Working in the family business for 10 years, Donald Carlson had begun to feel burnout and was looking for the next new thing. While on a road trip, he saw something that struck a chord in him and the day he got back home, he sold his car, bought a truck, and went all in on his new business, Tweeds Suit Shop.
Starting in Sarasota, Carlson, Founder of Tweeds Suit Shop, sold his first custom suit in September 2019, and now is working on his third truck. Tampa and St. Petersburg residents can now go online or call him and schedule an appointment to bring this custom-outfitted mobile service to them.
Instead of going to the mall, and buying something off the racks, or shopping online, Tweeds Suit Shop encourages you to let them bring their shop on wheels to your front door. Not only is it convenient, but you’ll also have help as someone walks you through the process in deciding what style you’re going for. You’ll be able to bring your vision into reality from the bottom up.
Dress shirts start at $225; and for your own custom suit (jacket and pants), prices start at $899. This includes the appointment, measurements, the suit, and any adjustments that may be needed after trying it on for the second fitting.
“An appointment is broken down into three steps: discover, design, measure,” Carlson says. “First, I need to discover what the client is looking for, do they have a wardrobe of suits? Are they looking for a suit for an upcoming wedding, are they getting married? Are they just looking for something casual for a Friday night? Once I can understand what the client is looking for, then we can go into picking the fabric and designing the suit from thousands of fabrics, picking the buttons and the lapel and the lining, that all goes into creating the perfect style.”
Once you’ve selected your suit, over 30 measurements will be taken to ensure its 100% crafted to you whether you’re looking for a slim or more traditional fit.
“I have a huge passion for dressing nicely and wanting to help guys dress their best,” Carlson says. “I’ve gotten to the point where I’m ready to expand and I want to take this concept further and bring it to the Tampa Bay people.”
The original Sarasota concept will remain the same as the business expands. Stepping into their luxury truck brings you this funky, downtown, Brooklyn-inspired showroom vibe stacked with books of fabric swatches and materials. Focusing on superior, quality materials, their exclusive fabrics are sourced directly from Italy and are made using the most advanced technology in the industry.
“Every guy needs a good custom suit in their closet; you never know when the occasion is going to come up. With my time, I really want to be able to offer this to the Tampa region so that’s why I’m bringing it there,” Carlson says. “I love Tampa. I think it’s young. I think it’s hip. I think it’s cool. And I think there’s opportunity and I want to make a statement up there. I want to bring something cool, something to inspire people in the area.”
A lot of people may assume that this is a franchise or big business, but Carlson shares the importance of knowing it’s just a small local company with the goal to make gentlemen feel and look good.
To book an appointment and get more information visit the Tweeds Suit Shop website.
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