Moss has been a fixture on the high street for 175 years, and is probably best known for its suits. From formal black tie and wedding attire to more casual offerings, Moss can provide them all. But what if you aren’t the perfect off-the-peg size and shape? The Custom Made by Moss service could solve your ill-fitting suit woes, but is it worth the investment?
What is Custom Made by Moss?
Finding a suit that fits you directly off the peg can be challenging. We aren’t all made the same way, and just because I have a broad chest and shoulders doesn’t mean I have the arms of an orangutan.
Yes, plenty will do the job, more or less, but very few really feel right. When you have the perfect fit, the difference in how that suit feels is incredible, and the difference in how it makes you feel is equally intense.
Custom Made by Moss
is a service which promises to work for you on an individual basis. Whether you’re getting married and are looking for that dream suit, or you wear a suit every day and want a polished professional look, a custom-made suit could be an excellent choice.
Unlike a bespoke fitted suit, which is made from scratch using your measurements taken by a fully trained tailor, a custom suit is made to measure and uses an existing base pattern. One of Moss’s partner workshops then adjusts that pattern to your specific measurements and ships it back to the store.
Custom Made by Moss: The process
I made an appointment at the recently reopened Cheapside, London, branch to have a black tie suit fitted. Ollie, my in-store expert, guided me through every step, asking questions to fully understand what was required and any particular problems that can occur with an off-the-peg suit.
In order to see any fitting issues, measurements are taken with you wearing a standard off-the-rack suit, and, thanks to the broad shoulder problem, Ollie could see that some softening would be needed to make the jacket sit more elegantly.
Sleeve and leg lengths were measured to the millimetre, and any unusual folds or tucks were noted in detail, ready to be sent to the atelier, or workshop.
Next, we shaped how the suit would look. Huff Media’s Professional Van is the media partner for the Iveco Mission Awards, so I needed a black-tie outfit for the annual awards, and the base colour was set. Despite that, there were so many details to decide on, from the lapel style and lining to the pockets and buttons. The choices seemed endless.
Thankfully, Ollie was on hand to advise and guide me, clearly explaining the differences in style and materials so I could make informed decisions for the best possible results. As Yves Saint Laurent said, “fashion fades, but style is eternal”, so thankfully he was there to gently nudge me away from some more challenging combinations.
With the details decided, it was time to select the lining. For me, the lining really adds personality and individuality to any suit. The array was a little overwhelming, but after some discussion, we found exactly the right option. The crisp white and distinctive turquoise paisley pattern perfectly complemented the black jacket, bringing the whole thing to life.
I ended the fitting session with plans for a black-tie dinner suit made from Barberis black twill fabric, a full Bottinelli turquoise paisley lining, notch lapels and a single plain black button.
With everything selected and the details confirmed, it was just a matter of waiting for the suit to be made before heading back to the store to collect the finished article.
Collecting your Custom Made by Moss suit
The suit takes about four weeks to complete and return to the store. Once it arrived, Moss contacted me by email, and I booked an appointment to collect it.
Because I had to book an appointment to collect it, I expected to see Ollie (or another expert) again and try the suit on with him there to check the fit and ensure everything was fine. Sadly, this wasn’t the case.
After the fabulous fitting, which felt special and exclusive, the collection experience was disappointing. After asking for my name, I wasn’t shown into the Custom Made dressing room area where the initial fitting had taken place, where I assumed I would try on the finished suit. Instead, I loitered on the shop floor for a few minutes while the assistant went to find the items.
He returned with a suit bag in hand, passed it to me, asked if I’d like to try it on, and pointed out the changing rooms just past the counter. Nobody checked the fit of the suit to see if the shoulders, sleeve length and trouser break were as expected. I was left to my own unqualified sense of style to decide if the suit fitted as I hoped.
It might have lacked the same sense of occasion as the fitting, and denied Moss the opportunity to upsell some shirts, cufflinks, ties, and so on, but the result — to my eyes — was superb. Every element of the suit had come together beautifully and looked fabulous.
The difference between wearing a suit made to a template size and one tailored to your own size and build really can’t be overstated. With the shoulders softened and the sleeves shortened, it felt so much more comfortable — and that’s saying something for someone who feels self-conscious in any kind of suit, let alone a dinner suit.
Custom Made by Moss: The verdict
You are what you wear, or so the saying goes. If you’re not at home in a suit, a suit that doesn’t fit will always be uncomfortable, sapping confidence with bulging seams or sagging shoulders.
Stepping into a suit that fits as it should and expresses your personality perfectly makes all the difference. It’s true: if you look good, you feel good, and trying on this suit filled me with a confidence I hadn’t felt with its ill-fitting predecessor.
That’s all great, but at what cost? I didn’t go for the cheapest option, but I was also a long way from the most expensive; even then, I was surprised at a total of £659. While it doesn’t sound like a bargain, it’s significantly cheaper than I expected. When a potentially poorly fitting suit from a high street retailer can cost £300 or more, having a custom-made suit that, hopefully, has a timeless style to it seems like a snip.
If you’re blessed with a ‘normal’ body, the kind that would fit a suit from John Lewis, Hugo Boss or, of course, Moss, then it’s probably not worth spending the extra. But if you need one or two suits that must fit, the kind you’ll be going to black-tie dinners or attending weddings in, then it’s a pretty reasonable uplift. And, unless you wear it to work every day, it’ll likely last for years. That’s an investment worth making.
The uneven service, notably around the collection, took the edge off the experience a little, but the ultimate test is how the suit looks and feels, and Moss has nailed that one.
He is the founder of Huff Media, publisher of Professional Pickup, Professional Van, Average Janes, Average Joes, and CALIBRE. His work focuses primarily on light commercial vehicles, pickups, and real-world vehicle use, with much of his time spent on manufacturer launches, industry events, and long-term vehicle testing.