One-button suit. Photos provided by Thick As Thieves
As men grow a bit more sophisticated and mature, they want their look to follow. When I look through my closet, I see endless boxes of kicks, stacks of tees and enough denim to outfit my entire block. Let’s get things straight, I’m all about a dope screened tee matched with denim and some killer kicks, but countless men out there are missing an integral piece of their wardrobe. Many men, including myself, feel that suits are formal wear and only worn on special occasions. I’ve recently come to realize that a good sense of style is not something that ceases, but it is a constant development throughout our lifetime. As a follower of fashion and a Los Angeles local, it is my duty to inform the masses on the “fire” that resides here on the west side.
Thick As Thieves menswear brings us the heat in the form of custom tailored suits. With each garment not being mass produced, clients can have their own unique outfit with its own personality. The process that Thick As Thieves follows is very personal with only the clients’ interests in mind. In short, you get what you pay for and more. I recently caught up with Jason from Thick As Thieves and asked him a couple questions.
TheFreshMan: Why the name ‘Thick As Thieves?’
Jason: The name comes from a song by The Jam, a late ’70s mod/punk band that is one of my favorites. It’s also a popular slogan, so in addition to having some significance to me personally, it’s also a fairly well-known phrase that people are already familiar with. People seem to like it so I guess I made a good choice.
TheFreshMan: Did you always make only formal wear?
Jason: I wouldn’t classify it as formal wear per se. I think a suit is a great way to dress casually or socially as well. I think a sign of how well a guy can dress is to dress down a suit so it doesn’t look like he just got off work or from an interview, yet keep the suit within some framework of class. By casual, I definitely do not mean wearing a suit with a t-shirt or sneakers. But the important thing to remember is you always need to dress appropriate for the occasion. So suiting up for a backyard barbecue is not being “well dressed,” but an evening out with the lady or to a nice bar is always a good time to wear a suit, tie optional.
TheFreshMan: How did you get started?
Jason: Just making suits for myself, since I love suits and as you are aware, the cost of a good suit these days is astronomical. I don’t think you can find a well fitting suit at retail for under $1500. So I developed a pattern based on my favorite vintage early ’60s jackets with some modern tweeks and made a suit for myself. I then decided to put it “out there” thinking I’d maybe sell a couple, but the response since I started in 2007 has been great and it seems I get busier and busier each month. I still manage to do this as a side gig in addition to having a day job, which I like, since Thick as Thieves is not a job where I have to hustle the product and sell-sell-sell. I can be completely honest if I don’t think my cut will work for you, since making a sale isn’t my priority.
TheFreshMan: What has been your favorite suit to make and why?
Jason: The one-button suit is my favorite. It has the right amount of classic mixed with edge. It definitely does not look like a suit a middle manager would wear to a day job. In terms of client jobs, one fellow from San Francisco has bought about six or seven suits as well as trousers and separate jackets. He likes edgier cuts and I’ve really liked his choices since they are out of the two- button cut, gray fabric norm. He’s also the first to buy my version of the varsity letterman jacket which I think is one of the best things I’ve come up with.
One-button Navy Flannel suit
One-button Tweed Suit
TheFreshMan: What are common things that your clients, or men in general, are naive about when it comes to formal wear?
Jason: Three common issues:
1. There’s no such thing as “the perfect fit.” I cringe when someone emails saying they are looking for this “perfect fit.” The reason is because perception factors hugely into how you think a garment should fit. You get 10 guys, all same build and size, make them all the same suit and some will think it’s too tight, some too loose, and for some it’s perfect. True, at some point you can achieve YOUR perfect fit, but rarely does that happen on the first try.
2. The relationship in length of shirt sleeves and jacket sleeves. Most guys wear their sleeves too long (shirt and jacket). When you make a jacket with sleeves that are the correct length (stops at wrist bone and shows .25″-.5″ of shirt cuff), oftentimes you hear the guy say the sleeves are too short, when in reality the shirt sleeve is too long (oftentimes ending halfway down the palm). The shirt and jacket need to be in sync with each other, otherwise the fit looks off.
3. Inseam. Most guys wear their trousers too long as well. A half break should be the longest your trouser legs goes, although I prefer no break myself. But when a client provides his inseam, I’d say 80% of the time I can tell it’s too long, but at least that is the easiest part to alter.
TheFreshMan: So what’s next for your company?
Jason: Just to keep producing a good product. The cut is constantly being tweeked here and there with other minor changes that hopefully make the fit better for everyone. I get asked a lot if I want to make this a full-time job, but the way I see it is the business has to grow “organically.” I don’t believe in forcing growth just for the sake of ego and to have your name out there. If I kept the current workload I have for the next 10 years I couldn’t ask for anything more. In a lot of ways this is my version of having a punk rock band. It’s basically a one-man army with a lot of do-it-yourself dynamics. I keep my pricing low by not having a big overhead, not being greedy (my own markup is very low), and as long as I’m not losing money and making a small bit, I’ll keep doing this.
