We would like to announce that Finestitch & Co is now Montagio Custom Tailoring - a brand focused on delivering high quality fashionable garments that are made to your fit.

It is still the same people involved offering the same level of service you are used to, but now we are not only doing classic tailored business suits and wedding suits, but also more trendy and modern smart casual and formal wear including spring carnival suits & race day suits, dinner suits & dinner jackets, tuxedos, blazers, sports jackets, casual shirts, and business shirts – all tailored to your fit.

It’s High Fashion meets Custom Tailoring – offering a larger range of material than ever before! So please visit our new website Montagio Custom Tailoring and check out the new brand!

Regards,

Finestitch/Montagio Team

We have great pleasure in announcing that we have opened a new showroom in the Sydney CBD in the jewelry and designer district – corner of King & Castlereigh St in the Trust Building. Go to Contact Us to find the exact location and address details.

We opened about 6 months ago, so been a bit slow on the announcement!

Would love to see you again (or for the first time for new customers) so please come and pay us a visit!

Many Regards,

Bally & Jatin

A wedding can be a stressful period for the bride and groom, but if you have professional help and guidance at hand, then the whole experience can be rewarding, fun, entertaining and potentially save you hundreds of dollars!

The majority of brides/grooms to-be, engage the services of professionals such as wedding planners, photographers, DJ’s, caterers, decorators, flower arrangers, professional dress-makers… and the list goes on, to undertake specific tasks during the wedding – it’s team work! An experienced team that understands their individual responsibilities and goals will more or less translate to a successful team – the end result is a great event!

A sample suit-vest combination for your wedding day!

However, over the last year or so I have attended a handful of weddings where the groom – I must say – either does not stand out at all (dressed quite ordinary) or is the worst dressed person in the room! Of course when I see these ill fashioned grooms, I obviously do not say anything, but I think to myself why did they spend thousands of dollars on the venue, food/drinks, and all the other service providers but skimped on their own outfit! I certainly would not like to be in a position when the bride and groom take out their wedding photos and realise that the suit that the groom wore was either out-dated in style, poorly fitted, or the did not suit his personality or body. Ladies, this is a major distress call – please help us dress your man and to complete the picture – the best man and groomsmen!

So you ask why you should engage a professional to design and tailor a suit for your wedding?:

1. Style to your shape

Of course every man wants to look like James Bond 007 on his wedding day but be sure to choose the style and colour of wedding suits that suits you. A personal stylist should take into consideration your body shape, height and your normal, everyday style and personality when recommending material and styling options. Narrow lapels and pockets would suit slimmer men, who could also opt for lighter shades for their wedding suit. Tall men should wear wider lapels and standard size pockets to take emphasis away from their vertical longitude! Larger men should stick to the darker colours such as black or navy blue that are slimming – pinstripes work well also. Our Finestitch & Co catalogue has all the necessary styling options that can be mixed and matched to suit your individual body shape, purpose, taste and personality.

2. Suit trends & latest styles

The time of the event is a key, for example, if you are having a casual daytime wedding, there is no need for a tuxedo – a nice suit would do fine. Whereas if you are planning an evening wedding reception you may want to consider tailoring a tux with satin covered lapels and buttons. The current trend for grooms is to wear lighter wedding suits in less traditional colours such as cream or light grey with satin border work. You can’t go wrong if you wear a nice Navy Blue and or Dark Grey as these are ideal for all seasons, while creams and white wedding suits are most appropriate for summer weddings. Khaki is also becoming popular for wedding suits – this is if you have a beach wedding in mind. However if you are having a formal wedding then it is still customary to wear a dark tuxedo, bow-tie and waistcoat. For inspiration look at bridal magazines and websites, men’s magazines like GQ and blogs like “The Urban Gentleman” or “The Sartorialist”.

3. Get measured up

Have your suit stylist measure for your suit jacket, trousers and vest if needed. A stylist should be taking at least 15 different body measurements to make your fitted suit.  Then to avoid any embarrassing incidents like splitting your pants during your first dance, make sure you try on the wedding suit and everything else a month before the wedding, to see if it all still fits. On the rare occasion that the suit is not to your preferred fit then Finestitch & Co and their experienced team of tailors in Sydney will take of all your necessary alterations up to $100 to help perfect your suit. Also keep in mind the following:

• Wedding suits jackets should fit well but also give you a full range of motion, both buttoned and unbuttoned. A fitted suit may not work for you if like to have room – go for a classic look if possible.
• One finger should fit between the collar of your shirt and your neck, but no more than that.
• If you are wearing a vest to a summer wedding, make sure it has a full back, so that you are still looking good when the jackets inevitably come off.
• Pants should break over the instep of the shoe.

If you want candid advice please seek help from a experienced style consultant from Finestitch & Co or Wedding Suits Sydney to fit and supply a tailored suit for your biggest day.

