Sewn in Style
Scott Evan Wasserberger seemed destined to work in custom tailoring. Born into a family of Brooklyn-based clothiers, he learned the tricks of the trade early. Even better, his initials spell SEW, which is now the name of his independent bespoke clothing store, where he is pursuing his passion for custom menswear.
SEW’s client base is characteristic of the shop’s Nolita address: twenty- and thirtysomething digital media guys, downtown creative types, and, of course, a lot of Wall Streeters. Wasserberger offers an off-the-rack collection, which he designs himself, as well as fully bespoke suiting. Everything ready-to-wear is made in very small batches (about four pieces per style) and embodies Wasserberger’s latest design thinking.
For fall, expect elbow patches on everything from sport jackets to full suits. The name of the new line, Mappina, means “rag” in Italian but in this case refers to the jackets’ soft shoulders. The Mappina silhouette is sleek in a subtle way, with a constructed shape sans the shoulder padding.
Wasserberger says he gets his inspiration from his surroundings: “I am always looking around the city at what people are wearing, and where else better can you do it?” One standout recent example is a jacket made entirely of grosgrain, with triple ticket pockets.
The fabrics come from such world-class sources as Holland and Sherry and Loro Piana, as well as from some lesser-known companies such as Acorn, which Wasserberger loves for shirting. SEW has a generous collection of off-the-rack shirts, some with trendy thin collars and some with playful patterns. All have mother-of-pearl buttons, and all can be custom fit.
The driving force behind SEW is simply that all of the clothing is made locally. A single tailor does finishing and prep work in the back of the shop; the rest is done at various locations around the metro area, among them a small shop Wasserberger keeps in Brooklyn, where his family’s business started. Production takes about six weeks.
SEW: 229A Mott Street, 212.686.1630. Shirts range from $200 to $500, suits from $2,700 to $3,900.
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