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When it comes to sizing, no two people are built exactly the same.
Instead of relying on off-the-rack garments with alpha sizes, the best way to achieve perfect-fitting clothes is to buy custom, made-to-measure pieces.
Luckily, there are a lot of affordable, convenient options out there. Brands like Indochino, Woodies Clothing, Spier & Mackay, Apposta, and Black Lapel are some of our favorite relatively affordable places to shop for made-to-measure clothing.
When it comes to sizing, no two people are built exactly the same. While sizing charts and customer reviews can help you figure out what size might be a decent fit, the only way to get clothes that truly fit perfectly is to buy custom, made-to-measure garments.
But no one wants to spend hours of their time or hundreds of their dollars going to a tailor, which has meant that the online market for custom clothing has steadily grown. So, whether you’re looking for a super formal suit for a special occasion, performance dress shirts for staying comfortable during the workweek, warm flannels for winter, or chino shorts for casual spring and summer days, you won’t even have to leave home to have them made just for you.
In addition to achieving a custom fit, many brands offer further customization options like choosing the collar on your shirt, the pleats on your pants, or adding a personalized monogram.
To help you get the best-fitting formal and business casual clothes possible, we rounded up six of our favorite places to buy custom, made-to-measure men’s clothing
You might be able to get away with buying off-the-rack dress shirts, but suits should always be fitted to your body measurements. Indochino has revolutionized the way men buy suits by allowing men to create fully-custom suits online. While you can visit one of Indochino’s many showrooms around the country to get fitted, they have detailed videos on how to measure yourself at home, too.
Indochino also makes custom overcoats and chinos, both of which I’ve personally tested, worn, and loved.
Read more: Indochino, the popular made-to-measure menswear startup, is more than a suit brand — learn about all its offerings
Founded in 2015, Woodies Clothing is a menswear startup that specializes in affordably priced custom menswear. The brand’s premise is to offer custom-fitted garments at prices that are priced similarly to (or lower than) off-the-rack department store pieces. Once you’ve filled out your size profile, you can customize elements that go into each garment like pockets, pleats, collars, and cuffs.
Read more: This startup makes custom clothes for the office that are comfortable enough for the gym
Black Lapel
Black Lapel
Shop suits at Black Lapel.
Key products available: Suits (from $499) and blazers (from $379)
Compared to many run-of-the-mill menswear stores with a dull selection of cheap suits and inexperienced tailors on-staff, Black Lapel fills the online space as the go-to destination for premium-made suits and artisan-level tailoring. The brand uses high-quality materials and advanced manufacturing techniques to ensure your clothes are built to last for decades, which is why its price points are slightly higher. While Black Lapel does have a showroom in New York City, you can easily contact one of the brand’s online stylists to help you accurately measure yourself at home before ordering. And if your suit still needs some fine-tuning, they cover up to $75 in alterations.
Read more: Black Lapel’s custom blazer made a former editor want to never wear off-the-rack blazers again
Apposta
Apposta
Shop custom Italian clothing at Apposta.
Key products available: Dress shirts and flannels (from $78)
With a seemingly endless amount of materials to choose from, Italian menswear brand Apposta is where you can make pretty much any shirt you can think of. If you have an idea of what you want to create, you can filter through the choices by color, pattern, materials, weave, and even the fabric producer. Whether you’re going for a classic white or blue dress shirt, a colorful short-sleeved linen for summer, or a heavier flannel for colder weather, you’ll find any style to be completely doable. With materials starting at $78 and going all the way up to $956 (no, that’s not a typo), the brand’s product offering runs the full gamut between affordable and superb luxury.
Spier & Mackay
Spier & Mackay
Shop custom dress shirts at Spier & Mackay.
Key products available: Dress shirts (from $79)
Spier & Mackay is a Canadian menswear brand that came about after its founders noticed a lack of quality dress shirts on the market. Realizing how hard and expensive it was for the average guy to get his hands on custom clothes, the company created an easy-to-use online portal for bespoke dress shirts. Starting at $79, Spier & Mackay has hundreds of materials to choose from and allows you to hand-select every element of your shirt — collars, cuffs, buttons, pockets, and monograms. I recently gave the brand a try and got the best-fitting dress shirt I own.
Read more: This online startup lets guys design custom-fit dress shirts for as little as $79 — here’s what I thought after trying it
Nice Laundry
Nice Laundry
Shop custom socks at Nice Laundry.
Key products available: Socks ($45 for three pairs)
Although socks are one of the few items in your wardrobe that don’t need to be custom-fitted, they’re still a great item for lending a personal touch to. With Nice Laundry, you can add monogrammed initials in a variety of styles to your socks. The fit may not be custom, but with this personalized detail, they’ll at least be distinctly yours. That way, no one at home can steal your socks, and you’ll stand out in the office.
Read more: Nice Laundry’s subscription box takes the hassle out of refreshing your sock drawer
Amir Ismael
Editor, Reviews
Amir Ismael is an editor on Business Insider’s Reviews team specializing in men’s style and grooming products. He joined the team (then called Insider Picks) in 2017, initially covering a wide range of subjects, including deals of the day, clothing, phone cases, headphones, and more, before leaning into his true passion — men’s style.ExperienceAmir began his journalism career at Complex Media in 2015, working as an intern and freelance writer for Complex Sneakers and Sole Collector. He joined Business Insider in July 2017. During his time on the Reviews team at BI, he’s covered all aspects of menswear and footwear, including the latest startups you should know about, brands focusing on sustainability, where to buy affordable work clothes for men, outerwear, watches, and more. He’s also continued to lead on style deal coverage for multiple key seasonal events each year, such as Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Why you can trust AmirAmir’s expertise in style is rooted in his personal love for collecting fashion, from vintage finds on eBay to new, innovative designs that spark his interest. Some of his favorite brands include Ralph Lauren, Timberland, The North Face, Nike, and Air Jordan. His enthusiasm focuses less on the materialistic side of consuming fashion, as he prefers delving into the stories behind them, be it their cultural significance, sports history, or impact on the outdoor/adventure space.Amir’s a passionate sneaker collector (and can tell you how to clean and restore them so you’re always looking your best), and he has you covered head-to-toe for everything you need to know in men’s style and grooming. He’s extensively tested glasses, wallets, watches, razors, skincare, and both casual and formal wear. For Amir, hunting for deals goes far beyond his coverage during shopping events like Black Friday. He prides himself on always being able to find great deals and attributes most of his personal collection to his deal-hunting prowess. If he says it’s a good deal, then it is!Expertise
Men’s street fashion
Footwear, including significant release dates, design history, construction, and materials
Menswear staples, including workwear, casual clothes, underwear, T-shirts, and more
Brand founder or designer interviews
Men’s grooming and shaving products
Prescription eyewear
EducationAmir graduated from William Paterson University with a BA in print journalism and public relations. Outside of workAmir has been a lifelong resident of New Jersey. When he’s not working, he enjoys working on and driving his small collection of classic BMWs.Say hello to Amir at [email protected] or on Instagram @amirjismael.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected].