Bally or Jatin will use their experience to guide you through the latest fabrics and design your suit with over 3000 styling combinations and professionally deliver to our city location.

Don’t just take our word for it – visit our testimonials page and see what our customers have to say!

Stay tuned for more posts soon!

The fabric colour

People will be tempted to experiment on their first tailored suit because of the abundance of fabric choices. However, at Finestitch & Co our recommendation is simple, stick to a navy blue or black suit as these colours are the most versatile and will allow you to wear many different shirts and ties, whilst looking very professional.  Your second or third tailored suit fabric can be a little bit more adventurous, a bold pinstripe or a brown fabric shade.

This is an essential item in a man's wardrobe

The fabric pattern

I have personally noticed that a herringbone pattern works very well on a dark based suit. I would stay away from pinstripes for your first suit, because then you have to be very careful about what shirt you wear and what tie you wear – they have to match the colour of the pin stripe on the suit, and it will cost you more money because if you ever wanted to wear a different coloured shirt, you would have to get another suit!

A Navy Blue Herringbone pattern suit - a must have!

The fit & customisation options

One could argue that the “fit” is the most important factor in a suit, and we agree – fit is the most important factor and the reason why many people are choosing tailor made suits as opposed to off-the-rack – because they get the perfect fit. But a suit should not only fit well; it has to exude your personality and style – do not wear a suit just for the sake of wearing one!

Off- the-rack suits do not offer customisation options, so if it is your first custom tailored suit then you will be presented with ways to design your suit that you probably have never thought of! The advantage of a tailored suit is that you can add personal touches to customise your suit and get a truly unique look. Your tailored suit can be customised in many ways – whether it’s specific types of fabrics (cashmere, pure wool, worsted, wool blends etc), linings (silk or polyester), lapel & cuff styles or pockets – just ask a style consultant at Finestitch & Co to help you to design a suit that will complement your body shape, and your personality. These unique styling enhancements will certainly impress your colleagues and really make your suit stand out from off-the-rack suits.

I often see professional men looking like robots when they wear their suits, because the shoulders are too square, or the suit is not tapered in at the waist and is boxy, or even the trousers are flared too much from the bottom. Ideally your suit should fit according to your unique body shape, taking into account things such as your shoulder slope, your posture, waist and even the type of shoe that you wear! (refer to our Process). That’s the benefit of having your suit tailor-made: you will not need to have it altered several times before it fits perfectly. We all know how frustrating it is to have a piece of clothing that falls awkwardly, especially when it costs you a arm and a leg.

Tailored suit customisation options are especially attractive to those with distinctive body types. Tall men won’t have any problems with short sleeves or pants that don’t fit. Another problem many tall but lean men have is that their suits that are made for their height are not ideal for their width – they are very baggy. Shorter or Larger men, can have suits made to make them look taller and slimmer – a Finestitch & Co style consultant can assist with this, helping to select pinstripe fabrics to accentuate length, and also darker colours to give a slimming effect, and slanted pockets to give a more streamlined appearance to the suit, with either peak lapels or slimmer notch lapels to also enhance the streamline look.

Wardrobe Economics

In today’s world to impress with your style without spending a fortune requires foresight (and insight). One of the most basic rules when starting out is to stick to the basics: 1 navy blue suit and 1 black suit (with two trousers for each suit to make the suits last even longer), 5 white shirts, and 3 pairs of black shoes – 1 lace-up, 1 slide-on (lace-less), and 1 pair of boots (with side zip). These items can last you for years (this is all dependent on how often you wear them and how well you take care of your garments) and will never go out of style.

The majority of your investment should go to that first suit. After all, first impressions count and you would rather look sharp and savvy in a fitted suit as opposed to sloppy in a baggy suit as you head off to your next job interview, work meeting, corporate presentation or function. Did you know that based on your appearance and the way you dress, people will instantly make a judgement on your level of intelligence, how hard you would work, and also on how they would treat you?

Recommendation

A custom tailored single-breasted, two button, navy-blue 2-Trouser Suit in a light-weight wool will go a long way. We recommend 2 Trousers because you can wear each trouser on alternate days and extend the life of your suit – as trouser wear our faster than jackets. You can wear the suit all year around, and when you style it with the assistance of a Finestitch & Co design consultant, we are confident that it won’t go out of style before your third promotion! A fully fitted custom tailored navy blue suit from Finestitch & Co starts as low as $599, with custom fitted Egyptian Cotton shirts starting at $129 – contact us today to book your appointment.

A look fit for the races!

