REQUISITE CLOTHING

Quite often our designers and stylist get requests to mimic part or an entire wardrobe of a given character from a movie. Not surprisingly two of the most requested are Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt). While as actors the two have been on Hollywood’s best dressed list for years, their characters in Oceans 11 are not that far away from their true life counterparts.

To the casual observer the two characters are always dapper, dressed in the finest men’s suits, but if you look closely you will see that the two are stark contrasts of each other.

The Danny Ocean character is a lesson in the classics. His suits are all cut with a traditional flair, mixing dark and understated colors with a MOD attitude. He prefers a two button jacket with notch lapels, and a single vent. He pairs his suits with mostly solid dress shirts, again giving a classic look.

The Rusty Ryan character is flash with a classic attitude. He favors suits with a sheen that comes from luxury fabrics such as silk and silk and cashmere blends. Most of his suits are slim fit with rather padded shoulders in a light and very European type color. The collection of his suits, gives the impression of old school Italian suit maker combined with the flash and sophisticated elegance of the New York lounge and bar scene. Also take a look at the dress shirts he wears. They are all French cuffs left undone, yet they fall perfectly just past the crease of hi wrist. This is not by accident as these are custom made dress shirts cut specifically for this purpose.

With that said it’s quite evident that the details, styles and cuts of the suits and dress shirts in the movie are not available through any off-the-rack clothing designer. This is exactly why clients search out custom suit houses such as ours to duplicate the look.

By going the custom suit route we are able to create a mimic these looks almost exactly, while allowing for personal touches for each one of our clients. We encourage anyone who has a favorite movie or character to give us a call and let our designers create custom suits and custom dress shirts to emulate the look.

This can be an exciting or a stressful time for you, depending on how you handle it.

The best advice I can give is to invest in a couple of great suits, in navy and gray, and if the finances do not allow for more go ahead and buy a couple “filler” suits for the time being.

While most men’s magazines and style gurus are right n their belief that it’s always best to invest in 1 great suit than buy 3 marginal ones, their advice is just not rooted in the real world. Most people are not sitting around with a bag of cash looking to buy $1000+ suits 4 or 5 at a time. And it’s even more unrealistic to assume that a person can get away with wearing 1 or 2 of their great suits for a full five day work week.

I suggest getting a “go to” suit to start, 1 or maybe 2 killer suits. Use these for the times you will have meetings, or an important function. For the rest of the work week, buy some “throw away” suits. These will be a 100% all wool suit you can find at a discount retailer like 3 day suit broker. Expect to pay around $150. I recommend these rather than spending $400 or $500 on a “designer” suit from a department store, as for the most part there is no difference. Don’t get it wrong these suits will be marginal at best, but the key here is having some thing to wear with out sending too much money. As finances allow upgrade 1 great suit at a time, until your entire rotation is full of “go to” suits.

By managing your suit rotation intelligently, you will be able to put your best foot forward when it matters the most. This is a great way to buy some time while you build you wardrobe.

Advancements in digital technology is allowing custom suits to be available and more affordable to the masses.

Time was a custom suit was the staple of the well dressed man. Every well dressed man would have a local tailor steeped in old world tradition that he would frequent. Though as time went by and mass production became the norm, demand for Custom waned and talented tailor/designers became few and far in between. The process of creating a custom suit has remained the same for over a hundred years. A tailor would take the customers measurements and hand draw a pattern that would serve as the blue print of the garment. It took equal parts science as well as instinct to create. Once the meticulously drafted pattern was finished the tailor and his apprentice would then create the suit. This was time consuming, taking anywhere from 20- 45 hours worth of sewing. This long drawn out process made the product exclusive and expensive. The starting price for a custom suit can range between $3500-$5500 and take anywhere from 6weeks to 8 mos. depending on how busy the tailor was.

The heart and soul of a custom suit lies with in the pattern. It determines the shape and ultimate cut of the end product. “You can take the same measurements off of a customer, and create ten very different suits” says Joey Brazinski, a designer for the custom suit design house Requisite. “It’s the vision and talent of the designer/tailor that will really dictate how the suit will look, creating a pattern is maybe 2 hours of work, but the actual sewing can takes up most of the tailors time.”

