BookATailor

Update– I have my suit and shirts… NO, save your money and go else where. It literally took 12 full months to get my suit!
My J.A. Banks suits made in India are much better quality and cheaper than the BookaTailor suits made in Singapore. They do NOT know how to customize a shirt style, they tailors have a hard time reading the measurement numbers to make your shirt/​suit a custom fit.
And BAT corporate doesn’t care. I’ve included their chain of messages at the bottom.
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NO NO NO NO
I am still waiting on my one custom suit and two custom shirts that were a 2014 Christmas gift!
I went in for the initial sizing the first week of Jan 2015, clothes came back 7 or 8 weeks later, but didn’t fit… suit jacket was too tight in the shoulders, sleeves were too long, shirt sleeves were too short.
March/​April 2015 sized again, 8 weeks later, the suit sleeves were different lengths, embroidered name was misspelled, shirt collars were too short (couldn’t hide a skinny tie), also they had trouble with an actual custom shirt– white collar, white french cuffs, and white covlet
June 2015, suit did not fit, could not drink coffee, shirts were the same tightness
August 2015, sized again for one custom suit, and two custom shirts
August 2015, had to come back in to pick a new suit material and one of the shirt material as they were now out of stock.
December 1^st, 2015, waiting…
there’s been 3 different suits and 8 different shirts, still waiting on one that fits (16, ³⁴⁄₃₅ shirts, 42R suit)
It’s much quicker, less than two weeks, if you go across the street to Jos A Banks and cheaper.
Save your time and money and go someplace else.
Oh yeah, the store manager, Kabba, that was reworking all of my orders left unexpectedly the last of Nov. He’s a nice guy, but I still don’t have my suit or shirts.
NO NO NO NO
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BookATailor C.
BookATailor C.
Manager
3 weeks ago
Good afternoon Robert. I tried giving you a call and got no answer from either the cell or your office #. But i have been looking into your order and i was informed that your order was actually shipped to you a couple weeks back.
Robert F.
Alexandria, VA
2 weeks ago
Interesting… there’s been no, zero, missed calls at my office # and there’s been no vm left at the office or on my cell.
I called the Washington DC office on Dec 17^th, to inquire WTF my order was. Oh, I’ll have that shipped to you this afternoon. Yes, I received my order on Dec 22^nd. The suit is not worth what was paid for it, even at the sale price. Then, on Jan 6^th, I received an email that my order was ready!?! 3 weeks later… I called and he said it shipped 3 weeks ago.
For ‘custom fit’, I’m surprised the jacket doesn’t allow more shoulder movement. My other tailored suits fit better.
BookATailor C.
Manager
2 weeks ago
I understand that Robert, But i had an understanding that you didn’t receive your order at all. Now I am being told that you did get it, it just didn’t fit well. The day i called was the day I sent you the last message.
Robert F.
Alexandria, VA
2 weeks ago
What do you understand? You lied to me in the message! «I called you…», no you did not. Do you understand that you said something that was not true?
When I initially posted the terrible service, I did not receive my order yet as I stated so.
You replied almost a month after my reply and stated, «Hey Robert we deeply apologize for the inconveniences BookATailor has put you through. I am reaching out to you from the corporate office and ask you to please get in touch with us and allow us to make things right.»
Nowhere did you make any reference or question me if I had finally received my order. Your statement implied that the BookATailor Corporation recognized the dismal service and the poor workmanship that I have continuously received from the Washington DC office and from the tailors in Singapore. And that you (corporate) wanted to make things right.
Nothing has been right so far.
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Posted as of February 1^st, 2016

All of the reviews on here have been from people that had either just signed up, or don’t use Unilocal often, which leads to the notion that they are not genuine.
They could easily get a 5 star for their pricing, however, what about their horrendous construction of a manufactured suit ?!
I finally got my things and I am not happy ONE bit. I waked into the store today, to be grilled and looked down at by this really tall African guy with dreads (like that’s not already a bad look) and he didn’t even know what I needed or wanted. But if I had been a new customer, I would have left due to the tension that was in there.
The gentleman was not in a suit, and I believe he was working on a design of his own that had nothing to do with the company. He was making some funky looking pants, with a friend over looking the sewing and what not, and I overheard the conversation of how that is his side job.
I do not think its quite appropriate to be doing your side job at your other job. Very unprofessional and had me very turned off. Needless to say, I have returned my things after getting into a debacle of interrogation of why I was returning them.
USE SOME ELSE!!!

