MEDIA

In civilized society external advantages make us more respected. A man with a good coat on his back meets with a better reception than he who has a bad one. You may analyze this and say, what is there in it? But that will avail you nothing, for it is a part of a general system.

- Samuel Johnson
 

What makes a suit cost upwards of $5,000 and sometimes considerably more? A recent meander down Manhattan's Madison Avenue, for instance, revealed that the majority of the fancy boutiques are selling suits that, although not cheap, are hardly in the same league.
Connoisseur's Guide 

Now we’re all aware of the big economic squeeze on this dear little street. It’s becoming increasingly impossible to survive, even for the large houses. My favourite, Anderson & Sheppard has had to downsize and go around the corner. Hopefully we can keep tailors on Savile Row, but there is no doubt that eventually they will only be front shops dealing with customers. Some of the smaller businesses will always squeeze a couple of tailors in the back, but the days of grand workrooms on the Row are definitely numbered.
Thomas Mahon, bespoke savile row tailor, london

Savile Row is synonymous worldwide with the artistry and craftsmanship of Great British bespoke tailoring. The Savile Row Bespoke Association unites the founding fathers of the Row with the New Establishment tailors to protect and develop a craft practiced in this elite quarter of Mayfair for over two centuries.
The Savile Row Bespoke Association

Most of the same criteria apply to the term custom-made, except that the work is not always done on the premises, and the name above the door is not always that of a master tailor. More often than not, the head of the establishment is someone--such as a designer--whose reputation is based on his taste and who is capable of providing excellent advice.
April 1999 Cigar Aficionado

These two guys finding success tailor-made But who buys a $3,000 outfit?
"The $3,000 suit really isn't for everybody," Avendano's concedes. "It's for the connoisseur, the collector. "A lot of CEOs don't necessarily see value in it, and probably there isn't necessarily a practical value. But there are people who are into suits the way some people are into wine and diamond jewelry. You don't even have to sell those people. They know the product and they know right away what they are looking at." http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2008/06/09/smallb1.html

Each master tailor develops his own style. Mr. Pelle is known for classic Italian tailoring with English details, such as soft, natural shoulders; his jackets taper a bit at the waist and often have an extra "ticket pocket" at the waist. His hand-constructed men's suits start at about $3,000 -- which is less expensive than many ready-to-wear suits from Italy; his factory-sewn suits start at $1,645.
Romualdo Pelle Madeira, Ohio, shop outside Cincinnati