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New Business Designs and Creates Custom Tailored Suits for Men

Mar 09, 2016 12:12PM ● By Bryan Scott

By Kelly Cannon | [email protected]

Cottonwood - Holladay - Holladay resident Shantel Sorensen is changing the way Utah men dress, one suit at a time. Sorensen has recently started Shespoke Custom where she makes custom fitted suits in the tradition of bespoke suits. These business suits for men are handmade and are made for each individual client.

“It’s a custom clothing company where I go to the client and help them go through fabrics and help them decide what they want and we design their suit together,” Sorensen said. 

Sorensen, who has worked in men’s clothing design over three years, will then take the designs and the chosen fabric and will make a custom suit in four to six weeks. 

“I’m interested in dressing the everyday person,” Sorensen said.

The name Shespoke is a play off of the term bespoke tailoring, a form of suit making where the men’s clothing is made to the buyer’s specific measurements by a tailor. The buyer has total control over the different options of the suit including features and fit. It also includes a high degree of customization and detailed hand finishing. 

The suits can range in cost dramatically. The fabric options begin at $600 and move up to $3,000. 

One of Sorensen’s big goals for Shespoke Custom is to help men realize it does benefit them to wear a tailored suit.

“Tailored does not mean slim fit but rather it just fits them,” she said. “I also love to educate them on the why and how of tailored suits.”

Sorensen can travel to meet clientele all over the Wasatch Front. While she mostly makes suits appropriate for business, she also can make suits for weddings or other formal events. 

“Guys don’t put much thought into what they wear. Usually they just wear what they have in their closets,” she said. “I like seeing the light bulb go off.”

When a client calls Sorensen, she spends some time talking to them over the phone to figure out what kind of suit they want and what kind of price range they’re dealing with. More importantly, she tries to figure out what they want the suit to say about themselves. A young professional who is just entering the business world will wear a suit that is different from a suit worn by a recent divorcee trying to get back into the dating pool. 

“It’s really just interviewing them about what they want and not just pushing what I want,” Sorensen said.

When Sorensen comes to the client’s home, she will bring different fabric options to choose from. She and the client will then talk about previous suits the client has owned and what they liked or didn’t like about them. She may even have the client try on an old suit to explain what they like or don’t like. After taking specific measurements, she then goes out and creates a suit that is even better than their best suit. 

Sorensen admits the whole process may seem a bit overwhelming or intimidating to the client, especially if they feel they know nothing about fashion or style. Sorensen understands her client’s fears and tries to work with her clients to make them feel assured. 

“There are some clients who want to be involved in the whole process, choosing the lining, the button holes and the pocket angles,”  Sorensen said. “Other clients just pick the color of the suit and I go from there.”

Potential clients can call Sorensen at 801-891-9168 or email her at [email protected].