Is Proper Cloth the Real Deal? I Ordered a Suit to Find Out

I’ve always been known as the “fashion guy” amongst several circles I run in.

It doesn’t matter if we’re bouncing around town, celebrating an exciting new promotion, or spending a full day hiking new trails. I always show out on the apparel front.

Except when it comes to suits.

See, it’s no fault of my own. The times have changed. No longer is showing up to the office in a suit à la Madmen a requirement for continued employment, and it’s not like there’s a bespoke clothier on every corner like there used to be.

I do carry the blame for always skimping out on suits. Thanks to a combination of apathy and impatience, an unmotivated trip to department stores preceded homecoming, weddings, and interviews. Forget about getting anything hemmed, either.

A recent move to Europe with a job hunt on the horizon has presented itself as a potent baptism by fire to change my indifferent ways. After doing some research, remote suitmaker Proper Cloth seemed like an ideal candidate to usher me into wearing a suit with pride.

I decided to open the doors to my closet and let them in.

Knowing that I always want to look my best, I don’t want to break the bank, and that I’m ordering from overseas, here’s how they stack up in terms of value, quality, and convenience.

What Is Proper Cloth?

Seph Skerritt, armed with enough grit to make up for his lack of apparel industry know-how, founded Proper Cloth in 2008 with the simple mission of growing it into a leading men’s fashion brand.

Only dealing in shirts at first, the NYC-based brand has since expanded its assortment to offer just about everything a man needs for any endeavor where looking polished is a must. Spare for shoes, Proper Cloth offers outerwear, sweaters, shirting, ties, pocket squares, belts, and anything else that falls under the ‘soft goods’ apparel category.

Similar to competitors such as Suitsupply and Bonobos, Proper Cloth maintains a considerable array of straightforward garments off the rack—polo shirts, vests, and quarter zip sweaters, for example. Convenient? Absolutely, but the Midas touch behind Proper Cloth is their customization service for suits, tuxedos, and sport coats.

Whether you use one of four at-home sizing methods or visit a showroom in Chicago, Washington D.C., or NYC, there are plenty of ways to get the perfect fit regardless of where a man calls home. Once an order is placed, the garments are made in Vietnam and typically take 17 to 22 days to arrive.

Naturally, tailoring to a T doesn’t result in perfection on the first pass, especially with at-home sizing.

Proper Cloth generously offers a ‘perfect fit guarantee,’ meaning you can take it to your own tailor (they’ll credit you for it up to a certain amount based on the garment type), have them fix or remake it, or just send it back for a full refund as long as you haven’t already made any alterations.

Things to Consider Before Buying

I can speak for all men when I say we’ve been in a suit scramble before homecoming or your best mate’s wedding.

Proper Cloth’s turnaround time is indeed swift, considering it’s made overseas and shipped to your door. With that being said, the degree of customization Proper Cloth offers demands a generous lead time if you plan on debuting your personalized masterpiece at an important event. Based on my experience, give yourself 2.5 months, accounting for one resize.

My Hands-On Review

Customization

Forget about the fact that I’m on a job hunt in fashion, Madrileños live up to Europe’s stereotype of having well-dressed inhabitants. I wanted a suit that was undoubtedly a cut above the rest while maintaining some degree of conservatism.

With a flapped ticket pocket design, 1.75” cuffed trousers, and lightweight fabric, the Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit stood as the only choice to show out during Madrid’s notoriously oppressive summers.

That isn’t to say it couldn’t go without my own stylistic and functional infusions. Based on my needs, I requested the following modifications across hundreds of customization options:

• A half-canvassed interior to balance between structure and breathability (summer highs hover around 96℉)
• Adjustable side bands over belt loops, as I’m a big fan of the style, and they aren’t nearly as common
• No pleats instead of single or double
• Light brown horn buttons
• My initials embroidered on the inside pocket

One thing I really appreciated about customizing this suit was that many of the more involved modifications didn’t come with added fees. I could’ve chosen double pleats or tweaked the pocket layout without the price creeping up—a rare thing in the world of made-to-measure.

There is an upcharge for some bigger upgrades, like a fully canvased interior (about $100 extra), but that makes sense given the added materials and labor. Overall, it didn’t feel like I was getting nickel and dimed just for making the suit my own.

If you’ve ever gawked at the cost of upgrading to rubber floor mats when buying a new car, you know how good this feels.

Sizing

For me, nothing beats face-to-face, hands-on expertise. And while I’d love nothing more than to stop into Proper Cloth’s gorgeous SoHo showroom, doing so from Madrid solely for a suit is as easy as it is economical. I had to pick from one of five remote sizing methods.

