Hello everyone, and welcome to another Singaporean review! On this shiok Sunday, I’m reviewing a shirt from local tailor Edit Suits. However, it’s not your usual tailoring process – instead, it’s an online-only one.
During the Circuit Breaker period (whereby retail stores were forced to close), Edit Suits got to work on developing an online system for their customers to place shirting orders. The brand realised that there was still strong demand for work shirts – after all, one still needs to be professionally dressed in Zoom meetings – and wanted to develop a solution to allow customers to get the tailored shirts they wanted, but without the hassle of dropping by the showroom for multiple rounds of measurements, alterations, collection, etc.
After several months in the making, the online system – named QuickMeasure – debuted. The system harnesses Edit Suits’ proprietary measurement algorithm to produce a good-fitting shirt, made out of the fabric of your choice. Let’s see how the experience went, and how the shirt turned out!
QuickMeasure Online Experience
First, customers are asked to input several statistics about themselves into the system. You input your age, weight and height, as well as the state of your chest, legs, waist, shoulders, etc. There’s even a question on race, which I assume affects the calculations made by the algorithm based on Edit Suits’ dataset. After inputting all necessary information, the QuickMeasure tool generates a set of recommended measurements that are meant to fit you perfectly. At this stage, you can choose to modify these measurements, though for the purpose of this review I chose to leave them as they were so as to judge whether the fit provided by the algorithm is good. In any case, once you receive the shirt, you can still request for further alterations in the specific areas you desire. For more information on the QuickMeasure tool, as well as the online customisation experience, do check out the video below!
Edit Suits has a robust online shirt customisation tool too. You can choose from almost a hundred different fabrics available, of all colours and patterns imaginable. Once you select your desired fabric, you can choose your preferred collar, sleeve, cuff, front and back design, with monogramming options possible as well. It’s designed to mimic the variety of choice that customers enjoy at the Edit Suits showroom, albeit in an online format – and I must say it’s done rather well.
Now, let’s see how the eventual shirt turned out!
Edit Suits Online Shirt Review
To be honest, I had my doubts about applying an AI-powered algorithm to tailoring. My belief has always been that tailoring is a nuanced art, one that can only be perfected with experience. I was prepared to send the shirt back for further alterations, but the QuickMeasure shirt actually exceeded my expectations and fitted well right out of the gates.
The shirt fits remarkably well. The shoulders are well-fitted, making me look more broad-shouldered than I actually am. I can see that Edit Suits took into account my sloped shoulders, though I should stress that the fit isn’t perfect as my shoulders are unevenly sloped – something no algorithm can take into account. That’s pretty much it though – the rest of the shirt fits like a charm. The shirt is slim-fit as desired and tapered at the waist for a slimming effect. It is also neither too tight nor too loose – just the right snugness. Lastly, the sleeves are of the right length too, ending right at my wrist bone, with the left cuff made just a tad wider to accommodate the watch.
I should mention here that it was extremely windy during the photoshoot, with both my hair – and the shirt – being blown back, therefore resulting in the wrinkles you see on the shirt.
The shirt belongs to one of Edit Suits’ house collection fabrics, and is 100% cotton. The fabric feels premium to the touch, is comfortable and breathable, and overall very pleasant to wear. If you prefer something from an established mill, Edit Suits do also carry a limited range of shirting fabrics from esteemed Portuguese mill Somelos, with pricing starting at $129 as well.
In my previous visit to Edit Suits, I commissioned an office-ready, plain white shirt. This time, I wanted something a tad more casual – a shirt that could be dressed up and down with ease. As such, I went for a mandarin collar on a striped fabric. I think the end result turned out great, and I can envision myself wearing the shirt not only in a formal setting but also on a weekend night at the bar.
Mother-of-pearl buttons are included with the shirt, which is a pleasant surprise. They represent subtle opulence, and add a subtle visual intrigue to the shirt. Unlike other tailors that I’ve been to, Edit Suits do not charge extra for mother-of-pearl buttons.
As mentioned above, the left cuff of the shirt was made wider to accommodate for my watch. To a watch enthusiast like me, it is paramount that my watches are able to slip under the cuff of my dress shirt – and I find it impressive that Edit Suits is able to take into account such preferences on their online customisation platform. Another excellent feature was the ability to have your initials monogrammed (at no additional charge) on your shirt. Monograms are a telltale sign that the shirt is custom-made, and personally I always opt for a monogram whenever possible, especially if there is no additional charge.
Conclusion – so Edit Suits QuickMeasure shirt “shiok” or not?
I must say that I’m very impressed with Edit Suits’ QuickMeasure shirting system. There are other tailors with online measurement/customisation systems, but Edit Suits has to be the most comprehensive one out there, at least locally. Firstly, the fit of the QuickMeasure algorithm is actually very good. It’s not perfect – there are certain aspects of fit that simply requires a human touch – but I would say it’s at least 80%, if not 90% of the fit one would get if measured in-person by an experienced tailor. I may not turn to the QuickMeasure system for important events (e.g wedding), but for regular officewear Edit Suits’ QuickMeasure shirting system is more than good enough. Secondly, I was wowed by the number of customisation options available online too, with choices for collars, cuffs, monograms, watch allowance, etc all available. It really did feel like I was at the physical Edit Suits’ showroom – one doesn’t get short-changed in any way by opting to purchase their shirts online. Lastly, I think the value proposition is great as well. Starting from $79 (after the promo code below), Edit Suits’ shirts are even cheaper than off-the-rack options from T.M Lewin and The Shirt Bar.
For those interested in commissioning a shirt from Edit Suits, you can use the promo code “wahsoquick20” to enjoy 20% off your first shirting order online. After the discount, shirts at Edit Suits would start from a mere $79, which I think is a great price given the fit, convenience, quality of materials used, and the wide array of customisation options available. There’s even free shipping! At the price point, I think Edit Suits’ online shirts are a no-brainer, and I can’t wait to see what other innovations the brand comes up with next.
View Edit Suits’ online shirts here.
Edit Suits Location:
35A Duxton Road
Level 2
Singapore 089499
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P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
