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Suit pockets are sewn shut because the stitching is a temporary measure. It keeps the pocket openings flat while the jacket is pressed, packed, shipped and displayed. In most cases the pocket underneath is a real one that simply needs the thread removed, but sometimes it is purely decorative and was never meant to open. Knowing which you have, before you pick up any scissors, is the part that matters.

Most suits can be improved with alterations, but not all of them can be fixed. Sleeve length, trouser length, waist, seat and leg width are routine adjustments. Shoulders, chest, jacket length, rise and major style changes are far more limited, and some are rarely worth attempting. What is possible depends on the garment itself: how much fabric sits inside the seams, how the jacket is built, and how far the suit is from your actual measurements.

Say you have a client meeting at ADGM
(Abu Dhabi global Markets) in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning. You know first impressions matter, and you have heard the city is more conservative than its neighbours. What you don’t know is whether that means a full suit and tie, or whether a blazer and open collar would be fine.

Most men blame the wrong thing when a suit doesn’t look right. They assume it’s the fabric, or that they need a different brand, or a size up. Very often, the real issue is the pattern — the shape the jacket was built on in the first place, and how well that shape matches the body wearing it. 

Most men who come in for their first bespoke suit have already thought about fabric, colour, and maybe the fit around the waist. Very few have thought about the lapel. In our experience, it’s one of the last things customers consider and one of the first things people actually notice about a jacket before the fabric, before the stitching, sometimes before the fit itself. It frames your chest, sets the tone of the outfit, and quietly tells people whether you’re dressed for a boardroom, a wedding, or a black-tie dinner.

Most men who come in for their first bespoke suit have already thought about fabric, colour, and maybe the fit around the waist. Very few have thought about the lapel. In our experience, it’s one of the last things customers consider and one of the first things people actually notice about a jacket before the fabric, before the stitching, sometimes before the fit itself. It frames your chest, sets the tone of the outfit, and quietly tells people whether you’re dressed for a boardroom, a wedding, or a black-tie dinner.

There’s a particular kind of Sunday evening that only exists after a holiday. The suitcase is half unpacked on the bedroom floor, the photos are already sitting in a folder you’ll forget to look at again, and somewhere in the back of your mind you’re running through tomorrow’s calendar. Somewhere in that same mental list is a smaller, quieter question: what are you actually going to wear.

The White Stripes Tailors & Shirtmakers is running a Summer Offer this season: two custom-made suits, two shirts, and two ties for AED 5,499.

Most first-time clients arrive expecting a tape measure and a fabric book. What they get instead is a conversation. Before any numbers are written down, a good tailor wants to know where the suit will be worn, how often, and what has gone wrong with tailoring in the past. Skip that part and you end up with a technically accurate suit that never quite feels like yours.

For most people living and working in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, a 260–280g tropical or high-twist wool is the safest all-round choice. Drop to 220–240g if you’ll spend real time outdoors an outdoor wedding, a walking commute, a client who runs hot. Move up to 300–320g only if you’re mostly indoors under strong air conditioning or travelling regularly to cooler climates.