What Details Can You Customize on a Vestium NY Suit?

"Custom suit" is used loosely in the industry to mean anything from picking a fabric off a shelf to commissioning a fully bespoke piece. At Vestium NY, a custom commission means every decision that affects the garment is made by the client — guided by the tailor's knowledge of what works, what is appropriate, and what is possible.

What follows is a complete account of the customization decisions available on a Vestium NY suit jacket and trousers, organized by category.

Fabric Selection

The most significant decision. Every commission begins with fabric, and at Vestium NY the options come from our working relationships with Holland & Sherry (Huddersfield, England), CARNET (Brianza, Italy), and Fratelli Tallia Di Delfino (Borgosesia, Italy), among other selected European mills.

The fabric decision encompasses:

• Mill and country: English (structured hand, crisp surface, cold-weather authority) or Italian (softer hand, warmer drape, lighter feel)
• Fiber: Wool, wool-cashmere blend, wool-silk blend, wool-mohair, cashmere blend, cotton-linen for summer
• Weight: Expressed in ounces per yard (9–11oz for year-round; 7–8oz for summer; 12–14oz for winter)
• Super number: Fiber fineness (Super 100s through Super 160s; higher numbers are finer but more delicate)
• Pattern: Plain, herringbone, twill, birdseye, glen plaid, windowpane, chalk stripe, pinstripe, or specialty cloths
• Color: Reviewed in natural and artificial light — color reads differently under showroom lighting than in daylight

Jacket Silhouette and Construction

Single or Double-Breasted

The most fundamental jacket structure decision. Single-breasted is more versatile; double-breasted is more formal and more visually assertive.

Button Stance and Configuration

• Single-breasted: One-button (most formal, associated with tuxedos), two-button (standard for suits), three-button (traditional/American), or three-roll-two (three buttons but the lapel rolls over the top button)
• Double-breasted: Six-on-two (most common), four-on-two, or eight-on-two for larger jackets

Lapel Style

• Notch lapel: Universal. Works at every formality level.
• Peak lapel: Adds formality and visual width. More assertive.
• Shawl lapel: Formal only — tuxedos and dinner jackets.

Lapel Width

Proportional to jacket chest width. Specific lapel width (measured at the widest point) is set during the consultation based on overall jacket proportions and client preference.

Shoulder Style

• Structured (padded): English tailoring tradition. Creates defined shoulder edge.
• Light structure: Moderate padding — a contemporary balance
• Soft/unstructured (spalla camicia): Italian shirt-shoulder construction. Relaxed, natural line.

Pocket Details

Exterior Pockets

• Flap pockets (standard): Covered pocket opening with a separate flap
• Jetted/besom pockets: Clean slit opening, no flap — more formal
• Patch pockets: Fabric pocket sewn to outside — casual, sport coat appropriate
• Ticket pocket: A small additional pocket above the right hip pocket — a traditional English detail

Breast Pocket

• Standard angled welt (accepts a pocket square)

Interior Pockets

Standard interior pockets are included. Additional interior pockets (phone, pen, card) can be specified.

Jacket Finishing Details

Functioning Sleeve Buttonholes ("Surgeon's Cuffs")

Working buttonholes on the sleeve that actually open. A bespoke detail — ready-to-wear suits typically have decorative buttonholes that are sewn closed. Standard at Vestium NY; number of buttons (3 or 4) is client's choice.

Pick Stitching

A line of visible hand stitching along the lapel edge and jacket edge — a traditional marker of handwork. Can be done in matching or contrasting thread.

Monogram

Embroidered inside the left breast pocket or on the lining. Initials, a date, or a short personal note.

Lining

Full lining (standard), half-lining (leaves the lower jacket back unlined — a cooler option for summer suits), or full bespoke lining in a selected fabric from our lining range.

Lining fabric selection: The inside of the jacket is the only part of the garment exclusively visible to the wearer. It is an opportunity for expression that has no obligation to be legible to the room — a signature color, a personal pattern, or a modest neutral. We maintain a range of lining fabrics and work with clients to find the right choice.

Trouser Details

Rise

• High rise (natural waist): Sits at or above the natural waist. Traditional; elongates the leg visually.
• Standard rise: Slightly below the natural waist. Contemporary standard.

Pleats

• Flat front: Clean, modern. Works best on lean-to-medium builds.
• Single forward pleat: Adds room in the thigh; more traditional.
• Double forward pleat: More room; fuller cut. Traditional English or Italian high-rise trouser.

Waist Fastening

• Belt loops: Standard; works with a belt
• Side adjusters (braces bars): Traditional English fastening; no belt required; sits cleanly at the waist

Pockets

• Side pockets (standard seam, slanted, or on-seam)
• Back pockets (single or double; with or without button)
• Fob pocket (small coin pocket inside waistband — a traditional detail)

Trouser Width and Taper

The width at the thigh, knee, and hem is set to the client's preference and body proportion. Modern proportions tend toward a cleaner line; traditional proportions offer more room through the thigh.

Hem

• Plain hem: Clean, standard
• Cuff/turnup: Traditional; adds weight at the hem; associated with more formal and classic looks

Waistcoat (Vest)

A waistcoat turns a suit into a three-piece. The waistcoat is cut from the same fabric as the suit. Details include:

• Number of buttons (five or six is standard)
• Back finishing (lining fabric back or matching welt back)
• Additional pockets or watch chain bar

What We Advise Against

Not every combination of customization choices works. The consultation is where the tailor's experience shapes the decisions — a very light shoulder with a double-breasted front often misses the visual balance that makes double-breasted work; heavy pick stitching on a very fine fabric can look coarse; a short jacket length on a tall client can read as accidental rather than intentional.

The customization options above are not a menu — they are the vocabulary of a conversation we have with every client. The result is specific to the person wearing it.

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