Need A First Custom Suit? Come On In. Matthew Did!

Matthew walked in with a kind of smiley shyness to him, asking for a custom suit that he'd be wearing to his sister's wedding. I don't blame him. It's his first custom suit. Many people are unsure what to expect when they walk into our store. They feel a little intimidated or even overwhelmed by the whole suit-making process. 

It's really quite simple: Think of us as your friend and we're just here to help by giving you professional and stylish advice! There's no right or wrong. Style is a very personal thing. If you feel a little lost, we're happy to offer some suggestions. And if you know what you want, we'll help make your ideas into reality.

Together, Matthew and I, picked a dark grey wool suit that could easily be worn again for other occasions or even to work. A dark grey solid suit is a great base to build upon. You can start off with a more conservative look by pairing it with a shirt that has a subdued colour or pattern. If you choose to take it up a notch, you can finish the suit off with brighter colours and wilder patterns, topping everything off with lavish male accessories like tie-clips and cuff links! 

Custom Suits For Every Body Shape

This is Dora's first custom suit ever. She has a petite frame overall but still has broad shoulders and wide hips for her height (she does kung-fu and dragon dancing, maybe that's why!) and then a tiny waist. She opted for an indigo suit that she'll be wearing to her friend's wedding. This is what we made for her:

Open-jacket look. Very casual.

Closed-jacket look. Very posh.

 We're glad you love your suit, Dora!

Medium Grey Suit

Summer has been upon us and we've been getting many requests for suits in various shades of grey (last summer it was navy). One of the most popular is the medium grey which makes for an excellent year-round suit. Because it's a neutral colour, you can't go wrong pairing it up with ANY colour. Wear soft pastel colours with it in the Spring, pops of vibrant colours in the Summer, earth tones in the Fall and deep rich shades in the Winter. How great is that?

Below are pictures of Clive modeling a slim fit medium grey suit. He's one of the four groomsmen at his friend's upcoming wedding. We made them suits out of the same material and colour. I didn't get a chance to photograph the rest of them but I hope we'll get a submission of professional photographs taken on the wedding day so we can see how these guys look all decked out in Balsam suits. I'm very curious to see what the bride's gown looks like too because you know, I'm a girl and girls like girlie things! :D

Thanks for modelling,Clive!

Canadian Fans in Sochi, Russia

Here's a look at a couple of suits that Balsam Custom Tailors made for two brothers, Greg and James, in collaboration with clothing designer, Ash Turner of Organic Mechanic:

Click here are more pictures from photographer, Mariska Richters.

Thanks for sending in the pictures, Ash! :)

Handcrafted Natural Wood Cufflinks

Several weeks ago, I stumbled upon the work of a Slovene woodwork artist by the name of Darko G. Skufca. He makes beautiful jewellery pieces out of natural exotic or common woods.  

I love trees. Residing in British Columbia's coastal rainforest, how can one not love trees? We have the highest biomass per hectare of any ecosystem in the world. We have trees that are more than 1000 years old!

I love trees so much that when I saw these wood cufflinks and tie-clips, I knew immediately that I had to order them for our store!

Below are several pictures of the work done by Darko himself and sent here to Vancouver from Slovenia. Each piece is unique in pattern and you won't find the same pair of cufflinks or tie-clip anywhere else!

Come check out these little gems and more at Balsam Custom Tailors. They make great gifts and look amazing on.

Marblewood Cufflinks

Thorn Wood Cufflinks

Hazelnut Wood Cufflinks

Kingswood Cufflinks

Hot Climate Wedding Attire For Men

Peter is getting married in Mexico and his brother (who's had alterations done with us previously) brought him into our store for a custom made vest and pant combo. Peter already had a specific colour and style in mind, so all we had to do was find the right colour cloth in a light-weight wool suitable for Mexico's sizzling hot temperatures. 

There is a misconception that wool suiting would be too hot for hot climate places. It is not true. In fact, wool moderates body temperature. It insulates when you're cold and pulls moisture off your body when you're hot and sweaty. 

Less expensive and cooler alternatives could be linen or cotton.

Congratulations, Peter and fiance on your wedding!

We gave him a lustrous satin back to create a more elegant finish. 

Lace Shift Dress

This is one of our latest creations made out of pink lace:

It was modelled after this but with a different lace, colour and sleeve length:

Photo Source