2012 Shoulder Pad Change

Only major change in suit construction in 2012 (as of today) is a change in the shoulder construction.  2011 saw a change to an unpadded shoulder, and after reviewing feedback on going from a lightly padded shoulder to unpadded, while most didnt seem to notice or even preferred it, there were a few that definitely needed the shoulder pad because of their physiology, as an unpadded shoulder works best on straight shoulders, and if you have a bit of slope then it's not the preferred construction style.  So as of now, all 2012 orders by default will feature a very light hand padded shoulder pad (vs machine padded) which should result in a uniform pad thickness for all suits (machine padding can have varying margin of error thickness).  If you'd still like an unpadded jacket shoulder just mention it when you order and that can be accomodated.  Thanks

New Windowcheck tweeds

These are 2 great windowcheck pattern tweeds that have been added to keep the chill off in the remaining winter couple months.  Very soft and luxe feeling wool tweed in a windowcheck/plaid pattern. 

The #3 color is a rust brown with a burnt orange window overcheck.  I love these earthy colors as they pair well with denim, and this colorway will look good with most any color flannel trouser.  A great color to be made as a separate jacket or trouser, and will look amazing with burgundy/cordovan shoes as well as any walnut/dk brown shoe.

The #1 color is a medium shade cool grey with a light blue overcheck.  Another great colorway to pair with denim, or if made into trousers, would look amazing with a white, grey, or light blue oxford shirt, and perhaps a knit sweater vest on top as well.  Got a pair of beefroll loafers?  That would cap off a great smart look with this cloth.

NEW VbC blue navy!

As I've been getting a lot of request for a "blue" navy, I managed to get this cloth from Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC), which is indeed a "blue" looking navy, even moreso than the #127 which was the previous "blue-est" navy I had.  This cloth is coded as VBC 130, so if interested please refer to that as its name.

And the other VBCs (124, 125, 127, 121, 122) are also all restocked and available as well!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

Hope everyone has a Merry X-mas and a safe New Years.  All orders placed by November 18th will have shipped by Thursday December 22nd.  If you havent received a shipping confirmation by Friday let me know and we'll see what's going on.

Also, I will be on vacation from Dec 26-Jan 8th so last day I will be responding to email is 24th.  If you email during the time I am gone, I will be checking email once every few days, and will respond to quick answer emails.  Any emails that require a bit more thought on my part will be answered when I return.  If you dont get a response by Jan 8th then please re-send your original query.


Here's to everyone having a fantastic holiday season and see you in 2012!


-Jason

No Saturday Appts for rest of 2011

Sorry, but there will be no more saturday appointments booked for rest of 2011.  The days I am available are already booked with multiple appts, and there are a few weekends where I will not be around between now and end of year.  As of right now, if you are interested in a saturday local meetup, it will not be until January 14th.

2011 Holiday Schedule

This is the last week to place orders where they will be guaranteed to ship before December 24th (pending any unforeseen delay), so if you need to have a suit in your hands for Christmas or New Years please place orders by no later than this friday the 18th.  If you place the order after the 18th, there is still a chance you may get it shipped by Dec 24th, but it is not certain it will.

Also please note that any orders that have not shipped by Dec 24th will not ship until after JANUARY 9th as I will be out of town for the 2 weeks right after Christmas until the 8th. So also please keep that in mind, even if you don't need a suit in time for Xmas/NYE, that first week of January will have no deliveries either so please plan accordingly!

Houndstooth Tweed Part 3

From the same series as the houndstooth tweeds posted below in "Part 2", these 3 are all earthtone cloths in a houndstooth pattern with an overcheck type of pattern on top.  Not a true overcheck but the interplay of color between the tooth pattern gives it that effect.   Definitely recommended for separates rather than a full suit unless you have some moxie!

RESTOCKED ALL VBC!

Another hugely popular series, the Vitale Barberis Canonico cloth are all now restocked, including all of the popular navy colors.

These fabrics are from renowned Italian mill Vitale Barberis Canonico, a super 170 wool/silk blend in lightweight approx 9oz.  These are a great choice when you want something a little extra nice for yourself, and as usual I recommend these cloths for non-first time buyers who have already dialed in a good fit (but obviously there's no problem with these as a first time suit).  All of these cloths are available in very limited quantities.