Have been twice now. First time with a Groupon for 3 shirts. Best fitting shirts I’ve ever worn (full disclosure: I’ve never tried a custom tailor before). Had to go back and purchased two suits and four more shirts. I will never buy an off the rack suit again.
The service was great. There are a number of different customizations that can be made from materials to color to fit etc. So many that it’s a little overwhelming but the employees are very helpful to walk you through your options and pricing even making suggestions which I found very helpful.
I will definitely go back when I need more shirts/​suits. I highly recommend BookATailor.

I have used BookATailor DC twice — I purchased a suit and shirts for myself in 2014, then went back for the groomsmen suits for my wedding in mid-​2015. As background, I am by no means a fashion forward person, and I am crap with matching colors, but I do think that a well-​fit suits makes a big difference, so that is the perspective I am giving.
Customer Service: Kabba (and Tommy) were more attentive and thorough than any tailor, including some very high priced ones, that I have ever used. For my seven groomsmen, they live all over the country (and one out of the country). Kabba was willing to do measurements with each one over Skype, which, he was the first to admit, may not end up in a perfect fit. So after they received their suits, he did another Skype measurement and made all of the necessary corrections (or replacements) within weeks. Now, obviously, Kabba and Tommy are not making these themselves, so they cannot make a new suit jacket appear in a day, but they were able to replace a jacket in a week and significantly re-​tailor my suit (I lost weight due to illness a week before the wedding) in 2 days. Another thing that I appreciated was the forthrightness from the beginning — Kabba explained that the suits do not always come in fitting perfectly, especially when doing remote measurement, but he explained the timeframe for altering, the process for doing so, and the reasons behind it. If you are buying a $ 2,000 handmade suit from Italy, then maybe you would expect a perfect fit the first time, every time, but I feel like for the prices at BookATailor, you are getting honest and straightforward customer service with a ton of effort that goes into making your clothes fit perfectly — it just may take an initial fitting and then fine-​tuning (which is how most custom clothing works anyway — you buy your generic size then get it fitted perfectly). Also, if you are like me and you are not great with colors and such, both Kabba and Tommy are great with advice about what to do (and more importantly, what not to do…)
Suits/​Shirts: I have a two-​piece suit made of the basic material, a three-​piece suit made of the next tier up material, and a few shirts. My two-​cents is that the suit of the «next tier up» is the best value. The material is great, very comparable to another $ 1200 suit I have, while the basic material is comparable to something you might get at Men’s Wearhouse (not that it is bad, but I think there is a significant jump between the two). I think it was an additional $ 75. Also, being able to customize the liner and piping and such adds a serious quality element — I get a ton of compliments on my lower-​quality material suit because it fits perfectly and looks pretty cool with even with relatively minor customization. The shirts fit me well, but I am a fairly standard size. Again, just my two-​cents, but because I am standard sized, the suit is really where it is at, because even a standard sized custom suit is expensive, whereas you can find sales on shirts more often. If you are super tall or really large, then it may be harder to find shirts and those may be better for you.
Value: I think some of the reviews may have come in with unrealistic expectations — the value here is in customer service and a quality fit, not world class material and craftsmanship. If you could find the latter for $ 500, then it would not be $ 500 for long! For the price, I think this is the best deal out there — hence the reason I came back and had the suits made for my wedding (which received a lot of compliments, but hey, who doesn’t throw out compliments to the groom’s face!). I have lived in China and had custom suits there, I have a few suits from Men’s Wearhouse, and back in a previous life when I was a bit deeper in the pocket I have had some very expensive suits professionally tailored for a perfect fit. These are in the middle of those, but priced far closer to the China suit and Men’s Wearhouse suit than the designer suit. When you think about it, what people notice in a suit is the fit and the color, and at this location you will get a great fit made in a material/​color of your choice.
Just a quick note — the various BookATailor locations are independently run (though part of the same overall group). Two of my siblings have had less luck with the customer service at other locations, so I just want to make clear that this review is for Kabba & Tommy in DC, and if you are checking out the location somewhere else, then this is pretty much worthless rambling.

Excellent service. Kabba and Tommy gave solid style advice. Their clothes look & fit great. Strong work!