1. Starting with a standard jacket size and tweaking the dimensions.
2. Having Proper Cloth send me two standard-size jackets at home to see which feels best.
3. Mailing one of my best-fitting jackets to their New York team to measure and save to my custom size profile.
4. Using their ‘Smart Sizes’ questionnaire about my body and fit preferences, and let some computer wizardry do the rest.
5. Entering my dimensions—whether they’re legitimate or plain guesswork.

It’s established that I’m short on suits with a proper fit, so #3 is out of the question. I’m admittedly impatient, so I wasn’t stoked on #2 either. Finally, I wanted some degree of real-world expertise on the matter, so I took matters into the hands of a local sastreria here in Madrid and paid the fine gentleman 10 euros for taking my measurements and loading them into my profile.

Four short weeks later, my Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit arrived in a navy garment bag, clinging to a branded wooden hanger. Freebies to be expected with a custom suit, but welcomed nonetheless.

First time around? The trousers were exactly what I had envisioned: A slight taper through the leg with enough room to cross legs with ease and an inseam that falls just above a pair of loafers. Casual and tailored elements in harmony.

The jacket, on the other hand, was a swing and a miss. This isn’t the fault of Proper Cloth. I got my measurements done locally in Spain, and despite having carefully articulated the fit I was after, the idea didn’t live through the result.

The midsection ended up being a touch too tight, thus missing the relaxed fit I was after. Both armpits also lacked enough wiggle room to provide me with mobility.

I placed my suit back in its bag, hopped online, and immediately got in touch with one of their style experts in New York. He instructed me to take pictures of myself wearing the suit with an emphasis on the ill-fitting areas. No sooner than 24 hours later did I have a detailed email of what dimensions are getting tweaked and a confirmation email for the next suit.

Resolving purchase issues with a real human feels like something of a bygone age. Props to Proper Cloth for keeping the art of genuine customer service alive.

Fit

Even though it took two attempts to get the suit to agree with my frame, I was more than pleased with the process.

However, a necessary distinction must be addressed: a suit that wears comfortably doesn’t equate to a flattering fit—the name of the tailoring game. After strolling Madrid’s winding narrows and stopping for countless tapas along the way, here’s my verdict on the Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit and how it feels scaled to my 1-of-1 physique.

Teeing off with the jacket, I would say it fits like a glove, but I didn’t want a jacket cut to every contour. I wanted something moderately slim, relaxed through the torso, and enough room through the sleeves to comfortably sport a sweater under it during the wintertime.

The tailors over at Proper Cloth delivered.

Having chosen side tabs over belt loops, a proper fit around the waist is crucial when you can’t resort to a belt to keep the waistline where it needs to be.

With my wide hips, thick legs, and taller-than-average stature, shopping for pre-made dress pants is discouraging to say the least. The made-to-measure construction of the Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit pants was obvious on the first wear.

Having gone with side tabs over belt loops means I can’t resort to a belt to keep things in place. These, however, fit snugly around my waist without the need to tighten each side. The seat, crotch, and leg proportions are all in lockstep for a relaxed yet polished ensemble.

With my desired dimensions, the essense European tailoring is there. Relaxed and easygoing with an silhouette that can goes from Madrid boardroom discussions to seaside vermouth. 

Quality

The Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit, without any crazy modifications, ran me almost $1100 out the door. For a fully tailored suit, that’s a bargain—as long as it’s made to last.

When shopping around for this suit, Proper Cloth’s fabric sourcing was encouraging. Inexpensive mall suits tend to hide their no-name, generic materials, but each suit’s product page lists which mill designed the fabric and which country it was spun in.

As I mentioned earlier, the Drago Mill hails from Italy—the gold standard for European suiting textiles. The 100% wool Solaro fabric, originally designed for British soldiers to endure high temperatures, balances breathability and structure in a way that’s perfect for a Mediterranean climate without having to spring for a fabric reserved for summer styling like linen.

A Drago patch sewn to the inside pocket is also a thoughtful detail that, in addition, implies a confident partnership.

While most of my old suit jackets started shedding buttons within a few wears, that hasn’t been the case here. Every button feels firmly anchored, and both the jacket and trousers came with a few extras just in case.

Proper Cloth allows customers to order fabric samples for customers looking to design the perfect shirt. For suiting fabrics, customers in the lower 48 and Canada can pay a $100 deposit for a book that contains them all.

This could be an issue if you’re unfamiliar with how GSM, weave, and material contribute to a suit’s experience. Or, like me, you don’t live in the US or Canada. In any case, I lucked out in my blind faith.

