blow on suits...I would get a MTM from OW, as well as probably another online place. I'd get a BrooksBrothers or Hickey Freeman type suit. And I'd probably get a truly bespoke suit done on one of my trips to Shanghai. But the fact that I would try OW again says at least a little something about my experience. I'm sure there are better options, but for the money I thought it was a good experience.

 

Brand new guy to the forums here, but I thought I would post my initial thoughts from my first suit with Oliver Wicks. But some heavy caveats up front....

Thanks for that detailed report. I'm thinking about meeting one of the traveling tailors (MyTailor) in Raleigh this fall. Just to be clear, you bought an off-the-rack suit from OW, right?

 

FWIW the trademark is owned by a company called "Dragon Inside" from Bulgaria, hence where I assume the suits are made. I have no knowledge of Bulgarian tailoring and would neither dismiss it out of hand nor conclude that it was the next big thing.

 

Yes, the suit was OTR. And my limited understanding is that this company started off under the name Dragon Inside and then sometime later switched to the name Oliver Wicks. I don't know the history...and I'm not a marketing genius...but I'd say that was probably a good move to change the name.

I can confirm that I spoke with someone in customer service and she indeed was from Bulgaria.

 

Yes, the suit was OTR. And my limited understanding is that this company started off under the name Dragon Inside and then sometime later switched to the name Oliver Wicks. I don't know the history...and I'm not a marketing genius...but I'd say that was probably a good move to change the name.

You mean Oliver Wicks isn't a seasoned Savile Row tailor who decided to open his own operation in Bulgaria? What about those crossed pipes in the logo? Who smokes those?

 

Stay away from Oliver Wicks!! I had to wait 4 months to get a fitted suit and it still wasnt perfect. Second suit was even worse than the first using the same measurement and preferences. I was so tired with the back and forth that I just gave up in the end. Black Lapel would do a better job than Oliver Wicks

 

On the subject of mytailor, I and several other forum members (Old Sarge, for one) have not only purchased items from them, but also been to their main offices in Orange County, CA, on an AskAndy field trip.

You might solicit opinions on them and see what kind of response you get.