Tailored to Perfection

Bespoke tailoring is the epitome of sartorial elegance. But how do you get an authentic experience in India? Here's what you need to know

- RAAJ SANGHVI

IT IS ONE OF LIFE's little ironies; the men who would look good in designer suits usually can’t afford them. In the 1980s, modern Italian design stormed America, led by Richard Gere’s debonair appearance in Giorgio Armani’s suits in the film American Gigolo. The allure of Armani attracted hordes of well-heeled men to his stores, but unfortunately, they soon realised that they could never look quite as good in those suits as Gere did.

Whenever we see photographs or videos of designer suits, they are usually worn by toned movie stars or by professional models. They are young men of a certain height with lean bodies. Unfortunately, by the time most men can afford designer garments, they are no longer young, and their bodies are not as lean as they used to be. But even if affordability isn’t an issue, in India we have another problem: our body type is completely different. Tailors will tell you that the average Indian man has thinner legs and a bulkier waist than the average Westerner.

So, how do successful Indian men find ways of wearing the world’s great menswear designers while ensuring a flattering fit? It’s not easy, but it is possible. Here’s a guide for Indians to navigate the world of high-end menswear:

ALTERATIONS

Though customers who shop at designer stores in Indian cities do not always realise this, all stores run by top foreign fashion brands in India keep very good tailors on their premises. In the West, an in-store tailor will only be available (at a large cost) to shorten jacket sleeves or take in hems. But in India, the tailors at stores such as Giorgio Armani, Canali or Zegna are equipped to make substantial alterations.