How Much Does a Tailored Suit Cost in Australia?

1. Off the rack

A ready-made suit in standard sizes. You choose the size closest to your build and wear it as it comes. Prices range widely, from entry-level suits to premium labels in fine wool. The best off-the-rack suits are made by houses that understand tailoring, and on the right body they look superb.

Best for: men with a fairly standard build, tight timelines, and anyone dressing a whole wedding party consistently.

2. Off the rack, then altered

The same ready-made suit with adjustments: trousers hemmed, sleeves shortened, the waist taken in. This is how most well-dressed men actually buy suits. Simple alterations usually add somewhere between a few tens of dollars and a couple of hundred, depending on how much work is involved.

Best for: most men. A good off-the-rack suit with the sleeves and trousers set properly is the best value in menswear.

3. Made to Measure

A suit made from an established pattern, adjusted to your measurements and posture, in the cloth and details you choose: lapel width, buttons, lining, pockets, sometimes a monogram. It isn’t drafted from scratch the way bespoke is, but it fits far better than standard sizes and lets you design the suit.

At Tramps, Made to Measure starts from around $899. It’s by appointment: the first visit takes about 30 to 45 minutes to choose the cloth and details and take your measurements, and the suit takes around four to six weeks from fitting to collection.

Best for: men who are hard to fit off the rack (broad shoulders, long arms, athletic builds, a drop between chest and waist the standard sizes don’t allow for), grooms, and anyone who wants a suit that’s unmistakably theirs.

4. Bespoke

A pattern drafted from scratch for one person, with multiple fittings as the suit is built, much of it by hand. It’s the most personal and the most expensive option, often running from several thousand dollars upward, and it usually takes months.

Best for: the man who wants the ultimate in fit and craft, and is happy to invest the time.

Whichever route you take, the same factors move the price up or down.

The cloth

The single biggest factor. A wool from a respected mill, with a finer yarn and a better finish, costs more and wears better. It drapes, recovers from creases and lasts. Blends and synthetics cost less but don’t breathe or age as well. For an Australian climate, a mid-weight wool that breathes is the most versatile choice.

The construction

How the front of the jacket is built makes a real difference.

• Fused: the layers are bonded with heat-activated glue. It’s quicker and cheaper to make, and can feel a little stiff.
• Half-canvas: a layer of canvas runs through the chest and lapels, so the jacket moulds to you over time and the lapel rolls naturally. The sweet spot for quality and value.
• Full canvas: canvas through the whole front. The most traditional, the most comfortable over years, and the most expensive.

The work

The more of the suit that’s cut and finished for you, and by hand, the more it costs. Extra fittings, hand-finished buttonholes and more complex patterns all add time, and time is the cost.

The details

Extra trousers, a vest for a three-piece, a special lining, a monogram or unusual buttons each add a little. A second pair of trousers is worth considering: trousers wear faster than jackets, and a spare pair doubles the suit’s life.

• Off the rack: walk out the same day.
• Off the rack, altered: typically days to a couple of weeks, depending on the alterations.
• Made to Measure: at Tramps, around four to six weeks from fitting to collection.
• Bespoke: usually several months, with multiple fittings.

If the suit is for a date in the diary (a wedding, an awards night) work back from it and leave a buffer.

Made to Measure earns its price when:

• Off-the-rack suits never quite fit. If you always need big alterations, you’re paying to fix a suit that wasn’t cut for you.
• It’s for a wedding. You’ll be photographed in it all day, and you’ll wear it for years afterwards.
• You want something specific. A particular cloth, colour or detail you can’t find ready-made.
• You’ll wear it a lot. A suit worn every week costs very little per wear when it’s good.

If you have a standard build and need one versatile navy suit, a quality off-the-rack suit, fitted properly, is often all you need. Have a look at our suits and blazers.

Whatever you spend, the suit lasts longer if you look after it.

• Hang it on a shaped hanger with room around it.
• Brush it after wearing and let it rest a day before wearing it again.
• Steam out creases rather than ironing.
• Dry clean sparingly: once or twice a season, not after every wear.
• Rotate two suits if you wear one most days.