• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Modest Man

  • .
  • Start Here
  • Blog
  • About
  • Outfit Ideas
  • Free Guide
Home / Blog / Product Reviews

Dragon Inside Suit Review

Published on December 18, 2013 by Brock McGoff · Product Reviews May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

Dragon Inside

Your clothes are always working. They’re either working for you or against you, but they’re always working.

The other day, I’m waiting for the train to go to work, and I see these two guys standing next to each other. One is about average height and weight, and the other is maybe 5’4″ and pretty thin. They’re basically wearing the same thing: navy suit, solid tie and brown shoes.

The taller guy is wearing a suit that he clearly bought off the rack at some department store. It could use some tailoring, but it looks okay overall. The shorter guy is also wearing an off the rack suit, but guess what?

It looks terrible.

He’s swimming in it. It’s as if he found it in his dad’s closet and decided to play dress up. Compared to the guy with the average build, he looks sloppy and unprofessional.

Importance of Fit

Men who are interested in dressing well understand that fit is the most important aspect of style. But men under 5’8″ have a hard time finding suits that fit well off the rack. Most suits aren’t made for shorter body types. This is why I advocate for buying custom clothing.

Buying a custom suit online can be a great way to get a high quality suit that fits very well without paying an arm and a leg for it. The problem is, most online suit makers require you to submit your own measurements. They don’t have brick and mortar stores that you can visit to get measured by an expert tailor.

This is a HUGE disadvantage, especially since every company has their own unique measurement system. Some ask that you (or a friend) measure your own body, which is much harder than it seems.

Others ask you to get your measurements from a suit you already own. But what if you don’t own a suit that fits perfectly? Or what if you mess up the measurements? It’s not an exact science, and only seasoned tailors understand the tiny intricacies that make or break a suit.

The only way to prevent things from going very wrong when buying a made-to-measure (MTM) suit is to work with a company that:

  1. Cares intensely about getting it right, even if it takes longer and costs more
  2. Really understands body types, measurements and the principles of fit
Introducing: Dragon Inside

Dragon Inside is this kind of company. Bobby, one of the founders, offered me a complimentary suit for review purposes, and he worked with me throughout the ordering process to nail down my measurements.

Unlike other online suit makers who simply collect your measurements and go to work, Dragon Inside analyzes every measurement that you provide before a stitch is sewn.

Put simply, Bobby grilled me about my measurements. For example, here’s a snippet from one of his emails to me:

“Brock – the thigh measurement at 50 cm seems a bit smaller than the average for your build. Would you be able to cross check the measurement with an existing pair of pants that fits well?”

And another one:

“The pants length at 92 cm is probably ok, but it will most likely show a bit of sock. Quite alright with me, just wanted to mention it.”

It’s this attention to detail that resulted in the best-fitting MTM suit that I own:

Dragon Inside Suit Review

Pretty nice, huh? Here are the details:

  • Suit – The Midnight Blue Sharkskin Suit
  • Fabric – 100% Extrafine UK wool
  • Price – $479
  • Delivery Time – 24 days
  • Craftsmanship – Fully canvassed jacket

It’s rare for an online custom suit company to offer fully canvassed jackets, which look better and last longer than half canvassed or fused jackets. (If you don’t know what the difference is, don’t worry about it. But if you want to know more about canvassing, read this article.)

The bottom line is: it’s great to get a suit with a fully canvassed jacket for $479. That said, there are a couple of issues:

Dragon Inside Suit Fit

You should always photograph yourself wearing your new suit, then send these photos back to the suit maker and ask for their feedback. I sent these photos to Bobby, and he agreed on some things that can be improved:

  • The most noticeable issue is the wrinkling at the back of the thighs. This might have to due with the rise length and where the trousers are sitting on my waist (they are relatively high compared to today’s low-rise standards).
  • There is some disruption under my right shoulder, which might be due to the difference between my right and left shoulders.
  • The front-back balance could be improved (more on this here).