Summer tailored suit fabrics and combinations:

On the smart-casual side, colours such as cream, off-white and ivory suits in soft and light fabrics such as cool wool, linen and cotton are always in. My ideal summer suit for wearing on casual Fridays is an ensemble of a white linen jacket with a pastel light-blue shirt and jeans. And if white is not something you are very comfortable to go with, take a beige jacket and pair it with an ivory or pastel light green/pastel yellow shirt and jeans. Cotton or linen based fabrics in muted colours are ideal for casual Friday wear. In terms of styling, ensure the Jacket has working cuff buttons, so that you can undo all the cuff buttons and fold up the jacket sleeves.

For the office workers out there, Summer in Australia can be a very uncomfortable experience if you only own suits made from heavier wool or even polyester-wool blend material. So time to update your wardrobe with some lightweight wools in the higher Super Numbers rather than the heavier/thicker wools which definitely make you sweat all day long!

A black or a navy blue suit is discouraged during the hotter months as darker colours of course attract more heat. For office wear try to keep it to lighter greys or browns. However sometimes for meetings or when dealing with clients, the darker colours are unavoidable. So this is where the lightweight wools are ideal.

We stock a variety of lightweight wools – with our highest quality wools coming from Thomas Fisher and Dugdale Bros & Co – both English cloth brands from Huddersfield, England. We have a selection of New Fine Worsted wools that breathe extremely well, and also a selection of Luxury Super 100s and Kid Mohair blend cloths dubbed “Cape Breeze” due to their extremely light weight of 240 GMS, 8 OZ.

In terms of styling, a one-buttoned lightweight suit expertly tailored to trace your body frame is sure to be a head-turner. Try it with slim notch lapels, slant pockets and surgeon cuff buttons to complete the look – view the FS & Co style guide for view these options in detail.

As a final note:

Because we Aussies like to enjoy the great outdoors during the hotter months, we at Finestitch have also started making tailored shorts! Top it off with a floral shirt from our selection of lightweight floral-patterned cotton shirting to add that final touch to your summer smart-casual look.

Classic summer look..

Don’t be afraid to get creative and play, it’s always possible to have fun and not break the dress rules!

What tie to wear with what shirt???

As you grow your shirt wardrobe, you will need the appropriate collection of ties to combine with this wardrobe if these shirts are to be worn for work or formal occasions. In this article we cover what tie to wear with what shirt, and then how to match that combination with a suit.

If you want to be cost effective and efficient with your wardrobe, you will want to ensure that you have ties that can be worn in combination with multiple shirts in your wardrobe so that you’re not blowing your budget on ties.

Here are some rules of thumb when picking out ties to add to your collection:

• If you buy a solid tie, ensure that it picks up one of the colours in the shirt.

• Solid colour or textured ties are particularly versatile as they can be worn on striped, chequered and plain shirts.

Blue Striped Business Shirt with Textured Blue Tie

• Avoid wearing a striped tie with a chequered or striped shirt as this makes your whole appearance too busy. Instead have a solid or textured tie. (Textured ties are a single colour but have a design running through of the same colour – just like herringbone on a shirt).

Black & White striped Business Shirt with Black Textured Tie

• The only exception to the rule is if you have a shirt with narrow stripes or subtle stripes, you may wear a diagonally striped tie – as long as the stripes on the tie are bolder than those on the shirt.

Blue Subtle Striped Business Shirt with Bold Diagonal Red Stripe Blue Tie

• Similarly, if you have a chequered shirt with the checks being relatively subtle, you can combine it with a patterned tie as long as the colour or pattern on the tie is bolder than the colour or pattern on the shirt. A good combination is a chequered shirt with dot-pattern tie.

Checked Pink Shirt with Pink Tie with Blue Dots

• Try and avoid combining the above shirt and tie combination with a pinstriped or window-pane suit – now you’re treading the fine line between ‘trendy’ and ‘busy’. Wear a plain dark coloured suit if possible to tone down the overall look.

• Be adventurous and try wearing patterned ties on plain shirts. Patterned ties such as jacquard, paisley, dot, etc. can be worn successfully with solid colour shirts – particularly plain, oxford or herringbone cloths.

Blue Business Shirt with White Collar and Cuffs with Blue Paisley Patterned Tie

Pink Business Shirt with Pink and Blue Diagonal Stripe Tie

• Plaid and some chequered shirts look great with or without ties – and can be worn casually as well as in the workplace depending on the individual pattern.

• Some versatile colours for shirts are of course plain white, light blue, and grey – with which you can match any number of ties. These colours can be suitable for all occasions be it an interview, business meeting, or formal occasion.

• Try contrasting the colour of your tie to the colour of your shirt, and even contrasting the shade or tone of your tie to the shade of your shirt.

Blue Business Shirt with White Collar and Cuffs with Yellow Tie with Blue Dots

Black Formal Shirt with Silver Floral Tie

• If the colour of your tie is the same as your shirt – particularly when it comes to solid shirts and ties – ensure that the shade is different. E.g. dark blue tie with light blue shirt and navy blue or black suit.

