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March 31, 2013

Product Review: Ratio Clothing Custom Dress Shirt

Ratio Clothing Dress Shirt Review

My New Favorite Button Down

Buying custom clothing is a great way for short men to avoid the hassles of ill-fitting, brand-name clothes. After all, what guy wants to spend hours in a department store just to realize that nothing there really fits? Shopping is bad enough as it is, but us short gents have it the worst.

These days, there are a ton of custom shirt makers that operate online to keep costs down. It’s impossible to know which ones are quality and which ones should be avoided. Your best bet is to do your research and take a chance with a reputable made-to-measure clothier.

Denver-based Ratio Clothing is one shirt maker that I’ve heard a lot of great things about. Founder, Erik Powell, recently offered me a discount on a custom button down of my choice. I took him up on his offer and chose the Purple Mini-Gingham.

For those who are interested in fabric and construction, here’s a note from Ratio Clothing about this shirt: “The Purple Mini-Gingham is from Albini, an Italian mill and one of the most renowned mills in the world. Construction-wise, we use a minimum of 16 stitches per-inch, single-needle tailoring, and a split yoke. Our collars are made with fused Wendler interlinings and our buttons are a thick, highly-durable resin.” ~RC
Getting the Right Measurements

Ratio’s measuring process is less involved than most companies. You have two options:

  1. Choose your measurements based on previous experience (jackets and shirts you’ve bough in the past).
  2. Use this guide to measure your best-fitting shirt.

This is great because you don’t have to measure yourself. Which means you don’t need to get tailor’s tape, you don’t have to ask anyone for help, and you won’t mess up.

But, for the guys who have no idea what their measurements are and who don’t own any dress shirts that fit well, it gets tricky. Ratio recommends that you go to a store and try on some shirts to figure out your measurements.

Delivery Time and Customer Service

My shirt arrived in three weeks. It needed some minor alterations, so I shipped it back to Ratio Clothing in Colorado. Ratio will make adjustments to your shirt for no extra cost, but you have to cover shipping. The remake took less than three weeks to arrive.

Customer service was exceptional. I dealt directly with Ratio founder, Erik Powell, whose responses were prompt, professional and helpful.

The Fit

Ratio Clothing Dress ShirtI originally ordered my shirt to the following specifications:

  • Semi-Spread Collar
  • One-Button Barrel Cuffs
  • Seamless Placket
  • No Pleats
  • No Pocket

…and these measurements:

  • Neck: 14.5″
  • Sleeve: 30″
  • Chest: 36″
  • Length: Short
  • Fit: Ratio Slim Fit

It fit well through the chest and torso, but the sleeves looked a little puffy. Not pirate Jerry puffy, but definitely noticeable enough to warrant alteration.

To fix this, Erik recommended slimming up the bicep, raising the armhole by one inch and moving to their slim forearm pattern.

I also asked that the sleeves also be shortened by one inch, from 30″ to 29″. As you can see in the photos, the remade shirt fit great.

It works well with a tie too:

Ratio Shirt with Tie

The Verdict

Ratio Clothing shirts aren’t cheap, but you get what you pay for – high quality and a great fit. Plus, the shirts are made in the U.S.A., and the customer service is terrific.

Their sizing system is almost too simple, so make sure to ask plenty of questions about fit before ordering.

Here are a few tips I picked up from my experience with Ratio Clothing:

  • They can make sleeves shorter than 30″, even though it’s not an option in the sizing menu. Specify a shorter sleeve length in the “Special Instructions” area while placing your order.
  • If you are on the slim side, go with the Ratio Slim Fit, and request the slim forearm pattern.
  • After you get your shirt, take pictures from the front, side and back, and email them to Ratio Clothing. They can help you critique the fit and fix any problems you might have with your new shirt.

Ratio Clothing is absolutely one of my favorite custom shirt makers. I highly recommend giving them a try.

What do you think about my new Ratio Clothing button down shirt? Leave a comment below!

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January 18, 2013

Arden Reed Review: My New Custom Suit

IMPORTANT: You will find a discount code at the bottom of this post for 30% off any order from Arden Reed. This is an amazing opportunity to get into some custom shirts or even a new suit. You could save over $100, so check it out after you read the review.
Have you thought about buying a custom suit online?

It can be scary to purchase an expensive new suit that you don’t even get to try on before buying. To make things worse, there are so many suit makers to choose from. You don’t want to waste your money, but you need a suit that fits.

That’s why I publish reviews here on TheModestMan.com. I want to help you avoid buying low-quality, over-priced and ill-fitting clothes.

This review is for Arden Reed, an online custom clothier based out of New York City. They sell suits, shirts, pants, blazers and accessories. Co-founder Carlos Solorio – a fellow man of modest height – recently sent me a gift certificate for a free suit of my choice. I went with the Vintage Light Grey Suit, which retails for $467.

In this review, I’ll talk about the fit and quality of the suit as well as shipping time and customer service. I also include some photos of the suit so you can see how it looks right out of the box!

Disclaimer: Arden Reed gave me this suit for free. They did not, however, ask me to review it on this blog. This review – and every review on TheModestMan.com – is completely unbiased.

