Flatbusher……..
I don’t have an off the rack body.
If you truly feel that just adjusting length on an off the rack garment leaves you with the feeling that the garment hangs properly on your body, moves smoothly with your every movement and has no spots where it either hangs loosely or is a bit too clingy, then off the rack is fine.
If, however, you can afford it, and want to choose the fabric, colors, collar, fit, shoulder style, padding, the rise of the slacks, etc. and have a custom suit and shirts…the chances are you will not go back to off the rack.
The quality is such that they tend to last longer than off the rack and if you wear classic styles they will be in your clothing rotation for many years.
My tailor has all my measurements. Often I stop in only to pick fabrics. Sometimes, I buy fabrics when traveling and the tailor only provides labor.
These days I typically pay about $1200 for a 3 piece suit and $45 for long sleeves shirts (ordered by the 1/2 dozen) plus material. Interfacing, linings, buttons and trim are included in the labor price. All have my name embroidered inside the garment and shirts have my monogram on the sleeve cuff.
The midnight blue suit with a burgundy pinstripe I wore to a political event last night is about 10 years old. It looks as if it was made last month. It shows no wear and has held its shape beautifully. The pants are constructed with a 5 inch high gripper band to hold my shirt tails in place and have suspender buttons in the pants. I wore a white background shirt that had the same burgundy pinstripe as the suit. A burgundy toe with midnight blue emblems completed the outfit. This was appropriate for the occasion or court or seeing clients in my law office. As I’ve explained in the oast, when I was a young lawyer starting out, a wise mentor told me ‘only the judges wear black’ I wear midnight blue or charcoal gray to court. My Shabbos suits are black