_edited.png){kind=small}
A couple of years ago, in a small tailor shop in Little Italy, Montreal, I tried on a shirt. The shirt was an ordinary-looking blue herringbone, and yet something about it was different. The fabric was softer, the body was tapered, the collar was spread, the arms were slim. No label existed on the shirt, bar a small “Made in Canada” tag directing me on how not to ruin it in the dryer. I bought this shirt, asking myself, "Is this fashion?"
A man’s life has moments of change, clarity, and decision. This was one of those moments. Labels, designers, and brands had taken over my wardrobe. Media force-fed me fast fashion, and I ate it up as quickly as my piggy-bank would allow. I started to reflect on fashion and spent the evenings at my house going through my closet. I considered what quality was- it was the fabrics, the stitching, the attention to detail, the country of origin.
A discovery was made. The harsh reality is that all large fashion houses inevitably meet the same issue: The need for marketing outweighs the need for quality. Apparently selling ideals is far more important than selling quality product. We needed a change.
We looked outside Moncton. We looked outside Canada. We looked at the companies who were producing the best product in the world, and we learned. Through our travels, our thoughts, and our learning we curated the fundamental business structure of what would soon become Cecil and Sons, which has become one of the most unique men’s wear shops in Canada.
Using Savile Row as inspiration, we sourced the finest fabrics from the United Kingdom and Italy, and paired them with some of the best garment producers in the world. We’ve paired these beautiful products with the knowledge of a staple in the men’s wear industry - Cecil D. Long. Cecil has over 50 years in the industry, which he has spent making, designing, and selling men’s clothing in such markets as Milan, New York, and Los Angeles.
When you walk into our shop your eyes don’t set on labels, rather, your glances will be met with the finer things in life. A cold beverage, beautiful fabrics, artwork, and an ambiance only achievable through our appointment-only business model.
We have brought the best clothing in the world. Your name and the fabric mill are the only brands on the shirt. It’s made for you, to flatter you, to appease you.
The little tailor shop in Montreal has a very important lesson to teach us. As the fashion icon Ralph Lauren so eloquently put it, ““Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.”