Nicholas Joseph Custom Tailors

As a novice to the world of bespoke suits I can admit that upon entering Nicholas Joseph I was intimidated. Only in my mind did I have this vague idea of what a custom tailor shop should be a la Seville row in London (from the movies), I can say unequivocally that Nicholas Joseph met and exceeded my expectations.
I will put a disclaimer here that if you are looking for a fly by night operation that will get you a suit in a week, this is not the place for you. I decided as a start to building my professional wardrobe to get the 2 custom suits, 5 tailored shirts, 2 tie & 2 pocket square package. From the very beginning Katie let me know that to get my package completed it would take 6 – 8 weeks. Have that in mind before your first appointment. It was just shy of 8 weeks to get everything.
During the first appointment Katie walked me through the entire process. She helped me pick out everything from fabric and colors to cut and fit. Through every step of the process Katie was attentive and kept me informed via email. I cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism she displayed.
For everyone looking to invest (and tailored clothing is an investment), I suggest you make an appointment with Nicholas Joseph tailors. If you are lucky enough to work with Katie I can guarantee you will be happy with the outcome.

I scheduled an appointment with Katie in December to purchase a custom Nicholas Joseph suit for my husband’s 30^th birthday. Although my husband wears a suit every day for work, this would be his first custom article of clothing! I was a little nervous on how he would react to the surprise appointment since dressing well has never been a top priority for him. But I am thrilled to report that the entire experience was great! Katie is extremely knowledgable, she asked him great questions to get a better feel for his style which instantly made him feel more comfortable. She offered great suggestions and was very thorough with her measurements and explanations. To our surprise, our suit arrived in about a month and Katie kept us well informed every step of the way. After his first fitting, my husband decided to purchase another suit because he was so pleased with the fit. I’m sure it won’t be long until we are back! Thank you to Katie and the Nicholas Joseph team for making my husband look and feel great in his new custom suits!

I set out to build a custom wedding suit and my friend recommended I check out Nicholas Joseph. It was a great decision and one of the most customer service oriented clothing experiences I have ever had! I worked with Genna, who is friendly and hospitable, and extremely helpful! This being my first bespoke piece of clothing, I was unfamiliar with the process and all the customization options, but she took the time to walk me through every step and I felt very comfortable with my decisions at the end of the day.
As with any custom clothing, it took a few extra appointments to make sure everything was just right. The appointments were quick and efficient, and only minor changes were needed. For me, we had gotten everything perfect except the vest was giving me some issues due to my build, and at the last appointment before trying it on, she offered to completely remake the vest if needed to make sure that I was completely satisfied. It ended up fitting great at that last appointment, but it just goes to show that they really care about their customers! I left that day with suit in hand and feeling great about the entire experience. Would highly recommend!

When I first started my research to find the best custom tailor in Chicago, I had no direction. Like most I read a lot of Unilocal reviews, and I was pleased with the comments I read on Nicholas Joseph. I went in and met with Jodi, and told her I needed a suit for a family wedding, and I was in a bit of a time crunch. Jodi was able to help me pick out all the great little custom details, and was able to have the suit made in time for the wedding.
With my body type, I always found anything off the rack just did not fit me correctly, but when I put my suit on for the first time, I was blown away by how perfect the fit was!!! Every detail was awesome, and there was just a minor tweak to the pant length, which they were able to turn around very quickly. While at the wedding, I received a ton of complements on the suit, and not just from people I knew, strangers would come up and say, ‘Excuse me, but I got to say, that suit looks great!‘
I have since been back for a sport coat, shirt and trousers, and they all fit amazing!
If you are looking for great quality clothes, with a stylish, clean fit, I highly recommend visiting Nicholas Joseph. Also, I highly recommend meeting with Jodi, as she has been invaluable to bounce ideas off of, and has great advise on ways to customize each piece a little more!

This is the place to go for custom clothes!
When you go make sure to ask for Genna. She works tirelessly to make sure you are happy with your purchase. I have worked with her on multiple occasions and for several items and it has been a fantastic experience start to finish. I am, to say the least, a fairly particular person when it comes to the way clothes should fit and feel. Every request and every iteration was done with no hassle. She encourages you to bring out your own style, while providing great tips and insights along the way.
The shop has a comfortable feel and aesthetic and they always greet you with an offer for a beverage. More styles and patterns than one could hope to see, along with detailed offerings that let you really customize your clothes. Whether you like modern fit or traditional they can take care of you. Also, I can’t forget the additional accessories offered that can add the finishing touch. Go see them whether it’s wedding, business or you just need a sport coat to refresh the closet.