The stitching throughout the suit is clean and tightly done, with no fraying or skipped seams. That said, I did notice a handful of loose threads on the jacket that I trimmed off. Minor stuff, but I would’ve expected something this noticeable to be addressed before shipping off.

Even after several wears, the structure of the shoulders and lapels has held up without sagging or creasing. That’s especially impressive considering how soft and breathable the Drago Solaro fabric is.

Inside both pieces, there’s a printed tag listing each of my suit’s exact dimensions. It’s such a simple touch, but incredibly useful for reordering, getting alterations, or even using as a reference if I size up or down with another tailor later on.

The pants are finished with a chrome adjuster tab on each side, engraved with Proper Cloth branding. They also feature a YKK zipper fly, which is a good sign for durability. If you know zippers, you know YKK basically runs the world, so no complaints there.

Beyond the outsourced fabric (of which I’m in love with), the overall feel of the suit communicates care. There’s no part of it that feels hastily made or mass-produced, which is exactly what you hope for when going custom. That said, I’m jazzed with what the Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit delivers in exchange for what I paid.

Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit

Lightweight, sharp, and actually breathable, which matters when I’m sweating through summer weddings or tapas marathons. Pair it with loafers and some confidence, and you’re in business. Or at least look like you are.

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What Do Other Reviewers Say?

Both on-site and elsewhere, I saw a lot of customers rave about Proper Cloth’s turnaround time and the fact that their perfect fit guarantee actually feels, well, guaranteed.

What seems to seal the deal for most people is the sheer volume of customization. Lapel style, vent choice, pant pleats, buttons, lining, waistband, even the damn thread color. You can tweak more knobs than you’d think possible on a single suit.

That said, there’s one comment about the Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit that stuck with me. A customer noted the fabric had a shinier finish than expected—something that wasn’t clearly conveyed on the website, and I agree that this sort of detail should be easier to anticipate.

This brings me back to my earlier point: Proper Cloth offers free fabric swatches for shirts, but not for suits. When you’re spending over a grand on a custom piece, being able to see and feel the fabric without putting up $100 would help avoid surprises, no matter how subtle.

What I Like

• The sheer level of customization made the whole process feel like I was designing something truly mine.
• I appreciated that most customizations didn’t tack on extra fees—rare in the world of made-to-measure.
• The online ordering process was smooth and intuitive, even from overseas.
• Proper Cloth’s customer service was fast, human, and actually helpful during the resizing and return process.
• The pants fit perfectly on the first try, which, as someone with thick thighs and a longer frame, never happens.
• The dimension tag stitched inside both pieces is a quiet genius move for future tailoring or reorders.
• Despite being lightweight, the Drago Solaro wool keeps its shape beautifully and wears comfortably in the Madrid heat.

What I Don’t Like

• The jacket arrived with a few loose threads that should’ve been caught in quality control.
• Unlike their shirts, suiting fabric samples require paying a deposit for their swatch book, meaning those without access to a showroom won’t have a clear idea of the fabric’s appearance until they get their first suit otherwise.
• The first jacket fit missed the mark, likely due to imperfect measurement communication, though it was promptly fixed.

Who Is Proper Cloth For?

Proper Cloth is for guys who care about getting the details right without needing to overthink every stitch. If you’ve ever walked out of a store wondering why dress pants never fit quite right through the seat and thigh, this is your kind of brand.

It’s especially good for anyone who wants a sharp, made-to-measure suit without the usual back-and-forth or upcharges for every minor tweak. I liked that most of the customizations came included, and the support team actually listened when the fit was off. If you want control without hassle, this is where I would start.

The Verdict

After wearing the suit, tweaking the fit, and dealing with the brand firsthand, I can confidently say Proper Cloth gets a lot right. The amount of control you have over the design, combined with how well the final product turned out, made the process feel more personal than transactional.

While the initial Drago S130s Solaro Bedford Suit jacket fit missed the mark, the fix was quick, painless, and handled by an actual human who knew what they were doing. That part stood out more than I expected.

The brand doesn’t weave its own fabrics, but they source from high-end mills like Drago, so what really sets them apart is how well everything comes together—thoughtful construction, precise finishing, and a support team that follows through.

For the price, you’re getting a suit that feels built to last, made to your preferences, and backed by a company that cares about the result. That’s a rare trio, and it’s why I’d order again.

Proper Cloth

If you’re tired of suits that fit like borrowed costumes or cost more than your rent, Proper Cloth is worth a shot. Tons of options, solid quality, and they actually fix stuff if it’s off. It’s like finally finding a tailor who gets you (without the awkward small talk).

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