Excerpt: It may seem counterintuitive, but Balani Custom Clothiers is having a record-breaking year. By demystifying the custom process and forgoing the usual stodginess of the suit biz, Balani has successfully hooked newbies. Clients begin with a one-on-one appointment that includes having 30 measurements taken and making selections at the fabric bar. The next step is a fitting with on-site tailors, and the finished product is usually available in six weeks. The shop offers suites, shirts, sport coats, slacks, overcoats, raincoats, and casualwear, such as funky shirts with contrasting button holes or collar types.

Consultants Ricardo Bucio and Elizabeth Fasula will make the transition to the Flagship Store and would like to invite their clients in for a preview this week between 9:30AM-6:00pm. Moving forward, appointments or fittings scheduled with Ricardo or Elizabeth will be at 55 W. Monroe unless otherwise requested.  Joe Mapes will continue to “Keep it Real” and hold down the fort at 10 S. LaSalle.

And while trite, we want to thank our clients for their continued business as this milestone wouldn’t be possible without you.

Cheers,
The Balani Team

Holland and Sherry Super 150 Dragonfly

Last month was all about wrinkles and what to do when you get them.  While Botox and special creams didn’t enter the conversation, a little known trick was steam pressing was offered.  Now let’s consider a more preventative approach. And no, it has nothing to do with SPF.

One of the best ways to avoid wrinkles is to, well…not wear the garment.  If that’s too much hassle, then the first step is to consider the fabric itself. Certain fabrics resist wrinkles better than others. For instance, a worsted wool will resist wrinkles better than just a plain old wool.

What is worsted wool? It refers to how the fibers are processed.  In short, the longest wool fibers are twisted together tightly to make the yarn.  This creates a more durable fiber, and because the fibers are longer and laying parallel, they’re more difficult to bend (ie wrinkle). Still want to raise the bar?

Then get introduced to the mother of all performance fabrics: Holland & Sherry’s Super 150 Dragonfly.  This exceptional range is finished with a proprietary treatment that creates a molecular barrier that resists particles down to a billionth of a molecule. It’s a mouthful to describe, and creates a surface that’s about a million times smaller than a blood cell.

While it’s cool to talk about, it provides some serious function.  This treatment is water and stain repellant, static resistant, and is by and far more durable.  This is all done without compromising the breathability and softness of the fiber.

The “white collar” man, originally coined by novelist and political activist Upton Sinclair, referred to the early 19^th century salaried office laborer and their de facto uniform. Police officers wore navy. Blue Collar laborers wore chambray. And the businessman wore white shirts. Yet somehow this wardrobe staple seems to have fallen out of favor with the masses, often cited as boring and unoriginal almost as frequently as it’s associated with crime. So what is the case for white shirt today?

Simplicity is certainly one. Mixing pattern and color is uncomfortable territory for most men, and the white shirt is capable of removing this ailment. The most complicated decision one will face is matching a tie to the suit, easing sartorial stress.

On top of it’s simplicity, the white shirt is non-discriminate. Skin tone, hair color, size or shape, none seem to have any influence over a wearers pulchritudinous as one is always well-favored in a white shirt. It’s difficult to imagine a more accepting article of clothing.

It’s exactly this simplicity and undiscerning nature that ought to earn the white shirt a new reputation.  This is precisely the reason why the white shirt is the exclusive choice for black tie affairs, underscoring it’s universal elegance.  The case for the white shirt should be clear, and the only “white collar” crime should be not wearing one.

A medium to heavyweight woolen, twill weave fabric that is characterized by colored, stubby yarns used for coats and suits.

The fibers of the flax plant, woven into fabrics that are cooler, stronger, and more absorbant than cotton.

A pattern consisting of rows of short, slanted parallel lines with the direction of the slant alternating row by row and used in masonry, parquetry, embroidery, and weaving.

\ˈglen-, ˈplad\

woollen fabric with a woven twill design of small and large checks

A warm, soft fabric made in tightly woven twill or plain weave, and finished with a light napping.
Derived from the Welsh word gwlanen, which means wool

Balani’s New Flagship Store is coming soon to Downtown Chicago….

Stay tuned for further details!