Hi guys! This week, we will be checking out how a suit from Stitched Custom fits and looks. I chronicled my experience of getting a 3 piece suit and shirt done with Stitched Custom in Part 1 of this review – do check Part 1 out here if you haven’t already done so!

This is where the review part comes in. In every suit review from here on out, I’ll be reviewing the tailor based on 2 criteria: 1) How well the suit fits, and 2) How well their style advice turned out. Let’s see how Stitched Custom fared in these two departments!

Stitched Custom – the Fit

I had high hopes for the fit of Stitched Custom’s garments (especially given their intermediary ready-to-wear skeleton fitting step) and while there were hits, there were unfortunately some misses as well.

Let’s start with the hits. From the front, we can see that the fit of the shoulder is good. The shoulder lies flat, and there are no ripples or loose fabric visible at the shoulders. This is great, as the shoulders are arguably the most important aspect of the fit. An ill-fitting shoulder is either incredibly expensive or impossible to alter, so having a well-fitted shoulder is already half the battle won. Considering that I was wearing a vest underneath, the fit of the jacket closure is acceptable to me. Although there are slight wrinkles radiating out of the central button, it is subtle, and we do not see the dreaded “X” forming around the midsection. In addition, the sleeve length looks right too, ending at the wrist-bone and showing off about half an inch of cuff on both sides. From the front, the length looks good as well, as it does not expose the vest and dress shirt underneath.

From the back, one can see that the jacket collar is well-fitted, just resting on the dress shirt. The length (which was the main issue I had with the ethan men suit) is perfect here, long enough to just drape over the top of the curve of my buttocks. In this back shot, the tapering of the waist is obvious as well, giving a slimming effect to my body. However, I would say that a point of improvement would be the back itself, which doesn’t drape cleanly here. This can be seen from the excess wrinkles caused at the back, which indicates that the back wasn’t taken in cleanly enough.

Unfortunately, made-to-measure fit (unlike bespoke) are rarely perfect. In Stitched Custom’s case, I feel that the sleeves could be improved. Rumpling and wrinkles can be seen throughout the sleeves, and this is probably due to two factors. Firstly, the sleeve pitch looks slightly off, resulting in the spiraling wrinkles seen above. The sleeve pitch should have been rotated forward slightly. Secondly, the forearm section is too tight, resulting in the wrinkles shown around the forearm (near the sleeve buttons). The forearm was too tight for me to fit my watch under, so I had no choice but to leave my watch hanging awkwardly outside the sleeve. Being a watch-lover, this irked me quite a bit. However, this is where the free alterations come in – I will probably be bringing the jacket back to them for further alterations on the sleeves, and will post an update to this article once I’ve done so.

Update: After bringing the jacket back to Stitched Custom for alterations, I have to say that the sleeves fit much better now! It’s not perfect, but compared to how it initially fit, it’s definitely a marked improvement. That’s why finding a tailor with free alterations thereafter is important!

In Part 1, I mentioned that I wanted the length of my pants to “just gently caress the top of my dress shoe” – it turned out great actually! The pants ends right at the tip of the trousers, giving it a clean, elegant look. Just what I liked!

Moving on to the vest. The shoulders lies flat on the body, which is ideal. Similar to the jacket, the waist is tapered in as well to provide a slimming effect. From the front, there aren’t wrinkles radiating from the vest buttons, indicating that the fit of the vest is just right, neither too tight nor too loose. However, the length of the vest looks a bit short at the front, therefore exposing the dress shirt underneath.

The shoulders are the most important aspect of the dress shirt too, very much like the jacket and the vest. I’m happy to report that the fit of the shoulders for the dress shirt is great as well, ending where my natural shoulder bone ends. As seen from the picture above, they tapered the dress shirt around the waist too, again to achieve the slimming effect. Excuse the wrinkles – being a 100% cotton shirt, it is more prone to wrinkling (if you don’t iron it beforehand, which I didn’t) as compared to a polyester shirt due to it’s inherent softness.

