"A well tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men." – H.M. Cole

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“A well tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men.” – H.M. Cole

on February 27 | in Business Spotlight, Fashion, Issue 15 | by John Hand | with No Comments

“A well tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men.”

The menswear clothing business has exploded in the last 18 months! Finally, venturing into richer and more luxe colors outside of black, blues, and greys combined with patterns far beyond pinstripes. Menswear has come into its own with a personality of great diversity. There really is a bit of everything for everyone, from the ultra conservative to the more avant garde/adventuresome man.

The Birth of H.M. Cole

H.M. Cole was created by four founders in 2012. Two of the founders are brothers from Colorado Springs…so, H.M. Cole has strong ties to Colorado and the west. It is this factor that gives them great insight to how uniqueness of the this market. They noticed the broadening market and decided to get into the custom tailored clothing market for every man. This was borne out of each of the founders’ own personal body structure and lack of solid tailored clothing options.

They focused on the tall or athletic segments of the market (being that two of the founders are 6’3-plus and another having an athletic build).

Once their target markets were established, they researched then sourced some of the world’s best time-tested mills from Europe to Asia.

Customized to Fit You

For example: Erenemagildo Zegna, Dormeuil, Vitale Barberis Canonico, Drago, Allen Edmunds for American made shoes, and Callaway golf to name just a few. After the fabric, the next key element is the construction of the garment. Each item of the order is hand cut to the 30-point body measurement by the master tailor. First, he lays out the fabric and does the points of the measurements, then in chalk, lines out the pattern. It is at this time, with his vast knowledge, that he can make minor adjustments to ensure a proper fit/final product. Once this is done, it moves onto the sewing phase, where the garment is quality control checked throughout the process another five times before a final quality control check prior to shipment. How long does this extensive process take? From time of meeting with your H.M. Cole stylist to delivery is 4 to 6 weeks. When your garment(s) arrives, they are 98% ready to go on your body (at most, a minor alteration possible of nipping in the waist or adjustment of the hem).

Your Choice, Your Style

“The vast array of personalized options you can select from are awe-inspiring.”

Cuff and collar styles on shirts, lapel styles and widths, two- or three-button suits, and double-breasted suits or blazers to name a few. Not to omit, if you have seen a specific color or detail on a tailored clothing article that is what you desire. Then the style consultant will forward that to the tailoring facility along with your order and they can/will create that item from the picture.

Personal Attention and Detail

“The personalize attention of working with H. M. Cole for your wardrobe is the one-on-one interaction and attention to detail each client receives.”

Not some app you plug in your hopeful guesses on measurements of your body then a theorized matrix of a pattern that is “sorta” near your numbers. An actual style consultant comes to you at your convenience. They discuss what your goals and style perimeters are and filter that into the best end product for you now and for the future. Your concerns of colors, patterns, textures, or fabric are addressed at this time.

The Price Tag

“Okay, so you are intrigued by all the personal service and great fabric houses H. M. Cole has to offer, but the question that you have now is this has to be extremely pricey. Well, I too guessed that at the onset of researching H. M Cole…but I was PLEASANTLY surprised.”

They offer first-tier of suits at $599 and edge up to middle tier of $899, a separates collection of sport coat/slacks at $699, and into the luxury range of Viatale Barberis Cananico $999-$1299, Drago $1599, Dormeuil $2000, or Zegna $2999.
Keep in mind that the average “off the rack” suit runs from $795 to $975..then you have to alter to fit your body. Why not just have a well-tailored suit or sport coat created for you? Punctuate your next tailor clothing purchase to you.

H.M. Cole: The Quest For Master Tailors

Yes, these superb tailored clothing pieces are made in Asia. But the final decision for the tailoring facility’s location was painstakingly resourced in China and Europe to name a few premier master tailoring facilities.

This is due to lost art of fine tailoring skill set here in the United States.

The tailors that practiced this art of the late 19th and 20th centuries are gone and their children had different visions of their lives, as they were first generation Americans. So, they quickly focused on the American Dream.

Sure, we all have heard of the stories of custom-tailored clothes from Asia. Some were exciting and others below par.

The difference here with an H.M. Cole suit is this: Daniel McConkie immersed himself in the Thai culture while on a religious mission. Daniel lived, ate, and absorbed the Thai culture—right down to speaking, reading, and writing Thai…which is expedient on his numerous trips to Asia to monitor the tailoring facility and research new possible sources to expand to the repertoire currently offered. That within itself demonstrates to me the level of commitment that is a keystone in Daniel and his brother’s lives that are tightly woven into the company of H.M. Cole.

It is this core value that is a conduit to the personal relationship between an H.M. Cole style consultant and the client. Your wardrobe is an extremely personal statement of who you are…not some clone of XYZ store. This is why a H.M. Cole has a return client basis of 94.3 percent. So, they must be treating their clients to not only a fine custom-tailored article for their wardrobe, but also with a laser beam focus on customer service.

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