I like others started my search for custom suits with Unilocal.Narrowed it down to 3 – 4 tailors that had honest reviews. Visited each shop not only to compare potential price ranges but more importantly the attitude, knowledge and confidence in the «product» they delivered. My concern with most tailor shops today is that the are mainly a «front» for order takers who know nothing about «tailoring» as the actual work is outsourced to companies overseas.
Nicholas Joseph: 1. Constructs their suits in the USA 2. Have a master tailor onsite 3. Have extremely knowledgeable staff and Genna specifically is truly their best asset. She effortlessly answered my questions and guided me through an amazing amount of customization options. She took what felt like a 100 measurements, and updated me throughout the build process. At my second appointment I was amazed how well my tux was constructed and fitted. But amazed wasn’t enough for Genna, she took a few measurements, made small adjustments and i left with the perfect tux. Her attention to detail is impeccable, you won’t better.

Jodi does a fantastic job of helping us design the perfect suits and shirts for my fiancé. He’s never felt better in formal attire and looks amazing. I’d definitely recommend designing with them whether you know exactly what you want or don’t know where to start :)

Just picked up my first suit from Nicholas Joseph and it’s phenomenal. Expectation was set at 8 weeks and it was done in 3; shirts take a little longer but that was made clear on the initial visit. I worked with Genna and she delivered a world-​class customer experience. I plan on making several more purchases here in the future.

When I first started researching custom suit tailors in Chicago, I narrowed my choices down to Daniel George, Nicholas Joseph, and Balani because they all had wonderful reviews. I originally decided on Daniel George because the store was located close to my office. I purchased a suit from Daniel George only to discover during the fitting about six long weeks later that it did not fit very well and that the pockets had been designed incorrectly. I was told that the suit would need to be remade. I was pretty bummed and decided to get a refund instead because I did not feel like waiting for another one, and quite frankly, for the amount of money I paid, it shouldn’t have been made incorrectly in the first place.
That negative experience was a blessing in disguise.
I was about to give up on the hunt for a custom suit for fear of wasting more time and money when I decided to give Nicholas Joseph a try. I made an appointment about three days after my disappointing purchase at Daniel George. One of the nice things about Nicholas Joseph is that you can schedule appointments on the weekends for people like me who can’t visit during the weekdays. I was very impressed with the store from the moment I walked in. There are a lot of samples on the mannequins to view, and the place has a very classy atmosphere.
I met with a designer named Genna. I’ve purchased a lot of suits over the years and have never had a female designer, so I didn’t know what to think at first, but my concern was unfounded. She was fantastic. We went through several books of different fabrics. At first I only wanted to purchase one suit because I was worried about the end product. After selecting a safe charcoal gray, she started with the measurements. All I can say is that she was much more thorough than other custom suit tailors I have been to in the past (Indochino and Daniel George). She took a ton of measurements with a tape measure and then she had me try on an over-​sized test dummy (not sure what to call it) suit jacket that she pinned all over the place until it actually looked like something that fit me. Once it occurred to me that she had somehow made a test dummy suit jacket look good on me with over a dozen pins, I suspected that I was not going to be disappointed with the real suit itself.
I ended up ordering three suits (black, navy, and charcoal) during my first visit. My first suit came in a day short of three weeks later, which I found to be absolutely astounding considering that the one I purchased from Daniel George took about six weeks to make. At the first fitting for the first suit, the suit already fit well and looked excellent. Genna suggested a few alterations, so I left the suit at the store. It was at this time that Genna officially placed the order for the remaining two suits to take into consideration the adjustments that we made on the first one. Less than three weeks after my first fitting, I received a notice from Nicholas Joseph that ALL three suits had been completed. Each of them looked fantastic, noticeably better than anything I’ve ever purchased at other places, and no additional alterations were necessary. I’ve worn all three suits and have gotten compliments every time I’ve done so.
Needless to say, I plan on being a lifetime customer of Nicholas Joseph. I have never been so impressed with a custom tailor. I wear a suit every day for work. Being 5’5″ and about 135 pounds, it is hard if not impossible to find suits off the rack that fit. Fortunately, I won’t have to anymore.