Customer Service

I did not have any problems with my order, so I did not need to contact customer service. That said, Carlos responded to almost all of my emails within 24 hours.

Delivery Time

Arden Reed says that all orders ship within four weeks of purchase. They try to exceed this estimate, which was the case with my order. I don’t know if this is typical, and some orders probably take longer than others, but my new suit arrived at my doorstep in less than three weeks.

Measurement System

The biggest problem with buying made-to-measure (MTM) clothes online is getting the right measurements. The whole point of buying custom clothing is to get something that fits perfectly, and this can only be done if you start with the right measurements.

Most online suit makers have a self-measurement system that consists of videos, written instructions and/or photos. Arden Reed’s measuring process is excellent. They even have a downloadable PDF guide that you can use to store your measurements.

Arden Reed Measurement System

Each measurement is clearly described in a series of short videos, but I highly recommend that you let a friend measure you. Certain measurements are very difficult to get by yourself. You will also need tailor’s tape.

If you are worried about messing up your measurements and getting a suit that doesn’t fit properly, worry no more! Arden Reed has a Perfect Fit Guarantee, which means you can get your suit altered at a local tailor and they will reimburse you. Or, if major alterations are needed, they will simply make you a new suit.

Most online suit makers have solid guarantees, but this is one of the best I’ve heard of.

Fabric Quality

Most guys don’t care too much about thread count or where their suit fabric came from. Honestly, I don’t care too much about that stuff either. But you do want to make sure that any dress clothes you buy are sturdily constructed from high quality material. Otherwise, they will fall apart after you wear them for a while.

I don’t know about you, but if I pay hundreds of dollars for a suit, I want it to last for more than a year!

Arden Reed doesn’t have any info about the fabric they use on their website, but founder Mike Abadi discusses the details on this Style Forum thread. For those of you who care about wool-blends and canvassing, definitely check it out. For the rest of you, the bottom line is you don’t have to worry about Arden Reed suits falling apart after normal wear.

The Fit

The best part of a good review is the photos. These photos were taken right after the suit was delivered, so no alterations have been made. However, a couple of alterations are definitely needed. Can you tell what they are? Scroll down for the answer…

Arden Reed Suit - From the Front

Arden Reed Suit - From the Side

Arden Reed Suit - From the BackArden Reed Suit - Jacket Lining

If you guessed that the pants are too long, you were right! They aren’t way too long, just a half inch or so. This would be okay for most guys, but shorter men should make sure that their dress pants are hemmed nice and short so they don’t break at all. In other words, there should be little or no crease above the ankle.

Also, there are too many wrinkles in the arms. This likely has to do with something called sleeve pitch. I will be taking this suit to my tailor to address this and any other issues that he identifies, and I will post “after” pics to show you how it fits after tailoring.

Bonus Points: If you noticed that there is no shirt cuff peaking out under the jacket sleeve, good for you! Ideally, your shirt cuffs should be visible under your jacket sleeves at your wrists. The problem here is not the length of the jacket sleeves, it’s the length of the shirt sleeves. I’m wearing a new custom shirt whose sleeves are too short. It will have to be remade with longer sleeves.

Extra Bonus Points: Can you tell what’s missing from my outfit? It’s the belt! These pants fit perfectly on my waist and don’t require a belt to hold them up. I will have my tailor remove the belt loops.

My Recommendation

I am very happy with my new Arden Reed custom suit. It was delivered quickly, and the quality is solid. We’ll have to see how it fits after alterations at my local tailor. The good news is, AR will reimburse for these alterations.

If you are in the market for a new suit, I recommend that you consider Arden Reed.

What do you think about my new suit? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Use the discount code MODESTMAN to get 30% off your Arden Reed order. This special deal is valid for the first five readers who take advantage of it, so get on it!

Short Man Style - How to Achieve the Perfect Fit

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August 29, 2012

My New Custom Blazer

Unboxing and Trying On the Indochino Essential Grey Blazer

If you’re on The Modest Man mailing list, you may remember getting an excited email from me about ordering a new made-to-measure blazer from Indochino. I was excited not only to buy a brand new custom piece of formal wear, but also to have gotten a great deal (it was on sale for $179).

Well, it arrived in the mail, and I wanted to “unbox” it in front of you. I am very happy with the coat and the whole experience – sizing, ordering, shipping and fit. The packaging was very nice, so I snapped a few photos while I was opening the box. Check it out:

Unopened Package

Shipping Label

Indochino Box

Inside the Box

Perfect Fit Promise

The Essential Grey Blazer

Hanging Up

Indochino Label

Custom Embroidery

And here are a few shots of me wearing it so you can get an idea about fit. My only problem with the jacket is that the sleeves are a tiny bit too long. This is probably my fault (I provided the measurements) and won’t cost much to fix. In fact, Indochino will reimburse you for minor alterations if you send them your receipt.

Buttoning Up

From the Front

Like I said – and the above photo makes it easy to see – the sleeves are about a half an inch too long. They’re not showing any shirt cuff, which is a bad thing. I’ll have to get these shortened by a local tailor (this is a relatively simple alteration).

