Custom corduroy suit from Maison Leporem

I’ve recently gone corduroy mad. “The poor man’s velvet,” as I call it, is the perfect casual yet sharp cold-weather option for me. I have three pairs of corduroy trousers in my wardrobe and recently I added this, my first corduroy suit. And while the fabric has made a bit of a comeback recently in mainstream fashion, a whole suit of it seemed, at first, like a rather bold statement. Now that I have the suit, however, I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

It all comes down to the fact that since I’m not required to wear suits or even sport jackets for work, I wear them because I love to. And since I don’t live in a formal atmosphere (yes, it’s true, I don’t have a butler and I don’t “dress for dinner”) I prefer to keep my tailoring as casual as I can. Which is still formal for many people, but that’s their problem, not mine. I wear this corduroy suit around the house and for all types of occasions. From going out for coffee to casual events. I love how it combines sharpness, due to its silhouette, with a sense of relaxation, thanks to the rough texture of the corduroy.

The suit was custom made by Montreal’s Maison Leporem. And I am exceptionally impressed with the result. The suit was delivered finished, with no fittings, and yet the fit is spot on; no alterations required. And that is remarkable for made to measure, especially the first garment. It is owed to the careful and meticulous work of owner Collins Oghor. He and I spent a fair bit of time not only selecting features and discussing styling, but he measured and photographed me extensively in a try-on jacket and trousers.

This kind of care is essential because their suits are made in Romania; the tailors never meet me in person. I’ve worn the suit now quite a few times to really break it in and test the shaping and construction. The jacket fits well in the shoulders, hugging my neck nicely. There is enough ease that I can comfortably move my arms. This is helped by the high armholes, but there is a tradeoff: the corduroy, a lovely mid-weight thin wale cotton from Brisbane Moss, is a bit stiff, so while there’s movement, the jacket is not soft. But I knew that going in which is why I opted for an almost unstructured jacket; there is little to no padding throughout. The shape is maintained by the corduroy itself.

As to that overall silhouette, it’s what I was most concerned with before receiving the suit. In my experience, a lot of large garment factories around the world make what I think of as the “average business suit.” The shoulders are padded and overly extended, the lapels are flat and there is an overall square-ness to the jackets. Thankfully, Collins has been working for some time with his maker to adjust and fine-tune their patterns to create the kind of silhouette he is after: softer, leaner, influenced by Southern Italian tailoring. My jacket certainly has a lovely shape to it and I’m very pleased with the look of the shoulders. The only thing I would recommend is more open quarters which I think would give it a bit more artistry and personality.

The other change I would make, and this is my own doing, has to do with the trousers. I decided to get pleats and while they are comfortable and remain slim, I can see that the nature of this corduroy, due to its stiffness, might not hold up too well at the keeper stitch. I’ll probably just have to get it reinforced in time. Also, from a style point of view, a flat-front would have added to the casual look of the overall suit.

The best part of this experience is the first-hand knowledge that there is such a great MTM option in Canada, at very reasonable prices. For my Montreal readers, it’s a no-brainer. And for everyone in Hogtown, Maison Leporem does occasionally do trunk shows here, so follow them to find out when.