In the era of sweatpants and remote work, the suit has become somewhat of a rarity, and the quality and formality of the stragglers have steadily fallen. Walk through London’s financial district on a Monday morning and you will scarcely find a single tie, with the money men running to their offices in off-the-rack jackets, cheap shoes, and ill-fitting shirts. But it needn’t be this way. Unlike any other item, a fitted suit is both a second skin, a suit of armor, and a mark of pride. They’re comfortable, beautiful, and show that you care, more than almost any other item. And yet, despite caring so much about men’s dress, I’d never owned a fitted suit.

The legacy of Brooks Brothers is that affordable blazers are readily available everywhere, offering “good enough” quality at unbeatable prices, and — in our new casual era — the perception is that these are good enough. Plus, fitted suits are both too expensive and too old-fashioned for the modern man. Right?

It was within this context that I stepped into a Suitsupply on London’s Regent Street, to be measured for my made-to-measure suit and choose my options. Suitsupply offers a diverse range of ready-to-wear suits and has become a go-to destination for men’s wedding-ready attire. Despite being a weekday afternoon, the store was packed with such people.

However, their made-to-measure service is what sets them apart, offering classic tailoring without the high starting price or sartorial stuffiness.

The process of ordering a made-to-measure suit with Suitsupply is fun and easy, involving two appointments at one of their many boutiques. My hour-long appointment with the tailor, Harrison, began with selecting exactly what my suit would be. There are three base styles, in single-breasted form by default, but I have never owned a double-breasted suit, so I favored that look. From here, the options are extensive. How many buttons would you like, and in what material and color? What style of sleeve would you like? What about the pockets? Would you like your blazer to be fully-lined, half-lined, butterfly-lined, or unlined? And what about the shoulders, lapel, collar felt, or monogram? And that’s just the jacket.

And then there are the booklets of fabric, which are updated every season. There are your classic gray, black, or blue cottons, but also linen and wool, as well as herringbone and stripes, and a whole spectrum of colors. Although the brand’s marketing focuses on a kind of youthful, lifestyle suit — slim, bright-colored, and light — I opted for their take on something a bit more old-fashioned. I chose a four-button double-breasted suit, with quarter lining, in a beautiful dark brown Zegna traveler wool fabric. This is among the more premium fabric options, and it looks it — it’s a brown-over-black weave that darkly shimmers between those shades in the light, and is wearable in all seasons. It’s perhaps the most beautiful fabric I’ve ever seen, and only more so in the final suit than in the sample.

Part of the reason I’m so happy with my choices is that Harrison was there to guide me through them, asking what the suit would be used for and what look I preferred, and generally ensuring that I wouldn’t regret the final item. He’d worked for other British tailoring brands, and beyond his affable store manner, part of what you’re paying for is his taste. Yes, you can configure a tasteless suit on the site, but if you’re in the store, being guided by Harrison, that order isn’t getting placed.

The second part of the appointment involves classic measurements, pinning sample items, and here, choosing how slim, long, and otherwise you would like your suit to be. Again, befitting a classic style, I went for a slouchier, high-waisted fit, but this can be adjusted later on. Amidst strength training and dieting, my body has changed significantly over the past year, and I was aware of this. What’s the point of a fitted suit that no longer fits you? However, the suit can be altered to be slimmer or wider, as needed, and every suit comes with alterations in its first six months. And, if your body doesn’t change too much, your measurements are stored in a profile on Suitsupply’s system, allowing you to easily order another suit with the exact fit, without needing new measurements.

Altogether, it was a lovely way to spend an hour or so, and I was told to come back in three or so weeks when the suit was ready. During that second appointment, you collect the suit, but you can also have any adjustments made as needed. However, Harrison had done a magnificent job, and my suit fit perfectly, looking even better than I had hoped. It’s elegant, classic, yet not old-fashioned at all, and looks as good with a white T-shirt as it does with a cream sweater or a white shirt.

With the fabric and tailoring choices I made, this is still an expensive suit, at more than $1,200, but it’s not comparable to a ready-to-wear suit. And, from looking at it, you’d think it cost many multiples of its sticker price. For example, a ready-to-wear brown Zegna suit costs significantly more, and that won’t fit as well, nor is it made to your specifications. Additionally, if you opt for less fancy options, their custom suits start at just over $700, making made-to-measure suits accessible without sacrificing quality.

I feel like the best version of myself wearing it, whether in a job interview, having a night out at the theater, or just wandering around London — particularly when it looks better than every suit I pass.