From the Side

From the Back

Hands In Pockets

All in all, I’m very happy with this purchase. I hope these photos give you an idea of what it’s like to order form Indochino and how well made-to-measure garments can fit. If you’re still not sure about ordering from an online clothier, feel free to contact me with any lingering questions. I’d be happy to talk further about my experiences.

Like this post? Share it with your friends! Have some experience with Indochino? Share your thoughts below in the comments section!

Short Man Style - How to Achieve the Perfect Fit

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June 20, 2012

How to Find Affordable “Made to Measure” Shirts Online

Made To Measure Shirt

Ah, the perfect dress shirt. It’s the white whale of men’s fashion. When it comes to buying dress shirts, men basically have three options:

  1. Buy off the rack (OTR) from a department store or boutique
  2. Have shirts custom made for you by a local tailor
  3. Order Made-to-Measure shirts from an online retailer

Stay away from the first option. Department stores are overpriced, and most guys – especially short men – don’t have an “off the rack” body type (if there even is such a thing).

The second alternative is great if you live near a good tailor, but it is generally the most expensive option. Bespoke shirts will probably run you at least $150 a piece. Of course, you will get measured, in person, by  professional, so the shirt will fit perfectly.

Old School Tailor

“I’ll make you a shirt, but it’s going to cost you…”

The third option is the one we’re going to talk about today. Online MTM “tailors” have been popping up left and right over the past few years. Some are better than others, but they are pretty much all cheaper than going to a local brick and mortar shop. Also, the shirts will definitely fit better than anything you find at the mall.

The big downfall of these online services is the measurement system. And by measurement system, I mean you, because you’re required to give these stores your measurements. Since most of us don’t even own the right kind of measuring tape and have no idea how to get the proper measurements, this can be problematic.

Tailor's Tape

Tailor’s Tape on Amazon.com

[Note: I recommend either ordering tailor's tape from Amazon or going to CottonWork.com and ordering their $1 starter kit.]

That said, all of these services have great, detailed, visual tutorials on how to get each measurement. If you have a friend that can help measure you, you will probably get more accurate numbers. Alternatively, most of these companies let you send in your favorite shirt for them to measure and copy.

Finally, don’t worry to much about messing up your measurements by a half inch here or there. These online custom clothing sites have great refund and remake policies. You can always order one of their cheaper shirts to start out with, send it back until it’s perfect, then update your measurement for future use.

Here are the most popular online made to measure clothiers, along with their price ranges:

Do you have any experience with any of the above clothiers? Please share your experiences in the comments section so your fellow modest men know where to buy from and what to avoid.

Short Man Style - How to Achieve the Perfect Fit

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June 6, 2012

Step Up Your Style With Custom Shirts from Blank Label

Today, I want to share with you a service that I’ve been using for a few months now called Blank Label. It’s a custom menswear company that only makes dress shirts (for now at least).

And they are very good at it. You can get a custom made dress shirt, assembled from your choice of premium fabric, for around half of what your traditional clothier charges.

For example, before I found BlankLabel.com, I went to a guy in DC who charges a minimum of $150 per shirt (price goes up depending on what material you choose). Don’t get me wrong, his shirts are amazing. But it’s still a lot of money for a dress shirt.

Alternatively, Blank Label dress shirts start around $70 and go up from there. Even their most expensive ones are less than $150, which is a great price for custom made shirts.

Truly Custom

The other cool thing about this company is their “customize your own” online tool. You can literally choose every aspect of your shirt – the color, weight, collar type, style (cuffs, shoulders, buttons, etc.) and, most importantly, size. Not just small, medium large. Every single measurement (see below for more on measurements).

You can also have your sleeves and/or collars embroidered for no extra charge. Want a white shirt with pink contrast on the cuff and a collar that says “Kickass” on the inside? Done.

Of course, you don’t have to build your own shirts. You can simply pick from Blank Label’s regularly updated collection of dress shirts. You can’t go wrong with these, and they will still be custom made for your size and body type.

Finding Your Size

Figuring out your measurements can be a daunting task, but Blank Label makes it easy. There are six measurements needed to create the perfect shirt – collar, chest, sleeve, shoulder, midsection and length.

To find these measurements, you can:

  1. Measure your best fitting shirt (assuming you have one shirt that fits well)
  2. Send BL your best fitting shirt (they will mail it back to you for free)
  3. Take a survey so their tailors can estimate your measurements (they’re experts at this)

I chose to measure my favorite shirt. I don’t own one of those soft measuring tapes that tailors use, so I just used a regular old measuring tape, and it worked fine. Blank Label even has a video series on their website that shows you exactly how to measure each part of the shirt, which takes all of the guess work out of the process.

If you don’t have a dress shirt that fits well, you can always buy one from a local tailor. It will cost you, but you can use this as your base model for new shirts.

Get Started Today

If you’re not yet convinced, go to BlankLabel.com and play around with the customization tool. If nothing else, you can see what the possibilities are. Then, when you’re ready for a new dress shirt (or three), definitely give BL a try.

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