The Modern Philly Man’s Guide to Custom Suits

The city’s menswear scene is suddenly flush with cool, convenient shops ready to outfit a new generation of guys.


Bonobos (pictured) has expanded beyond downtown with a new King of Prussia Mall outpost. Photograph courtesy of Bonobos

One of the splashiest new shops on the scene is Washington Square West’s bespoke men’s store Damari Savile, helmed by ultra-stylish young guys: Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and his business partner, Jay Amin. The boutique specializes in millennial-friendly styles (contrast lining! Plaid wool!) and ready-to-wear pieces.

For more affordable made-to-order options, there’s Rittenhouse’s Indochino showroom, where most suits ring in around $799. Guys can book one-on-one time with a personal style specialist who’ll walk them through cuts, measurements and customizations. A month later, the client is invited back for final tweaks by the in-house tailor.

Just a couple blocks away, ToBox, which formerly specialized in men’s shoes, has recently entered the suit scene, too, with racks of spiffy jackets and pants for build-your-own styles.

The digital world has also infiltrated the suit scene, making it easier than ever to shop: At Bonobos, clients schedule an appointment online, try on styles in-store, make their purchases (while the store associates file away their preferences for future visits), and then have suits shipped to their home or office at no cost.

Meantime, quick-custom is the focus of the new Suitsupply, where pressed-for-time shoppers can answer a roster of questions online (fabric, fit, size and add-ons like waistcoats) to build their own custom suits. Orders can also be shipped to the shop for in-store tailoring.

Published as “The Modern Man’s Guide to Suiting” in the September 2017 issue of Philadelphia magazine.