Custom clothes for a lifetime

AFTER 57 YEARS, THE STORIED FAMILY-RUN SHOP HIGH SOCIETY IS GETTING AN UPDATE

- Evan Nicole

David wears HIGH SOCIETY outfit, ZAKKA BAKKA hat and ADIEU shoes.

The intrigue of magic — any magic — is rooted in its mystery. A craft performed out of sight can surprise us with its shape-shifting power, which only truly reveals itself to those who know where to look.

Hems, inseams, darts and vents are all details hidden beneath the surface of a garment, but much like the body's skeletal system, they make up the essential, inconspicuous infrastructure on which a suit hangs. The light touch of a tailor's hand makes it so that the clothes they create and adjust seem casually perfect, despite the immense amount of labor. But suits do not simply appear out of thin air: They are the terminal point of a journey that begins with an idea, then a pattern, then carefully cut fabric, which is ultimately sewn, adjusted, worn. And in the case of suits made by the team at High Society, these multi-step works of art usually end up in a client's closet for a lifetime.

Founded by Richard Lim in 1968 in a storefront on Wilshire Boulevard, High Society is a bespoke brand and tailoring company focused on crafting custom suits and other wardrobe items. Lim emigrated to Los Angeles from Seoul, South Korea, where he'd worked at a tailoring shop in the front of house as a salesperson meeting with clients and taking measurements.