In the ever-expanding work of custom men’s suit, I present to you Black Lapel and the Sullivan Gray Stripe Pinstripe Suit. Based in New York City & Shanghai, Black Lapel jumped on the custom menswear scene in February 2012 with the notion of creating luxury pieces at pretty reasonable prices. A while back, I had the opportunity to meet with Thierry Augustin, who styled the Spring 2014 campaign, when he was visiting Philly and he really got me interested in checking out the brand and the spring/summer 2014 line. Below are my thoughts of the brand and their product.
Custom Sullivan Gray Pinstripe Suit – Black Lapel | Toya Cutaway Collar Shirt – Hugh & Crye | Vintage Knit Brown Tie | 4 Way Monogrammed Pocket Square – Express | The “Dean” Sunglasses in English Oak – Warby Parker | Italian Calfskin Loafer – Paul Evans |
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The Nuts & Bolts This Suit
- Half lined, half canvassed jacket with wide peak lapels and patch pockets
- The buttons on the sleeves are functional
- Fabric 84% Wool | 16% Mohair | pinstripe pattern (makes for an extremely light suit)
- The color is blue grey
- I opted for deep brown buttons instead of the stock button black buttons. In my opinion, deep brown button is much more versatile than black when button together a custom grey or navy blue suit.
- Pants: Two inch cuffs. Many readers have asked why I get my pants cuffed. The method to my madness is two-fold. Since I tend the wear loafers most often, cuffs add nice depth to the ankle area that a typical Oxford gives. To be honest, I just like cuffs
- On the majority of my custom suits, I forego belt loops on the pants and swap in side tabs. Instead of the typical metal d-ring tabs that other brands offer, Black lapel have a button option that is very sleek (and I prefer). There’s no real need for a belt if your custom pants fit perfect
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Overall Impression Of Black Lapel & How I Feel About This Suit
Throughout the entire journey of Men’s Style Pro, one of the underlying goals was to bring quality menswear to the forefront. The Black Lapel brand is the epitome of quality menswear. After designing this suit, it was clear that I needed to change-up my focus in regard to some of my style do’s & don’ts. My emphasis on classic tailoring & traditional menswear details have been tweak because of the way I was able to interact with customer service at Black Lapel to add certain features to this suit that I would have attempted in the past (peak lapels with patch pockets on the jacket).
If I was going to grade this brand, I would give them a solid B+. The rating is based on my feeling that they need more fabric in their line up & some of the blazer only fabrics should be considered for suits too. Customer service is great, fabric quality is high and the brand understands the aesthetic you’re trying to achieve. Having the ability to email or chat with someone at the brand about your vision of your suit is welcoming. Deciding to go with a pinstripe suit can be a bit ballsy, but, the blue-grey color of the fabric keep this otherwise “power suit” details subdued. If you look at the suits that were just introduced in the S/S 14′ line and comparing them to some of their old/staple suits, you’ll see an immediate shift to higher quality fabrics and styling.
Looking forward to my next suit, i’d up my shoulder width by a quarter-inch and specify my leg taper. The jacket fit is straight out of the box, however; I had my pant legs tapered from the knee down.
If you’re interested in checking out the brand, head over to www.BlackLapel.com.
Photo Credit: Marina T. Peele
Best,
Sabir
Very sleek sir. Why only a B+?
Hi Dominic,
Good to see you back on the site. I would like to see more fabric options & 3 piece suit options. Outside of that, Black Lapel is deserving of an A grade.
Best,
Sabir
To clarify, all Black Lapel suits can be made into 3-piece suits. Just choose “add a vest” when you’re customizing.
Some, like the Sullivan Gray Pinstripe, even come in a pre-customized 3-piece version: http://www.blacklapel.com/suits/sullivan-gray-pinstripe-3-piece-suit.html
Just thought all the 3-piece-fiends and vest-lovers would want to know.
Thanks for the post, Sabir. I’ve read loads of good stuff on Black Lapel and going by their website it appears the suits have a nice modern design and decent fabrics. Some bloggers have warned about the skinniness of the fits especially if you choose ‘slim-fit’. I believe no lining comes at extra cost, too. By the way, and I know you would appreciate feedback from your readers, but your site needs to be simplified. It compares poorly with the eye-pleasing and easy-to-use nature of other style blogs.
