I realize now I neglected to review the process.

Back in February, I met Bobby Garia for my tailoring appointment at his hotel. There in the room, he had maybe 10 books laid out with various fabrics in varying price ranges. After getting measured, I flipped through and ended up selecting material for a suit as well as two pairs of pants. When it came to the selection, he handed me the moderately priced material binder. At first I was a little frustrated because I had heard rumors of the cheaper suits, and ultimately I had to ask to see them. After getting my hands on those books, I was no longer frustrated. It was pretty evident from the samples that the material was not one you'd select for a custom fit suit.

To his credit, Bobby was not an up-seller, other than asking me if I wanted to buy a shirt or two (which I declined). I never felt pushed or pressured to buy anything or upgrade anything, but I will say I went in there knowing I was going to buy. It would be a little awkward to go through the measuring process and material hunt one-on-one with him and not buy anything, so I wouldn't make an appointment if you're not really in the market.

As for options, Bobby was willing to do whatever you wanted. Pants could be fully lined, and you could select canvassing or fussing for the coats. You could pick accents for eyelets and buttons. I didn't ask about custom button placement, but I bet you could get him to cascade them if you wanted. You select the vent, the pockets, the lapel, and on the pants the fit and break, as well as any pleating if you want it.

After selecting my suit and pants material, I left. Bobby e-mailed me an invoice, and that was that. It was a good experience, very professional, and very accommodating.

Fast forward about two months to when the clothes arrived. Out of the box, the workmanship was pretty self-evident. I loved that the pants had a subtle rubberized inner strip inside the waistband to help keep your shirt tucked. The pants were also hemmed double stitched with kick tape, which was a very nice surprise. Basically going to last forever. I also really like the way they were cut. Not so tight as to choke my legs to death, but definitely a trimmed look that's also comfortable.

The suit was the real winner. It came out of the shipping box fitting perfectly, and is easily my best looking suit. The stitching on the shoulders and inside is excellent, and the pockets inside the coat are built in to the structure of the jacket, which I like. Really, it's an exceptional suit, and I love wearing it.

Anyway, I hope this helps. It's on par or slightly cheaper than what you'd pay at a nice department store for dress pants, except the quality is far superior. No, it's not the cheapest option out there for suits, but I think it's superior to Brooks Brothers, and certainly anything you would find at Jos A Bank or a place like that. It's a really good value for what you actually get in your closet.

He's back August 20-22 in Dallas, and I'm thinking I might go order more pants at least. I recommend checking him out if you're in the market.