Finally open to the public, Suit Supply’s new Shanghai flagship on Anfu Lu is a stunningly renovated maison filled with stylish young gents wearing three-piece suits, cravats and knitted ties. Brightly coloured and impeccably styled (as you’d expect), the three-storey shop offers a full range of menswear from smart-casual all the way up to evening dress.
But Suit Supply really prides itself as standing out from the crowd on its comprehensive tailoring services. While the first floor is packed with ready-to-wear pieces, follow the bright checkerboarded walls up the wide wooden staircase, and you’ll reach the tailoring hub. Cue plenty of sofas and polite, polished-looking staff with tape measures around their necks, ready to talk through your stitching needs. There’s a seamstress working away in a separate room on our first visit, occupied with the preliminary makings of a suit.
A made-to-measure suit can vary wildly in price, but it’s safe to start with around 6,400RMB in mind. Suit Supply isn’t the cheapest place in town to get a suit made; but where they might lose out on price, the brand hopes to make it up in service, professionalism and experience.
And it’s hard not to be impressed. We love the spectrum of shades and products available, particularly a choice of slim fit linen jackets in every colour imaginable, including canary yellow, light denim blue, and a deep rustic red (2,980RMB each). Pair them with a navy and blue waistcoat at 580RMB, a purple linen shirt at 850RMB and Brentwood-style red check trousers (1,380RMB) to complete the look.
A full range of shoes are also displayed against a sultry orange back-lit wall, with most priced from 1,980RMB. A pair of timeless brown leather brogues (3,280RMB) catches our eye, while we love a range from Italian designer Antonio Muarizi of slipper-style loafers (from around 1,600RMB a pair), designed specifically for Suit Supply.
This new, vastly expanded branch of Suit Supply is a very welcome and stylish addition to the city, and a must-visit, if only for a snoop around one of the trendiest stores in town. It’s bright, bold and fun, with a fabulous range of tailored menswear and accessories, not to mention some of the most elegant sales staff (and clientele) in town.
By Helen Roxburgh