My husband and I visited for a custom suit and custom tux. Katie helped us and she is just awesome! She walked us through everything and took her time but she didn’t waste ours. She even offered her own opinion when we asked. She didn’t try to talk us into anything though. My husband is a smaller guy so suits always looked like he was a child playing dress up but the fit on both the tux and suit are so perfect and look amazing! He typically bought his shirts from Joseph A Bank or Charles Thywitt so it’s not like he had bad stuff before but he says hands down these shirts are the most comfortable he’s ever worn. I’m actually going back (since they already have his measurements) to get him a bunch of shirts and pants for Christmas per his request. The prices are reasonable as well. I would highly recommend as opposed to buying something off the rack.

Great experience from start to finish.
I went in to get a shirt made and loved it. Great service, selection of shirt patterns, follow up, and fit. When it was all said and done it is the best shirt I have. I love wearing it and have decided to go back and get a few more made.
Bravo!

I was married on May 10 and Nicholas Joseph did a great job! The suit fit perfectly and the quality was fantastic.
But I was most impressed with the customer service. Katie did a fantastic job helping me design the suit. She made some great recommendations and helped me find exactly what I was looking for. I also had a short engagement and did not have a lot of time, but I never felt any concern about the suit. I was kept in the loop on progress and was assured it would be done on time (which it was).
Overall this was a great experience and I will definitely return!

I recently had to be in Chicago on a business trip and decided that while I was there, I would buy a custom suit as I had an event coming up in 9 weeks that I needed a new dark colored suit for. I randomly selected Nicholas Joseph from 3 or four that I had researched on the internet. When I went into their store, I clearly explained the timeline and was told specifically that I would not have to pay the expedited service charge as the normal turnover for their suits was about 6 – 7 weeks, so I didn’t. After 8 weeks had passed and I had heard absolutely nothing either by email or phone, I called them. Upon getting my phone call, they told me that they would check on it, and that due to higher than expected volume, (which they said was out of their control), there was a delay and the suit would be delivered the week after I needed it.
I explained to them that the whole purpose of buying this suit was for this event. After explaining this to them, they continued to tell me that the suit would be here the week after I needed it. I understand the fact that volume can affect the timeliness of delivery, but a small-​ish business like this one should have been more proactive in letting me know about the delay, especially since they knew of my timeline in advance. Another thing that frankly pissed me off was the fact that they seemed very ingenuous and like it really didn’t matter to them whether or not they got my suit to me or not.
Ultimately they refunded my money and I cancelled my order.
I would NOT recommend them.

I’ve worked with 3 custom tailors, now, and Nicholas Joseph is the best by far. Starting with their well-​merchandised retail experience through to the great consultants, Jaclyn and Jodi to their master tailor on-​site, you cannot go wrong. I work with Jaclyn and she has been great since day one. She is now starting to know my style preferences and my quirky requests like unstructured shoulders in my sportcoats and half-​lining in my jackets, but that is what custom is all about. If you aren’t going to do it with a twist, why do it at all? I’ve so far had 3 sport coats and 6 shirts made and will be going for more, this week. May try for some sweaters and other details. Custom does not cost as much as you think, especially if you already buy at Nordstrom, Saks or Bloomingdales. Go for it, ask for Jaclyn.

Service in the store is fantastic. Suits and shirts fit perfectly. I loaded up on 3 suits (3-​piece with extra pants — makes dry cleaning schedule even easier) a bunch of shirts and ties and everything is well coordinated (no thanks to my tastes — but those of Nick and Jaclyn). Looking forward to my next order… maybe a Christmas belt and some ties — they have some really nice looking belts and ties. The stitching on the belts were really a nice touch.
All the little customized details are daily reminder that I’m not wearing some of the rack junk. From the stitching, lining, buttons and pockets they create my own entire little signature on the suit.
Another great bonus is the ties are just long enough for the double windsor — something I’ve never had before — a very nice surprise!

I had an excellent experience with Nicolas Joseph. After trying off the rack suits for years and spending $ 150 to have them tailored, I decided to give NJ a try for my first bespoke suit.
I worked with Jodi to come up with some really cool details for my black suit, shirts and ties. I have a very difficult body type to fit, so I was a bit nervous as to how the items would fit. The first iteration of the suit and shirts was just about spot on for what I was looking for. The great part is that part of what you pay for includes a guarantee that the suit will be perfect for you. During my first fitting, we made a few adjustments to the jacket, pants and shirts. I even had a difficult time getting in to pick up the suit before a business trip and Jodi had it hand delivered to my building!
I can’t even begin to cover the amount of compliments I’ve received on my NJ clothing. I’m more than happy and will definitely be returning for more items.

