Made-to-Measure Clothier Hisham Oumlil
Style: Polished and cosmopolitan with trendy touches
Clientele: A man looking for direction with room for self-expression
Men’s clothier Hisham Oumlil carefully balances the role of designer and custom tailor. Like most buyers of made-to-measure menswear, clients who come into Oumlil’s showroom choose from up to 60 different cloths and then embark on a six-week process from fit to finish (from $4,100) for a suit. However, Oumlil requires a preliminary meeting for a simple one-on-one exchange, in which he’ll assess the client’s lifestyle and how he lives in his clothing.
By getting to know his clients, Oumlil can more easily suggest the most suitable colors and fabrics, while he simultaneously takes notes on where the customer travels for business, what his social scene is like, and the subtle ways that he moves his body. “A client’s physical mannerisms are among the most important characteristics to consider when tailoring a suit,” says Oumlil. “If a client has the tendency to lean forward when he sits at a table, for example, I leave a quarter of an inch of extra room in the back so the suit does not pull in the sleeves, shoulders, and upper back, which can make a suit appear too small when it really isn’t.”
Oumlil combines these personal details with his knowledge of design to help each client evolve into his own style. “Though I am a designer, I want my clients to become an active part of their style, not just a mirror of who I am,” says Oumlil. The result is a suit with personal touches that reflect a man’s lifestyle.
Oumlil, 130 W. 25th St., Suite 5C, 212.730.0720, www.oumlil.com
