You’ve heard your colleagues and friends talk about bespoke shirts. But before you commit, you want to know, what makes a custom shirt special? Not just special, but so special that they’re willing to wait five to six weeks for their new garments to arrive?
The Trouble with Off-the-Rack
Clothes you buy in a store are made to “average” measurements. That means that the manufacturer assumed some average height, weight, body type, and shoulder width. But who actually has all of these “average” measurements? Nobody, that’s who. So while the shirt might “fit” and look okay, something is sure to be off.
Let’s consider some common problems and how to fix them:
My shirt won’t stay tucked
Does your shirt come untucked whenever you move? It might not be long enough for the length of your torso. Alternatively, the shoulders may be too narrow for your frame, so your arms pull out the shirt.
Extra fabric everywhere
The shirt may be too long, leaving you with too much fabric to tuck in. So now you have lumpy pants.
You might also have fabric bunching on the sides and back, particularly if your shoulders are broader than your waist.
Both situations add unattractive visual weight to your frame.
Most people don’t think about sleeve length
The sleeves of your shirt might hang out of your jacket, looking sloppy. Alternatively, they may be too short to neatly peek out from under your jacket cuff.
Under a men’s suit, you want a quarter to a half-inch of a shirt cuff between your hand and your jacket cuff.
My buttons are gapping
This is a problem that affects men and women alike. For men, the body of the shirt is too snug, even if it fits everywhere else.
For women, the issue is a little more complex. The shirt or blouse may be too tight, but it could also be too big, causing the buttons to open with movement. Even if the shirt actually fits correctly, the button placement may not be doing you any favors. You need a button at the widest point of the bust to make sure the buttons don’t gap.
I can’t cross my arms
You might be having trouble driving or getting a full range of motion when you’re dressed.
The back of your shirt may not be cut wide enough at the shoulder. You need a little extra fabric in the upper back. Unfortunately, a lot of people go with the next size up, so now the whole shirt is too big.
My shirt is choking me
Your shirt keeps sliding back when you leave the collar unbuttoned. Maybe the buttoned collar is too high and tight for your neck. One of these is a matter of button placement, and the other is a problem with the collar band being too tall for your neck.
The patterns don’t line up
This one is my personal pet peeve. Even the finest quality shirt will look cheap if the stripes or other patterns don’t line up.
Guess What? A custom shirt addresses all of these issues!
When you buy one of our bespoke shirts, you are getting a shirt cut just for you. There’s no pattern until we make one according to your measurements and posture, designed with our tailors’ attention to detail. This is what makes a custom shirt special. Make sure to check out our article on how a shirt should fit, and see how Atlanta Custom Tailors’ shirts check all the boxes!
Remember, we provide a complimentary shirt for any first-time suit purchase. We also offer a Buy 5 Get 1 Free special on our custom shirts, as well as complimentary shirts with any two-suit package.
Give us a call to get you into a custom shirt! As a local Atlanta custom tailor, we also serve the southeastern US, by appointment only.