The length of the shirt sleeve is perfect, ending right past my wrist-bone. Being a frequent watch wearer, Stitched Custom made the left shirt cuff larger to accommodate my wristwatch. I was wearing a Cartier Santos that day, and the 10.3mm heft of the watch slid easily under the shirt cuff.

Overall, I find the fit of Stitched Custom decent given its pricing. Those aspects of the fit that are hard to alter – shoulders, jacket length, waist tightness – they did well. The only significant spot of bother would be the jacket sleeves, though as aforementioned they do provide free alterations specifically for such circumstances. As such, I will probably be bringing the jacket back to them to alter, and will post an update to this section on fit once they are done with the alterations.

Stitched Custom – the Style

In Part 1, I mentioned how appreciative I was for QQ’s style advice. Let’s see how the customisation options turned out!

As stated in Part 1, I originally wanted a pure black suit, but QQ steered me away from that and recommended a fabric with subtle blue windowpane patterning instead. That turned out to be great style advice, as I ended up quite liking the look of the eventual suit! I think that it looks elegant, but not boring due to the subtle blue windowpane patterns.

As part of their customisation options, Stitched Custom allows you to change the threading color of the lapel and jacket sleeves buttonholes. As seen in the picture above, I’ve decided to go with a light pink in a bid to inject slight flamboyancy in the outfit. If you’re the sort of person who likes to personalise their outfits, rest assured Stitched Custom offers plenty of options for you to play around with!

When I was at the store, QQ suggested a red floral inner lining to provide a strong color contrast to the predominantly black suit. I quite like the juxtaposition of color and textures – red floral on the inside, black windowpane on the outside. Again, if you’re the type (like me) who likes to customise things, the lining is a great way to showcase your identity!

In addition to giving me advice on what to pick/customise for my clothing, QQ also suggested different ways I could wear them! For example, he recommended the above look for a smart casual event – just the vest, with rolled-up sleeves for just the right touch of casualness. Given the eye-catching blue floral shirt trimmings that we have chosen, the rolled-up cuffs really adds that extra pop of color and vibrancy to the outfit. This is where I feel the style advice at Stitched Custom exceeded expectations. It is rather common for tailors to give advice on complementing fabrics/buttons/linings/etc (in fact, I would say that it is expected, although how good that advice is would be another matter altogether), but in my experience it is less common for tailors to give advice on style options you can explore afterwards. Without QQ’s advice, I’ll probably never have thought of pairing the vest with the dress shirt folded up. As seen in the picture above, I do think that this look turns out quite dashing!

I actually quite like the bold, distinctive look of the metal buttons on the shirt. Juxtaposed against the soft cotton, the metal buttons have a subtle edginess and toughness to them that adds to the overall confidence and bravado of the outfit. Though I was torn at first, I grew to appreciate the placket trimming over time as it adds a bit of casualness to the dress shirt. In another one of his suggestions, QQ suggested that I could also wear the shirt tucked-out (where the placket trimming would be more prominently seen) for a more casual appearance. It’s something that I haven’t tried yet, but will definitely do so in the future!

For those after a more suave and stylish look, Stitched Custom also has an inventory of unique cuff links for you to further accentuate your outfit. Honestly, I’ve never worn a cuff link (or even considered one) prior to this, but QQ suggested that I try one out to add more flair to the outfit. They have a variety of interesting cuff links for customers to choose from, ranging from a rather ornate Darth Vader one to one of Captain America’s shield! I eventually picked the Cupid cuff links, in part because I felt that the red of the eyes complements the red of the other accessories (red boutonniere, red pocket square, also accessories that QQ encouraged me to try out), but also partly in hopes that wearing them would somehow improve my non-existent love life! In any case, if you’re looking for whimsical accessories to build that ultimate debonair look, Stitched Custom has got you covered.

