The Rise of Made-to-Measure: A talk with Blandin-Delloye

[@besmart2350]

My eyes feel good watching you guys. After going outside and seeing all the style madness going on, your videos are a pleasure to the eyes

[@garssympa500]

A few months ago, I went to the Blandin-Delloye store in Montréal with a picture of myself that was taken at a black tie event. My MTM ill-fitting tuxedo was made by a competitor here in Montréal who has his suits made in China. The sales associate at B&D was extremely courteous and, although I did not have an appointment, he took the time to explain to me what was wrong with the tuxedo based on the photo and then he sent me to a very competent local tailor to fix the tuxedo. Great service even though I was not a client. I know where I'm going for my next suit. Great interview, Hugo and Sonya!

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you for your comment. Your first experience with B&D says a lot about who they are! All my best, Hugo

[@ricardorgomez]

God bless these men to participate in a program to help jobless people with clothing for work and self-confidence. God bless them.

[@SIX622]

The timing of this video is very apt for me. I turned 26 yesterday and I have recently been shopping for suits - I purchased my first one on 6 April. I always take great inspiration from this channel and it has helped me greatly on sartorial education. On a side note, I really like Sonya’s spectators - I know she is a great fan, I am too! That’s a lovely tie you are wearing Hugo, striped ties are my favourite. Also, I recently listened to your advice regarding wearing a light blue shirt with a dark blue jacket, as opposed to a white shirt and you so elegantly displayed it here. I hope, in the near future, to try that combination myself. Thanks again.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you for your kind words and congratulations for your first suit! Cheers, Hugo

[@Richard-ue3gx]

Thank you, I just bought both of your books, I'm looking forward to reading them.

[@pip5528]

I'd gotten back into MTM suit shopping a few weeks ago and I want to treat myself to my first custom suit in time for my 26th birthday so the timing of this is beautiful. I've been really into fine tailoring since I was 19 but I was still growing then. I don't have a massive budget necessarily but I am looking into fairly mid-priced suits, around $1k-$2k I'd say. My absolute dream is bespoke but there isn't a lot of that in my area. I've seen one tailor who has a single fitting but otherwise creates individual patterns from scratch so it's still bespoke in my book. My other option is over $3k so I'm not ready for that.

[@MikeB071]

You are a great spokesman for French craftsmen, Hugo! Thanks to you, I have a pair of shoes from Caulaincourt, ties from Howard's and socks from mes chausettes rouges!

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Wow, thank you Mike! Cheers, Hugo

[@sjoyceboyer4719]

Thank you, always look forward to the opportunity of Sunday for Sartorial Talks.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

You are very welcome! Have a wonderful Sunday! Hugo

[@sjoyceboyer4719]

Thank you and yours as well!

[@louisjoseph1086]

I love your channel and I share your desire to see men step up in wearing fashionable clothing. One way that people can obtain pieces that may otherwise be out of reach financially is to go to places (in the US) like Salvation Army, or Goodwill, or Red White and Blue, thrift stores etc. They have suits and blazers and sport coats and beautiful shirts and slacks that are sometimes brand new or gently worn. You do have to be careful and pick through to find the best pieces. But then you end up with an outfit that cost a few dollars versus a few thousand dollars. If you strike up a relationship with a tailor, he or she can tailor those thrifted clothes and make them look like they were made just for you. Even if it costs you a few hundred dollars at the tailor, you now have an almost made to measure suit for a few hundred dollars that looks amazing. Taking it a step further, you can learn to do basically tailoring yourself and really dive into the deep end of creating your own pieces or seriously tailoring what you've thrifted. Even if you learn to just hem pants or take in a dress shirt so it isn't so baggy, your fit and look becomes instantly more elegant. I found an amazing baby blue blazer from the 80s with big 80s shoulder pads and a ton of thick canvassing. But I took the entire jacket apart to remove the shoulder pads and canvassing and I reshaped the shoulders, took the sleeves up, and put it all back together. Now I have what looks like a Neapolitan cut blazer that fits me perfectly for what cost me $5 in Salvation Army. For those who may not have a boutique budget, there is so much to be found in thrift stores. And if you pair what you've thrifted with a nice new pair of shoes and polish them up, you look like a million bucks for what cost only maybe a hundred. The bonus is, you will not look like everyone else. You will be set apart from the pack. And many of the older vintage clothes are so well made they will literally last forever.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Wise advices indeed. Thank you very much. Hugo

[@endrof1264]

Made my Tuxedo in Montreal, loved the experience. Thanks to Meghan :) Hopefully you get some business from the Parliament in Ottawa.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Many thanks for the feedback! All my best, Hugo

[@nickbreedt7762]

Very interesting episode you guys! Congratulations to these two gentlemen on their enormous success in only 10 years! Keep going !!