Blue Subtle Stripe Shirt with Darker Blue Floral Pattern Tie

• A Final rule – when it comes to matching a suit with your shirt and tie, if you are wearing a fairly ‘busy’ shirt such as bold stripes or chequered, then wear either a solid coloured suit or even a textured suit in herringbone or shadow-stripe patterns. If you want to wear a pinstripe suit with a busier shirt, ensure that the pinstripes are very subtle. If you are wearing a plain shirt, then you are free to wear a bolder pinstripe suit or a suit with either Prince of Wales or Window-Pane patterns.

We were kindly escorted to the Level 32 boardrooms with views to Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House, where we showcased our suit and shirt fabric ranges  – who said work was boring?!

The boys are navigating through our extensive fabric range and deciding on styling

We were expecting a maximum of 3 people to be fitted that day, but the word had spread that the “suit guys” were here with an amazing deal – a tailored suit for $499! The enthusiastic chaps at the bank were pleasantly surprised at what we had to offer in terms of our extensive range of suiting and shirting fabrics, the many ways of styling and customizing their suit to give it a truly personal touch, and they were also impressed with our commitment to delivering a well tailored suit to their specifications.

A dedicated stylist working with you

This experience was a small fashion workshop in my opinion – in the few hours we were there, Jatin and I taught the savvy bankers a little bit about personal styling, the latest fabrics whether it be the colour, the weave or suit material thread count ranging from Super 100s to Super 180s, and what would suit them overall in terms of body shape and skin tone.

At Finestitch & Co (FS) we help clients build wardrobes for work or pleasure.  Whether it is your first time or you have a closet full of custom clothing, the Finestitch team wants your experience with us to be a rewarding one that will help you dress better for the rest of your career and beyond!

Many of the boys (as they like to be reffered as) had never purchased a made to measure suit or shirts before, so they did not know what to expect. But they were willing to try one, and in the end were very pleased with the results. I would like to thank the investment banking team for their valuable time and hope you guys had fun with the experience! See you guys again very soon!

If you would like to experience the FS difference, please book your next corporate appointment here – you shall not be left disappointed and that is an FS promise!

Within the new additions to the suiting range, we have even more Cashmere Wool materials for business suits, sports coats, jackets and blazers.

New Cashmere Wool range

For something very special, we have a very exclusive range of Italian Wool-Silk blend suit materials. A custom tailored suit in Wool and Silk blend material has a beautiful lustre and falls extremely well. It conveys class and elegance and is perfect for wedding suits as well as for high-class business men and executives that want to make a statement.

A suit made from Italian Wool and Silk Blend material

We have Linen for the more casual summer blazer, or light trouser, or even a complete linen suit for a beach wedding or to pull off that ‘Vegas’ look.

Linen Suit

We also have Cotton suiting materials for those Chino or Khaki trousers that are popular in summer. Or for a casual cotton blazer that can be worn on denim jeans.

Cotton Chinos (also called Khakis) in Loose Fit (left) or Slim Fit (right)

Now for shirts – we have a new superb range of very high-end shirting materials for the discerning customer that is conscious about quality and exclusivity.

The cotton comes in many different varieties such as 2 ply Egyptian Cotton made in Italy by Zenzoni, Swiss Cotton by Mischief, and in a range of thread counts from 100 right up to luxurious 200 thread count cotton by Shikibo from Japan.

We have one entire book dedicated to just White Shirts – with various patterns in high quality white cotton.

There are even floral patterns for casual summer shirts or to secretly liven up a business shirt by lining the inside of the collar and cuffs with a floral pattern.

Range of Shirting Fabrics

There are so many fabrics to choose from and so many different ways to design and customize a made to measure suit or shirt – you are only limited by your imagination!

We invite you to Book an appointment with us today to see our complete range. We look forward to seeing you!

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of corporate men and women over the two days that experimented with the fabrics we had on display. One customer purchased a few plain coloured shirts with floral inside collars and cuffs  – maybe he was bringing back some of the 70s fashion or an even newer style and be a trendsetter in his workplace.

Another customer in his late 50s wanted to experiment with hand-craft stitching and pattern pink lining in his suit jacket – some would say that’s outrageous for his generation, but he made a remark to me by saying that he always wanted to design his dream suit – and guess what, I felt like I had given a kid a ton of chocolates. A truly satisfying feeling I must say.

Feedback from the event was again very positive and customers commented that we had a very extensive range of shirting and suiting fabrics on offer and we had given our customers a very high level of customisation on their shirts and suits styles! Not to mention they were pleased when told that for Mercer Employees we provide a discount of 10% off all regular pricing, as per our special Corporate Pricing policy.

If this sounds like something that you would want to do in your office please click here – I’m sure it will be an enjoyable and unique experience for all!

I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the event…