Suit up with Bellington Estate
Is there anything better than a well fitted suit? We think not, especially when it comes to your big day.
When we heard of Bellington Estate’s talent when it comes to tailored suits, we were intrigued. After all, a service that ensures you have a perfectly cut suit in a few easy and simple steps seemed way too good to be true!
Thankfully it’s not, and we sat down with Adam, the incredible owner of Bellington Estate and heard all about how you can order a beautiful custom suit with just the click of a button.
Adam, we’d love to get know a little more about you and how your business came to life – what’s the Bellington Estate story?
Ok, well I was born and bred in Geelong and while working in real estate about 8 years ago I made my first trip overseas and visited South East Asia. With a recommendation from a daily suit wearing friend I paid a visit to a reputable tailor in Thailand and I came out with two expertly constructed suits. They fit me like a glove and lasted far longer than any other suit I had ever had.
Flash forward through a few career changes, a business degree, more international travel and a handful more tailored suits sourced from overseas, it dawned on me that I couldn’t be the only Aussie guy excited about accessing affordable tailored suits. I placed a bunch of orders for some eager mates and soon realised that an online suit tailoring business might actually be a decent concept. Of all places, that realisation was met when I was at work sitting in an earth mover at a sand quarry in country Victoria- with not a suit in sight! And it’s funny, my mate who recommended that tailor in Thailand is now one of my regular customers and has a suit, ‘Mr Whytcross’, named after him which is pretty cool. You can find it on our website.
When it comes to measurements, you can create a profile online and measure yourself up. For those grooms a little worried about getting this right, are there places they can go to be measured by a professional?
Yes absolutely! I measure wedding parties up by appointment. You can get in touch via email and we can book in a time that suits all of the boys at a place that’s convenient for everyone, even at the local pub over a beer if that’s up your alley! I’ve found it’s pretty common that one of the groomsmen can’t make the measure up session due to being overseas or interstate so they can measure up via our simple step-by-step measurement video on the Bellington Estate website which is something we’ve had a lot of positive feedback on.
Tell us exactly what the process is when creating a custom suit?
You can either purchase online via the website from anywhere in the world or I can facilitate measurement consultations as mentioned above. The online process is really simple – you select your suit/blazer/pants colour and then you get to customise it. You then choose things like your button and lining colours as well as your pocket, vent and lapel styles and we also offer monogramming which has been really popular for weddings. Then you follow the step-by-step measurement video which is actually not as daunting as you might think – my Dad was involved in the testing stages and he’s given it the green light so it can’t be too hard to follow! The whole process usually takes around 15 minutes and once the order is placed it goes through to our tailors in Shanghai who then begin constructing the garments.
From start to finish, how long will it take for a suit to arrive?
Most orders arrive back within three weeks, but we always suggest allowing additional time for alterations (which we cover the cost of by the way) just in case they are required. For weddings I usually recommend allowing three months so we have plenty of time up our sleeves.
How would you describe your typical Bellington Estate customer?
Umm legendary! Haha. Though honestly, so far all of our customers have been really laid back and easy going, we’re not trying to be one of those intimidating, wanky fashion brands and I think that resonates with a lot of guys out there. I’ve found that most of our wedding customers usually know what they want when I meet up with them and they’re always open to hearing my suggestions. I’ve been working with grooms for couple of years now so I’ve seen all sorts of colour schemes and customisations. And for those guys who have zero idea what they are after I really enjoy sitting down with them to look at Pinterest and Instagram pages to get them inspired and help them decide on their look for the big day.
You’ve worked with some big names when it comes to your custom suits, can you share with us who they are?
We signed our first brand ambassador in October which was really exciting. His name is Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin and he’s a snowboarder. He’s originally from Mansfield but now lives in Sydney and he’s a world champion snowboarder. Chumpy is really nice, relaxed and easy going so it’s really cool to align with someone who has a similar mindset to me and to Bellington Estate. We’ve also worked with Geelong Cat’s player Mitch Duncan and will look at aligning with some more athletes and other personalities over the coming year.
Have you noticed any trends (current or emerging) when it comes to suits?
Yeah absolutely. I think the first thing to mention is a real shift by the guys out there in their keenness to dress things up a bit. Where once a function or event was simply a shirt and jeans affair, now we’re looking to rock a blazer with jeans or chinos and getting a bit fun with our style which is awesome to see. In regards to current trends, contrasting jacket and pants colours are all the rage as are patterned blazers. One of our best sellers throughout the spring carnival was our navy blue window pane blazer, ‘The JP’, it’s a really subtle pattern for guys who want to have a bit of fun but don’t want to be too ‘out there’.
How important is a well fitting suit?
More important than a lot of guys realise! We all come in varying shapes and sizes and to find a suit off-the-rack that fits you like a glove is bloody hard. Most of us go with that option because we think it’s more affordable than a tailored suit, but I’ve deliberately priced Bellington Estate at a similar point to the off-the-rack options out there so that we can all experience what a high quality, well-fitting custom suit feels like, and we don’t have to sell a kidney to afford it!
What sets Bellington Estate suits apart from the mass-produced off-the-rack numbers out there?
Good question! A great suit is not necessarily so because of one factor, it’s a number of important pieces of the puzzle that come together to make a quality suit. I am really proud of our quality pieces that come together and this sets us apart from the majority of off-the-rack numbers. This includes our high quality 100% worsted wools, canvas linings and customisation options, but the best part is that all our products are made from scratch for each client and is personalised just for them. Creating custom suits also means that we have minimal waste as the only stock we carry are our accessories, so it’s also good to know that we aren’t adding to the environmental issues associated with fast fashion.
What is the price range for your custom suits?
Bellington Estate suits are $550 and blazers are $299 and any alteration costs are included in this price, as well as the measurement consultation. We are also able to offer a cheeky group discount on certain wedding packages.
If you were choosing a custom suit for your own day, what’s your favourite style and colour?
One of the coolest things about Bellington Estate is that you can fully customise your suit so you can really show your own personal style on the big day. I’m a pretty relaxed guy and if I were to get married I think a summer wedding is the way to go. So a sharp linen blazer, open collared linen shirt with rolled up chinos and loafers would be ace. Naturally I would have to run that by my girlfriend Jess first so don’t hold me to that!
Suit up with Bellinton Estate and be sure to tell Adam we sent you!
