How To Look Dapper Without Breaking The Bank: Let a Bespoke Suit By JE&Co Bring Out The Gentleman In YouÂ
There are a few things every man should own in life and a bespoke suit is definitely one of them. If you now think that bespoke tailoring is only for the super-rich, celebrities, and Englishmen with funny accents then let me introduce you to J.E.&Co, who can make you look dapper without breaking the bank. Intrigued? Read on to find out more!
Clothes shopping, men’s style.
Tugged away at the corner of Malingap and Mahiyain streets in Teacher’s Village, QC, lies J.E.&Co Haberdashery and Fine Gentleman’s Shop, where proprietor Johann Ebarle is in pursuit of his mission to make the men of Manila dress better and look more stylish. He does so by offering bespoke suits, Barongs, and accessories of great quality and craftsmanship, but without the bank account breaking price tag often found on tailor made clothes. What he does offer instead is an atmosphere and a shopping experience that makes you want to come back for more.
Made to measure means taking your time and paying attention to detail.Â
Gone are the days when you had to walk around dreary department stores or flashy designer outlets while commission hunting sales assistants happily told you how great a garment looked on you as long as its price tag was high. Instead, you get to meet and deal with Johann himself, and you can discuss all the details, and choose the fabric and style of your purchase over a glass of fine whiskey. This is the type of shopping trip I could certainly get used to.
The result: classic and effortless style.
To properly illustrate the way a custom tailored suit will elevate you into the higher echelons of style, and to showcase the quality produced by Johann and his men, we grabbed 2013 Lateral Drift Amateur Division Champion and current Pro Division drift car driver Mark Bernardo and had him fitted with a beautiful tailor made suit before placing him in and around a stunning looking MK1 Escort. The resulting picture series nicely demonstrates why a suit from J.E.&Co can easily keep up with, if not surpass, anything you see inside the glitzy designer stores of Metro Manila. Unlike the wares for sale in those stores, however, this is tailor made fashion you can actually afford.
On the pricing front, things are pretty straight forward: A bespoke two piece suit starts at PHP14,000, while a three piece version books in at around PHP16,000, and the range of custom tailored Barongs starts at around PHP10,000. The tailor made suits worn by Mark and myself during our photo shoot both carry a PHP14,000 price tag, with Mark’s being a stylish navy blue ensemble while I opted for something I always wanted to call my own: a classic, razor sharp pinstripe pairing.
Mark Bernardo and yours truly looking like The Sweeney in Manila.Â
So why should you spend a reasonable amount of money on a suit like this? There are a number of reasons. Firstly, a tailor made suit makes you look the part. You can very easily tell the difference between off the rack and tailor made, and what’s even more important: you can feel the difference as well. Style is not just about what you wear, but also how it makes you feel when you wear it, and how that affects the way you present yourself as a result. I guarantee you that wearing a bespoke suit will lift your confidence to a higher level. One where you want to swagger into the nearest sports car dealership and demand to test drive their finest motor car, simply so you can see their reactions (which most likely will be in the form of someone starting to look for the keys and readying a sales contract).
Secondly, it lets you get exactly what you want. Pick your color, your fabric, your cut, and your accessories. Get it to look exactly the way you want it to. No compromise. This is made for you. It fits you, and only you. Let other men create the sea of grey suited mediocrity in your office, while you stand out and get noticed.
Lastly, it’s an investment in yourself, and it’s not actually that expensive. A good quality off-the-rack suit from a department store will quite easily come close to, if not cost more than the prices charged by Johann, and that still only gets you something that wasn’t really made with you in mind. Start going to the shinier shops with British or Italian sounding names and the price for a two piece outfit at J.E.&Co will probably just about buy you a belt, nevermind a suit. This small gentleman’s shop provides you with a good value investment for the important events in your life. From your job interview to looking the part at work, right up to getting married and looking a million dollars when you walk down the aisle. At some point you will need a suit, and when you do, make sure it’s one that makes you look your best. Â
Of course, having a suit or barong made to measure means you can’t take it home on your first visit to the shop, with at least two fittings usually being required to get it all perfect. Once you do receive your new suit, though, you will be joining a growing list of discerning gentlemen, celebrities and other dignitaries who have discovered that this small shop in Quezon City is the go-to address when it comes to stylish menswear.Â
JE&Co Haberdashery and Fine Gentleman’s Shop
49 Malingap St. cor Mahiyain St.Â
Teacher’s Village, Quezon City
Phone: 0917-8032337
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeandcoÂ
Instagram: @jeandco
How To Look Dapper Without Breaking The Bank: Let a Bespoke Suit By JE&Co Bring Out The Gentleman In You