These are small things that will be tweaked for future orders. I’m confident my next Dragon Inside suit will be close to perfect. In the meantime, I’ll take this suit to my tailor, and Dragon Inside will reimburse for any alterations that need to be made.

Dragon Inside Suit Lining

Dragon Inside has cracked the code. They’re doing what many companies are trying to do – making affordable, well-fitting suits that can be ordered online. Finally! The bar has just been raised, and I sincerely hope the bigger made-to-measure suit companies take notice.

My Recommendation

If you’re in the market for a new suit, or if you’ve been thinking about buying a custom suit online, I highly recommend you choose Dragon Inside.

What do you think about this suit? Leave a comment below!

 

Product Reviews Custom Clothing, made to measure, MTM, Suits

Related Posts

CottonBrew-suit-full-body ft
CottonBrew Review: Online Made-to-Measure Clothier
Tailor4Less Review
Tailor4Less Suit Review: When Custom Goes Wrong
Hall Madden hanger
Hall Madden Review: An (Almost) Bespoke Experience
Lanieri review
Lanieri Review: Do Italians Really Fit Better?

About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

More Articles by This Author

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Join the Club

Never miss a post, plus grab this free guide (instant download). No spam. Ever.

Subscribe Now

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Ask Me Anything Cancel reply

    Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

  1. Antonio says

    December 13, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    Hey Brock,

    What did you put for the jacket length measurement? Suit looks great

    Reply
  2. ANTHONY says

    September 7, 2014 at 10:51 pm

    Not a bad looking suit, seems to have minimal imperfections and looks as though it is a comfortable fit. Nice choice!

    Reply
  3. carmen says

    September 5, 2014 at 2:40 pm

    DRAGONSIDE wants me to pay for return unless we have a paypal acct???? like what majority of people have one. or do a USPS retun label. have better exp. w-fedex/usps than DHL. UNHAPPY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER.

    Reply
  4. carmen says

    September 5, 2014 at 2:31 pm

    I think this company is one that deletes any negative reviews. there is no company with 100% Perfect 4/5star review. I give this company on customer satisfaction -3 and that’s being kind. I was always skeptical on any tailor made suit company online and I was 110% correct. NEVER EVER AGAIN will I ALLOW my husband to order any clothing on line, especially when paying good $$$…I SUGGESTED AND STILL VOW BY MEN’S WAREHOUSE & will return to them as a loyal customer

    Reply
  5. John says

    June 10, 2014 at 9:11 am

    What is the width of leg opening in inches? It seems pretty slim. Are you happy with it? I am having pants tapered and the tailor was wary of 7-1/2″ or less.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      June 10, 2014 at 10:23 am

      I’d have to measure, but it’s about 6.5″. I usually go with about 7″ for casual pants like chinos and jeans.

      My tailor is wary of a lot of things I ask for. Sometimes you have to push them out of their comfort zone!

      Reply
    • Jovan says

      June 10, 2014 at 10:26 am

      I’m not Brock, but hope you don’t mind me stepping in and advising you not to get them that tapered. At the very most, 8″ if you’re a slim/small guy. I err on the side of 8.5″ partly because it looks more balanced and because I have big feet that would look clownish if they were much more tapered. 7.5″ gets into skinny jeans territory.

      Reply
      • Brock says

        June 10, 2014 at 11:29 am

        Jovan,

        Thanks for your input. To each his own, of course. And you’re right that foot and ankle size matter. And I agree, the skinny trouser thing is definitely a trend to avoid if you want your clothes to stand the test of time.

        I have very thin ankles and wear size 7 shoes, so I need an aggressive taper, or else the leg opening moves around too much, which makes my ankles look even skinnier.

        This is especially true for casual pants, like rolled chinos. It looks bad to have a wide hoop around your ankle (if that makes any sense).

        -Brock

        Reply
  6. Jovan says

    January 19, 2014 at 1:03 am

    Jacket length needs at least an inch, the collar gap on the back needs fixing. But otherwise looks great.