127 True Navy....a very regal shade of Navy, has distinct blue tones and maybe one of the best navy colors I have offered

125 Dark Navy...a more traditional dark navy, perfect for suits intended to be worn in a conservative work environment

124 Cool Medium Grey...this color is similar to Petrol Blue, but is more of a medium shade grey.  Because the grey is a "cool" grey (as opposed to a warm grey), it has a slight blue cast to it.  A great grey color for those who felt the Petrol Blue sharkskin was a bit too blue.

122 Warm Medium Grey...a true medium grey.  The surface texture weave is a very fine nailhead/pindot pattern.

121 Light Grey...a true light grey.  Also has the visible fine nailhead/pindot pattern to the cloth weave.  A great shade if you are looking for a light grey that is not too far from medium.  I wouldn't classify this color as being a pale grey however.

RESTOCKED: Sharkskins!

After a few false starts on availability of these sharkskins which were very popular, I am glad to announce they are finally restocked!  So for all of you who've been asking for the Petrol Blue and the Blue-Grey Sharkskin cloths, they are now available.  This is the swatch from the previous stock I used, the color should not be much different in this new batch, but if they are I will edit the swatches to reflect the change in color, but for now here is what they looked like.  And the lookbook has full worn suit samples of each of these cloths to get an idea of how they look as a full garment

These are English made, super 120s "vintage" sharkskin.  I describe them as vintage since they are more like an early 1960s sharkskin, rather than the highly metallic sharkskin that is more commonly thought of when one uses that term.  Think of "Rat Pack" era American suits, where the cloth has a bit of a sheen due to its 2 thread color weave.  These cloths are a wool/silk blend and have more surface sheen than the cloths I've normally offered.  Despite the sharkskin nomenclature, these choices will still be completely appropriate for those wishing to wear it to work or for interviews as they are NOT metallic and will not have the high reflective property.  Their sheen is subtle and gives the suit a more sophisticated appearance. Prices on the sharkskin are just slightly higher due to the fabric cost, but not much more than the normal cloth selection I offer.  Available in a limited amount and restockability is always uncertain.


-Petrol Blue.   A great greyish blue color for those looking for a different shade of blue and don't want to go traditional navy.  

-Blue-Grey.  A really awesome shade of light grey with a very distinct blue tint to it.  It's hard to say if the color is a greyish blue or a blue-ish grey.  I think half the people who are asked will think it's more grey, the other half will think it's more powder blue.  An amazing shade, and has that vintage early 60s feel that we love at Thick as Thieves.  A great alternative for those looking for a light grey shade suit.

-Medium Grey.  Very nice warm toned medium grey, leaning towards lighter grey.  This is a classic grey color for those who are looking for that perfect lighter-shade. This is a very versatile color as it can be worn with any colors and look appropriate.

2011 Tweeds Part 2

A new batch of tweeds that I am pretty excited about!  As usual, quantites are limited on these cloths.  These are the heaviest weight tweeds that I have stocked, more of a weight that one normally associates with tweed.  These are definitely fall/winter weight cloths and ideally suited for odd jackets, or trouser separates.  The finish is soft, there is no itchy feel to any of these cloths, but the thickness is more of a 13-14oz approximate weight.

-Dark Grey Windowcheck #1:  A cool grey tone plaid pattern with a light blue subtle windowcheck pattern.  Would look great with grey flannel trousers, black plaintoe laceups, and a blue oxford shirt.  While it's not a navy colored cloth, there is definitely a blue-cast to this tweed due to the blue overcheck.

-Chocolate Brown Windowcheck #3: The same pattern as the dark grey version above, but in a very rich chocolate brown with a subtle burnt orange windowcheck.  Very versatile for a coat, will look great with brown shoes or burgundy.  Have a lavendar shirt? It would look amazing with this cloth.  If you don't then might provide a good excuse to go get one.