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you Nick! All my best, Hugo

[@jeffhreid]

MTM results vary dramatically depending on who is doing the work and what cloth is being used. There are tailor houses doing excellent MTM work which may even be comparable to bespoke in terms of the quality of the make. The fit can’t be bespoke but unless you have a particular issue that needs to be accommodated then MTM fit can be excellent assuming the make is good and the measurements are precise.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

I would add that it depends also on the person measuring you and advising you. Thank God, the human intervention is still dramatically important in this trade. All my best, Hugo

[@naderelshafei]

This kind of free -not organized chat or interviews is very very attractive interesting for me ,,,,thank you so much for such a discussion with very passionate young men .All of you look very chic ,,and for dear Sonya , i love the red bandana matching with red socks )))).much respect & love to all of you from Cairo.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you very much Nader! Cheers, Hugo

[@MetaMM]

Am nobody but just out of observation having lived in Milan on and off 32 years with my late Italian husband. Now in my country, Indonesia, in my Balinese Villa so you can understand the life style is completely opposite. However, style with its Milanese codes as per my experience is something many people still miss. For example tha gentleman on the left wears perfectly for this season or Autumn. The guy on the right and also you, Hugo, as far as silhouette is concerned is more for Summer or Winter. However, colour wise, is perfect for this season or Autumn especially your tie. That's all I can say to stop my stupid comment now, but I said it anyway. Love the convo!

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you and you comment is anything but stupid! All my very best, Hugo

[@munzwakuveya7597]

Thamks Hugo loved this one my guy love from Kwekwe Zimbabwe

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you my friend! Cheers, Hugo

[@Dappertrucker]

I would love to challenge Hugo to wear a Fedora for 2 weeks and see how it may become the extraordinary touch to his Sartorial style both of you look great 👍

[@kbmxxx2010]

I'm looking forward to their Toronto location opening eventually. We have a large market in Toronto for tailoring. We have some MtM like suitsupply and Indochino but it will be nice to have more options.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Wait and see! Cheers, Hugo

[@1decee]

It's Trawnta

[@mikem.7422]

Hugo, I love what you’re doing. I wacht your video’s en leurend a lot of you. Keep going like this.

[@mz5965]

Can you please do an extensive episode on Suitsupply's custom made program please? Would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!

[@ricardorgomez]

Hello... Manhattan NYC person watching here.... 🙂 We would be happy to have another quality MTM maker. ❤

[@dojocho1894]

Wonderful to see Hugo....God Bless

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Many thanks! Hugo

[@stedmays2768]

Regarding formal dressing in the U.S. --- yes, there's been a resurgence for me of black-tie events and galas and dinner parties and classical music performances, etc. I wear tuxedos more than ever, and to less formal events I often at least wear a blazer.......I think it depends on the types of events that you go to and that you're drawn to, of course. And then there are some people who view dressing up as a loathsome chore. But I think putting some effort into dressing decently can be good for the soul and is also a sign of respect for others.

[@artadrians]

The casual suit look....is classy especially when we reach more "mature" years....😊

[@Dappertrucker]

My 1st suit i worn age 19 during the military services referred to as Dress Uniforms hence i always worn hats with my Attire overall

[@joanne26]

Hi Hugo When my father🙏🙏 started work in 1949-1950 he would wear suits and he was in his mid 20’s. He bought Church’s brand of 👞 lace ups always. By the 80’s the casual attire started to become ‘a thing’ bought in to 🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿by the Americans so it seemed to me. In today’a world young men should invest in made to measure or if they can bespoke suits. Then these will last many years. Any item of clothing well made and stylish will never ‘go out of fashion like suits’ 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌼🌼🌼🌼👍 👍

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you Joanne! All my best, Hugo

[@joanne26]

@@SARTORIALTALKS The mark of a well tailored suit. I go back to 1962 when Sean Connery ‘got the job’ of playing a character called ‘James bond’ Sean was a ‘very rough and tough diamond’ but had an awesome physique. Terence Young took Sean to Anthony Sinclair to be measured for the suits. Anthony told Sean to make time to sleep in the suit/s and be a little ‘rough’ with them. The next day you would not know Sean had slept in them - looked like they had just been made. You may know this true ‘story’ as there is film of Anthony Sinclair being interviewed.

