The Power of Tailoring: Before & After – Spier & Mackay Suit

Spier & Mackay Light Grey Contemporary Fit Suit – $350ish

“The Power of Tailoring” is a series that champions finding a tailor and developing a relationship with him or her. A little tailoring can go a long way in the world of affordable off-the-rack clothing. Here are four basic alterations your tailor should be able to accomplish with little trouble, depending on the garment’s construction. Note: Perfect is the enemy of good. Nothing will be perfect. Especially when viewed through the frame of a still image on the web. So for those who love offering their personal preferences / hyper-critiques on fit? No one is asking for it here. Shove it.

About the Suit: Based in Canada, Spier & Mackay makes their suits overseas, and with their half-canvas construction and decent quality wool, they can be a real alternative to Suitsupply or J. Crew’s Ludlow or Crosby. Just know that you’re on the hook for returns, and if you’re in the US? Shipping across the border can be time consuming, and pricey. Actual price depends on how the US and Canadian dollar are trading. Full review of this Model 2, contemporary fit (read: more like a Crosby than a Ludlow) suit can be found here.

 

Before: 40R Contemporary fit on 5’10” / 190lbs. Extremely good for straight off the rack.
Changes will be subtle. Sometimes, and this is key, you just don’t have to do much.

 

After: Only visible thing done was shorter sleeves (& the sun was out for this pic, so, shadows).
Didn’t want to mess with the jacket too much, but showing a sliver of shirt makes a nice difference.

 

After… The Pant Hem: Spier & Mackay suits aren’t separates, so the legs
will need to be hemmed. I don’t like the “no break” look myself, since hemming with little to no break
often leaves my pant legs stuck halfway up my calves after standing up.
But, you do you. (Shoes are the discontinued Allen Edmonds Hanover.) 

 

$50 was the total cost for tailoring the suit jacket & pants. Pricing can vary greatly by location.
My tailor charged $11.50 to hem the legs, $20 to shorten the sleeves,
and $18.50 to take in the pant waist.

 

$320 for the suit. $50 for some necessary (but not major) alterations.
I’ll take it for how it fits/feels on my 5’10″/190lb frame. Any shoulder divots or wrinkling/pulling be damned.