Making wholesale changes to the way he dressed and carried himself has never been part of Tom Ford’s razor sharp pedigree. A Google Image search will often reveal a pitch-black single-breasted number, coupled with a pristine white shirt made from Egyptian cotton, and an elegant, yet non-descript black tie. The man himself insisted that it’s “a myth that great style requires constant reinvention” and that “personal style, unlike fashion, derives its power from consistency.”

It may be blisteringly hot and humid in Singapore, but enhancing one’s standing in any social situation with Tom Ford’s Made-To-Measure (MTM) that isn’t about flaunting one’s net worth but recognizing that we are often the first impression we make – with shoddiness often associated with ineptitude and sluggishness. Mark Twain once quipped that “naked people have little or no influence on society”. This being a figurative dig that the threadbare often do not have what it takes to preside over commoners.

We do acknowledge that there is no dignity in suffering a heat stroke and looking like the American designer’s doppelganger… We suggest you banish those joggers and espresso-stained tees for an appointment with an MTM whizz who makes the journey from Milan to Singapore twice (or thrice if a dire need arises) to smarten up the act of regional high-flyers. Each private consultation session takes between 60-to-90 minutes and his next trip is (always) just around the corner.

Influenced by Saville Row suiting of the 1950s and 60s, they are nevertheless executed in lighter and more fluid contemporary fabrication. The cut respects the weft and wrap of the fabric by carefully adhering to its weave; while the canvas used for the jacket’s substructure is made from linen, cotton, and hemp. Camel hair is used for the padding where necessary.

It isn’t about flaunting your acquired wealth by reiterating that the cloth of your suit jacket is cut and sewn in the small artisan factories of Biella, Novaram and Padova but that making your corporate stand a tailored and tapered one is self-gratification at its best when breast pockets are hand sewn into place, and details such as lapel buttonholes are double-stitched manually to ensure that they never unravel.

After measurements are done, it takes between six-to-eight weeks for the suit to be made in Italy. It also isn’t beneath the MTM cohort to have a complimentary shirt thrown in with every two suits ordered by the well-heeled. You may also expedite the service at minimal cost. And it’s not only business suits and dinner jackets that can be modified to suit your every whim and fancy. Requests may also be placed on runway offerings and footwear.

Story Credits
Text by Jason Kwong

This article was originally published in Men’s Folio