Choosing Your First Bespoke Suit

Your first bespoke suit is an investment — not just in money, but in a relationship with a tailor who will come to understand your body, your preferences, and your life. At L&S, many of our clients have been with us for decades, and the suits we make for them today are informed by everything we have learned together over years of fittings and conversations. That relationship has to start somewhere, and for most people it begins with a single question: what kind of suit should I commission first?

Our answer is almost always the same: start with a navy suit in a mid-weight worsted wool, somewhere between 10 and 12 ounces. Navy is the most versatile colour a man can own. It works in a boardroom, at a dinner, at a wedding, and — with the right shirt and no tie — on a Friday evening. A mid-weight cloth can be worn comfortably for nine or ten months of the year in most climates. And worsted wool holds a crease, resists wrinkles, and drapes beautifully in nearly every weight. This is not the most exciting answer, but it is the most practical one, and practicality matters when you are building a wardrobe one piece at a time.

During your first consultation at our East 61st Street workshop, we will take approximately thirty measurements and discuss the silhouette you are after. Do you prefer a structured shoulder or a soft, natural one? A two-button front or a three-roll-two? A full break at the trouser or a clean, modern crop? These are the decisions that genuinely affect how the suit looks and feels. We will guide you through each one, showing you examples on finished garments and explaining the trade-offs. There are no wrong answers — only preferences — and we would rather you tell us what feels right than try to guess what is fashionable.

The decisions that matter less than people think are the ones that generate the most anxiety: lining colour, the number of buttons on a sleeve, monogramming, ticket pockets. These are details, and details can be fun, but they do not define a suit. A beautifully cut jacket in plain navy with a standard navy lining will always look better than a poorly cut jacket with a flashy lining and a monogram under the collar. Focus on the cut and the cloth first. The details will follow naturally as you develop your own taste over subsequent commissions.

One piece of advice we give every first-time client: wear the suit. Do not save it for special occasions. A bespoke suit is designed to be your daily armour, not a museum piece. The canvas will mould to your chest over the first few weeks. The wool will develop a soft patina. The trouser will settle into its crease. A suit that is worn is a suit that comes alive. And when you come back for your second commission — a charcoal flannel, perhaps, or a tan cotton for summer — you will know exactly what you want, because you will have lived in the first one.