Above Image Courtesy: Against Nature Copyright 2013
The second profile in a series on my triumvirate of top notch New York City tailors to bring to your attention is Doyle Mueser, a small but very stylish label founded and run by Amber Doyle and Jake Mueser. Ms. Doyle and Mr. Mueser bring a very young and cool sensibility into their tailoring, woven into a foundation based on the traditional English tailoring of Savile Row. They maintain two shops in NYC. Doyle Mueser, located in the West Village, and Against Nature on the Lower East Side. I visited them at the Against Nature store recently, where I snapped a few pictures of their shop.
Ms. Doyle & Mr. Mueser in their workshop
One of the first things you notice when you enter the store is that they emphasize a very dandy-ish aesthetic. Everything in the shop, from the suits and shirts to the dark wood décor exudes a pleasantly indulgent (and almost hedonistic) feeling. This translates nicely into the clothes, which in this day and age largely means they take chances with patterns, fabrics, and styles that more traditional tailors would need to be talked into, or might even shy away from altogether. It’s an aesthetic that shows well in their “house cut”, which favours suits that feature slim cuts; shorter jackets with high armholes, narrow sleeves with roped shoulders, and narrow trousers. It’s a look that is very contemporary but clearly references late 19th and early 20th century British tailoring (with a dash of Italian flair thrown in for good measure.) That said, they (like any good tailor) put the needs of the client first, and will adjust their style to fit their client’s desires.
One very nice thing about Doyle Mueser is what they avoid, namely being a part of the “style over substance” trend that seems to be infecting the world of men’s tailoring. With the popular success of shows like Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men, and films like Gatsby, men are finally starting to feel comfortable dressing with some style again. One of the ill effects of this however, is that there have been a horde of upstart clothing brands seeking to cash in on this by mass producing pretty junky but simultaneously overpriced clothing “inspired by” these looks. While Ms. Doyle and Mr. Mueser are certainly young enough to still be considered upstarts, and while their suits similarly possess a bit of that bravado, they take a great pride in their work, producing suits and shirts of very high quality and craftsmanship.
Above Image Courtesy: Against Nature (Copyright 2013)
Both the Doyle Mueser and Against Nature labels offer bespoke suiting service, which means a one-of-a-kind hand made suit from a pattern drawn explicitly for you, with details chosen by you down from start to finish. Against Nature also offers a “Classic” version, which is more along the lines of a custom suit. A custom suit is one that is a notch above “made-to-measure”, which are essentially standard suits made off of existing patterns that are adjusted to the clients measurements during the construction process. A custom suit might be mostly machine sewn and made off of a modified existing pattern, but the client may still make requests as to the shape and design of the suit, from the overall cut to finishing touches. Custom is a nice way to go when you want the attention and specificity of bespoke but you can’t afford the time and money it takes to get a completely hand-made suit.
Whichever way you decide to go, whether it’s bespoke or custom, suit or shirt, you’ll have a great time getting fitted at Doyle Mueser. The ambience of the store alone is worth a trip to the City. They also have an online store, offering a cool selection of accessories like ties, cufflinks, etc. Contact the store here if you want to make an appointment.
Doyle Mueser/Against Nature. From here…
To Here…
And here…