This Review is Indicative of Kabba’s Customer Service Throughout this bespoke process — and His Customer Service is Excellent!
…I was able to make an appt for a tailoring consult around the Feb/​March2014 timeframe regarding my 1x suit and 4x shirt package I procured on LivingSocial. The customer service provided by Kabba, who I believe is the store manager at the Book-​A-​Tailor location on M St. NW, DC, was Great! He provided consulting services to include pattern/​fabric matching and was tip-​top.
He assisted myself every step of the way as the first iteration of my suit jacket did not fit… and was not «re-​tailorable». This product was provided to myself free of charge, which I subsequently donated b/​c it did not fit. The second iteration of my suit fit much better and after several iterations of re-​fitting I received a final product several weeks ago.
I use 1x other bespoke service, whom are located over seas, and relative to each other, Kabba provides a Top-​Notch customer service support — if it doesn’t fit, he’ll try his best to make it right… however; my other tailor is better.
Regarding the actual tailoring, which is an art, Book-​A-​Tailor may be too big for their britches… my other tailor’s seams are tighter, lines are cleaner, and the overall fit is better (this is not to say that I may have had bad luck and I did try my best get the fitting correct and went to Book-​A-​Tailor several times). As I’ve said, the second suit from Book-​A-​Tailor did fit much better than the first; however, the duration from my initial LivingSocial purchase to product delivery took over a year. BUT not once did Kabba forget about me!!!
I would recommend anyone to Kabba, and his associate Allen, as they are both very fashionable, personable, and prompt.

BAT is only OK. I may have had unreasonable expectations, but their website sells themselves as being the real deal
I got 2 shirts and a suit deal.
The skinny on the deals are you are very limited to sub-​par quality fabrics and any upgrades cost extra. I opted with one standard shirt, one full upgrade shirt, and upgraded suit. This cost an extra ~$ 300 but still I was in for less than $ 700 for a suit and 2 shirts «custom».
Location: This place could not scream temp office more. It really is just a desk office they took over to do the measurements. No partially complete or fully complete coats or shirts to try on to see if you like the general style, etc. No nice furniture. No separate changing room. Free water!
The measuring: This is standard for department store measurement, but not full custom. They measure chest, waist, sleeve, cuff, inseam, out-​seam, thigh, neck, etc. They however do not measure both sides of your body. Everyone has slightly different length arms and legs and as such a custom suit/​shirt should be made to accommodate these differences. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU HAVE AN IRREGULAR BODY SHAPE.
The suit came back pretty fitted, almost tight. I did ask for a tailored look, but its definitely fitted. It looks sharp though I better not gain an ounce, the upgraded fabric is nice. As far as the quality, the workmanship is nice. It is fused however so its going to get funky after a cleaning or two. I was hoping for canvased though its almost impossible to find at this price point. Overall — probably nicer than something you can get for the same price off the rack, but you can probably find better deals from nordstrom or neiman outlets.
The shirts are great, they fit nice. The standard fabric is OK, though for some reason always looks dirty. Its a little rough so it collects lint like crazy. The buttons are cheapo, many broken after just one cleaning.
Overall, these guys are the same as the hong kong tailors and other import «custom» shops in the area, they are just truing to make it a bit more hip. Meh.

I will start this review by saying that my expectations may not have been reasonable, but I was generally disappointed with my final product. I bought a groupon for $ 65 for one custom shirt, which was advertised as a $ 130 value. I didn’t do my research and assumed for $ 130 retail this shirt would be very high quality and include the type of collar and cuffs I wanted. First off, advertising it as a $ 130 value is ridiculous. I don’t know if that is Groupon’s fault or BookATailor, but I am going to blame BAT since I consider it their responsibility to make sure coupons for their store are correctly advertised. Right now I can go on their website and get TWO shirts for $ 99.
Regardless, when I walked in I was expecting the $ 65 to get me a high quality fitted shirt. Instead I was given the option of a few basic colors in low quality fabric. If I wanted the mid range it would be an extra $ 20 and the good stuff was and extra $ 40. Then there were up-​charges for the type of collars, cuffs, buttons, etc. Slightly annoyed and determined to not spend anymore money I stuck with the basic fabric. Also the original place I was fitted was the kitchen of the building. It would have been nice to have a showroom with full sized shirts of the different quality fabrics instead of trying to base a decision off of square inch swatch. When I returned to get my shirt they moved and had a showroom they were still putting together so maybe this will change in the near future.
I went in and got my shirt last week and it was what I expected. It fit well, but not much better than the average shirt I get from Banana Republic. The quality of the fabric was significantly worse than a shirt I would get from Banana and the cost was quite a bit more. I was also under the impression that now they had my measurements I could order stuff online from Bookatailor. I don’t have a plan to buy more shirts from here, but was curious about what they had available and how much it is normally priced. When I tried to do this today I couldn’t figure out how. I am not sure if I am going to the wrong place or misheard, but if I were a regular customer and had to go into the store every time I wanted to buy a new shirt I would be displeased.
At the end of the day I don’t think I am the target audience for BookATailor. I really like buying shirts, but most of the time shirts I get off the rack fit pretty well. For me it does not seem worth the large price tag for the quality of these shirts.

