15 Suit styles reviewed by Master bespoke tailor [Style Guide] | Eric Jensen & Kirby Allison

English Cut, Neopolitan, Florentine, Single Breasted or Double, peak or notch lapel, darted or not, hacking or straight pockets, Milanese or machine buttonholes... Confused yet?
When it comes to suits, the choices are endless. These choices are what make the process of bespoke suits so much fun, as well as so personal to each individual. You can also tell a lot about a suit and it's origins just from looking at the details, so grab you pen and paper and prepare to take notes!
In today's video master bespoke tailor Eric Jensen, from Stefano Bemer, joins Kirby Allison to review 15 different suits, some of which belong to friend and suit aficionado Gary Tok. Together they discuss what all these different choices are, and how they interplay with the design and look of a suit.
To contact Eric Jensen at Stefano Bemer in New York, visit their website here:
stefanobemer.c...
Email: [e-mail]
Instagram: @ericjensen_mastertailor
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#suits #style #kirbyallison
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15 Suit styles reviewed by Master bespoke tailor [Style Guide]:
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Suit 1
05:57 Suit 2
10:48 Suit 3
13:08 Panel pieces and Darts
16:36 Suit 4
20:06 Back seams
24:01 Gary Tok
25:13 Suit 5
26:21 Suit 6
27:01 Suit 7
28:49 Suit 8
30:04 Suit 9
30:44 Suit 10
32:05 Suit 11
33:08 Suit 12
33:32 Suit 13
34:01 Suit 14
34:32 Suit 15
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[@mustafaalpdemir9869]

Eric is very humble and down to earth. Great guy!

[@kirbyallison]

He is great!

[@BrosCodeCrew]

Your channel has changed my life. I got my first compliment ever on my wardrobe this weekend. Wearing a suit from a Tailor in Hong Kong (Sam’s Tailor) and shoes I ordered from George Cleverly. I ordered 9 pairs so far. Thank You Team Kirby

[@kirbyallison]

That is awesome! I am glad you are enjoying your sartorial journey. Be sure to share some pictures

[@CosmicPipe]

@jay lee, You did good with Sam's. Epic value! I too had my first ever bespoke suit made at Sam's Tailor in Hong Kong, back in 2001. We did four fittings and they talked me into a second suit as well. It was a great experience that changed my sartorial style. They treated me like a star and kept it fun. I still wear both suits many times a year, they're in great shape to this day, no maintenance issues and they look just as good as the day they were finished.

[@BrosCodeCrew]

@@CosmicPipe that’s awesome you should look them up now. I actually had my first suit done by Sam in 2017 and wore it a few times just on occasion but recently decided to really go all in and have done a lot now with Sam’s but his son Roshan took over and their new stuff is out of this world, just this week he did some coats for me and they are a different level.

[@BrosCodeCrew]

@@kirbyallison I will tag you in some post on Instagram

[@alimuzhussain8394]

Not a business suit at all gentlemen Peak lapel on a single breasted suit I won’t take you guys seriously and think you guys are a bunch of spiv if wearing a suit of that style

[@alexandermoore5024]

This would be an excellent series! It is amazing how knowledgeable these two men are on suiting! 👍🏾

[@kirbyallison]

Glad you think so!

[@sunhuizart3821]

Would love to see more videos like this! It takes many years to develop an eye for the subtle variations in suit styles. It really helps to have someone point them out like in this video!

[@chak06880]

Kirby, Great info. Thank you. Hint - fold your suit jacket inside-out when you place it on a table, chair, public space, etc. If there is a spill or mess on the surface, the inside of the jacket would get stained and not the outside. Lessons learned from 25+ years of commuting from Connecticut to NY City…

[@Aaronheirofisildur]

This was an absolute delight for a sunday afternoon, Thanks Kirby!

[@kirbyallison]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tupisamba211]

As someone who's never owned a suit and probably only worn an off the rack once, I didn't think I'd sit through 40 min on suit styles but it was really informative.

