Well Suited

One of my least favorite things about teaching overseas is the limited availability of stuff in the host country. In Ecuador, we craved things that we couldn't have, like M&Ms, Buffalo Sauce, and clothes that fit. That is always going to be a challenge; desire for specific stuff. The result of these inevitable longings for specific possessions usually leads to supply runs when we go home for the summer. In previous years, we've stocked up suitcases full of protein powders, sauces, work clothes, and every and all other things we couldn't get. I would say on average, we have devoted 1/2 of our baggage on our return trips to bringing supplies back with us that we otherwise wouldn't have.

In preparation for a similar haul this summer, we sat down and made some lists of things we wanted to stock up on. During this process, it occurred to me that we actually have availability for most of the things we need here. Everything is much more accessible here than in Ecuador. That significantly decreased my "to purchase" list to a few things. One thing that remained was a new suit. We are required to wear them a few times per year on specific parent event days. Well, at least it was on my list until I heard about how reasonable custom suits are here.

About a week ago, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine, when he mentioned he had a tailor. It turns out, his tailor helped him with more than alterations, he made custom suits. So off we went to go get a few made.

This particular journey took us through the dusty streets of Riyadh to a downtown area about 40 minutes away from our compound. When we got there, the shop was closed, because hours of operation are more like estimated timelines more than definitive expectations. So we waited outside of his tailor's shop for about a half hour. The area can best be described as a maze of cluttered shops. Connecting the spiderweb of concrete were dust filled alleyways guarded by mangled dirty cats, stricken with scars from probably fights over tumbleweeds of trash. It did not give off the impression of fine customized high fashion and luxury.

When the man and his partner decided to open up, we walked in to a store roughly the size of an average living room, with bolts of fabric stacked floor to ceiling. He had dozens and dozens different fabrics of the same shade of navy blue, the same for black and gray. He said that they varied in quality, thickness, and weight. Then, he had the dozens of different shades of each color, each with its own equally impressive stack of quality materials. It was overwhelming.

Having never purchased a custom fit suit before, I largely followed the lead of my friend. I picked out a color, picked out a fabric, got fitted, and tried on some sample options. The man discussed each and every aspect of the suit in a level of detail and care that was equally impressive and overwhelming. I had to pick the thickness of the collar, the vent style, the number of vents, the height of the vents, the depth of the pockets, the angles of the pockets, the fabric inner lining, color of the inner lining, the number of buttons, the placement of buttons, the desired circumference of space for the pants around my leg, the lay of the collar, preferences in length of the pant on a shoe, whether or not I wanted pockets inside of the jacket, the stitching pattern and placement. It was unbelievable.

Needless to say with my process, and my friend getting three suits, we were there for a while. While we were there I commissioned a few dress shirts to be custom made, and went through the process all over again, albeit at a smaller level of detail.

We paid a deposit on our suits and were asked to come back a week later for another fitting. After paying, and thinking for a moment about the likelihood that it would work out okay, we left with slightly lighter wallets and no assurances that we would in fact, get our suits. The cost of the suit, fully customized, was well under the prices of anything from a department store in the US, and it was being build for me around me, and with my specific requests. The shirts too, were about half of the cost of most nice dress shirts in the states.

Today, after hearing about my experience, Shannon and a friend of mine went to go check it out again, and for an updated fitting. Man, and I pleasantly surprised. The suit fit nearly perfectly. I tried it on and, while not done yet, it looked great. Some gaps in fabric and adjustments were made with a piece of chalk by the tailor and I was done. I will be returning in a week to get it all, two weeks in total to go from cloth on a shelf to a perfectly customized suit. My friend ordered a few and we were on our way. Now I'm left thinking of what other things I can use that excess suitcase space for on our return trip.