Custom Suits for Redondo Beach

Mr James is a bespoke tailoring house at 221 Culver Blvd in Playa del Rey, about half an hour up the coast from Redondo Beach. Since 2010 we have made fully canvassed, fully bespoke suits from $1,795, each cut from a pattern drawn for one man and made by hand in our own atelier in Southern Brittany, France.

Redondo is the working end of the South Bay beach towns, with a harbour, a pier and a good many people who drive north to the aerospace and technology offices each morning. The suits we make for it have to do two jobs: a weekday in an office and a weekend by the water.

A suit that commutes

A man who drives the 405 or Sepulveda every day wants a cloth that comes out of the car looking as it went in. A high-twist worsted in navy or charcoal recovers on the hanger overnight and does not crease across the lap. We cut the jacket with a little more room through the back for the wheel, and the trousers with a rise that sits properly when seated. The eleven checks in how a suit should fit are the ones we go through at your fittings.

Weddings by the harbour

Ceremonies in Redondo tend to be on or near the water, in the open air, and the tailoring should answer the breeze. A lighter weight wool or a wool and linen blend, a paler shade than you would wear indoors, and trousers that sit still in the wind. For a groom deciding between black tie and a suit, tuxedo or suit for your wedding works through it. Wedding parties are 20 per cent less, and the groomsmen guide covers dressing the whole party without matching them like a boy band.

Six months ahead is ideal, three is comfortable, six weeks is a rush. The wedding suit timeline lays the dates out.

Cloth for a beach town

Salt air and a hot car are hard on tailoring. We steer Redondo clients towards cloths with a firm twist and away from soft flannels for anything worn in summer. The best suit fabric for hot weather explains the choices, and super numbers and cloth weight explains why a higher number is not simply a better cloth.

Getting here from Redondo Beach

North on Pacific Coast Highway or Highland through Hermosa and Manhattan Beach, then Vista del Mar along the sand into Playa del Rey. Half an hour outside rush hour, and one of the better drives in the city.

Who comes to us from Redondo Beach

Grooms marrying by the pier or at the harbour, engineers and managers from the South Bay offices who want one or two suits that work hard, and a few men who have retired to the beach and keep a dinner suit for the evenings that call for one.

What it costs

Two-piece suits from $1,795, three-piece from $2,045, dinner suits from $1,795, odd trousers $450, shirts $295. The making is full canvas at every price; what moves the figure is the cloth. The cost page sets the whole card out, mill by mill.

If you would rather we came to you

A home or office visit anywhere in Los Angeles is $300, with cloth, linings and finished garments brought to you. More on home and office visits.

Questions we are often asked

Is there a custom suit tailor near Redondo Beach?

Yes. Mr James is a bespoke tailoring house at 221 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey, about half an hour up the coast from Redondo Beach. Full canvas bespoke suits start at $1,795.

What should I wear to a Redondo Beach wedding by the water?

A lighter weight wool or a wool and linen blend in a paler colour than you would wear indoors, with trousers cut to sit still in the breeze. Wedding parties are 20 per cent less.

Will you come to Redondo Beach?

Yes. A visit to a home or office anywhere in Los Angeles is $300, with cloth and finished garments brought to you.

Redondo Beach is one of the neighbourhoods we look after from Playa del Rey. For the whole picture, what every garment includes, the cloth houses, the full price list and how the making is done, our guide to custom suits in Los Angeles has it in one place.

How long does a bespoke suit take?

Four to six weeks in domestic cloth, six to eight in imported Italian or English cloth. Fittings are unlimited and included.

What does a bespoke suit cost?

A two-piece starts at $1,795, a three-piece at $2,045, a tuxedo at $1,795, an overcoat at $1,200, odd trousers at $450 and a shirt at $295. The making is full canvas at every price; the cloth sets the figure.

Who will I meet?

Robb or Ben. Whichever of us takes the consultation sees the garment through to delivery.

Come and see us

221 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey, with free parking front and back. Appointments seven days a week with 48 hours' notice; book here, call 310-503-3592, or write to mrjames@bespokemrjames.com.

Nearby: Hermosa Beach · Manhattan Beach · El Segundo. More: bespoke suits · about the house.