Bangkok · Established 2011
Tuxedos cut to your measurements
A dinner suit made to your measurements at BTS National Stadium. Lapel facing, the details the dress code asks for, two fittings, 2-3 days.
A tuxedo is not a black suit. It is defined by three things — a faced lapel, a braided trouser and no belt — and a dark suit with a bow tie is none of them. Cut to your own measurements here, the same bespoke tailoring as the rest of the shop — two fittings, two to three days on the bench.
01
What makes it a tuxedo
Five details make a dinner suit a tuxedo rather than a dark suit:
- A faced lapel. Silk, grosgrain or satin laid over the lapel. This is the single thing that separates a dinner jacket from a dark suit.
- A braid down the trouser. A strip of the same facing material along the outside seam.
- No belt loops. Dinner trousers are worn with side adjusters or braces, never a belt.
- Covered buttons on the jacket, matching the facing.
- A covered waist — cummerbund or waistcoat — for a single-breasted jacket.
The faced lapel comes in three shapes:
| Lapel | What it is | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Shawl | One unbroken curved lapel | The most formal and the most traditional |
| Peak | Points rising towards the shoulder | Formal, and the safest modern choice |
| Notch | The step you see on an ordinary suit | The least formal, and the one purists argue about |
The lapel
Shawl and peak are the two correct lapels for a dinner jacket. A notch lapel is made and worn widely, and it is also the detail that makes a tuxedo read as a black suit in photographs. If you want one garment that is unambiguously black tie, choose shawl or peak.
The facing
The facing is the material laid over the lapel, and it is what catches evening light. Grosgrain is ribbed and matt; satin is smooth and reflective. Under a photographer’s flash, satin does considerably more.
The trousers
One braid down the outside seam, no belt loops, and side adjusters or braces to hold them. No turn-ups. The trouser is where a half-made tuxedo usually gives itself away.
02
Cloth and facing
Black or midnight blue, and midnight blue is the older answer: under artificial light it reads as a deeper black than black does, which is why it has survived a century of fashion. The Bangkok question is weight, because a dinner jacket is worn indoors in the evening and usually through a long dinner. Lighter cloth is cooler and creases sooner; heavier cloth holds its press across an evening. The books on the table are Sirano, Cavani, Luiciano and Lord & Taylor. Weight is a decision to make with your hand on the cloth.
03
The details the code asks for
Black tie is a set of conventions rather than a single garment, and most of what goes wrong happens below the jacket: a long tie instead of a bow, a belt, a wing collar worn with the wrong shirt. The black tie dress code sets out what the card is asking for, and bow tie, cummerbund, braces and wing collar goes item by item. If the invitation asks for something above black tie, see morning dress, white tie and the codes above black tie.
04
How long it takes
Two to three days on the bench once the pattern is cut, with two fittings around it — the first on a basted jacket where seams can still be opened, the second on the finished garment. For a fixed date, work backwards three weeks, exactly as for a wedding: dressing a wedding party has that countdown.
05
What it costs
Suits here start from 6,000 THB and run to 22,000 THB in premium cloth, and a dinner suit is quoted against the cloth and the finishing. Bring the invitation and you get a figure before anything is cut. The same applies to how a bespoke suit is ordered here and to tailoring for women if you are dressing a couple. The shop is at BTS National Stadium, exits 3 and 4 — how to find the shop.
Our tuxedo and black-tie work
Questions people ask
- What is the difference between a tuxedo and a black suit?
- Three things: a faced lapel in silk, grosgrain or satin, a braid down the outside of the trouser, and no belt loops. A dark suit worn with a bow tie has none of them and reads as a dark suit in every photograph. The facing is the decisive detail, because it is what catches evening light. Covered buttons matching the facing are the fourth tell, and they are the detail most often missed on a jacket sold as a dinner jacket.
- Shawl, peak or notch lapel?
- Shawl and peak are the two correct lapels for a dinner jacket, shawl being the most traditional and peak the safest modern choice. Notch is made and worn widely, and it is also the detail that makes a tuxedo photograph as an ordinary black suit. If you want one garment that is unambiguously black tie, avoid notch. Decide it at the order with the cloth in front of you, because the lapel is built into the jacket and cannot be changed afterwards.
- Black or midnight blue?
- Midnight blue is the older answer and still the better one. Under artificial light it reads as a deeper black than black cloth does, which is exactly the light a dinner jacket is worn in. Black is never wrong. If you are choosing between them in daylight in the shop, remember you will be seen in neither. Look at both under artificial light rather than by the window, since that is the light the garment will actually be worn in.
- Can I wear a belt with dinner trousers?
- No. Dinner trousers are made without belt loops and are held by side adjusters or braces, and the waist is then covered by a cummerbund or a waistcoat with a single-breasted jacket. A belt under an open jacket is one of the few black tie mistakes that everyone in the room recognises. Braces need buttons inside the waistband, so ask for them at the order rather than after the trousers are made.
- How long does a tuxedo take to make?
- Two to three days on the bench once the pattern is cut, with two fittings around it: the first on a basted jacket where seams can still be opened and moved, the second on the finished garment. For a fixed date, work backwards three weeks so the fittings sit a week apart. Say what the event is and when, and the timetable is planned backwards from the date rather than forwards from the visit.
- Do I need a cummerbund or a waistcoat?
- With a single-breasted dinner jacket, yes, one or the other: the convention is that the waist is covered. A double-breasted jacket is not worn open, so it needs neither. Which of the two you choose is comfort and climate, and in Bangkok a cummerbund is the cooler of them by a clear margin. A cummerbund is worn with the pleats facing up, which is the detail people get wrong more often than the choice itself.
- What cloth weight suits Bangkok for a tuxedo?
- A dinner jacket is worn indoors in the evening, usually through a long dinner, so the trade is between a lighter cloth that is cooler and creases sooner and a heavier one that holds its press. Make that decision with your hand on the cloth. Handle two cloths side by side and the difference is obvious within seconds, which is faster than any description of it.
- What does a tuxedo cost?
- Suits here start from 6,000 THB and run to 22,000 THB in premium cloth; a dinner suit is quoted on its own, against the cloth and the finishing. Bring the invitation, and you have the exact figure before anything is cut. A dinner jacket carries more hand finishing at the lapel and the trouser than an ordinary suit, which is where the difference in the figure comes from.
4.8 from 22 reviews on Google
What a customer said
5 out of 5 stars
Had a very good experience having my first ever suit made by The Loft Tailors. Since we were just transiting via Bangkok during the start and end of our trip, wasn't sure if it was enough time to have a suit made. Turns out, it is possible with the Loft Tailors! ☺️ They were very professional and transparent with the process. Also very easy to get in touch with and very responsive.
Visit the shop
BTS National Stadium Station Exit 3 & 4, Rama I Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330.Open 10am to 9pm, every day.