[@davidthom7127]

I thought dress down Friday started because they were dressed ready to go to the countryside for the weekend, like for country pursuits, hunting shooting or fishing?

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Dear David, maybe it was the original idea, but today it became a habit for many and they end up wearing the same combo chino/button down shirt (at best). Cheers, Hugo

[@PKapoor599]

Any plans on opening a shop in New York City?

[@brentl.vaneaton6901]

Wow 10 years congrats to them cheers

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Thank you very much! Cheers, Hugo

[@francoisda1022]

I have never met such a well dressed woman as Sonia in Paris.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

That's very kind of you François! Cheers, Hugo

[@TeslaRules1856]

Does any online MTM company include measurements for Depth of Scye? Selecting proper Arm Hole height seems to be the limitation of MTM.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

I believe they do. You're right, the height of the armscye is very important. Yours, Hugo

[@ABC-rh7zc]

Massive arm holes are one of my pet peeves. I have yet to see a MTM outfit which offers custom armhole sizing (or even waist height on trousers)

[@teekue]

Even entry level mtm like suitsupply can change the armhole width, so I'm pretty sure they can. Now the thing with bespoke is that the armhole pattern itself can be changed which is of course an advantage. But most of the time just making it higher will be enough, like in mtm.

[@TeslaRules1856]

@@teekue I have two MTM companies making stuff for me. The only measurement they both ask for is bicep width (a few inches down from the opening joint). One company seems to use a MTM pattern with high arm holes which is great but they dont have great fabrics. I would love to find a MTM company which does specify both the arm width and the height/placement. AskOakley does but they are more bespoke online.

[@teekue]

@@TeslaRules1856 depending on where you live you could check out an atelier munro or scabal supplier.

[@ricardorgomez]

I visited Paris in 2016 and was expecting to do lots of female street fashion photography there. Only to find out, that I thought I was walking through a fashion editorial for a men's magazine! Men of ALL AGES dressed amazing in suits. I was so surprised! And I got almost no great women's fashion shots either. Kind of funny. 😄

[@jeffhreid]

To those that naysay MTM as subpar to bespoke I say it’s myopic view. MTM from a tailor who know what they are doing and is engaged in the production might be outstanding, bespoke from a cutter / tailor whose work is subpar might well be poorer quality than off the peg. Context is everything. My advice is find a tailoring house whose cut appeals to you, then see if they have a MTM program that suits your needs.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Wise words. Context (and experience) is everything for sure. Hugo

[@teekue]

Very kind gentlemen! I took a look at their page and for my taste their jackets are a bit short and the trousers too slim. So not my prefered housestyle so to speak. I still wish them all the best! Made to measure is a great way to start your individual sartorial journey.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Good afternoon and many thanks for your comment. Actually you can choose the width of the legs and the length of your jacket. It's what MTM is all about! All my best, Hugo

[@teekue]

​@@SARTORIALTALKSOf course! But imo the results are often suboptimal when you use made to measure outside of the shops comfort zone. And since they have no pictures of wider/longer suits I'd rather go to a supplier that I'm on the same page from the start.

[@JuliaBlank123]

where can you buy good shoes for a few hundred dollars these day? Is it truly possible??

