Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review a new suit I’ve just commissioned from the local tailor The Suited Label.
I’ve previously chronicled my experience at The Suited Label here, and reviewed the resulting green Reda suit here. As it’s been some time since (almost two years!), I recently decided to return to The Suited Label for a new suit commission.
I enjoyed the Reda fabric previously, and thus asked Evan to recommend several “branded” fabrics for me to peruse. He promptly brought out books from VBC, Scabel, Drago, Paladino, etc – all now available at The Suited Label. In the time since I last visited, The Suited Label has been working hard at upscaling itself, moving away from its initial $299 suits offering and repositioning itself as an “affordable premium” tailor.
In other words, The Suited Label now prides itself on offering premium fabrics at affordable prices. After browsing its range of premium fabrics, I was particularly drawn to two VBC selections – a lovely grey pinstripe, and a baby blue wool linen fabric.
After some deliberation, I ultimately decided to go with the baby blue VBC blue linen fabric. Firstly, the fabric feels fabulous to the touch – it has the lovely texture of linen, but its wool content ensures that the fabric creases less, and is therefore more “presentable”. It’s also quite a unique shade of baby blue. In contrast, the grey pinstripe fabric felt more standard and ordinary.
Evan also took pains to highlight the improved workmanship of its garments, just such as reinforced stitching on the waistband, and even additional fabric near the crotch for more comfort.
After a fitting session, I returned to The Suited Label to collect the finished suit. As I’ve already covered the fitting process and the available customisation options previously, I won’t be repeating myself in this article. Instead, let’s dive straight into the fit and finish of the VBC wool linen suit.
The Suited Label – Suit Review
I’m pleased to report that the fit and workmanship are a marked improvement over my first suit.
The front of the jacket fits nicely. Firstly, the jacket and sleeve length is correct, ending near the middle of my palms and wristbone respectively. More importantly, the shoulders lie flat without any fabric bunching, which is not easy to achieve given that I have rather uneven shoulders. Furthermore, one can also see that the sleeves drape nicely with little wrinkling, which is not an easy feat given that the sleeve pitch is dependent on the wearer’s posture. Lastly, there are also no shoulder divots – one of the cardinal sins of tailoring.
The fit of the back is good, with a generally clean look. Again, that’s not easy to achieve, especially as I have a concave back. Admittedly, the fit of the back isn’t as good as my recent suit from Meiko Tailor, but that suit was quadruple the price point so it’s perhaps an unfair comparison. However, I have to highlight the drape of the trousers, which is breathtakingly clean.
As this was a more casual suit, I told Evan that I wanted a quarter-break look, and he nailed it perfectly. The hem of the pants gently brushes against my CustomWelt dress shoes, with a beautiful drape. I would say these are some of the best-fitting trousers I’ve commissioned. Do note that the slight wrinkles seen in the photos above are natural due to the linen material, and not as a result of erroneous fit.
However, the real highlight of the suit is the upgraded workmanship detailing of The Suited Label. For example, The Suited Label now offers the Milanese buttonhole – one of the hallmarks of bespoke tailoring. Done painstakingly by hand, the Milanese buttonhole immediately denotes the suit as tailor-made (and a quality one at that). Additionally, pick stitching (also by hand) is available, adding further artisanal visual interest to the suit.
Furthermore, the Suited Label also offers the Neapolitan shoulders, which is usually only available at high-end bespoke tailors. The trademark of the Neapolitan shoulders is the pleats near the seams – like the Milanese buttonhole and the pick stitching, it’s an aesthetic detail that reinforces the artisanal nature of the suit.
Another hallmark of quality tailoring is surgeon cuffs (i.e. functional cuffs that can be unbuttoned). Impressively, The Suited Label offers functional cuffs at no additional charge, which is a rarity at its relatively affordable price point.
Lastly, the Suited Label also offers lined sleeves, whereby the inside of the sleeves is lined with a breathable fabric for enhanced comfort. This is especially useful in a tropical climate in Singapore, as it prevents that niam niam (sticky) feeling one gets with cheaper suits where the sleeves are lined with polyester.
Next, I’ll delve into some of the aesthetic choices for this suit, which vastly differentiates it from my previous commission. Firstly, I opted for Peaky Blinders-esque wide peak lapels (3.5 inches) for more visual oomph.
As this is a wool linen (and therefore more casual) jacket, I also went with patch pockets to dress down the look. White horn buttons complement the look, popping against the baby blue fabric brilliantly.
On the inside, I chose a light blue paisley print, which pairs fantastically with the baby blue VBC wool linen fabric. I also opted for a monogram of my initials on the inside as a additional flourish.
Interestingly, The Suited Label also offers lining options for the back of the collar. I’ve personally not encountered this before and found the idea intriguing. As such, I decided to have a similar paisley print on the collar felt, which references the abovementioned blue paisley lining.
As usual, I opted for side adjusters for my trousers – it looks eminently cleaner than belt loops.
And as the fabric is comprised of 100% natural fibres (55% wool, 45% linen), the suit is very breathable. Even outdoors (as seen in the photo above), the suit remains comfortable even in Singapore’s hot and humid weather. I advise readers to opt for 100% natural fabrics (i.e. no polyester) as much as possible – it makes a world of difference in terms of comfort.
Lastly, I also adore the baby blue colour. As someone who currently owns over 30 suits, I’ve all the usual colours (navy, black, grey, etc) and more. I wanted something different, and this baby blue fabric certainly delivered. It’s eye-catching, but without being ostentatious with unnecessary patterns. If you’re someone with multiple suits, I encourage you to also experiment with lighter, more casual colours – dare to be different.
Conclusion – so The Suited Label “shiok” or not?
When I first visited The Suited Label in 2021, the brand was in its infancy, and it was trying to quickly capture market share by appealing to the mass market with $299 suit promotions. I’m happy to say that the tailor has grown by leaps and bounds since then, with its current offerings positioned more towards enthusiasts (like me). I much prefer this suit over my first, both in terms of the detailing but also the cut (which used to be a tad too slim fitting and “Korean” for my liking). The fit on this suit is more classic and flattering, but without looking dated and anachronistic. I’ve since gotten plenty of compliments (even from other tailors) on this baby blue suit, and it’s currently one of my favourites.
Currently, suits at The Suited Label start at $599. That’s a marked increase from $299, but I believe it’s more than justified given the upgrades in fit and finish. To sweeten the deal, The Suited Label is offering a free shirt with a minimum purchase of $599. Simply quote “WAHSOSHIOK” while making your appointment (either through Whatsapp or Instagram), or show this article in-store. This specific VBC suit costs $999 – one of the most affordable VBC prices locally.
Fitting shoes for CustomWelt are also available at The Suited Label. More details here.
Book an appointment with The Suited Label here.
The Suited Label’s Location:
998 Toa Payoh North, #03-09, Singapore 318993
P.S: Check out The Shiok Store here – it serves as a curation of my favourite products from my favourite brands.
P.P.S: Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
