iTailor shirt day 1 thoughts · Real Men Real Style Community

iTailor shirt day 1 thoughts

I mentioned in my OOTD this morning that I was wearing a new custom shirt from iTailor. While a full and proper "review" would only be possible after months of wear and care, I can give my initial impressions, which are generally very positive. The picture with a tie was before work, and the rest were after coming home in the evening. In the picture with the shirt untucked my fingertip is pointing to the belt buckle to demonstrate length. A square of matching fabric was included in the order. If anyone knows why, I'm all ears. Best guess, in case I need to patch a hole? I wore it as a pocket square today and I think I got away with it.

Fit: Getting a better fit is the primary reason for going custom. The good news is this is now my best fitting and most comfortable shirt. The first custom garment is often expected to be "sacrificial" as you will not get the sizing right on the first try. This is especially likely when, as with iTailor, the measurements are taken by the customer himself. I think I got it 100% right on the first try.🔥Off the rack sizing generally has a neck size, sleeve length, and perhaps a style of cut. Here there were 7 measurements: neck, chest, stomach, hip, length, shoulder, sleeve. The neck and cuffs are not nearly as tight as my previous custom experience with Tom James, and frankly I think I prefer that, because with that one I couldn't wear a watch and couldn't breathe.

Fabric: Fabric is the most suspect aspect of cheap online tailoring in my mind. I think I'm satisfied with the fabric. The first thing I noticed was that the fabric is HEAVY, especially at the collar and cuffs. This is the baby pink herringbone, code 140149. Normally $79.99 base price, I got it when it was the $49.99 fabric of the day (these rotate regularly). It's 100% cotton, weight 125.0, 50/1 yarn, but I'm still not sure what exactly that means despite some internet research. The fabric feels like it's tough and durable, but is a tiny bit rough and feels less refined than some premium shirts. Notably they do not offer 100% cotton anti-wrinkle fabric (all my other shirts are "non-iron").

Construction: As shown in the picture, there is a split yoke in the back and the herringbone pattern is matched at the seam. You can customize a plethora of things including the front and back style (e.g. placket, pleats), collar, cuffs, pocket, bottom hem, and they offer free monogramming, various button and thread colors and styles, and you can add your choice of contrast fabric in at least a dozen places. Nearly all of these options are no extra cost, but I paid a couple dollars to get mother-of-pearl buttons. They seem fine, but are pretty thin. They brag that their seams and collars use superior material and construction to avoid accordion wrinkling, which was present to a ludicrous degree with my Tom James from day one (and led me to give up on the shirt entirely). The collar came with sewn-in soft collar stays and reminds me of a stiffer version of my beloved Eton collars.

Price: After a small upcharge for the buttons, it came to about $65 including taxes and shipping from Asia to the US. The finished product arrived a little less than a month after I ordered it. For a perfect fit with durable and attractive fabric built to my custom specs, that's just crazy at $65. Any follow-on purchases would likely be premium white shirts at $80 base, plus tax and shipping, which is still going to be less than $100.

Unknowns: I haven't washed the shirt yet, so I don't know how it will react. While the fabric and stitching look solid, time will tell how they hold up over time.

@Fernando Mendoza

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