Requisite, based in Los Angeles, with factories in Italy, The U.S. and Hong Kong is revolutionizing the way custom suits are made. Their process allows the talent of their designers to be used more efficiently…designing. “We found it a better system to have our designers measure our clients and draft the pattern, then we can have skilled seamstresses and tailors sew up the garment.” Says Melissa Alderete, Creative Director of Requisite. This leap was made possible by technology. Instead of drafting by hand designers can now draft via CAD, computer aided drafting, and with a touch of a button a complete pattern can be sent thousands of miles away. Their process combines the custom quality and experience with mass production capability. Alderete adds “The talent for designing is the main asset that needs to be used efficiently. There is a lot of people that can sew but not a lot of them can look at a client and envision what cut of suit will look best.” Requisites designers can create 10-20 patterns in the time the old model takes to create 1 suit. This efficiency results in quicker turn around times (2-4 weeks) and more affordable prices ($850-$1500)

“Doing it this way, there is no drop off in quality, It will still fit as perfect as it can fit and it will be constructed using the same methods as the old world custom tailors” says designer Brazinski. A bold statement Requisite stands behind as each garment comes with an iron clad satisfaction guarantee and return policy, unheard off when it comes to Custom suits.

Its been long said that no two people are alike, which makes it hard to find clothing off the rack that fits perfectly. Even with all the changes in styles and fashion one thing remains the same, A custom made suit is still the best fitting suit a man can own.

A: Its been a long standing rule that a fine mens suits should be made out of wool. The main reason is because of wools versatility and performance, but by no means is it the only option in the market. For those reading that don’t know what a vegan is, He or she is a person that doesn’t use any animal products in their life…that means no wool. While polyester is an option, it does carry with it a look only found in cheaper suits. A better way to go is by using luxury fabrics such as silk (Actually as I write this Im not sure if this one counts), Linen, Italian woven cotton and even tech fabrics such as viscose. The latter is a favorite by fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The best way is to go the custom suit route and have it designed in an un-constructed manner so that it drapes differently than a standard suit. When you use a different type of material you will want to focus on the suits fit, and create it so that it is distinct. You do not want to try to hide the fact that it isn’t your normal wool suit, instead embrace it and have the custom suit house create a cut that compliments the type of fabric used.

Most people are not symmetrical, some have one arm slightly longer than the other, some have one shoulder slightly lower than the other, that’s why we believe that a custom suit is the only way to get the perfect fit for ones business wear. Custom clothing allows you to create a style that fits your personality all while delivering the comfort only clothing built around your specific measurements can bring. But that shouldn’t end with ones suits and if there is any one place a custom fit is more needed its definitely in ones shoes.

Otabo custom shoes is based in Florida and is revolutionizing how custom footwear is made. Just like with custom suits, custom shoes were built using an old world method. When some one wanted a custom shoe, they would have to go to a shoe maker that would measure every inch of his foot. Over a couple of months the shoe maker would create a last in the shape of the customers foot and old the leather around it to create a bespoke shoe. This method was highly specialized but very inefficient. Though it created an incredible shoe, it was limited to where and when a customer could get fitted by the master shoe smith.

Otabo understood this and created a modern way to create custom shoes. By using a laser scanner to measure a customers foot, they were able to take the toughest part of bespoke shoe making, the fitting process, and allow the customer to be measured with out the shoe maker being present. A customer can choose from a myriad of options to create a one of a kind shoe with their own unique personality and flair combined with the craftsmanship of a true master artisan. The precision the laser scanning method helps make the process efficient, allowing a group of custom shoe smiths based in Florida, to make shoes for a person anywhere in the world. With prices that are considerably lower than most custom shoe brands Otabo custom shoes is a perfect compliment to any of our custom suits.

When it comes to business attire, men have had the advantage of custom made to measure suits available through numerous retailers. This segment was once thought of as a luxury, but with the fact that Americans today come in all shapes and sizes, that perception is quickly changing. The perfect fit available through custom suits have increasingly become a necessity, as more and more people do not fit properly in sizes sold off the rack.

