The years of tailoring experience that can be found at Alan David Custom is evident as soon as you walk through the unassuming midtown door and enter a room full of every kind of suit you could imagine. Once you settle into a comfortable leather chair surrounded by your many sartorial options, a friendly and helpful staffer will ask you questions on preferred color, pattern and type of fabric before presenting numerous materials from the likes of Loro Piana, Zegna, Reda, Scabal and more.
After making your choices for suit fabric and lining, an on-site tailor will take over 20 precise measurements for a perfectly tailored garment. Custom suits and tuxedos start at $1,400 while overcoats start at $2,000 and dress shirts start at $220. The business promises full canvas bespoke construction, a guaranteed perfect fit and free alterations for a lifetime. Those customers interested in an additional level of tailoring can also choose to have a basted fitting for garments which adds about two-weeks of time and $100 to the suit.
Alan David Horowitz, the current owner and CEO of Alan David Custom is a fourth-generation tailor—the business was originally founded by his great-grandfather who opened his first store in 1926 on the Lower East Side. All of the custom garments on offer here are hand-sewn in the New York shop as opposed to overseas production and average turnaround is 4-5 weeks with a 2-week rush program also available.