The Classy Gent Collection
First addition to this years fall and winter rotation inevitably had to be trousers, an area that was suffering when last winter proved to be cold even by my standards.
A good opportunity to try something new, thus I have the honour of presenting a new brand and to some degree trouser model to the line-up, and the people.
The Classy Gent Collection
The Classy Gent Collection is a fairly new brand offering MTM solutions for todays classy gents.
Officially founded in May this year (2022), the brand is still in the early stages of its entrance to the sartorial world, with no official site and just a handful of pictures showing what the brand is all about.
Now, this last part should not leave you intimidated and hesitant, I highly recommend taking a serious look at this MTM brand.
Having followed The Classy Gent Collection on Instagram for quite a while, the gradual turn into showcasing their own collection piqued my interest, as the style of tailored wear on display definitely aligned with my preferences.
Pre Commission
After some messaging back and forth with the founder, Israel Nwoko, we agreed on a collaboration in which I would get to try their MTM offerings.
I’ll have to admit that I was not really sure what to expect and quite curious about the story behind their venture into menswear.
For a new MTM brand having no website is a big obstacle as it’s both difficult to promote the brand and for people to get a real sense of what the brand is representing.
When asked about it, Israel told me; “Ideally I would’ve had the page up and running by now, but no less than two people I contracted to help me develop the site basically ran off with the fee without a finished product” (Anyone out there want to help this gentleman, please don’t hesitate to reach out).
All this said, when all is said and done, what matters is the results and the way leading to the results. And the service they provided throughout the process speaks volumes about the brand so I’ll reiterate, I highly recommend them.
And even for someone like me who has quite specific preferences, the pictures presented on Instagram were more than enough to show that this was a viable option to explore.
Although, as you’ll see, the made to measure offering caters to the customers preferences, the style The Classy Gent Collection aspires towards is a classic, Italian leaning look. A soft and relaxed construction with a strong appearance.
In my case and in the case of the article, the focus is on the trousers I received and how they hold up. I’ll jump straight to the conclusion and reveal that they most certainly do.
Order Process
I was given full freedom to choose, both with regards to design details and measurements, which is a first to me. There always seems to be some caveats and compromises, but here there was none.
Of course, in the end it all comes down to fit, but as I’ve stated quite a few times, rise and button fastener length (on the waistband) has often been an either/or situation and to my big relief, for the first time, that was not an issue here.
I based my design on one of the trousers presented on the The Classy Gent Collection Instagram page.
A two pleated Gurkha-style trouser with an elongated, double buttoned waistband and coin pocket. Absolutely everything was left to my wishes; side adjusters or loops (you can probably guess what I chose), waistband hight and length, which side to add the coin pocket, back and front rise and so on.
I went with my signature 6cm cuffs and although slightly taller than the ones I already own, I matched the hight of the waistband, ending up at 6cm there as well.
This particular detail I probably will change to 5cm on future orders as the height looks slightly overpowering with the high rise of these trousers. That said, it’s not an issue as such considering these aren’t part of a suit and the fact that the Gurkha-style in and of itself is somewhat more eccentric than the conventional suit trouser is.
As for the aforementioned rise, given complete freedom to choose I couldn’t help myself going for the highest rise I have ever tried and I don’t regret it at all.
As is the case with made to measure online, I had to measure some of my own trousers but Israel presented me with a template to fill in the measurements, which made it really easy to convey how I wanted the trousers to look.
Furthermore, throughout the process they were not hesitant to ask about certain details to make sure it would all be made to my satisfaction.
Construction
Before we start, a short note with regards to fabric, at the time we initiated the collaboration the winter fabrics were not as readily available, but as my eyes was set on something for fall and winter a generic flannel would be sufficient. As such I went with a green and a brown mid-weight flannel.
The construction of the trousers is very good. I haven’t noticed anything suggesting they won’t hold up over time, the stitching and seams on the inside is properly done.
Comparing The Classy Gent Collection to Scavini, Universal Language or United Arrows, they most definitely come out as winners. Not to mention that they come in at a lower price point.
Moving up the ladder, I might suggest that certain parts are not as refined as my Ring Jacket trousers, but I think that would also be an unfair comparison to make given the difference in price.
What also impressed me was the construction of the coin pocket. In my experience these are often overlooked and furthermore often not functional but merely a flap as a design feature.
Well, in this case it not only looks great but it is functional. Moreover, it has proper lining which is by no means a given.
Lastly, I also really like the placement they chose, which I had not specifically mentioned, which is slightly further to the side thus giving the front a more refined look.
We finished the order and all that was left was the wait.
As for the end result, here they are:
Conclusion
Yet again, jumping ahead to the conclusion first, I am 100% satisfied.
Seeing that they are made based completely on my own measurements and requests you’d think it’s a given they would be to my satisfaction, but even with mtm that’s not always the case.
These fit perfectly, and I mean they need absolutely no alterations and I can order more with the exact same measurements type of perfectly.
This without any fittings, which honestly is no small feat and quite impressive. If you add to this fact that I have actually never done online MTM before (only in store with fitting) and as such wasn’t quite sure about some of the measures I’m amazed that they managed to fill in the gaps so remarkably well.
As I mentioned there are one or two changes I will make for future orders, but those are preferences and not related to the quality of tailoring or anything on The Classy Gent Collection’s part of this. They did everything I asked for perfectly.
I can’t reveal much with regards to price as this would depend on the fabric, but The Classy Gent Collection are serious contenders not only in the MTM market, but also as an alternative to ready to wear trousers.
The Classy Gent Collection is currently available on Instagram, where you can inquire about commissions.