[@ForTheLoveOfSuits]

I read (I believe it was something written by Hugo Jacomet) that the three roll two came from young men back in the day who couldn't afford one of the new fashionable two button suits. They brought their then standard three button jackets in to the tailor and had the lapels pressed to look like a two button suit with the top button half concealed under the lapel.

[@michaelmaggi7637]

Single breasted peaked lapel suits are northern Italian. Very bold fashion statement worn by confident men. Beautiful.

[@MauricXe]

I love the "info outtakes" We often talk about "collar roll" and "bellies" but it's never clear what exactly it is. I really love Kirby's tie. Thanks to Jensen for sharing some of his knowledge.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

Yeah, that tie is on my "waitlist" from his retail website! Saving my nickles.

[@Jim58223]

This was very fun to watch, I like the more nuanced/detailed videos by you that doesn't always discuss what the majority would be accustomed with. You learn a lot more. Hope to see more like this.

[@professorpelotard7925]

It looked like it was going to be a boring Sunday... Then this dropped! Marvelous video, Kirby. I like the informal conversational style and Eric seems to be a really nice chap. Very informative to boot. I used to favour Italian tailoring but after moving to London I switched to a more classic British look. Eric makes me want to try Italian agin! Would have been interesting to have a French cut for comparison, specially Camps de Luca.

[@percyvdwesthuysen8363]

Thank you for educating us! I never realised that these fine details influenced the way a jacket sits/hangs.

[@ralphwilliams8083]

Really informative and enjoyable presentation, Kirby. Thanks for bringing this subject to your channel. Eric Jensen is amazing. 👍🏼

[@jamieopulence]

That was brilliant Kirby - style icon we can all learn a great deal from

[@jerrelncbg6240]

The single breasted peak lapel is becoming my favorite. Especially for suits with patterns

[@roberthoffhines5419]

As a maker of split-bamboo fly rods, this is right up my alley. Wheres here the various influences are national (Italian, English), mine are regional (Catskills, San Francisco, Montana, Northern Michigan etc).

[@chrisellis1232]

Another great and well produced episode Kirby, you’re getting better and better, keep it up 👍 😊

[@Stone_on_Nat_Sec]

I have really enjoyed your channel and learned much about style and the relationship between quality and price point. There really is a noticeable difference.

[@linamanasco9599]

I have enjoyed immensly today's video. I particularly liked two of the coats, the beige Cavalry twill one certainly makes you stand up from the crowd with lt's heavily slanted pockets and the long flared vents. The other I liked most was the jacket with the light blue linning that reached right up to the edge of the vents.Quite a statement. Thanks for sharing with us such fine information and looking forward for other videos like this one.

[@kirbyallison]

Glad you like them!

[@bheinatz1]

One of your best videos yet, Kirby! I really enjoyed this one! 👌

[@kirbyallison]

Thank you very much!

[@tonyfernandez4189]

Great episode. Really loved the content thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the different methods of construction, styles and aesthetics that can be found in a suit or jacket quite fascinating. Thankyou for the education, as a novice ( hilarious for a 54yr old 🤣) in the Sartorial world I appreciate content that helps those of us that are less informed be able to shorten the learning curve. This type of information helps to make better informed decisions.

[@kirbyallison]

Awesome, thank you! Well we are certainly keen to keep making content like this that can go into the details more, because it is so much fun to explore.

[@maxine2798]

Domette I think rather then flannel for the first jackets canvassing. Great video. Thanks again

[@revtmyers1]

Absolutely loved this episode. Learned so much about what I enjoy.

[@kojiattwood]

"we get too expressive with our sleeveheads"--wonderfully put, haha.

[@simonsrattanroom]

Thank you so much Eric and Kirby! I've been attempting to educate myself on formal wear and this video was a great way to learn tailoring details.

[@KhurshedaliBhat]

Thank s , Sir. Your videos are so helpful to me in person, being third generation of tailors.

[@supersonique001]

Outstanding presentation! Very instructional and a delight to view.

[@kirbyallison]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@bens1221sop]

Wish you had an episode for short stocky men. Suggestions where to go for bespoke places in the United States other than NYC.

