Lady Seyta's advice for women seeking a custom suit.

Lady Seyta was recently interviewed by Equally Wed Magazine about how to approach custom suiting for women. While it should be noted here that any woman who can access Duchess for this purpose obviously should, Seyta offers some further advice.

Read the full article here.

Aw, dreamy wedding pics from a client.....

Here are some great photos of a sweet recent wedding in Portland, from Julie and Stephen. Stephen, of course, is wearing his Duchess suit. Check out his ultra-slim and dapper custom narrow pin-striped #9! We had a great time working with these lovely folks, and did all the braces for the gents too!

All photos by the talented Alexandra Roberts.

Congratulations, you two!

(You can see the rest of their wedding photos here--they are gorgeous.)

Ooh, yeah.

The awesome pictures are really rolling in today. Check out these smooth shots of Brad in his tight black 8 1/2 with gold buttons!

(psssst--- send us your photos!)

How's this for a Duchess wedding party?

By Strong Photography

Yeah!

Mad Men inspired suits in time for the new season.

We honestly don't get sick of people coming in and saying in all earnestness, "I want to look like Don Draper." We think it is a excellent idea, in fact.

As AMC's Mad Men returns with a new season later this month (March 25th), we want to highlight this era of style. We know you love Don Draper's suits, but we want to show off some other gems of the era, as well! These specifically Mad Men inspired suit styles feature minute period details such as shorter jacket vents, and straight, rounded bottom-notch lapels.

Let us introduce to The Gladhand, The Stoli, and The What.

More details to come soon!

Duchess in LA the last weekend of April and in NYC in early June!

Would you like to come see us in the City of Angels? Or how about New York?

LA: April 27-29 

Book now!

We'll be meeting clients in this lovely private residence in Echo Park from April 27th through 29th. We can take care of all of your custom tailoring needs!

NYC: June 7-9 

Book now!

Come see us for your new suits in this gorgeous East Village apartment this June!

Getting married, need some ideas?

We will be participating in some interesting events this spring. Here is our Bridal Show Calendar for this season:

Feb. 28, 2012: Rocked! A special boutique show presented at the Nines Hotel in dowtown Portland by Portland Bride & Groom magazine.

March 8, 2012: Luxe Bridal Event At the Tiffany Center in Portland, email us if you would like free tickets!* Their Facebook Page

April 22, 2012: In Seattle, Linked! A small, cool event by the ladies of Crinoline & Tweed. More info to come soon.

*We might have a duel with Men's Warehouse, who will also be attending this event.

Rainbow Suits

It has come to our attention as of late that some people may not know we do amazing suits for the whole rainbow. By that we mean gay men, women, androgynous folks, gender-benders--any and all people who want to wear a suit or other dapper clothing, of any size and shape, and style orientation--we are here for you. And we love it that way!

Do you have a not-so-traditional wedding or commitment ceremony approaching, or just need to look good to go to one?

Here come the brides...

We are sensitive to the fit needs of all body types, including female bodies that want to look masculine in a suit. Whatever. We're into it, we're into YOU, and we will help you look amazing. 

See?

Cort's awesome pinstriped 3-piece Atticus Légèr.

Featured on Offbeat Bride here.

Or want some help getting dandified, in co-ordination with your gent?

Says the lovely G.W. Winborn, pictured above in his caramel velvet Carnaby suit with his green Corduory-clad husband Glenn,

“To have a suit custom made to your exact(ing) style and specifications, with mother of pearl buttons? Be still my dandy heart! Suit jacket monogramming? No flash, please. Working with the lovely Ladies of Duchess is every gay man's dream. We so looked forward to seeing them for our appointments that we invited them to our wedding! When you want set your untraditional ceremony apart, they're the ones to call.”

But if matrimony isn't your thing, you can also do it up right for any occasion. Just ask Stan, drummer of pop sensation Gossip, how it is to have a custom Duchess tux on hand:

Yeah.

See a whole gallery of some of our favorite Duchess Rainbow suits here.

Amazing New Fabrics!

This spring we've got some great new fabrics for you. We will be showcasing them little by little so as to not blow your minds, but here are a few to start!

Gorgeous new bold striped and checked textural shirt fabrics, 100% cotton.