-Medium Grey Houndstooth #2: Another cool grey toned tweed, in a complex houndstooth.  Unlike typical houndstooth which has a very clearly defined pattern, this one has a more abstract houndstooth pattern, giving is a less geometrical appearance, and IMO much more interesting since at a few feet away looks very mottled and salt/pepper-y.  The pattern is made from black and grey houndstooth with a subtle blue overcheck.

-Light Grey Houndstooth #3:  A lighter shade of grey tweed, unlike the Med Grey #2 above, this cloth has no overcheck, and the houndstooth pattern is slightly more geometric tooth pattern in black and pale grey.  This cloth is great for those looking for a more classic tweed pattern.

Due to the higher cost of cloth on this series, jackets are $400 and trousers are $200

Fall Tweeds (restocked)

These are originally tweeds from last year that were sold out for a while, and have been restocked in limited amounts.  The price is the same as they were in 2010.  These are very soft hand tweeds, extremely drapey cloths.

The patterns are all self-descriptive, altho the Navy Herringbone is a self color herringbone pattern so the herringbone pattern is not a bold one, but a subtle pattern.

Fall 2011 Corduroys

Back in stock for fall/winter, cotton corduroy in a med-wale width.  Great for casual jackets with patch pockets to throw on over a pair of denims. Approx 1/8" cord wale, however please note the Navy #1 corduroy is a finer wale the others (1/16" wale for the Navy)

2011 Fall Tweeds Part 1

Limited quantity tweeds, once these are gone I don't think I will be able to get more.

-Tweed #5.....a great windowcheck pattern in a complex weave.  Lots of interesting visual texture in a "cool grey" medium shade.  Little bits of blue and orange in the check make this a very interesting cloth and it's guaranteed to sell quickly if the past is any indication as windowcheck plaids tend to go quickly!

-Tweed #7....basically the same pattern as Tweed #5, except the overall shade is a WARM grey, rather than the cool grey of #5.  This color would pair very nicely with dark brown shoes.

-Tweed #1....a solid burnt orange-dark tan color.  This is an awesome fall color, it contains many specs of other colors like a bit of red and green, to give an overall effect of a rusty burnt orange.  This cloth is obviously excellent for separates but imo would also make for a fantastic casual full suit

-Tweed #3.....a mossy sage green solid.  But seen up close has bits of blue and browns giving it a very cool visual texture even tho the overall appearance is a solid green.  This cloth would be great for separates.

These tweeds are only in small amounts, and once they are gone that will probably be it.  The price for any of these cloths is slightly higher due to fabric cost.  Full suit is $600.  Jacket only $400, Trousers $200.

ALL CLOTHS SHOWN HERE ARE AVAILABLE....

...unless stamped sold out.  It doesnt matter when it was originally posted.  If you see it on this blog it's an available option (with rare exception if I have not updated a sold out cloth as such)

Sold out cloths...

These VBC cloths are not available as of 9-2011 (all the navy colors).  If they become available they will get restocked, but as of now assume they will not.

VBC 124
VBC 125
VBC 127

The Versace grey windowcheck will NOT be restock-able

The Petrol Blue sharkskin is still MIA, but spies are out there keeping an eye for any availability

I will update availability (s) once those cloths are available again.

PRICE INCREASE, SORT OF BUT NOT REALLY

As many of you know, since I started doing this in 2007, I've never had a price increase as far as markup on my end.  Yes, prices have gone up but that's only because better fabrics were used and any price increase reflected on just the higher cost of cloth, with no additional profit markup.

Unfortunately, with the increase in cost of materials, transit, etc that directly go into each suit, I've been eating a lot of the surcharges for the last year without passing them on in the form of higher pricing but with recent cost increase, I will have to increase prices.  BUT NOT REALLY, as this price increase won't affect many of you who are first time customers.

As of May 15th, the price for repeat customers, who I normally knock off a few $ as a token of appreciation, will be the same as first time buyers.  So you won't necessarily be paying more, but I won't be offering the "thanks for coming back" discount that I normally do.  This way, I don't have to raise the prices and you'd be paying the same, imho, low price as everyone else without any extra discount on top.   Obviously I am thrilled that many of you come back for suits #2, 3, 4, 5, 6 etc, but I feel this is the best way to combat increase in cost of business while not actually raising pricing for anyone.  I'm sure I'll figure out some way to give repeat buyers a break...

