From Vision to Venture: The Business Leadership Behind TheSuitman&Co

Sholom Sandler, Founder and Director of tailored suit specialists, TheSuitman&Co, sits down with us to share the story behind the brand’s creation. In the interview below, he answers questions on leadership, scaling a luxury service, and how he’s redefining the modern tailoring experience.

1. What inspired you to start TheSuitman&Co and what was your original vision for the company?

I founded the concept for TheSuitman&Co when I was training to become an Independent Financial Advisor [IFA] and I decided to invest in my own tailored suit. However, following a bad experience with a travelling tailor who came to my house, I became obsessed with the idea of creating the best suit possible and set to work in searching for premium fabrics that would enable me to create masterpieces unparalleled in quality, durability and fit.

Not only did I fall in love with the process, but I also felt that many other people would have been let down or disappointed by their own tailoring experience too. As a result, in February 2023 TheSuitman&Co was born and my business partner Solomon and I have worked incredibly hard to build a unique, market-leading mobile tailoring service that brings convenience and quality all in one suit, with a growing reputation across London.

Today, TheSuitman&Co utilises the finest British and Italian fabrics to create quality custom suits for the office, weddings and events – all synonymous with quality craftmanship, workmanship and the perfect fit.

2. How has your leadership style evolved as the business has grown?

As a self-confessed perfectionist, I naturally found it hard to trust others initially – not just direct employees, but those who had any involvement with the business, such as subcontractors and suppliers too. However, over time, I’ve not only learnt to trust people but also trust the process. It’s super important that your employees feel trusted – and it’s every employer’s responsibility to trust your employees to do the job they were hired to do. It’s been one of the biggest learning curves, but I have the utmost confidence in all of my employees and fully trust their capabilities!

3. How do you stay relevant in a modern and fast-paced environment?

The popularity of travelling tailors is growing at pace, with many business leaders and HNWIs now having their own tailor just like they have their own chef. However, this isn’t just a trend we are seeing amongst the most affluent – with the growing return to the office having a positive effect on the industry.

More business owners will want their employees dressed accordingly and looking the part when they’re at work, and we’ll start seeing an increase in demand as a result. I strongly believe that if you’re suited and booted when you’re at work, you’ll be more efficient and productive – something I know from my own personal experience.

We’re also seeing more consumers move away from fast fashion as they would rather invest in one or two exclusive pieces as opposed to multiple lower-end pieces. There’s been an increased demand for tailoring, even amongst the younger demographic who may not have worn suits previously but are now showing more interest in sartorial garments such as suits, casual blazers and sports jackets as they can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

Instagram has definitely helped with this as a lot of influencers are also making the shift from fast fashion to pieces that are more sartorial – a trend that will only continue to increase.

4. How do you approach scaling a luxury and personalised product without compromising on quality?

Unlike our competitors, TheSuitman&Co doesn’t have a physical storefront. Our business model is based around the unique experience that we offer our clients – as travelling tailors, we provide a luxury product and service to our customers in the comfort of their own home or even their workplace, bringing convenience and quality all in one suit.

Because we don’t have the overheads involved with maintaining a storefront, we’re able to remain competitive with our pricing, with our suits starting at £795. Despite this lower price point, we are committed to redefining the standards of custom tailoring services, and as such, we only use premium British and Italian fabrics that enable us to create masterpieces unparalleled in quality, durability and fit.

Our unique business model allows clients to book a one-on-one consultation in their home or workplace where they receive our undivided attention throughout, allowing us to achieve the perfect balance between personalisation and customer satisfaction.

As a result, we have built a loyal customer base amongst professionals, business leaders and high net worth individuals who take pride in their appearance – from fabric quality to finish.

5. What is a lesson that you learnt early on?

We learnt early on that due to the nature of our service, client relationships would be the most valuable marketing strategy for us. Because of this, we have found the secret to making our business work is referrals. By dedicating our time to building a personal rapport with each client, we have been able to make meaningful and lasting connections which in turn has provided better marketing results compared to traditional avenues.

The key to leading a successful business comes from truly understanding what works, and for us, this is providing a service with standards so high that your clients become ambassadors for the brand. Many business owners forget the value of customer service and the benefits of fostering relationships to grow your client base.

6. What advice would you tell yourself if you were to start the business again?

If I started this business again, I would tell my younger self to not care what other people think. Having left another business venture that wasn’t successful, I was concerned about the negative opinions of others, however, it’s important to ignore this mindset and stay focused on what you want to achieve.

Secondly, I wouldn’t be concerned about taking out a business loan – they are the best way to grow a company and push it forward. When we first launched TheSuitman&Co, I was extremely nervous to do so, however, it has been the number one reason why the business has experienced such high growth in a short amount of time.

Finally, I would try and make as many mistakes (that are inevitable) as quickly as possible. The quicker you make them, the quicker you can brush yourself off and take a different approach. Don’t be scared to dive in head-first and be at peace with making mistakes, as long as you learn from them.

7. What’s next for TheSuitman&Co?

Our long-term goal for TheSuitman&Co is to continue increasing our presence and servicing more clients in the Capital, with the addition of more vehicles in London and Greater London. Once we’ve achieved this, we will then replicate this business model across Birmingham, Manchester and other major cities in the UK.

In addition, we have recently completed a successful pop up in Gibraltar, with plans to launch further pop ups in Dubai and the US later this year.