Attention L.A. style guys: Get a Savile Row bespoke suit from Kilgour without jetting off to London

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

If you’re a nattily dressed gentleman, you might be aware that the ultimate luxury item is a bespoke suit from London’s Savile Row. Legend has it that these made-to-measure custom suits offer unparalleled fit and can last a lifetime.

Kilgour, founded in 1882, is giving local dapper dudes the Savile Row experience without the flight to Heathrow. On Monday and Tuesday at the Chateau Marmont, Kilgour’s in-house tailors will fit clients, including measuring and chatting about lapel widths, super 100 or 250 wools and whether to use one or two buttons. The suit-making process should take close to year: measurements are translated to a second baste fitting in which your suit’s shell is marked with chalk. This second fitting will also take place in L.A. later this year. The suit is entirely stitched at Kilgour’s Savile Row atelier.

A Kilgour bespoke suit costs a pretty pound -- prices start at around $4,480 at the current exchange rate, but it’s not outrageous, if you consider the quality and the prospect that it might never go out of fashion.

Will Adams, one of Kilgour’s traveling tailors, says today’s stylish gentlemen opt for single breasted over double, a narrower lapel and one button. Among other details, “about 90%’ request side vents and slanted pockets. Most men also ask for a gray or navy suit, but if you’re the kind of guy who does more business in the evening rather than nine to five, a black suit will definitely make an impression.

“Every guy should have a black suit to wear to an evening dinner or go out clubbing with your mates,” Adams says. ‘You can always mix the jacket with a pair of jeans or chinos.’

To schedule an appointment with a Kilgour tailor in L.A., call (646) 785-0592 or e-mail customerservices@kilgour.com.

-- Max Padilla