The price will be same as it's been for past couple years for first time customers, price depending on fabric choice.


Thanks for everyone's understanding!

Quick Note about March...

I'll be out of town March 10-19, so if you need a suit for an event that takes place DURING THAT PERIOD or shortly thereafter, please get the order in very soon (aka now).  Thanks!

Welcome to 2011!!

A few updates  as of 1-17-2011 that might be of interest....

-If you ordered a suit before 1-1-2011, it will ship this week of 17th by saturday latest, but most likely sooner.  As usual, when it finally gets en route to you, you will receive an email confirmation of such.

-As I'm finally all caught up now, rush orders will be taken into account with the usual caveat of $60 surcharge for orders needed in less than 1 month.  But as I always like to remind you, keep in mind that when you place a rush order, you will 99.9% have it in time, but you need to take into account that it will need to be pressed and if there are any fit issues that require additional tailor you may not have time to accomodate that, so please give yourselves enough time to account for such issues.

-I mentioned adding 2 "designer" cloths this year, from Versace's mill.  One is a medium grey windowcheck and the other a burgundy/black striped pattern.  I received the finished samples of both cloths in a full suit and I'm really happy with these cloths.  Photos will be uploaded by monday morning so check back then to the Lookbook to see them "in real life".  Prices will be a bit higher due to fabric cost but as usual I have kept the prices as low as possible and I don't think anyone will be disappointed with either cloth.  If there is enough interest I will gradually add more "designer cloth", but I highly recommend making your first suit with me in a standard priced cloth.  But if you'd like your first suit to be in the Versace cloth that is no problem to do so.

-There is one change to how the suits will be made this year, due to what seems like a popular request, all jackets from today forward will have no shoulder padding so it will be a very light shoulder construction.  There is still a small amount of structure via the front canvassing extending up to the shoulder to provided a minimal amount of structure/support. If you have ordered previously and still want the light padding, please request that and we can do it 2010 style.  Hopefully everyone else will like the lighter shoulder construction.

Navy and Charcoal "Vintage" Sharkskin

From the same series as the Med Grey, Blue-Grey, and Petrol Blue sharkskin cloths added last month, these are the (finally arrived) Navy and Charcoal colorways of the same cloth.  Again, not a reflective/metallic sharkskin, but a very nicely draping cloth with a subtle sheen.  Very much appropriate for most work/business environments.  The navy is a very classic shade, not too blue not too dark/grey...just the right shade for those desiring a classic navy suiting.  The charcoal is on the lighter side of what I would consider charcoal, it's a great dark grey and is perfect for the guys looking at a first suit or if they just plan on having one "versatile/all purpose" suit.  This cloth will transition very easily from being a conservative work suit to a night on the town party suit just by changing your shirt and shoes.

NEW POLICY FOR OVERSEAS ORDERS

As of now, there are NO RUSH orders taken for any shipments that go overseas (incl Canada).  The typical timeframe is 4 weeks before your order is shipped to you, most destinations take 7-10 days but it can be longer if there are customs issues.  So if you are overseas and need it for a specific date keep this timeframe in mind when ordering, DO NOT tell me you need it for a specific date because there will be no more considerations for international shipment rush orders. Sorry for any inconvenience but that's the way it goes.

Spring/Summer 2010 - Nailheads

8oz lightweight fabrics with a classic nailhead/birdseye pattern in the weave.  These fabrics make great workhorse all season suits.

Available in Charcoal, Medium Grey, Navy, and Brown (a very nice shade with a grey caste, not "chocolate" at all, one of the best brown shades I've seen so far)

Super 120, Made in England.

Spring/Summer 2010 - Kid Mohair

8oz lightweight fabric in Kid Mohair/Wool blend.  These fabrics have a very slight sheen to the finish, not too much like sharkskin, but not as matte as normal worsted wool.  The navy and black colors have a very smooth weave with no visual surface texture.  The 3 greys have more visual surface texture, making then look like they have less sheen then the navy and black versions.  A good fabric choice for all season work environment suits.

Super 120, Made in Italy.