Overall, I feel that QQ’s style advice turned out quite well in the customisations, and I appreciated the fact that he went a step further to enlighten me on the various looks that I could conjure up with the outfit at hand. In addition, out of all the tailors that I’ve visited I found the accessories at Stitched Custom the most interesting by far! Really in love (no pun intended) with my Cupid cuff links.

Comparison: Stitched Custom and ethan men

Previously, I did a suit review of ethan men, which you can read here. Naturally, you guys would wonder:  “So which tailor is better?” To which I’ll reply: neither – both are simply different.

Let’s start by comparing the quality of their offerings. Both offer half-canvassed mixed wool suits, 100% cotton shirts, and allow for further customisations just as changing the color of threading. They also have similar limitations – by default, the jacket sleeves are not surgeon cuffs, and the buttons offered are mostly plastic. In addition, they are priced similarly – $499 for a 2 piece silk-wool blend suit, $89 for 100% cotton shirt.

While both are significantly better than off-the-rack options, the fit is still not perfect. The ethan men suit was a tad too short for my liking (I didn’t like that it exposed the dress shirt underneath), while the Stitched Custom suit was too narrow in the forearm area, making it near impossible for me to wear a watch underneath. However as aforementioned, these are made-to-measure $500 suits – there’s a reason why bespoke tailoring exist, and why bespoke suits often cost 4 figures and up. As such, one has to manage expectations here.

So what is the main difference between Stitched Custom and ethan men? In my opinion, it’s what they are both best at. Simply put – if I was looking for a work suit/shirt, something to wear everyday to work/presentations/interviews, I’ll go with ethan men. For starters, I feel that the style of ethan men suits the styling needs of a work suit better. Furthermore, the materials they use are easy-iron, wrinkle resistant and breathable – something of crucial importance if you’re planning to wear the suit 5 days a week, 8 hours a day!

However, if you’re looking for an event suit, I personally think that Stitched Custom is the better option. For those looking to tailor a suit for weddings/galas/prom, and want something with a bit of panache, the style advice over at Stitched Custom will be paramount. Their strong sense of style is evident through the accessories that they carry too. From knitted ties to Darth Vader cuff links, they have all the things you need to “zhng” your outfit for that big night.

As such, unlike in my other reviews, I don’t think that there’s a clear winner here. (Which is why I changed the name of this section from shoot-out to comparison) Which tailor is better for you depends on what your needs are. If you’re looking for a work suit/shirt to wear regularly for your white-collar job, I suggest going for ethan men. On the other hand, if you’re aiming to dress to impress for that special occasion (graduation prom, award ceremony, etc), Stitched Custom would be the better option. Of course, this is my personal opinion – both tailors are entirely capable of doing both work and event suits.

Conclusion: so the Stitched Custom suit “shiok” or not?

For the most part, yes. As aforementioned, I think that Stitched Custom’s strongest asset is their strong sense of style. If you wish to dress to impress, but (like me) lack keen fashion sense, I suggest going to Stitched Custom to get a suit done. They have a strong array of quirky accessories for you to choose from, and have partnered with Earnest & Collective (dress shoes), Schaffen (watches), and Freshly Pressed (socks) so you literally can get all you need to look dapper over at Stitched Custom!

Suits at Stitched Custom start from $499. Just for my readers, Stitched Custom is offering a free shirt with every suit purchase, as well as 20% off all accessories. Those interested in rentals can also get a 15% discount on both the “Made-to-rental” programme and general rental suits.

Read Part 1 of the review here, whereby I chronicled my experienced of getting a 3 piece suit and shirt tailored at Stitched Custom!

P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!

P.S.S If you haven’t already, do follow my social media channels on Facebook here, and on Instagram here!

Stitched Custom’s location:

193A Kitchener Road #02-01, S(208534)

Open Mon-Fri, 12pm-8pm

Sat-Sun, 12pm-3pm