For the man who wants to look his best, nothing suits quite like a suit. At Coleson Fine Clothiers in Lancaster, we carry the best in ready-to-wear, made-to-measure and bespoke suits from the world’s finest suit designers. Here are three of our favorites.

The Oxxford Look

What do Cary Grant, Walter Cronkite, Joe DiMaggio and George W.Bush have in common? They all wore Oxxford. And why not? Founded in 1916, Oxxford was an architect of the American business suit, and today it’s the only major U.S. suit maker that still constructs its suits by hand. Dozens of hours are put into the creation of each garment, from cutting the pattern to carefully placing each stitch, using the same techniques that master tailors have employed for generations.

“When there’s a better way to make a suit, we will change, ”the company states. “Until then, we will remain faithful to the quality that only a hand-tailored, Oxxford suit can deliver.”

Samuelsohn’s Secret

When it comes to suits, a key to quality construction is a canvas layer sewn between the wool and the lining. It’s a step on which luxury suit makers like Samuelsohn refuse to compromise, despite the fact that it’s easier—and cheaper—to fuse a suit’s wool directly to the lining with adhesive. This hidden canvas layer is what makes a Samuelsohn suit drape as if it were custom-made and keep its tailored shape for years.

Of course, Samuelsohn menswear is about more than quality construction. The company’s buyers scour the globe to find the best fabrics, from the specialty tweeds of Scotland to the luxurious silks of Spain’s finest mills. It’s no surprise the company will only sell its designs through high-end retailers who know that measuring is one of the most important steps of the suit-buying process. After all, a luxury suit only feels like a luxury if it fits perfectly.

Suit Yourself in Canali

Some say the devil is in the details, but we respectfully disagree. For it’s the exquisite attention to detail that makes a hand-tailored Canali suit seem truly heaven-sent.

The jacket, for example, is fully canvassed, never fused. Both the canvas and the outer fabric are basted prior to being sewn, which builds elasticity and shape into the garment. The shoulders are shaped with cotton-wool and horsehair wadding, which is inserted in a way that facilitates future modification for an individualized fit. Canali jackets are renowned for being, as they say, “a pleasure to wear,” and these hidden structural elements are part of the reason.

The details you can see are notable. Each garment is crafted in Italy of only the world’s finest materials, such as cashmere, pure bemberg and the new, ultra-lightweight super200s wool, with buttons made of corozo, horn andmother-of-pearl. Working buttons at the base of the sleeves add a consummate touch of luxury.

Need more convincing? Pop Michael Clayton into your DVD player and be riveted by George Clooney’s electric performance and his Canali suits and sport coats.

When you’re ready to add a new suit to your wardrobe, stop into Coleson Fine Clothiers at 36 N Queen St, Lancaster, PA 17603 or call 717-394-8842 for more information.