Available in Navy, Black, Dark Grey, Med Grey and Light Grey

Spring/Summer 2010 - Pinstripes

First time pinstripes have been on official offer.  8oz lightweight wool, made in Italy.  These are not typical banker pinstripes and make a great alternative to solid suits without looking too "finance worker".

Each fabric has stripes spaced just over .5" from each other.  Click on the fabric image to see description of the pinstripe color.

Super 120, Made in Italy.

Spring/Summer 2010 - New Windowchecks

8oz lightweight Super 150 wool/cashmere mix, made in Italy. 

These are 3 shades of the same type of windowcheck pattern.  It is a mix of Houndstooth pattern and a 2 color window overcheck.  Very snazzy and would make great separates, or a full suit for the bold and worthy!

-Navy shade has a burgundy and light blue overcheck on top of a blue/navy houndstooth base pattern

-Brown shade has a blue and tan overcheck on top of a brown/tan houndstooth base pattern

-Grey shade has a blue and tan overcheck on top of a blac/grey houndstooth base pattern

New S/S 2010 lightweight wool fabrics will be uploaded on WED 4/7

Just need to finalize some quantities and prices before making the official choices available.  This will be done by wednesday 100%.  I've been getting a lot of requests for these materials so thanks for waiting.  This new batch looks very good!  Some of what will most likely be available in a couple days:

Each of these are about 8oz, perfect for warmer wearing.
-nailhead/birdseye weave in greys and navy
-really cool windowcheck/houndstooth
-a couple nice pinstripes in interesting colors yet suitable for a work environment
-kid mohair wool blend fabrics for those who want a slight sheen (not sharkskin however)

New Lightweight wools for Spring/Summer update

I was hoping to have the new fabrics available before month's end but the fabric supplier won't have the samples until end of March, so it will be hopefully 1st week of April when new fabrics are available.  Most notably, this batch should include some lightweight 8/9oz navy and some new greys for cooler wearing during warm months.

2010 Lighter weight fabrics

More "spring/summer" weight fabrics will be added around end of March. 

What I'm looking to hopefully add:
-Navy blue in lighterweight material.  There have been a few grey options in lightweight wools but not really a true lightweight navy (just "year round" weight)
-Cool looking nailhead/bird's eye fabric.  A solid color but with the visual interest of a nailhead in the weave.
-Something with a slight sheen, aka "tonik". This is a hard one to get at an affordable price point but I'm always on the look out. 

2008 Lightweight Flannels Part 2

These 2 new colors are from the same series posted just below. Year round weight flannel with a soft finish, thinner than most flannels. The burgundy is a nice deep color that would make for a great fall jacket or trouser, and for those looking for something different a full suit would be quite nice in this color. The khaki is a classic tan/khaki color for someone that wants a bit of spring color in their fall wardrobe.

2008 window check: Grey and Navy

This fabric is a super 110, English made, wool-cashmere mix. Both fabrics have the same red and blue subtle window check pattern. The navy is a great shade of solid dark navy and the grey is a very nice dark grey. Both colors are unique in that, although solid, the weave is in a glen plaid pattern so if you look at the material closely (esp the grey as it's more visible on the grey color) you will see a very subtle glen plaid pattern making up the solid color base. The red and blue windowcheck is quite subtle, but not so much so that you can't see it. A very unique fabric available in a very limited amount. Two quick photos of my own suit in the navy window check are shown here to get a rough idea of how it looks on a suit. Better photos will come in the Lookbook in the near future, before August is finished. (the flash washes out the richness of the navy base color)

For reference this fabric is called Navy windowcheck or Grey windowcheck.

2008 Solids

I really like these year round worsted wools. Super 120, Made in England fabric in a wool/cashmere blend. Very nice hand and drape to these materials, great options for the traditional suit that needs to be worn in a work environment.

Colors:
-Med Grey: A nice shade of medium grey for the conservative work enviro.
-Black: Not usually the preferred color for work, but if you need a black suit, this fabric will meet your needs
-Navy #C: A more "blue" navy, this is what you think of for a navy suit to wear to work.
-Dark Navy #H: A darker shade of navy, not quite midnite but close. For those who like a darker shade of navy blue to transition from work to after hours playtime.

