If you read lots of menswear or lifestyle blogs (which, I’m kind of assuming you do if you’re here), you’ve heard it time and time again: wearing clothes that fit properly is the quickest way to upgrade your wardrobe from college student to young adult. Looking nice is all about feeling good, and well-fitting clothing is one way to feel confident with your appearance. However, when I say “tailored shirts,” many guys run and hide under the couch because all they think of is some tiny Italian craftsman measuring your crotch and pressuring you into an $8,000 suit. Well, in these days of the internet, overhead costs are driven down, and the reach of globalization permeates throughout commerce, meaning options for tailored clothing are exploding. One such option: Tailor4Less.
I had never heard of Tailor4Less until recently, mostly because the big dogs in the field of custom menswear dominate the airwaves. However, I’m also not the most up-to-date on all that jazz, so what do I know. However, I do know, that Tailor4Less gave me one of my favorite shirts on their first try, and for around $50 that’s got my attention, and it should get yours.
The first step in the process is to customize your shirt–pick the fabric, the style, the unique touches. I’ve never seen elbow patches as an option before, and I fully support that. I didn’t get any this time, but I think that’s an old school element that should stick around. I’m not aware of any other online tailoring service that offers elbow patches, probably because most online tailors are really into the sleek trendy look, but Tailor4Less knows there are guys our there who aren’t; and what’s the point of getting a tailored shirt if you can’t get it tailored how you want, right?
Next you need to fill out this simple form and move the slider to show your body type. I’m actually 26 (almost 27…wow), but I put 25 because I’m in denial that I’m almost 30. And now the world knows that.
After you fill out the simple form, you’ll get an estimation. Most of these were pretty close, but not all of them; I have monkey arms (as you’ll see below), so I definitely needed to tweak these numbers. No worries, that’s next. If you have a pretty average build, these numbers should at least be pretty close.
The next step is for tweaking the measurements. They really make it pretty foolproof, with a video, photos, and text instructions. It helps if you have someone do it for you, but it’s nothing so intense that you couldn’t manage yourself if you had to. Do the measurements (twice! double-check!) and move the slider or type in your value. That’s it. Afterwards, you’re good to go, and a few weeks later you’ll get a nice package in the mail.
Overall, Tailor4Less did a fantastic job. The length is great for taller guys, and the fit is just how I like it. I’m sure some menswear snobs will probably tell me the sleeves are too long, but I’m not a menswear snob. This shirt is for me, and if I want long sleeves, I’ll make it that way (and yes, I did that on purpose). Why? Because I have super long arms and off-the-rack shirts have sleeves made for ants! Also, I always roll up my sleeves unless I’m wearing a suit, and in the event I’m wearing a suit, I like to see more sleeve cuff show. But these are my preferences, because it’s my shirt, and that’s what’s great about custom clothing.
The fabric isn’t anything to flip your lid about, but hey–all the options are around $50, and I think for that price it’s spot on. The fabric is good enough for a casual workhorse shirt that you use on a regular basis, but probably isn’t something you’d go down a runway in (who wants that, anyways?). It’s a shirt, y’all, it’s meant to be worn.
If you’re a guy who is either new to tailored shirts, or if you’re an old pro looking for something new to try, I think Tailor4Less is a diamond in the rough. I will definitely order another shirt from them, made in exactly the same way. Bravo, Tailor4Less, bravo.