“Every one has heard the phrase don’t judge a book by its cover, unfortunately, people have a habit of doing so.” States Alan Wilson a 5’7” 210lb senior partner in a downtown Los Angles law firm. “prior to buying custom suits, all my stuff was just sloppy. I would have to buy a size 48r and then they (dept. store tailors) would just cut it up until it would kind of fit. I hated to dress up. Now I feel great, I feel that much more confident.”

Wilson goes on say “we are a 350 person firm and when times are good every one tries out the whole business casual thing, but as times get tougher, I see every one putting their suits back on. I think it’s pretty clear…the way you dress has a big impact on how you feel and how the world perceives you.”

Alan Wilson is not alone. Custom suits have been a segment on the rise, according to MR, a leading men’s retail trade magazine, almost 24% this year while ready made suit sales have plummeted.

“This has been a boys club long enough” Melissa Alderete, creative director for Requisite clothing. “men have had this service for so long, we really felt it was time to bring the same advantage to women”

“Retailers have had to segment their offerings for women’s career wear because the market is even more splintered then it is with men’s clothing.” Alderete says “this results in very few choices, and suits that don’t fit any one all that great.”

A quick look at the retail landscape and the evidence is clear. Retailers starting to offer more petites and plus sizes because of this the number of styles they will carry are cut back to fit inventory budgets. For the consumer the lack of selection, is compounded by the fact that more often than not women fall just in between the available sizes.

Q-I just saw the new James Bond movie, I must say that is the best he has ever looked, Who made his suits?

A-Tom Ford. The genius behind the return of luxury. The genius that has brought back the well dressed style for men. For many a year James bond’s suits has been all Brioni, the venerable Italian label of the highest craftsmanship, but with the new look bond of Daniel Craig, They have decided to go with the much more modern style of Tom Ford. His cuts border the mod cuts of the early 60’s but mixed well with the details of the 1980’s power suit. All in all it creates a much more sleek look on Bond. With prices starting at 6k+ He isn’t for every one but man can the guy make a nice suit.

Visit www.requisiteclothing.com. Custom Made Suits, Custom Made Dress Shirts. For Him. For Her.

We invite you to experience the feel of a perfect fit.

Visit www.requisiteclothing.com. Custom Made Suits, Custom Made Dress Shirts. For Him. For Her.

We invite you to experience the feel of a perfect fit.

Q: How Many suits and dress shirts should I own, if I have to wear a suit every day?

G.O. San Diego, CA

A:This question has a lot of variables that can affect the answer, but there is a general rule I always suggest.  When it comes to suits, you will want at least 7 suits, one for each work day and 2 extras just incase a couple are in the cleaners. When it comes to shirts, 12 would be about right, two weeks worth, one for each work day with a couple to spare just incase of an “accident”. Any less and you will have to run to the dry cleaners to pick up and drop off  shirts. This should give you a strong working wardobe. Clothing is an investment so invest wisely. Pick classic cuts and patterns that will be stylish but not flashy. This will help ensure that your wardorbe will last longer that one season. Also mix and match and avoid wearing the same combination if you can. If you buy wisely 7 suits, 12 shirts and 20 ties can make up to 1680 possible combinations. Thats more than 4 years with out ever repeating the same exact outfit!

Visit www.requisiteclothing.com. Custom Made Suits, Custom Made Dress Shirts. For Him. For Her.

 We invite you to experience the feel of a perfect fit.

Q: Does black tie always mean black tie?

L.S. San Diego, Ca.

A: When it comes to Formal, the simpler the better. I recommend A single button tux with a gross grain peak lapel, a perfect white half pleated shirt with wing collars and a black gross grain bow tie. Simple, clean, and elegant…subtle enough that you don’t bring attention to your self, ala Dumb and dumber, but with a self-assured flair so you don’t look like the waiters.  It also won’t hurt to buy rather than rent. A rented tux looks and feels like a rented tux, A Great fitting tux can show taste, confidence and sophistication. Formal events I.E. fund raisers, gala’s etc… can be a hot bed of great networking opportunities, and if you don’t attend enough of them owning your own tux might encourage you to start. Clothes are only a part of the equation, your personality has to shine through, but looking like you belong and that know what you are talking about can go a long way.