Suits · Est. 1972
Relaxed,not loose
The slim suit is over. What replaced it is more comfortable and, cut properly, more flattering.
Relaxed tailoring removes internal structure and adds room through the body while keeping a clean line. A higher rise, a fuller leg with taper, and a softer shoulder. It is not a bigger suit — it is a differently cut one, and it needs precise measurement to work. Made to measure at The Man’s Shop in Arlington.
What changed
Structure came out, room went in
For two decades the answer to every fit question was slimmer. That produced a lot of suits that looked sharp standing still and pulled everywhere the moment their owner moved.
Relaxed tailoring takes out the heavy internal structure — the padding, the stiff canvas, the rigid chest piece — and adds room through the chest and thigh. The clean lines stay; the sensation of being held in does not.
The critical distinction is that this is not a larger suit. It is cut differently, and it depends on precise measurement. A relaxed cut that is simply too big reads as borrowed, which is the failure mode to avoid.
The three changes
Shoulder, rise, drape
- Shoulder
- Soft and natural, following your own line. It reads as confident rather than imposing, and it is far cooler in this climate.
- Rise
- Higher than the low-rise trousers of the past decade. It lengthens the leg, sits at the natural waist, and stops the shirt pulling out when you sit.
- Drape
- Room through the chest and thigh, tapering toward the hem. The cloth falls rather than clings, which is what makes it comfortable in heat.
- What stays
- The shoulder line, the button stance, and the jacket length still have to be right. Relaxed does not mean approximate.
- What it is not
- Oversized. If the shoulder seam falls off your shoulder, that is not relaxed tailoring, that is the wrong size.
Cloth
What makes this work in Texas
- Tropical wool
- Around 7.5 ounces with an open weave. The natural partner for a relaxed cut, because both are trying to move air.
- High-twist wool
- Resists wrinkling and holds a crease through a working day in humidity. Worth the premium for anyone in and out of a car.
- Wool-linen blends
- The drape of wool with the breathability of linen and less creasing than pure linen. Excellent for a summer suit.
- Cotton and cotton blends
- More casual and comfortable, best in stone or olive for a suit worn without a tie.
- Avoid
- Heavyweight worsteds. They fight both the cut and the climate.
Common questions
Relaxed tailoring, answered
What is relaxed tailoring?
A cut with a soft shoulder, a higher trouser rise, and room through the chest and thigh that tapers toward the hem. The defining feature is that the cloth falls away from the body rather than following it closely, which is what makes it wearable in heat.
Is a relaxed suit the same as a bigger suit?
No, and this is the most important distinction. A relaxed cut has a specific shoulder position, rise and taper. A suit that is simply a size too large reads as borrowed. The cut needs accurate measurement to work, which is why it suits made to measure.
Does relaxed tailoring suit every build?
It suits most, and it is particularly good on athletic builds that slim cuts strain across. Very slight builds can be overwhelmed by too much drape, in which case a moderate version — soft shoulder, higher rise, but less volume — is the better answer.
Is a relaxed suit appropriate for conservative offices?
Yes, in a conventional cloth. Navy or charcoal in a tropical or high-twist wool reads as entirely professional. The relaxation is in the construction and the drape rather than in the formality.
What rise should the trousers have?
Higher than the low-rise cuts of the past decade — sitting at or near the natural waist. That lengthens the leg line, keeps the shirt from pulling out when you sit, and lets the trouser drape properly from the hip.
How long does a made-to-measure suit take?
Four to six weeks. One appointment to choose cloth and take measurements, then a second visit to collect. Alterations are handled in-house by our master tailor.
Four to six weeks
Book with Patrick or Austin
Try a relaxed and a slim cut side by side. It’s a five-minute decision.
Book with PatrickBook with Austin
100 S. West Street, Arlington, Texas 76010
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · Closed Sunday
(817) 265-1116