While I’m laid-​back in regard to most things, I am extremely picky when it comes to formal wear. Therefore, I hesitated when buying an initial Groupon for 4 custom shirts at BookATailor. The reservation process was rather easy and the staff working at their Farragut showroom were very friendly and knowledgeable. After this positive experience, I decided to take advantage of their sale for 3 suits and 10 shirts. Once again, the process to get measured and choose fabrics, colors, etc. was very easy. Kabba, the managing tailor, is friendly and very easy to get along with. Once the suits arrived, however, one of the suits was made from an incorrect fabric. I informed Kabba of this issue and he immediately responded with a solution. He arranged for a replacement suit to be made and shipped to my home in just a few weeks. I am often complimented on my clothes at work and while out with friends and have proudly recommended BookATailor to several coworkers. If you’ve ever wanted a bespoke suit but wasn’t sure whether it is a good investment, I highly endorse taking the plunge into custom-​made clothes with BookATailor!

I have to say that I should’ve heeded the BBB complaints and negative Unilocal reviews. It took nearly four months for them to deliver products that fit me, and they’ve already fallen apart after one wear. Even the genial personalities of the DC sales staff can’t make up for these major issues. I feel duped and embarrassed to have wasted my money here. At the moment, I can’t in good conscience recommend buying clothing here. You’re better off visiting another customer clothier or even buying off the rack and getting it tailored.
I sent an inquiry to the company and am currently awaiting a reply. Depending on their response, I may modify my rating slightly.

As I was waiting for my Book-​A-​Tailor appointment in the lobby, I struck up a conversation with someone scheduling an appointment. «This seems too good to be true» he said. I agreed. It probably was too good to be true but what the heck. It wouldn’t cost me that much to find out! I was surprised to find that Book-​A-​Tailor was by far the best investment I ever made in myself. At moderately high-​end (but retail) prices, I have my first ever custom-​made suit and dress shirts. With Kabba the tailor carefully measuring me they fit me absolutely perfectly and I look and feel like a million bucks! The material and craftsmanship is exceptional. And after I picked up my suit and wore it the pants were a little too long. No problem. Kabba took the pants back and re-​hemmed them at no charge and updated my measurements in my chart.

I never write reviews on Unilocal,but after my experience with Book A Tailor, I feel compelled to offer my highest recommendation for folks who know how to make you look good.
A few months ago, I got a Groupon for a full suit and two shirts for $ 499. I was somewhat skeptical, and I couldn’t find many reviews online. I decided to give it a try anyway, and I’m so glad I did.
Kabba helped me design a sharp navy blue three-​piece and two great shirts. My upgrades (e.g. the vest and higher thread count for the shirts and suit) added an additional $ 250 or so, but for the perfect fit and look, I was extremely happy with the value.
Getting measurements took about thirty minutes, and I was able to pick up my suit in exactly six weeks. I did need quick alterations for my jacket and vest, and I actually moved away from DC before the alterations were done. Kabba was so kind as to mail my suit directly to me and threw in another travel bag.
I’m already planning to get another suit from Book A Tailor, and I’m just bummed I’ll have to do it in NYC instead of DC where I’d be able to work with a team I already got to know and really appreciate. If you’re even wondering whether or not to give Book A Tailor a try, just do it. You won’t regret it!

