Dress with confidence as you approach that cocktail-attire event. See the quick list of what to wear, and get even more detail from the do’s and don’ts of men’s cocktail attire.
How to Choose a Fabric for Your Custom Suit
The Work Horse
“The Work Horse”
This solid navy suit belongs in every mans wardrobe. We are presenting you with- “The Work Horse”. Its a year round, super 130’s, worsted wool and gaberdine that fits any need from special occasion to board room. A suit in this fabric would normally cost $1,450 but we are offering it for $750 till the end of February. As you know, fit is important to us, so any alteration you may need is complimentary. We are running of stock quickly, come have a look!
Vintage inspired virgin wool three piece
The Felix, our vintage inspired virgin wool three piece. Slate blue rail track with hickory buttons. In stock now ready to wear. As always, complimentary alterations for a custom fit.
Christmas lights on the new shop
We decorated the shop today…then we decorated Herndon.
Loring & Co. Final Touches
Jeff and Casey making the final touches to Loring & Co. Bespoke.
Loring & Co Ties
The Loring & Co ties are on sale! Wool ties, silk ties, and bow ties, just in time for your fall wardrobe.
Jeff's Trip to Long and Scotland, Part 2
London/Scotland Part 2
Jeff's Trip to London and Scotland, Part 1
Highlights from Jeff’s trip to London & Scotland, Part 1
Scotland Fall Fabrics
This just in from Scotland: incredible new fabrics for fall! We have the most beautiful whipcords, calvary twills, bedford cords, and flannels you will ever see! All from the oldest and most prestigious Scottish mill. Stop by and start dreaming up your autumn wardrobe.
Midnight navy tuxedo
One of our favorite experiences is to have the great privilege of helping design and coordinate wedding ensembles. This past January, we had such a privilege with our friend, Drew Hill. He chose a midnight navy tuxedo with grosgrain shawl collar. He looked elegant and sophisticated, just the way a groom should on his wedding day.
Best wishes to Drew and his wife Jessica, may your lives be blessed beyond measure!
See the full article on styleblueprint.com
Photos by Kristyn Hogan
A Gentleman's Profile: Rick Hart
Our good friend and customer Rick Hart just picked up these fantastic Loring and Co. Bespoke shirts we made for him. Rick selected some vibrant colors, ready for Spring.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Rick, you should. He is Executive Vice President and Tennessee Division President of Renasant Bank. One of the few true relationship bankers in the business, Rick takes his time with all his customers and truly gets to know them. It’s the “old fashioned way” of doing business, and WE LOVE IT!
In a world of corporate driven computerized decision makers, it is encouraging to see Rick lead his organization by example. He is active in the community, and spends time getting to know the business leaders in our area. Ask around and you will hear people rave about rick and Renesant Bank.
Stop in and see Rick when you have a chance. He will be happy to see you.
Thanks Rick, for being the best part of what we do at Stitch It & Co. See you soon!
So Many Choices....
Let’s face it, when you shop for a suit off the rack, the fit isn’t the only challenge. Your choices of fabric are very limited- even in a larger store. One of the best attributes of creating a bespoke clothing is the myriad of fabrics from which to choose.
When you come to Stitch-It & Co., you get to select from over 3,500 suiting fabrics and over 1,900 shirt fabrics. You will truly have a one-of-a-kind look with your Loring & Co. Bespoke suits and shirts.
The current warm-weather tease we have been having in Nashville is a reminder to consider the weight of your suit fabric when shopping. There are two general categories: seasonal, and year-round. As the names imply, year-round fabrics are light or medium weight, which can be comfortable for all or most of the year. The seasonal fabrics are generally for extreme cold, like cashmere and heavy wool, or for extreme heat, like linen and seersucker.
Think of when and how you want to wear your suit. Will you be inside or outside? Are you warm or cold-natured? Perhaps our best service (besides the perfect fit, of course), is the plethora of knowledge of fabrics that our suiting specialists have acquired. Make sure to ask lots of questions when you come by the shop. We want the most comfortable and best looking suit for you!
Loring & Co. Spring 2014 Curated Collection
We are proud to introduce our first installment of the Loring & Co. Curated Collection. While we always offer bespoke menswear, we wanted to try something a little different this year. We began by designing a limited run sport coat and two custom shirts.
The coat is a staple of every man’s wardrobe- the masculine version of the “little black dress,” if you will. For our first Curated sport coat, we designed a basic Navy Micro-Textured Travel Blazer. We created this Loring & Co. coat to be durable for the man who expects his clothes to work as hard as he does. It will compliment your style at the office, on business travel, or at happy hour with friends.
The style, fit, and durability make this a great graduation gift for the young man on his way to college. We will customize your student’s college blazer with their school colored lining and monogram.
Order your coat by Friday, February 28 for only $795, and as an added bonus, we will include your choice of one of these two limited run Loring & Co. Bespoke custom shirts ($225.00 value). Shirts are also available for purchase individually.
Here’s how it works:
- Schedule an in-store fitting online or by phone at 615-292-3008.
- Come in our studio for your custom fitting.
- In 5 weeks you will be wearing you custom travel blazer.
Technology Meets Tradition
Countless articles in men’s magazines and blogs talk about the relationship a man (or woman) has with their tailor. It is something unique, especially in the fast-paced modern era. Just the way one may find that they can share openly their most personal thoughts with their barber, the trust that exists behind that confidence is even stronger with the one who make sure you are dressed well.
An experienced tailor understands the inner workings of a garments, and the inner workings of you. Rather than merely pin, deconstruct, and sew, they are able to understand you and make you feel understood. Thus your trust when they help you select a piece of clothing or determine how it should best fit.