A couple of our new stock of lightweight windowpane suiting wools...

Create a spring story with a pink shirt and brown suit!

Want to come see us to be the first to get into these great new choices--plus see the rest? Fill out our inquiry form now!

Aw, thanks Mercury readers.

 We love you too!

Who else does Portland love? See the feature here.

Don't forget your man today!

Valentine's Day is so focused on the ladies, why not surprise your fine gent this evening with a nice little dapper object from our Portland showroom? We'll be here sharing the love until 5pm!

Some new cufflinks or a tie bar, perhaps?

Or, how about a new springy bow tie or pocket square?

You can find these treasures, regular ties, gift certificates for custom shirts and suits & our lovely off the rack shirts suits here!

2505 SE 11th Ave #102

Portland, OR 97202

Ahhhhhh.....

What a relief. We have finally learned how to extend our blog so you can view it all in one big gulp instead of frustrating headlines with no pictures.

Oh, pictures.

We just got these sneak peeks from a wedding inspiration photoshoot featuring & styled by AniA Collection Bridal with great shots by photographer Ashley Forrette.

This groom wears a flannel Duchess EB suit-- one of our vintage classics, but in this case made informal with leaving out the vest. Gorgeous look!

Last Minute Trip to NYC!

Duchess is making a somewhat sudden trip to NYC and we have time to see a few clients for new Fine Custom suits and such! 

Lady Ariel will be available with wise sartorial guidance, fabric swatches and measuring tape on hand, February 24-25.

If you would like to see her, please send her an email! Her time is limited, so if you are interested, please get back to her soon.

UNIQUE JOB OPPORTUNITY: ALTERATIONIST/SALES REP FOR CUSTOM TAILOR

Duchess, Clothier (www.duchessclothier.com) is seeking a highly qualified, personable, unique, organized, and self-driven person to join our small, tight-knit team. 

The position we are looking to fill is for a part-time in-house seamstress and representative to perform alterations on our completed custom suits and shirts, to perform fittings with clients, and to operate our showroom during open house hours on Saturdays. Alterations and fittings include fine, detailed sewing operations on Duchess garments using on-site equipment, and detailed fittings of these garments on Duchess clients mid-process and at completion. Showroom operation includes answering questions, relaying information about our process, showing samples to prospective clients, taking detailed internal notes on these interactions, and performing general administrative functions as the main person on the ground in San Francisco.  Our goal for this position is to find the right charismatic person to expand this part-time opportunity into a comprehensive full-time position as consultant/showroom manager, with time and training. Saturday availability a must.

Please check out our website and/or showroom to get a sense of what we do and who we are. Please only apply if this seems like a dream job for you! We want passion; the perfect fit!

Requirements:

·      Excellent, comfortable and professional communications skills

·      Experience in precision sewing clothing on home and industrial sewing machines

·      Experience fitting garments on people for alterations

·      Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new information

·      Extremely high attention to detail

·      College degree or experience

·      In-person sales experience

·      The ability to work efficiently alone and in a small team

·      Punctuality and reliability

·      Highly self motivated

·      Excellent grooming and personal style

·      Computer skills: intermediate understanding and experience in Mac OS10, email (Apple Mail), scanner operations, MS word, internet, complex database upkeep (solve360).

·      Technical proficiency: operating digital camera, emailing, tracking online schedule, etc.

Compensation dependent on experience.

Please EMAIL your application materials to ariel@duchessclothier.com and cc both seyta@duchessclothier.com and Danielbranden.thomas@gmail.com.

Application requirements:

 ·      Detailed resume

·      3 references from past employers

·      2 personal references

·      Cover letter expressing why this job appeals to you and why we should choose YOU, specifically

·      Availability

·      Ultimate goals regarding work

·      If you have clothing design portfolio, or any additional information about your self/ past work you think we may be interested in, please include it! We want to get a sense of you as a person, as well as your stellar professional qualifications.

While our search will be ongoing until we find the right person, we would like to begin interviewing excellent candidates February 10^th, so please apply as soon as possible if you are interested! Expect at your interview to sit down in front of a sewing machine and demonstrate basic skills.

UNIQUE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: Alterationist/Fitting at Custom Tailor

Duchess, Clothier (www.duchessclothier.com) is seeking a highly motivated, personable, unique, organized, and meticulous individual to learn from our small, tight-knit team.