I have to say I was both excited and skeptical about getting a custom made suit. I’ve heard stories of people with ill-​fitted suits or sub-​standard fabric.
I was wrong to be skeptical — BookATailor hooked me up with a great new suit and two shirts.
Britney helped me get an appointment scheduled and Alan guided me through the whole process. It’s a pretty lengthy and thorough process where you get to choose everything about the suit and shirts that your are purchasing. From the fit to the collar and lapel type to the color and stitching of the inside lining — it’s pretty amazing.
Alan is a really cool guy who you can tell enjoys his work. I was clueless on a lot of the parameters I just told him I wanted a sharp suit in a light blue and he helped me through the whole process making recommendations along the way.
The suit fits perfectly and feels great, as do the shirts. I’ll definitely be back again, and I’m told my measurements are in the system now, so I don’t need to be fitted anymore which is another plus.
I would highly recommend.

Great service and my shirts came out really nice!
I forget the name of the guy who worked with me but he gave me some excellent recommendations and guidance on which shirts and styles to choose. I even chose a lavender shirt, which I likely wouldn’t have selected, and I really like the color!
Overall, it was an excellent and recommended experience!

Wife brought me the Living social deal to check this tailor out. Kabba was very professional and did a great job of explaining everything. Shirt came back with some adjustments need but they said they would take care of it and rush the order to get the shirts to me in a week. And in a week they emailed saying shirts are ready and when I tried them on they were perfect. They even told me the best way to care for the shirt to prevent and shrinking. I will definitely be back for a suit and more shirts.

I found out about BookATailor through living social. I purchased the deal for 4 shirts. When I went to get my measurements the staff was very friendly and explained how the whole process worked. My shirts came back about two weeks earlier then expected and they fit PERFECTLY! I will be using this service again in the near future.

Definitely my go to for custom shirts and suits now.
This is my first custom suit, but I tried a number of brick/​mortar and online made-​to-​measure places for dress shirts. First, the suit fit surprisingly well, better than I thought it could without standing with a tailor making the body of it on me. I thought I would eventually work my way up to have a fully tailored suit, but if they keep up this quality, I do not see the point. The suit material put all my other off-​the-​rack purchases to shame. Oddly, I also finally see how wool can ‘breath” and be worn in the summer.
I came here for the suit, but I will be back for the shirts too. There is probably some trick to getting the measurements just right that I am not doing on my own. My advice — skip the online places. The shirts fit and feel better than four other places I have tried, and are about the same price or $ 5 more.
Speaking of price, seems like they dropped their custom deals to the Groupon/​Living Social levels! No more waiting for the deal-​a-​day!
The staff there were very friendly and helpful. Definitely recommending anyone who will probably spend $ 200 on an off-​the-​rack suit to get one here instead.

I had a good service with both my initial appointment and collection of a suit and two shirts. Agree with others that it can be a bit tricky to find — especially if appointment is after 5 when there is not receptionist on the floor.
Groupon deal gave access to standard materials and cuts, but you do pay extra for add-​ons or more stylish patterns etc so good to beware of that.
Otherwise the service was great — Kabba was extremely personable and gave some great advice on style and matching and the items were of extremely high quality, and perfectly fitting.
Recommended

Purchased a two-​shirts-​for-​$ 99 voucher from Groupon. Straightforward reservation process, along with attentive and personable service – notably from Kabba Coulibaly. Add-​on costs for extra features, e.g. inner pen pocket and angle-​cut cuff, or higher-​range fabric. Staff followed-​up after fitting to schedule appointment to try-​on/​pick-​up shirt.
A few wearings into the life of each of each shirt – so far, so good, both in terms of material quality and fit. Down the road, if another social-​marketing discount presents itself, this experience with Book a Tailor makes it likelier that I’ll go for it, rather than stick with my standard-​retail favorites for shirts.

I’ve tried a number of the «bespoke» and made-​to-​measure places out there – blank label, Indochino, etc. – as I have unusual body proportions and off the rack dress clothes never fit me well. That being said, I don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on shirts, so I have to say that for the money, Book a Tailor is my favorite of these experiences. At about 50 bucks/​shirt (more for upgrades on fabrics, french cuffs, and the like)
Wait for a deal – either Groupon or LivingSocial, or for one of their specials. Definitely not a place you’ll want to pay completely full price, unless you just got that paper.
The fit was very good, if not flawless, the first time around. Good enough to where I didn’t send them back, though they gladly offered to remake them. Four shirts were consistently made. Off the strength of those four shirts, I opted to get a suit and another four shirts. Looking forward to seeing how they turn out!