In a world of fast fashion and mass-produced everything, we tend to lose sight of where and how our clothing is actually made. And when it comes to dress shirts, walk into any office or a bar on Saturday night, and it’s likely the men wearing them look exactly the same. But we all come in different shapes and sizes, so shouldn’t clothing adapt to each individual? Well, maybe not every piece, but when it comes to a tailored basic like a dress shirt, fit makes all the difference. Even women, the gender with way fewer custom suiting options available, are getting into the game. “The perfect fit is the key to looking and feeling poised at the office,” Gurjot Sidhu, CEO and Creative Director of Gurjot New York, a women’s luxury businesswear brand said. “When your clothes fit well, you know you look great and feel incredibly comfortable, all of which contributes to confidence that makes you do well at work. Believe me, other people notice.”
Guaranteed, you will notice the difference too in how your look and feel in a custom shirt versus a piece off the rack. Now that we’ve convinced you to treat yourself, check out four of our favorite brands below and snag yourself some made-to-measure.
Joe Button
Whether you want to design your own shirt or choose from their extensive collection – with clever names to match like Don Draper and Buddy Holly – Joe Button has a style for every man. Frustrated with the fit, quality and prices of buying off the rack, the founders started the company after a trip to Hong Kong opened their eyes to a whole new world of tailoring. Made from high-quality European cotton by Hong Kong tailors with more than 50 years of bespoke shirt making experience, you can snag a custom-fitted dress shirt starting at $99.
Duca Sartoria
When Max Girombelli founded his company Duca Sartoria, he was no stranger to the fashion business. In fact, his uncle discovered Gianni Versace while his father and brother worked with big-name designers like Franco Moschino and Valentino Garavani. With Duca Sartoria, Girombelli goes back to the roots of the tailoring business, seeing custom-made suiting as an intimate experience and the expression of one’s personality. As an essential complement to the suit, a custom Duca Sartoria shirt lets the buyer work closely with the tailors to choose between 800 varieties of fabric, collar and cuff styles.
Alton Lane
As veterans of the finance world, Colin Hunter and Peyton Jenkins had a lot of beef with men’s workwear available on the market. Traditional value brands were affordable but offered low quality product while the luxury brands offered excellent quality but at tremendously high price points. And so Alton Lane was born with a focus on superior fabric and tailoring at affordable prices, designed the way men want to shop. Either book an appointment at a showroom in NYC, Boston or Washington D.C. or shop online. After you receive your shirt, you need to confirm your fit to make sure it’s exactly to your liking.
Windsor Custom
Journey down the rabbit hole underneath Chelsea sports bar The Ainsworth and you’ll find more than ribs with a side of bottle service. Tucked below the bustling watering hole is Windsor Custom – yes, named for the knot – a “custom clothing living room” that adds an essential manly touch to the art of shopping. When Brian Mazza, partner in The Ainsworth and director of hospitality for its parent company Paige Management, noticed he was receiving tons of questions about his own custom-made dress shirts, he thought there was enough interest to start a bespoke clothing business. With shirts starting at $120 and suits at $750, you can snag a look all your own for less than a game day table upstairs.
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