[@eduardosandoval460]

Perfect for my Sunday!

[@enrique4469]

Is always good to learn more about it thanks 😊 keep the awesome job 👏

[@dennisgarcia7299]

Learning so much! Just made me a better salesman! Thank you!!!

[@BobBamshad]

Interesting how the tailor just made a very brief comment about the first navy suit jacket's one bottom closure (which is quite an unusual feature). I would have expected him to discuss it more. Love the painting in the background depicting the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo! Overall great clip.

[@JosephMoore-gc8me]

(1) Thank for embedding graphic illustrations at places in the video like @7:11. The GIs really help solidify the verbal/audio narrative, in the mind of this here viewer at least. (2) The only jacket I'll take a stab regarding who the maker might be is Suit 4 @16:40: I'm thinking Edward Sexton. The way Eric describes it (English, cavalry twill, eccentric). Also, the lapels are wide enough to land a jumbo jet on, the pockets are major hacking style, the reference to "fashion" and "expression" as being the house style, etc. From a personal taste, that jacket would be my top choice amongst all the jackets reviewed here EXCEPT the hacking pockets are awful. Maybe if they weren't as pronounced, but I'd go with Suit 3 or 9 as my top choice(s).

[@hiteshahir2671]

Very knowledgeable video it was ! Thanks Kirby and Eric.

[@datone6360]

I know I’m late to the party, but this was a good one Kirby!

[@mrpeel3239]

Would be great to do a future episode on Parisian tailoring styles.

[@ronaldtapp5136]

So helpful to know all the details

[@mattiasx4623]

We want more Eric!

[@Mrockwood08]

Just learned so much in 40 minutes with visual aids!!!

[@midnightalley4586]

Whoever your friend was, he made excellent choices...

[@MIRobin22]

I've never thought about how high a jacket's vents rise, and now I'm pulling out all of mine to see whether they line up with the pockets

[@lightercollector9666]

Single breasted pick lapel are definitely underrated! In the 30s and 40s was popular. I han an original from the 60s and it is beautyful

[@rf3336]

Oh the good stuff are here 👍🏼

[@miketracy6024]

This is a great video! Very informative.

[@amadejpesko]

0:28, “Confused?” Indeed haha.

[@brandonbandstra226]

@2:35 that's cool how he went to grab the jacket for you

[@akatosh2795]

Wished they could have shown a PAGODA / CIFONELLI SHOULDER. Good vid tho.

[@luigisgl2639]

Is Eric Jensen wearing a Cifonelli suit in this video ?

[@mmm22921]

The Three roll two jacket has an origin similar to its predecessor the four roll three decades before. As fashion trends,particularly in England, change to prefer a two-button jacket in the earlier portion of the 19th century, many collegiate young men visiting from the United States to places like Oxford began imitating the style by repressing their jacket to emulate the look of a two-button jacket this caught on as a style of its own in collegiate America, most commonly associated with ivy League style. The look is further accentuated using an Oxford button down shirt and a foreign hand tie knots as well as penny loafers

[@Javi_C]

Thank you for the knowledge!

[@caseyjonesbklyn5796]

Great video!

[@aaronsung6208]

The wide lapels look so masculine, you can never go back to the slim lapel once you see those.

[@azizquadri5824]

Wide lapels are masculine! A suit jacket or Sport coat is meant to have medium to wide lapels. Of all the suit trends that started in the 21st century; the slim or may I say skinny lapel suit trend is by far the worst, and it totally ruins the sartorial elegance and masculine appeal of the suit jacket or sport coat. I strongly dislike that trend, as unfortunately now every off the rack suit has slim or skinny lapels.

[@aaronsung6208]

@@azizquadri5824 and the length too, most jacket today ends at middle of ones butt. It might save 5% cost on fabric, but totally ruin the flow of a suit.

[@azizquadri5824]

Exactly! The fashion designers wanted to create something that is the opposite of the 1980s power suit, and they absolutely massacred the suit in the process.

