Ill-fitting dress shirts adversely affect every aspect of life (career, romantic relationships, driving, basic hygiene, relationships with animals, archery contests, advanced hygiene, trivia nights, gambling addiction, belt-making camps, cooking hot dogs, wearing foam gloves, licking someone else's ice cream cone when they're not looking, embezzling, alley-oop dunking, quilting class, arguing with strangers, tennis elbow, coaching a dance troupe, whale watching, reading from books or magazines, Celtic music, etc.), which is why it's invaluable to have a high-quality, custom-tailored dress shirt from Alexander West.
Details
With today's Groupon, $50 gets you $110 toward one of Alexander West's custom-tailored shirts (normally priced between $105 and $150). Alexander West crafts specialty shirts to fit your incredibly unique upper-body shape. Its site says Will Smith (former rapper), Eric Trump (Donald Trump's son), B.J. Novak (star of Punk'd), and Vincent Kartheiser (famous) all wear Alexander West. West shirts are woven from premium cottons, including Thomas Mason and Alumo fabrics, and feature mother-of-pearl buttons, personal monogramming, and arm sleeves.
If you've only bought off-the-rack shirts, you don't know what you're missing. The difference between a dress shirt that fits well and one that doesn't can be enormous. An expertly tailored shirt instills in its wearer a sense of comfort and confidence that is irresistible to potential lovers, employers, and coaches; on the other hand, people recognize when you're wearing a shirt that doesn't fit you or when you're wearing no shirt at all. A well-tailored custom shirt is like you're wearing no shirt at all, with all the warmth, protection, and opacity of a true shirt.
Alexander West started custom-tailoring after several years of working in a Wall Street investment bank shamed him into abandoning his fleet of Brooks Brothers dress shirts. When nothing on Madison Avenue fit his 16.5-inch neck, 38-inch chest, and 89-inch right arm, he decided to enter into the world of custom-tailored clothing. He quickly discovered that all the reputed custom lines were vastly overpriced, while the affordable options were all from offshore tailors with poor quality standards and worse customer service. Faced with this bottomless pit of shirt torment, the idea for Alexander West custom shirts was born. Current clients say the detail-conscious craftsman is so courteous and helpful, he'd give you the shirt off his back or the back of another man whom he could easily overpower. Make an appointment to stop by the showroom, located in Tribeca at 12 Desbrosses St., or order online.
Reviews
Seventeen reviewers on Insider Pages give Alexander West a perfect five stars and one Yelp reviewer agrees. Here's what they're saying:
- In terms of fabric quality, fit and price, you cannot beat Alexander West. I received my shirt in 2 weeks and that was much faster than other more expensive places. – nycdadomb, Insider Pages
- I had not purchased custom shirts before, but after trying my first Alexander West shirt, I purchased 11 more in my first round and an additional 10 in my second round. I also threw out my "off-the-rack" shirts. Alexander West shirts fit very well and are very good value for money. AW has excellent and vast material and design selection and good customer service. – TickleThis, Insider Pages
- The shirts are classy, man! This is an affordable option for gents who don't always find stuff on the rack, and who don't have a strong relationship with a tailor. – Andrew B., Yelp
Groupon Says
New Shirt vs. No Shirt
Although wearing a comfortably tailored shirt can sometimes feel like you're unencumbered by any shirt at all, society certainly notices the difference. Here are a few new-shirt vs. no-shirt scenarios to help you make the decision between going tailored and going topless:
New Shirt: You nail that job interview and text your significant other to let her know that everything is going to be all right.
No Shirt: You are escorted from the building by a doorman named Murphy who "would let you in if [he] could, but, well, you know."
New Shirt: The plane you are riding on experiences turbulence. You approach the cockpit and offer any help you might be able to provide. "I can fly the plane fine," says the pilot, "but my nose is itchy." You scratch the pilot’s nose, and the plane is able to land safely in Newark. You are given free breakfast.
No Shirt: A wealthy foreign businessman asks to take his picture with you. His friend has the camera, and they presumably hail from the same land. He points at your navel and speaks to his friend in their private foreign language. You are not sure what is happening and you feel small.
New Shirt: There is a fire at work. You put it out quickly with the fire extinguisher. "Good work," says the boss. "I'm not sure I could've handled it better myself, and that's coming from the boss!" He takes a renewed interest in your career and asks if you feel challenged. "Be honest," he adds. It comes to light that you use the same ringtone.
No Shirt: The unencumbered emanation of your musk attracts a bear that eagerly devours you. The incident is recorded by nearby hikers and widely seen on Internet video-sharing sites by people unable to look away. Things are different for them now.
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