SuitSupply

SuitSupply was founded in Amsterdam in 2000 by Fokke de Jong, who built the brand on an insight about the men’s formalwear market that has proven to be commercially durable: the premium construction elements that distinguish a well-made suit, specifically the full-canvas or half-canvas internal structure that allows the suit’s front to mold to the wearer’s chest over time, were available only in the expensive suit market above $1,000 while the affordable suit market below that threshold used fused construction, which bonds the face fabric and the lining together and produces the bubbling and separation that makes cheaper suits look cheap after wear. SuitSupply’s proposition was to put canvas construction and Italian fabric into suits at prices significantly below the traditional premium tier.

The Georgetown store at 2828 Pennsylvania Avenue NW occupies the space that allows SuitSupply to serve Washington’s significant professional suit-buying market. Washington is among the US cities with the highest per-capita suit purchasing, given the professional environment of law, lobbying, government, and consulting that generates consistent demand for formal dress. The Pennsylvania Avenue address puts the store adjacent to the Georgetown residential neighborhood and accessible from the M Street commercial corridor.

The suit selection at SuitSupply covers the range of occasion and formality: the business professional Havana and Washington cuts in conservative navy and charcoal, the more fashion-forward suit in the La Spalla and other cuts with stronger shoulder construction, the tuxedo for formal events, and the sport coat and casual trouser combinations that extend the formal foundation into the business casual and weekend contexts. The fabrics are sourced from Italian mills including Vitale Barberis Canonico and Carlo Barbera, which produce the wool and wool-blend fabrics that SuitSupply uses in the price range its suits occupy.

The in-store tailor is among the important service components. SuitSupply suits are offered in a range of standard sizes and then altered to the wearer’s specific measurements at the time of purchase, which is the approach that makes the suit function as a made-to-measure alternative without the lead time of true bespoke. The alterations are typically included in the purchase price for standard adjustments.

Hours run from 10am Monday through Saturday and 11am Sunday, with Friday and Saturday closing at 9pm. Online ordering at suitsupply.com provides access to the full range and the made-to-measure program. The Perennial collection at SuitSupply, which carries the classic navy and charcoal suits in the fabrics and cuts that the most conservative professional dress occasions require, is the product that serves the Washington lawyer or lobbyist who needs a suit that reads unambiguously correct in any professional context. Alongside it, the seasonal collection produces the more fashion-aware suits in the current year’s most relevant cuts and fabrics for the buyer who wants the professional suit with a more contemporary edge. The Pennsylvania Avenue address at 2828 is within the Georgetown commercial zone, accessible from the surrounding residential blocks and from the M Street corridor. Hours run from 10am Monday through Saturday and 11am Sunday, with Friday and Saturday extending to 9pm.