[@paulmcgee1867]

Great video. So interesting listening to Eric. Suit 4 is Huntsman ?

[@WoodenPigeon]

Thought I'd throw in a bit of a guess: Suit 1: Probably Richard Anderson(Maybe Huntsman or Poole) Suit 4: Definitely Chittleborough and Morgan

[@TobyNobleTV]

i'd guess, 1: Poole or Dege, 4 C&M or Michael Browne

[@ahahah2]

I'd guess 1 is huntsman (I cheated and recognize the hanger)

[@edarkmonster]

very informative, great video

[@sajid6027]

Horn buttons are very easy to find in London.

[@colinratner5504]

Great video, very informative

[@sunhuizart3821]

Hey Kirby what do you think of those old early 1900s shoulders where the seam is further to the back so it's not visible from the front? Is it harder/more expensive to make it like that or do people these days just not prefer it?

[@36424567254]

There are still tailors that do this. I believe Liverano (Florence) is one, see e.g. The Armoury's comments at kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpCsnY2VgJxob7s Liverano *is* very expensive, but can't speak about whether this detail has any impact on it.

[@OmarAbouZied]

The best art is functional. Choose your own adventure!

[@vegasrobaina1349]

Great episode as always. who made the suit 4 ？（khaki/Tan suit）

[@NargisIftikhar-k1v]

Nice

[@jrunundeniable]

thanks, learned more.

[@cpall056]

What's your opinion on softer styled Italian suits with patch pockets worn in business settings these days (North America)?

[@DrawnInk1]

Great breakdown thank you.

[@dakotarayprice]

I can rock vintage bespoke suit

[@giannismarkos2097]

Single breasted,wide peak lapel,ticket pocket:my cup of tea!

[@Sydanion]

Can you share the makers of the initial suits? Very nice video.

[@kirbyallison]

I will update In the description

[@senatorlainez]

Can you tell us the suit makers? I’m interested in the beige cavalry twill.

[@seancoop83]

Hello Kirby. From your experience is a 13oz cloth wearable in Texas? Obviously not in June-September. But, is a cloth in that weight bearable for you in the non summer months?

[@tylerwilken7998]

Not sure by whom the first two are made, but the fourth is almost definitely Joe Morgan. The first looks like maybe Henry Poole?

[@djgingernips]

Who was the house maker of #4?

[@maximecollot8612]

Does the fourth suit coming from Michael Brown's house ? Great episode Kirby ! Thanks to tou and the master.

[@WoodenPigeon]

I'm almost certain it is. Chittleborough and Morgan

[@SueEmmDee]

Wow. Experts.

[@MikeB071]

I never really got the 3-roll-2 thing. If you're going to hide the top button, you might just as well wear a 2 button.

[@36424567254]

personally I mainly like them because they tend to have a slightly lower buttoning point (in R2W, compared to other RTW 2 button jackets), which I prefer.

[@TheEldarGuy]

That's the whole point. It's a style and fashion thing, not a function thing. Someone once said "We love it because it's there, not because we use it."

[@ShalomBrother]

Did the roll in Kirbys brace on his right shoulder mess with anyone else’s OCD?

[@roberthoffhines5419]

well, it does now...

[@lloydhargreaves3916]

Not as much as the fact that the back blade of his tie was hanging free.

[@stem2603]

Haha, first thing I noticed, definitely OCD horror

[@crushagrape]

I think #15 is my favourite - does anybody know which tailor that is please?

[@Jesse-gv9tf]

Is there an update on the cowboy boots from Lee Miller? It's been 3 years since it first appeared. 10 months since the last update.

[@zatarawood3588]

who were the first two english suits made by?

[@emperorthylord]

I felt classy watching this.

[@BevinEG]

I agree

[@paigeofstylez]

I'm not quite at suit wearing level yet. Where can I get affordable quality blazers and sport coats from?

