The adage holds true: You pay for quality. Nowadays in a fast-paced commodity-driven market good quality is even harder to find. Off-the-rack suits have their limitations, and while they might be available in the short-term, they seldom have the longevity you would hope for such a significant outlay. Made-to-measure, however, gives you not only unparalleled choice and customisation, but superior quality in construction and materials. And if you’re already paying for a made-to-measure suit, why skimp on arguably the most important part? The fabric. 

Quality Italian and British fabrics come with a pedigree that rivals cannot match. Not only is it heritage—sometimes in the centuries—it’s the savoir-faire that comes with working meticulously with specialised materials that sets them apart. These are the people who invented looming and weaving, and then its mechanisation in the Industrial Revolution, so they understand the way fabric behaves and how to manipulate it for a variety of purposes. They know where to source the best quality yarns, from Australian merinos to Himalayan goats, and they work with suppliers and their syndicates to ensure their product remains the same standard across generations. It's a pride in production that you’ll only experience with these masters. 

As  someone who wears a suit, this tradition is applied to the very garment you wear on your back. And you experience its benefits every day. Not only does better quality last longer, it looks and feels better. There’s no greater feeling than pulling on a suit that falls correctly on your frame, or feels sumptuous to the touch when you remove it from its hanger in the morning. 

As a science, longer wool fibres are stronger, which means you’ll never have to worry that your suit will fall apart. You’ll also experience greater movement in the cloth, meaning that it’ll perform better and keep you looking sharp. And in terms of light reflection, better-quality fibres give a sense of depth, as if the fabric is made from a single fibre—that means no more shiny suits. 

Good quality tailoring cloth comes in a range of grades, and there’s one for every budget. Your tailor can guide you through the various tiers and outline the individual attributes, and teach you how you to get the most from your suit, down to the weight of the fabric. You might learn that for a little extra, you can prolong your suit’s life by years. Now that’s a quality outcome.