Well-Suited

Stacie Kress Booker | 6/1/2006

Alan Vinson calls himself a "walking men's clothing store." He owns James Taylor Vinson Co. in Jacksonville, a by-appointment-only custom men's clothing business. He dresses customers all over the state, from CEOs like Gary Chartrand of Acosta and John Byers of FPIC Insurance Group to sports figures like UF Gators head coach Billy Donovan, who donned a blue and orange regimental stripe tie -- a gift from Vinson -- the night his men's basketball team won the NCAA Final Four this year.

Vinson offers one-stop shopping for custom suits -- either in his studio or at a customer's home or office. At a certain price point, says Vinson, "Why buy an off-the-rack Canali or Brioni when you can have it custom made?" Vinson takes all measurements himself and oversees the process. He shops for accessories, and when the suit is finished, he'll pull it all together with matching shoes and accessories.

A true custom-made suit from Vinson costs $3,000 and up and takes eight to 10 weeks to complete. A made-to-measure suit, which requires a little less work, takes up to six weeks to finish and costs from $900 to $1,200.

Vinson has been in the custom clothing business for 11 years, starting first with Tom James Co., the world's largest maker of custom clothing. He hung out his own shingle in 2001 and now has more than 400 customers and expects to do a half-million in sales this year.

Tags: Northeast