[@36424567254]

Depends on how you define affordable and quality, but, assuming you mean R2W, the cheapest stuff that is still worth buying (half-canvassed, decent materials) is generally considered to be Spier & Mackay in US and Canada, and SuitSupply in EU (though their sales reps are infamous for recommending tight trendy fits), or Pini Parma for something a bit better in clear Neapolitan style.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

Does Eric have a website? Looking for a link in the descr.

[@kirbyallison]

I have updated the description, but here it is as well: www.sartoriagallo.com/en/contatti/

[@guypoole3444]

The suits not made for you seem to fit better, Maybe the English shoulder construction might be more you...

[@samuelbm87]

I got a kick out of this guy Eric you spoke with. The part of a jacket that sticks out to me and to MY eye is rather unbecoming is the cigarette "roll" thing where the shoulder of the main part of the jacket meets the crease to the arm at the shoulder and is super pronounced. It looks like they took the torso part and slapped on an ill-fitting arm to the jacket at the last minute. Just a personal taste thing.

[@randyfuller7294]

Trip to London. How about visiting Redmayne. I subscribe to his site also. I think that both of you could be informative

[@kirbyallison]

He’s on the books!

[@randyfuller7294]

@@kirbyallison awesome

[@pc239]

I don't understand the reluctance to name the tailors associated with each suit/jacket. It's not some kind of secret, and it was said at the beginning that the aim was not to criticize from a standpoint of personal taste.

[@blakemcnamara9105]

I feel like the maestro should be wearing a double-breasted version of that suit along with a white long collar shirt and a crown-fold pocket square to complete the '40s look intimated by that mustache.

[@rastrats]

No - I should be wearing it. The maestro has enough suits of his own.

[@tonyp333777]

Joe hemranji passed away?

[@kirbyallison]

Joe is still alive and healthy! Another dear friend…

[@kirbyallison]

Joe is still alive and healthy! Another dear friend…

[@itsthepens]

What on earth is ‘Napolian’?! Neapolitan, surely?

[@guypoole3444]

Why the wrinkles on your left shoulder on the charcoal suit your wearing???? Looks like puckering...

[@Beechgoose1]

"Napoli-an" ? Surely the term is Neopolitan? Just bein' pedantic - in the context of the conversation, no problem.

[@sunhuizart3821]

The pause effect tip bits are definitely attention grabbing, but in my opinion the video would be smoother if they were just small text bubbles that appear without interrupting the video. Just my two cents ^ ^

[@KitchenOne-California]

I’m not a suit expert by any means, but am I wrong to point out that these suits have poor workmanship? For example, the expert’s suit’s stitches are kinda wrinkly, and the transition between the sleeves and shoulder are puffy. I don’t know, I prefer sharp and smooth stitches on my suits….

[@toadamine]

peak lapels make people look like movie villains... lol

[@KoushikMandol]

Not keep gorment🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳📺📺📺📺📺📱📱📱📱📱😊😊

[@irfanyasar98]

ustalık sıfır.kalıp her haliyle hatalı.bilip bilmeyen,terzilikten anlamayan güzel diye yorum yapıyor.bu terzinin diktiklerini giyenlere şaşırıyorum.tek kelimeyle berbat bir dikim ve kesim.

[@BinhaoLuo]

America not a lot of good tailor . The new world in china Korea and Japan

[@ralphh.2200]

The puffy sleeve to shoulder seam these guys are sporting I cannot believe...looks ratty; And if someone is going to say that is the new snazzy style...what a lame reach.

[@waltersickinger1499]

“Bespoke” is the most abused word in tailoring. A master tailor is someone who started as an apprentice at age 14 and developed their skill over a lifetime not someone who took a tailoring course. Nowadays anyone who can boil water is a “chef” and anyone who can sew is a “bespoke” tailor.

[@JuanLopez-rx6sx]

Ok

[@lloydhargreaves3916]

Bespoke simply means to be spoken for. If the suit is well made and fits well after the numerous fittings, it doesn’t matter how long the tailor has been working for.

[@rastrats]

That's a tall order.

[@ATLTraveler]

He might be an expert tailor, but he sure is an amateur facial hair wearer. That pencil mustache is NOT working for you bud.