Shop Talk: Marc Allen Fine Clothiers

Unless you’re used to the finer things in life, there are few times when a man feels comfortable with an all out splurge. The midlife crisis brings the sports car or the luxury watch, but what about a wedding suit? The 20-something groom will likely head toward a rental tux, or maybe a practical “nice suit” found on the rack at a higher-end department store.

Being at the tail end of my 30s and preparing to marry my beloved this summer, I contacted Marc Streisand, owner of Marc Allen Fine Clothiers, to inquire about having a bespoke suit made. Just that word alone – bespoke – conjures up images of ultimate luxury. I learned that while it is indeed pricey, the custom suit experience is pretty fantastic. When else can you have something completely customized, just for you? Alright, enough rationalization... I’ve given myself permission to buy what will most likely be the nicest article of clothing I’ll ever own.

The adventure began when my fiancée and I stopped by to have a style consultation. Marc met us in his enthusiastic manner and had us sit on his leather lounge chairs to go over the fabric swatches. Marc likes to push people beyond their comfort level, so he helped me select a royal navy col- or for my wedding garb, which was a brighter shade than I normally would wear. Of course my lady really liked the color as well, so that helped verify that it wasn’t too much of a stretch.

Marc asked many questions regarding style preference and took extensive measurements. Fabric quality is simply unparalleled in the arena of bespoke suits – we’re talking Super 140s from Vitale Barberis – which means a high thread count created from cutting edge Italian mill technology. The fabric is very soft to the touch, but maintains structural integrity. Marc and his showroom staffers Will and Colin are passionate about clothing, and the group consultation helped pare things down to an exact style that was perfect for me.

After discussing color choices and fabrics, Marc took the next week or so to brainstorm the pattern. Being a naturally indecisive person, I appreciated somebody else making an artistic choice based on what he thinks would be the right fit.

Then after three weeks, the cloth arrived from Italy and I came back for a basted fitting. When I returned, they already had the fabric sponged to shrink it down. I got my first look at the suit, and it was gorgeous to see in its full form – I think this was when I realized why people get all excited about having suits made. This official first fitting is when you see all those thin white basting threads piping the blue fabric, which basically holds the garment together. Marc’s master tailor Michael did a 360 around me, per- forming the sizing and making sure that the specs were correct before executing alterations. He asked me if I was going to lose any weight before the wedding, to which I replied that I was going to lose five pounds. He replied “good” and explained it wouldn’t look perfect unless I lost that weight (back to the gym!). I was then instructed to return after another three weeks to have the final fitting, which is when buttons and buttonholes are added and finish work completed.

At the time of print, my bespoke suit is in the final stages of work, so I can’t let you know what the final product looks like. But with all the professional work Marc and his team have put in, I know for sure I’ll be looking custom-made sharp on my wedding day.

Marc Allen Fine Clothiers
200 S. Main Street
453-0025
marcalleninc.com