Again, I cannot say enough good things about the customer service and level of professionalism I experience every time I come here. This time I was fortunate enough to have had Jaclyn and Nick both work with me to pick out a pattern for a shirt and all the extras that go along with it.
The only way I can truly describe my experience here is… «This is what it must feel like to be Thomas Crown!»
Kudos to a job well done, again. By far one of my favorite businesses in all of Chicago!

For starters, I would have never considered in a million years to get anything custom made. I was shyed away from even thinking about it. However, after frustratingly trying to find shirts and coats off the rack to various degrees of success, I decided to give Nick a shot.
Nick changed my mind and I was set for life after that. I ordered my first jacket from him, it was EXACTLY what I wanted, and on top of that, he made it affordable for me and rush ordered it so it would show up on time for my event.
Since then, I’ve ordered 2 more jackets, and some shirts as well. I even threw the crew for a loop because the shirts I ordered, I had to change the measurements because I have gained muscle mass this summer. Nick took care of it, no problem.
The even CLASSIEST of things that Nick did for me is my girlfriend ordered a vest for me as an anniversary present. He accommodated her, and delivered it to us on time, and it fit perfectly. I would have never known, but I don’t think any other business would do that for me. Hopefully I can order the Tux for the wedding through him as well.
I highly recommend Nick, his work, and his team.

I can not even describe what a horrible retail experience this was. I decided to go to Nicholas Joseph because I saw them on TV and found their prices to be affordable.
First let’s start with the customer service. It is near nonexistent. I’m buying a $ 1,200.00 suit can you pick up the phone. They will only send emails and somehow they never made it to my inbox.
The suit — wow how bad could it get. The seam of the arm wasn’t stitched properly and I could see it as soon as she unzipped the garment bag. The thing that really aggravated me was that she tried playing it off as it just looked funny because it needed to be ironed. Um no the freakin seam is off! Which leads me to the entire lining that was completely off. It looked like someone having a seizure sowed it! Also the pants fit horrible. I have off the rack pants that fit way better for way less.
The shirts were not any better. Even down to button holes to small for the button.
I received a free shirt for all my troubles but honestly receiving a shirt that does not fit that great even though it is custom shirt… is well… you get the point. At the end if the day I tried to save a few bucks and like they say you get what you pay for.
So either A) go to Macy’s buy a suit and take it to a good taylor to be fitted (my suggestion pine cleaners in Andersonville) OR B) go to a better custom suit place and fork over the cash.

Peacock Dan here.
Recent trips to London have made me really envious of the way those dapper gents dress. They’ve got a sense of style and flair that you just don’t often see around here. Stocking my closet with a bunch of Thomas Pink and Charles Tyrwhitt shirts spiffed up the wardrobe a bit. But, those classic British cuts and even the slimmer ones, never really did the trick for me.
Enter the world of custom tailoring and NJ. This isn’t a luxury I would usually indulge in and I was pleased to see how reasonably priced everything was. I set up an appointment to meet with Nick about a custom shirt. I was a bit early and greeted by Jodi, who grabbed me a bottled water and told me that Nick was just wrapping up with another client. That turned out to be one of the chefs from Tru, whom he was going to do some custom jackets for. That seemed fitting since everyone there was impeccably dressed on my last visit.
My initial consultation with Nick ran about an hour. I settled in to the comfy pin striped cloth desk chairs as he walked me through the whole process. What do I do? How/​Where would I be wearing the shirt? What are my needs? He was thinking of everything. They even have little tips all around the shop that help you with everything from tying a full Windsor to getting a good tuck of your shirt. I was a bit naïve to some of the things we discussed, but Nick stepped right in with insight on what collars or cuts would work best with my face and build. We looked at hundreds of patterns, and I whittled them down to a select few. I wanted something that would work casually or dressy. I went with a navy gingham, spread collar and french cuffs. I never knew about all the different collars and cuffs. There are so many variables that you can go with, I was happy to have it chosen. Now it was time to get measured. It seemed like he took a good two dozen measurements, which they keep in your file. He placed my order and told me that in a few weeks I’d get a call to return for a fitting.
Well, the fitting was a mere formality. It was ready to go. This beauty fit like a glove and wasn’t tight at all. Really, it is a far better fit for me than all of the fitted shirts I’ve got. I’m so thrilled with my new shirt and it’s the best one in my closet.
Nick, Jodi, and the rest of the NJ team really took care of me. They really opened my eyes to the world of custom tailoring and they’ve got a new client who fancies himself a dandy. Thanks Nick! You make me look sharp.