The suit spectrum

It's winter, and you know what that means; your newsfeed drowning in pictures of men in suits, posing with a faraway or brooding look, away from the camera's eyes, and standing at one corner of the stage right underneath a spotlight. They have manoeuvred their heads to the side as they try to button their suit's jacket, followed with a heavy caption by some poor philosopher who had nothing to do with either the newly wedded couple or the person in the picture, or even this era.

But with the excitement of putting up a new DP come the concerns of getting a new suit. You cannot keep posting pictures of yourself in the same suit year in and year out. So, you have to have a new one made, but then there's the million-dollar question that leaves you fretting: should it be an eight-thousand-taka or a thirty-thousand-taka suit?

Eight thousand! Sounds tempting, doesn't it?

It does come at a cost though — spending hours going through a heap of fabrics at one of the most densely populated areas of Dhaka, Islampur. Immense knowledge about fabrics, proper fitting of a suit, and an extreme level of patience are all vital.

Load up your rucksack with tonnes of bottles of water for you can never complete shopping in Islampur in little time; it will take an entire day. Once you have stacked your arsenal with hydrators and a handful of money, you are all set to embark on a day-long journey to get yourself that new Instagram worthy suit made.

'Nawab Barir Gate' is where you will find the fabric for your suit. You will have to go through rolls upon rolls of fabric, because the majority of it will come in garish colours, subpar materials, and with a tacky gloss to boot. But do not be weary for you will not leave the market without finding the right fabric for yourself.

You better brush up your bargaining skills or bring someone who can, because, believe it or not, you can purchase fabrics there at a price much lower than you can even imagine. Once the fabric is in hand, go to a tailoring shop of choice and have your measurements taken.

We suggest visiting places like Reid & Tailor, Western Tailors, or Raymond, all of which are handily located in Elephant Road.

"First time I ever had my suit made; it turned out to be a disaster! What I got at the end was a suit that was harking back to days that are best left alone," says Munna, an office-goer who is still bitter about that first suit.

"To be fair, the fault lies with me, as the tailor shop I went to was severely outdated, and hence that memorabilia of a suit. If you want yours done right, go to a shop that deals with more modern designs, and you just might end up with a suit you would not mind being snapped in."

Take your time with the making of your suit, and bring along multiple pictures on your phone to explain to the tailor exactly what it is that you want. You, yourself must be well versed about how a suit should fit for only then can you bring out the best work from the tailor.

Now, depending upon how your suit was made, the fabric, the wear and tear, and so on, a suit, by itself has a shelf-life of years or more. To be fair though, your own body will go through changes (read, get fat) and will not fit in that suit anyway, so that makes the shelf-life even shorter.

Not in the mood to go through the hoops required for a good Tk 8,000 suit?

Do you prefer to get the premium treatment, and pay a premium too? Well, that's why you have stores like Dapper Bespoke and Zurhem, some of the finest couturiers in Bangladesh. They will not let any suit leave their store, even if there is a hairline of an error. Such is the dedication to perfection of these couturiers of the upper echelons of skill.

The only two things you will have to do are to let them know the type of suit that you want, and visit their stores for 2-3 trials. Leave the rest to them, and sip on your Starbucks-esque coffee, while they make you a masterpiece, because they will.

A good bespoke tailor handpicks the best quality fabric, take measurements in different postures to learn about the wearer's body so that the jacket does not bulge or restrict movement, said Armaan, a regular at one of the top bespoke tailor's in Dhaka, while reaching out for his coffee, looking dapper in his navy blue double-breasted suit.

Here's a bonus tip; what would you say to premium level suits that fit like a dream but cost just a little over our Tk 8,000 version, but not going anywhere near the Tk 30,000 budget? Well, it exists, and it's waiting for you at Cats Eye! Using premium materials, craftsmanship that rivals just about any shop, and with a truckload of style to go with it, Cats Eye's suits offer gents an absolutely hassle-free ticket to uber-suave. Plus, Cats Eye has loads of awesome shirts and ties to create the complete look— all in the same outlet.

At the end of the day, it all depends on preference, research and a little hard work. If you are willing to go the extra mile, you are more than welcome to opt for a Tk 8,000 suit, but be prepared to take charge of your suit's design and choose a good tailor, unless you want a disaster on your hands. However, a Tk 30,000 suit will make sure you have something with top quality fabrics and fit with minimum effort from your side, except to maintain you own shape, of course.

Photo: Cats Eye