Step in to our shop at Stitch-It, and we hope you instantly feel that link to a time when it was commonplace to come see your tailor to share your life events and create a new suit. In fact, that still goes on here every day. The good news? We are not so set in our ways that we don’t like technology. While some are attempting to replace the tailor with technology that can scan and inventory your every body part, we believe in utilizing technology to enhance the traditional experience. After all, I still don’t know a computer that will share a drink with you after your appointment!
When you order a Loring & Co. Bespoke suit, we keep a digital record of you and your suit. We keep your measurements, but also a visual record of the clothing we have made for you. In short, we can show (or even email) you a visual of your wardrobe. We can also propose new outfits to compliment your existing collection.
All of this is to alleviate the nervousness of wondering if you selected the right fabric or if it will go with that shirt you already own. Now, you can see it before we make it. It’s simple yet impressive.
What Makes Custom...Well, Custom Part 3
Previously, we shined some light on the fit that custom clothing provides as well as the options offered with custom shirting specifically. Now we shift to suiting.
Our clients get excited when they get to start truly customizing their suits. It is, afterall, the most fun part of the process. So what makes a Loring & Co. Bespoke suit so different? We always begin with the perfect fit, and then customize the suit to your taste and style.
A Loring & Co. coat begins with choosing from over 400 fabric patterns. They range from fall and winter wools to all-season lightweight fabrics. They can be traditional British country style, or made to impress even the biggest Wall Street bigwig.
Beginning with a notch or peak lapel, we then select the proper width-whether you want a skinny or wide silhouette. We can even select a custom thread color for the lapel button hole! One of the best lapel options to select a fun color for the felt underneath the collar. With about 20 colors to choose from, this is a fun detail that can be seen upon close examination.
One simple option that sets any coat apart is a surgeon’s cuff, otherwise known as functional buttonholes. No more dangling cheap buttons on your coat cuff. For extra style, leave the last button open to show off the details of your coat.
Pockets allow more customization from the number of pockets to the style and even their angle. An angled ticket pocket creates a slenderizing effect.
A coat can have a single vent, or the British-style double vent. Shoulder pleats can add distinction to the coat as well. The last details come down to button color, and the pattern for a coats lining. The lining is a place to add your own flare and really have fun. It won’t be seen when you are wearing the coat, but noticeable hanging on the back of your chair at dinner.
It seems like a lot, and we have suiting specialists ready to walk you through each step of the custom process. Fair warning though, custom clothes can be known to be addictive!
Loring & Co. Shirts
Loring & Co. Shirts featuring custom thread-color pic stitch, spread collar, and custom button colors
What Makes Custom...Well, Custom Part 2
Yesterday, we focused on the perfect fit and what it can accomplish for your look. Beyond the perfect fit however, are a myriad of options we can apply to your custom shirt, coat, suit, or tuxedo.
This is really what makes custom fun. Let's start with shirts. Custom shirts from Loring & Co. are all the same price. It is up to you just how much you want to embellish and customize the shirt. There is no additional charge for doing so. There are literally 30 options just for the collar on one of our custom shirts. There are spread collars (also including the British and even Italian styles, which are very wide), and traditional. You can chose the length of the collar, and whether or not it has buttons. Like to show some cuff? Maybe you want a french cuff so you can wear distinct cufflinks? You can add to that a mitre cuff, multiple button holes, or change the angle of the button hole stitching to accent the cuff.
One of our favorite shirt options is the pic stitch by hand. You can select a custom thread color whether it matches or contrasts the shirt fabric. This can enhance other options such as collar, placket, and cuff. We can even choose a custom button color to coordinate with or contrast with the shirt and stitching.
These details are what make a shirt uniquely yours. Often people will compliment your clothing-whether they can put their finger on what details set it apart, or not. Either way, they recognize you are dressed above and beyond.
What Makes Custom..Well, Custom?
Yesterday we featured a glimpse of bespoke clothing and what kind of look it can create. Besides looking your best, why would you want to create custom clothing?
The number one reason is fit. Today’s clothing manufacturers use a fit model to create sizing, and then generate thousands of copies of sizing to that model. Ironically, they are selling to humans of which no two are the same size. Just because two people have a size 38 chest doesn’t mean their waist or shoulders are the same. With our Loring & Co. label, we have successfully fit gentlemen of all sizes because we measure every inch. Biceps, inseams, outseams, hips, waist (even for a coat). The point is, when you try on your custom garment, it fits as it should.
It is not uncommon for one of our clients to try on their first custom shirt and say, “I look really in shape in this.” A common misperception is that “custom” or “fitted” are synonymous with “too small” and “too tight.” The fact is that proper fit accentuates your body. Even guys that aren’t in their, shall we say “high school shape,” find that custom clothing has a slimming effect.
Beyond fit, are the options custom offers for your clothing….More on that tomorrow!
Black Tie Optional
In six weeks, we will be ringing in 2014. Can you believe it? Coincidentally, it takes five weeks for one of our showstopping custom made-to-measure tuxedos to arrive. That means it’s time to get on it!
We have an incredible selection of fabrics for both suits AND formalwear. One of our favorites here at the shop is this navy tux with black lapel. Add your unique touch with a pocket square, suspenders, and classic black bow tie. (Don’t worry, we will make sure you know how to tie it- free of charge).
After New Years celebrations comes a parade of events in Nashville. We promise to have you looking your best for #BalletBall, #SymphonyBall, or #SwanBall!
What are you waiting for?
-N