Lightweight Flannels

New flannel fabrics, in my opinion the nicest flannels I've offered. Super 120 Made in England. The fabric is lighter than traditional flannel, makes for a good year round suit. The material has the soft flannel finish but feels like it's worsted. Great choices for someone going more traditional yet can be worn in warmer days a bit easier than typical flannel.

Colors:
-Light Grey: Nice surface texture that is more evident due to the lightness of the color
-Med/Dark Grey: Not a dark charcoal, but on the darker side of medium. This would make the classic "grey flannel suit" that never goes out of style.
-Navy: For those looking for a navy suit that is more "blue", this is the perfect choice. A good solid dark navy but it still has much blue showing thru, so less midnite than previous navy fabrics I have had.
-Black: Due to more request for black fabric, here is another option for someone that wants a deep solid black. Very matte finish so it makes the black look deeper and less "burnt"

2008 Prince of Wales

These new Prince of Wales fabrics are from the same English mill as the herringbones, resulting in a nice year round weight fabric with a good hand and finish.

Light-Med GreyPoW #52: A good lighter Medium grey shade fabric with blue overcheck

Dark-Med Grey PoW #53: This is a good option for a true "medium" grey PoW plaid with blue overcheck

Dark Charcoal PoW #54: This fabric is a great alternative to a solid charcoal as the plaid pattern is so subtle that it appears more like a texture in weave rather than a plaid pattern. For all intent and purpose will function and appear like a solid charcoal, but you will see the plaid pattern up very close, creating a nice visual texture.

Taupe Grey PoW #65: This is a really unique shade of grey. It has the slightest taupe brown tint to it, resulting in a fabric that sits on the brown end of the color spectrum and would make for a great choice if you want to add a brown toned suit in your wardrobe. This also has a very pale blue overcheck.

Spring Summer Fabrics

Here are a few great options for Spring/Summer. These are English made lightweight wool fabrics, aprox 8/9oz. Very nice finish, soft hand, available in three colors. A pale light grey, a classic tan, and a darker British khaki.

Solid 2008 Greys

Since grey is one of our most popular requests, here are a few new solid greys that would be good for an all season suit. Fabric are lightweight, about 9oz I'd guess. They are made in England super 130s material. There are 3 shades available in this series, a light, med and a darker grey (just shy of charcoal darkness)

2008 Italian Super 140

Italian super140 wool fabrics in a year round (approx) 10oz weight. Very fine with a soft finish, these are some of the most luxe feeling fabrics we've offered. Each fabric is only available in very limited quantity and once they are out, they will not return. Here is a detailed description of each:

-Navy #12: Probably the best navy I've offered so far. Really nice dark shade with a subtle pinpoint pattern texture. Very soft and drapey material. Suitable for office or rock n roll.

-Charcoal #9: Similar to the navy #12 but charcoal grey. A nice midtone charcoal, not too dark not too light. A great option for an "upgraded" charcoal.

-Charcoal Herringbone #10: Very subtle herringbone pattern in a charcoal colorway. Each side of the herringbone approx 1/8" wide so very narrow bone pattern.

-Black Herringbone #7: A fantastic alternative for a black fabric. Same herringbone texture pattern as Charcoal #10. If you want a black suit, this is the fabric to make it in.

-Brown Windowpane #6: Really rich brown tone with burnt orange windowpane check. Each windowpane square approx 1.5"w x 1.75"h. Great pattern and color.

-Textured Brown #5: Probably the best solid brown I offer. Very nice mottled brown texture with a soft finish and great drape. The tone is exactly what a brown suit should be, not chocolatey and plenty of visual texture to make it interesting.

-Multi-color Pinstripe #2: A dark-med grey base with alternating pinstripes a light blueish grey and burnt orange. Sort of like something Etro would use, yet subtle enough to be worn in an office setting if desired.

-Brown Prince of Wales #18: All previous PoW offerings have been in shades of grey. This one is a brown toned PoW with burnt orange overcheck. The plaid patterning is very subtle and small scale. From a short distance it appears like a brown windowcheck suit. Up close the fabric is phenomenal, lots of interesting things going on and the brown/orange colorway is amazing.