Fits for Men: Investing in Custom

By: LL
It is amazing how quickly women's fashion changes. The leggings that you bought in September are outdated by Thanksgiving. Or how about that pair of wide leg trousers or the oxford wedges? How long will those last?

Men's fashion is different. I admit, they do have their fashion trends, mainly related to the cut of suits, length of ties, and length of shorts (which also seem to be age-related, not just trends). Either way, comparing apples to apples, style for women shifts faster and more frequently than that of men, which is one reason why women shop so much more often than men - because we HAVE to (seriously!)

I like fashion, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to wear your favorite boots from last fall or wear that tunic that fits so amazing just one more time without feeling outdated. If that were possible, if fashion were more stagnant at times, I think that more women would invest in custom pieces, as many men invest in custom suits or shoes. It would "fit the bill" better to spend a bit more on a solid piece that you would be able to wear for more than one year. Men have it lucky in this sense. Normally they can get 2 or 3 seasons out of a pair of shoes or a lifetime (weight dependent) out of a polo shirt.

Case in point - Last fall, my husband purchased a pair of custom boots from Quoddy. He had been looking for awhile to find a stylish, durable, and comfortable pair. Finally, he stumbled upon Quoddy when he was looking for replacement boaters. Instead, he ended up purchasing their chukkas. A great thing about Quoddy, and many other men's shoe companies (Johnston & Murphy, Hewlett & Dunn , etc.), you can get shoes (at not too crazy a price) that are custom made to fit your foot - including your arch type, width, and foot length. At some stores, you can even choose the leather color, texture, and sole type. It might seem expensive, but once you run the numbers, purchasing such a pair of shoes - and getting exactly what you want and being able to wear them for multiple seasons - it is actually much cheaper than the amount women spend on multiple shoes, year after year. And funny enough, my husband's shoes are still stylish, even getting a feature in the most recent J. Crew catalogue...more than a year and half after my husband first got his.

Seriously, men might be onto something with this custom thing - but then again...