Hi Gazman,
To address the Black Lapel Suit, where the slimness really comes into play is in the tapering of the pants legs from the knee down, as well as, slimmer arms and torso. Remember you can alway reach out to them directly if you have measurement specification. Most brands still opt for a straight leg.
In regard to the site layout, I’m still trying to find the best layout in regard to ease of use, aesthetic and advertising opps. I do appreciate the feedback, because without reader support MSP would flounder.
Best,
Sabir
Hi Sabir,
Great write up! I found this just as I was about to place an order with Black Lapel.You mention tapering the leg from knee down as one of the keys. I have always struggled with this and my pants come out looking not so good. How much do you taper your leg from the knee down? I’m assuming the tight already is slim (when do you slim from the knee down vs the whole leg?). Best fashion blog on the Internet. Thanks for the hard work Sabir.
Als
Hi Als,
The key to tapering from the knee down is going with a progressive taper. That means that the taper starts wider and cuts in progressively until you get to the opening. You taper will be dependent on your person style preference. I like my opening to be 14.50 inches wide.
If I get a piece made and the entire leg is slightly too wide, that when I get a taper from the thigh down. When the thigh is damn near perfect, however; the opening billows a bit (think bell bottom-esque) that when I taper from the knee down. Sometimes it’s just below the knee. Of course, you’ll have the try on the pants at the tailor and have them pin you up. Then you see what you like.
Enjoy your Black Lapel suit.
Best,
Sabir
Hey Sabir,
What is your opinion on the fit and finish of Black Lapel versus Dragon Inside?
I’d also appreciate comments on the service and other support items.
Thanks,
J
Hi Jay,
When it comes down to it really depends on how well you communicate with the brand to execute your vision.
My 1st Dragon Inside suit wasn’t perfect, so I had to work with them over time to get to my current perfect measurements. No when I order from them, everything is spot on, right down to the taper in the legs.
When it came to Black Lapel, they almost got my fit down 100% right off the bat. The price points are the same, so it really comes down to what your looking for in regard to fabrics.
Customer service-wise, they both easy to communicate with. So, if there is something that is super particular, you can explain it to both brands.
I hope this helps.
– Sabir
Thanks for the reply Sabir. I just ordered and have my fingers crossed.
Jay,
Congrats! I’m sure you’ll love it!
Best,
Sabir
Sabir,
You did a great review of Alfa Suits a while back and I have since purchased a suit from them as a result. How would you say Black Lapel compares with Alfa overall?
Much Appreciated!
Speed
Hi @speednupe3:disqus,
I’m happy to hear that you found the Alfa Clothier’s piece informative and prompted you to try out their brand.
In my opinion, Black Lapel is the better brand. The fabric quality is much higher, the styling is modern and aesthetic is a bit more style forward without being gimmicky.
Best,
Sabir
Appreciate that…I may give them a try as well!
Regards,
Speed
Great review, Sabir. Your style is impressive and I like your writing aesthetic. Very well done blog all around.
I’m interested in BL to upgrade my suits and your experience is helpful. That suit looks fantastic and I like the customizable options BL has to offer.
I do see one minor issue in an otherwise great suit, though. I mean this in the most constructive, non-judgement way I can, but the shoulders seem a bit off. Specifically, that ‘wave’ of extra fabric on your left shoulder and the fit right below the seams. What do you think is causing that? Would extending the shoulder, as you discussed, lessen that or perhaps requesting a more natural shoulder in the ordering process?
Thanks again for a thoughtful and concise review!
Hi Sabir,
Great write up! I found this just as I was about to place an order with Black Lapel.You mention tapering the leg from knee down as one of the keys. I have always struggled with this and my pants come out looking not so good. How much do you taper your leg from the knee down? I’m assuming the tight already is slim (when do you slim from the knee down vs the whole leg?). Best fashion blog on the Internet. Thanks for the hard work Sabir.
Als