Janis and Rachel Ties The Knot!

I am so thrilled to share this post! Thanks to Edward Yong Photography, Balsam Tailors is able to show off this lovely couple who tied the knot this past weekend! We actually got a chance to work with both Rachel and Janis prior to their big day. We had the wonderful opportunity to make Janis' dream tux and alter Rachel's wedding dress :) 

Congratulations you guys! I'm so happy for you! And you look so amazing all dressed up.

Go check out Edward Yong's website for more of Janis' suit and Rachel's dress!

The Navy League. Coming Together To Look Extraordinary!

I've posted a handful of navy suits in the recent past and I'm honestly going to say, it doesn't get old for me. Every customer of Balsam Tailors is unique and so are their suits. They've all been absolutely amazing to work with and I'm so glad to have met each and everyone of them! I love seeing the big smiles on people's faces when they come out of the fitting room and see themselves clad in a custom-built suit made perfectly to conform to his/her unique body shape.

Take a look at our line-up of awesome navy suit wearers:

-Tristan- 

Doesn't he look handsome in our 3-pcs suit and shirt? My jaw pretty much dropped when he put the whole suit on. Good enough for the cover of GQ, you think? He's getting married later this year in this suit! Congratulations, Tristan!

-Jennifer-

She was so gracious and enthusiastic about having her pictures taken even while she was on an important business phone call (You'll notice that in the second picture, one of her hand is missing. That's because she's holding onto her cell phone! Haha!). We thoroughly enjoyed chatting with you! Thank you, Jennifer! Please come back and visit us soon :)

- Michael-

Not only did we have the fortune to make his brother a suit but we also got to build Michael his very own one too! His parents are truly amazing people. They are so sweet and thoughtful. Sometimes they will stop by just to say hi or sometimes they will pop in and give us little treats like egg tarts or Starbucks gift cards! Oh yah, I also was lucky enough to be chosen by them as their Valentine's Day photographer a couple years back. We love this bunch so so much. Balsam Tailors really can't thank you guys enough for your generosity and continued support! Thank you, thank you guys!!

How To Look Good In A Double-Breasted Suit

While black suits look sleek and sophisticated, they can be a bit too overbearing for certain occasions.  Shades of blues and shades of greys are the popular alternatives. These colours are great for events with a more relaxed atmosphere.

Meet young Hans. He is the little brother of Ethan whom I wrote a post on about 2 years ago ---> click here to read.

Hans had a scouting event to go to yesterday and he had to look his absolute best. Him and his mom decided that a custom body-hugging double-breasted suit would do the job. He needed to stand out. They brought in a picture of a suit they wanted us to replicate.

We had to make one change to make the suit work on Hans.What needed to go was the width of the lapels. Double-breasted (DB) suits were very popular in the mid-30's to late 50's. Most often, they had the super wide 5 inch lapels, which looks way too offensive the modern eye. The suit in the picture they brought in had exactly those.

Having a DB suit fit snugly is very importantly because of the two rows of button down the front. They create the illusion of a wide jacket. Looking like Spongebob is not the goal here, although, I must say--Spongebob does have this underwater nerdy charm that girls would fall for. :P

Top off your slim DB suit with a regular-width tie, a fun pocket square, bright socks and penny loafers for that Southern French gentleman charm...just like what Hans has put together for himself:

Accessorize Your Suit With A Book

Meet Peter. No, he's not a rabbit. He's a young, bubbly, smart and charismatic UBC student. He's also a very happy man. I don't know why he's so happy but my instincts tell me it's because of the *cough* $499 wool-blend slim-fit navy blue suit we made for him? Could've been the sun too. Who knows...

I never asked him about the ear-to-ear smile because I think some things in life are better left unasked. I did, however, asked him about the book he was reading:

Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook, ranked as one of the top 50 most powerful women in business in the Fortune's list. In her book, she offers an in-depth look backed up by hard data of why women struggle to keep up with men when it comes to leadership roles in their industries, as well as her own personal advice and techniques for women on how to push their careers forward. Sounds like an interesting read and something I might pick up. Here's a better description of the book and reviews on it: click here.

Looks like a very impressive book with all the 4/5 star reiviews. But you know what else is impressive? THIS:

Peter in our suit, just signing a piece of paper but looking like a million dollars ;D

100% Customizable Shirts For Guys & Girls

Choose from our selection of 80% Cotton & 20% Dacron blend and our 100% fine brushed Cotton as the base for your shirt and build from there! 

All of the following shirt parts are COMPLETELY customizable to fit your size and your style:

1. Collar - Here's a post that covers collar styles that I blogged a couple years back --> Collar Styles

2. Cuffs - Click here from my post on shirt cuffs ---> Shirt Cuffs

3. Backside Pleats - Ah, I also blogged about that too! --> Shirt Pleats

4. Front Side - No post about this one yet but refer to the photos down below for an example of what a shirt with a placket flap looks like. Stylish right? The colour of it is customizable. 

5. Hem Line - Do you want it to be round or straight? It's entirely up to you!

6. Chest Pockets - To have or not to have? You call the shots. You want pocket flaps too? No problem :)

7. Fit- Comfy or slim? Just tell us and we'll cut the shirt the way you like it to fit.

8. Extra Details - Shoulder tabs, sleeve tabs, vents on the sides, unique collar styles...we'd like to hear about your ideas.

So what's your style? Here are some questions to consider when deciding on a style:

Do you want to look conservative?

Do you want to look hip and stand out?

Are you wearing the shirt under a suit? 

Are you wearing it on its own?

Is it casual wear? 

And what fabric should you choose?

Will you be travelling for work?

How are you going to clean your shirts?

What's your budget?

Is comfort more important or is ease of wearing more important?

What kind of climate would you be wearing it in?

Customizable shirts are a great way to express yourself. It's also affordable ($148 and up) and will look good on you! Ladies, don't forget about the SHIRT DRESS! Light and breathable. Great for spring and summer!

Navy Blazers Are Making A Comeback!

Actually, that's not true. They never even left us. Not once. Like jeans, they will never go away. Never.  Ever. Do you have one of these navy closet staples?

Everybody, this is Ana. She's just awesome. Aside from being so pleasant and vivacious, she also has impeccable style in clothing. She knows what works with her body and what doesn't. She knows exactly what flatters her curves and what hides them. She also knows what garment is worth investing in and what's not. When you put all that knowledge together, what do you get?

Ana in a luxurious silk-lined cashmere blazer:

We provided the pillowy soft cashmere for this project and Ana brought in her own colourful silk lining. Together with Ana's ideas and our seamstresses' knowledge and skills, we were able to produce this flattering and eternally stylish plush navy blazer.

We really had fun working with you, Ana! And thanks for the hug! Haha ;)

Hip Navy!

Alan and his fiancée, Chloe, found us online. His fiancée is a fan of the Balsam blog and has been following it closely. Imagine how flattered I was to hear that and to see them in the store! And they're such a sweet and polite couple! 

They came in with the hopes of having a slim-fit suit made for their wedding in February. They wanted something in navy.

There has been an increasing demand in the past year or so for navy suits as the choice of suit colour for the modern day groom. The main reason, according to a lot of our male customers, is because a navy suit doesn't look as formal as the traditional black wedding suit. Newly wedded males can stay dapper in that very same navy suit they got married in at work or at parties! 

Take a look at Alan's brand new custom slim-fit suit. If you're wondering what pairs well with a navy suit, consider a pair of light to medium brown leather shoes and a dress shirt in shades of light blue, light pink or purple. 

Congratulations again Alan and Chloe! Thanks for being in our post! :)