[@johnlouman5922]

Sonya is the best;0:P

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

I agree my friend! Hugo

[@Bellroysg]

Mtm is the way to go. Find one that fits your budget and uses a pattern you like

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Indeed! Hugo

[@canadafree2087]

Handkerchiefs are not larger than pocket squares in North America, they are smaller. Often 12" or less. Pocket squares can go up to 16". The other difference is the former is often 100% cotton, the latter is more in silk, linen or wool (or sadly polyester). A bandana is larger than both at 22" upwards of 36". Handkerchiefs:Pocket Square..."One to blow, one to show"

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Good evening, I think it's just a matter of semantics. In France (and I believe in the UK) handkerchieves are 45 cm whereas pocket squares are generally 36cm. The first one can be used, the second is only aesthetic. Cheers, Hugo

[@a.s.2426]

Hugo, Hate to see you guys moving increasingly away (seemingly) from trip-end makers towards these lower end MTM services such as this one and Lanieri.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Good morning. We are not moving towards the lower end, as you say, but on the contrary we try to open the doors of classic style to more people who don't have the means to go bespoke (at least at the beginning of their sartorial journey) but still deserve decent quality and good value for money. Hugo

[@JakeSmith-jy1kx]

I need more suits. That’s all.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

That's a good idea! Hugo

[@ABC-rh7zc]

and how many buy a suit for their day in court? ;)

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Well I believe most of them! Even Mark Zuckerberg wore a suit for his hearing at the congress! Cheers, Hugo

[@NargisIftikhar-k1v]

Okay

[@YacDiesel]

First! 👔 👞 😎

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Bravo! Cheers, Hugo

[@moisessantiago1]

We appreciate you Hugo but stop interrupting.

[@isabeaoctel]

Hugo the US is NOT America.......America is the continent found by Columbus and mapped by Ameriggo Vespucci, hence the naming of the continent as per the cartographer Martin Waldsemüller in his 1507 Atlas. Mon ami, un peu de respect pour ces gaillards!

[@peaceonearth8693]

The costume business.

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

You use costume in the English sense ?

[@peaceonearth8693]

@@SARTORIALTALKS I don't know exactly what sartorial means. It's not necessary to explain, thank you. What I mean by costume is what is worn by super-heroes, clowns, and American Halloween. And, the men who wear suits as costumes seem to almost always be connected to the clothing business, which is fine. However, wearing a suit to imply a certain level of accomplishment is to me stolen valor. In the same way someone who claims to have fought in a war but is lying, takes credit as if he is actually something that he is not. So, I guess I should be happy when a poser shows up in a suit and no socks. As he has identified himself. I've earned my place and I wear a suit because it is appropriate for my role. But, I don't view my attire as a costume. Sorry if that was offensive.

[@ahiwalter9153]

@peaceonearth8693 The person in the clothing will be obvious to anyone paying attention. Wearing a suit out of obligation is also a form of costumery, I hope you can find some joy in your attire & a bit of grace for those who choose to dress more elegantly than your average person, regardless of our stations in life!

[@peaceonearth8693]

@@ahiwalter9153 Thanks, I do enjoy what I've chosen to do. Otherwise, I wouldn't do it. Btw, wearing a suit out of obligation might also be a symbol of respect for an institution, such as a nation's military. Just as a military badge is not a piece of costume jewelry. We all have our roles to play you see.

[@peterbarratt3416]

"The costume business" - A short but disrespectful comment on what Hugo and Sonya are seeking to achieve in bringing about a sartorial awareness to a generally poorly dressed and exploited (by the athleisure-ware companies) populace. Well crafted, quality clothing items (that fit!) will last many, many years beyond the crappy items that are purported to be "fashionable", "vogue" or "chic" today only to be found in tomorrows rubbish. The point of Classical style is longevity, consistently accepted style plus economy (cost per wear) - none of which is found in fast fashion or "Costume" wear. Sir, you must be a clown to consider the context of this youtube video as promoting "Costume" wear...

[@etymonlegomenon931]

The "In This Episode..." at the beginning is really long and boring

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

Haha, I personally find those highlights exciting and interesting on the contrary. And honestly if you find this boring (it's 2 minutes), then this channel may not be one for you. Happy Sunday! Hugo

[@etymonlegomenon931]

@@SARTORIALTALKS I love your channel, but putting a lot of footage out of place and out of context is boring, like I said. I wouldn't complain if they were shorter or more engaging clips

[@SARTORIALTALKS]

@@etymonlegomenon931 These highlights are not out of place. They are highlights! Anyway, thanks for your loyalty and have a good Sunday! Hugo

[@etymonlegomenon931]

@@SARTORIALTALKS You too, God bless