    Reply
  7. Vinnie Sikka says

    December 26, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    Great story and a great suit! We’ve frequently asked by our customers who we would recommend for an online MTM suit maker (since we only deal with MTM shirts). We’ll definitely keep these guys in mind next time we’re asked.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      December 27, 2013 at 7:27 pm

      Hey Vinnie,

      Thanks for your comment. Definitely recommend these guys to your customers. A guy could look pretty sharp with a Deo Veritas shirt and Dragon Inside suit.

      -B

      Reply
  8. Gary says

    December 20, 2013 at 3:41 am

    Looks pretty good, Brock. Hard to fault although I agree with your improvement points. I also feel the waist could be just a tad (perhaps a cm) wider so when jacket is buttoned there is less of a crease radiating out as can be seen in the frontal photo. But I suppose that’s a matter of personal preference. I like the cut of the suit. The button stance appears just right (some of MTMs I’ve seen favour a higher stance, which I don’t like as much), and I like the slimness in the sleeves and throughout the body as well as in the pants. The lapel gorge is well positioned. Your pictures don’t reveal, but how high are the armholes? Perhaps you can have a frontal photo taken with your arms raised to near parallel to the ground to give an indication of the armhole cut. All in all, you look very sharp in the suit and kudos to the firm.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      December 20, 2013 at 8:06 am

      Hi Gary,

      Armholes are high. I’ll try to get you a photo soon. I agree the waist could be let out a bit, but to be honest, I don’t mind the suppression. I think a suit should fit in a way that won’t look silly in 5 or 10 years, but it’s also nice to have some modern touches (like aggressive tailoring). Plus I want to look like James Bond.

      Thanks for your feedback!

      -B

      Reply
      • Jason says

        June 6, 2014 at 12:27 pm

        Would love to see a pic of the armhole height if you have it…

        Reply
        • Brock says

          June 10, 2014 at 10:24 am

          I don’t have a photo with my arms raised, but the armholes are pretty high (higher than an off-the-rack suit).

          -B

          Reply
  9. Bobby says

    December 19, 2013 at 5:27 am

    Thank you for featuring us!

    Reply
  10. carmen says

    September 5, 2014 at 2:58 pm

    I would suggest away from dragonside. arden reed probably better customer service and not receive a suit that fits a 6yr old. I would never advise any men to purchase a expensive suit online. I know as a women I would never order a formal dress online.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Join the Club

Never miss a post, plus grab this free guide (instant download).

No spam. Ever.

Subscribe Now

Top 5 Favorites for Fall & Winter 2022

  1. Thursday Boots Captain – still the best Goodyear-welted boot under $200 (full review here) 🥾
  2. Matte for Men SPF Lotion – because you should be using moisturizer with SPF
  3. Darn Tough Wool Socks – possibly the best boot socks you can buy 🧦
  4. Hamilton Khaki Mechanical – perfect everyday mechanical watch under $500 (Amazon/Jomashop)
  5. Flint & Tinder Waxed Jacket – great fit, perfect weight for fall 👍🏼

Trending Articles

Men over 40 style

How to Dress Well In Your 40s and 50s (and Beyond)

Fashion brands for short men

Where to Buy Clothes for Short Men (2022 Guide)

Seiko 5 SNK805

31 Great Watches For Small Wrists (Updated for 2023)

Best Business Casual Shoes for Men

Top 8 Best Business Casual Shoes for Men (2023 Guide)

Business casual outfits

The Complete Guide to Business Casual Style for Men

Topics

  • Clothing & Style
  • Outfit Ideas
  • Fitness
  • Product Reviews
  • Dating & Confidence
  • Grooming
  • Men of Modest Height
  • Income Reports

Footer

The Modest Man logo

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Home • Blog • Resources • Contact • Advertise

 

Privacy Policy & Affiliate Disclosure • Terms & Conditions

 

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Copyright © 2023 The Modest Man (Registered Trademark)