We are offering an internship in custom sewing alterations, fit, and quality control, and experience dealing with private clients in a small independent business environment. The goal of this internship is to give the desiring intern specific vocational skills and practical workplace experience in this environment.

This opportunity would prepare the intern with knowledge and experience for readiness to enter the workplace as a professional alterationist and fit specialist for custom clothing. This internship entails learning to perform specific and numerous alterations on menswear, fittings with clients, elements of quality control and garment preparation, and professional documentation of these tasks. 

Please check out the rest of our website and/or showroom to get a sense of what we do and who we are. Please only apply if this seems like a dream internship for you and you would like to join our team in a meaningful way! 

Requirements:

·      Excellent, comfortable communications skills

·      Some experience in precision sewing clothing on home and industrial sewing machines

·      Experience or interest in fitting garments on people for alterations

·      Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new information

·      Extremely high attention to detail

·      Concurrent enrollment or experience in appropriate educational track

·      The ability to work efficiently alone and in a small team

·      Punctuality and reliability

·      Highly self motivated

·      Excellent grooming and personal style

·      Computer skills: Understanding and experience in Mac OS10, email (Apple Mail), scanner operations, MS word, internet, complex database upkeep (solve360).

Compensation is unpaid for a determined amount of time through the educational internship period. 

Please EMAIL your application materials to ariel@duchessclothier.com and cc both seyta@duchessclothier.com and Danielbranden.thomas@gmail.com.

Application requirements:

 ·      Detailed resume

·      3 references from past employers or faculty

·      Cover letter expressing why this internship appeals to you and what you would like to learn specifically

·      Availability

·      Ultimate goals regarding career path

·      If you have clothing design portfolio, or any additional information about your self/ education/ past work you think we may be interested in, please include it! 

We would like to begin interviewing excellent candidates as soon as possible. Please expect at your interview to sit down in front of an industrial and home sewing machine and demonstrate basic skills.

Duchess Featured in Wedding Showcase on TV

Check out Misty Damico of Luxe Productions showing off some Duchess on local television! We are very much looking forward to working with at the Luxe Bridal Event in March, where we will be strutting our stuff in person. 

A dapper client enjoying his custom pin-striped 8 1/2 suit.

 The 8 1/2 looks great in a narrow pinstripe! Thanks for the photos Aaron. We love the look of the patterned shirt and vest! Looking good.

A fall Portland wedding, featuring the #9.

Michael and Nicole got married this fall at the Leach Botanical Garden in Portland. Don't they look nice! 

Michael is wearing his dapper new three piece Scotch Basic #9 in a gorgeous brown wool herringbone. Congratulations, you two!

Sample Sale Auction

We have started auctioning off our remaining sample sale garments on Facebook! For really, really cheap. 

 Join up now by liking our page!

RULES:

1. To bid, comment on the post with your bid. The last bid in the comment thread timemarked 4pm at the end of the designated day will win the item.

2. When you win, you must call or email Duchess right away with payment information or pick-up time if you are planning to use cash. (We will notify you that you won.) If we do not hear back from you by 4pm on the day following the auction's end, the item will go to the second highest bidder.

3. There are NO RETURNS or exchanges on these items. We encourage you to come in and try on garments you might be interested in.

4. Shipping is a flat $5 within the United States. We will ship USPS.

5. We do provide alterations services, so if your fantastic new Duchess garments don't fit just right, chances are good we can alter it to fit you perfectly!

Good luck!

Classic fall wedding ensemble featuring custom ties for kids!

Our friend and next-door neighbor, Rosemary Ragusa shot Darrell and Janet's wedding this fall, featuring Darrell's slick 3-piece charcoal herringbone wool Atticus Légèr, custom shirt, and custom chartreuse silk satin tie.

With matching custom ties for the kiddies! While the little guy in the middle looks a little encumbered by his neckwear, we see a bright sartorial future for the kid on the left.

This is a great shot for many reasons, but we love how the herringbone weave of this fabric really shows in certain lights. Subtle and smooth--

There you see it, here you don't:

Congratulations, Darrell and Janet!

Love, 

The Ladies of Duchess