ReviewFashion
Proper Cloth Review: The Best Online Custom Shirts in America — Backed by a Real Fit Guarantee
Proper Cloth makes some of the best online custom shirts available, with 400+ fabrics, 1–2 week turnaround and free remakes on your first shirt. It costs more than off-the-rack, but the fit guarantee removes most of the risk.
rating 8.6 / 10
8.6/10
- Best for
- Men who struggle with off-the-rack fit (long arms, athletic builds, slim or broad frames) and want dress shirts or suits made to their exact measurements
- Price
- ~$80–$300 (custom shirts) / ~$645–$845+ (custom suits)propercloth.com
The shortlist
04 PRODUCTS · PRICES CHECKED AUTOMATICALLY
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Best Overall Pick Custom Dress Shirt (Mid-Range Italian Fabric) — ~$120–$180 Proper Cloth
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Best Value Easy-Care / Non-Iron Custom Shirt — ~$80–$120 Proper Cloth
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Premium / Upgrade Pick Half-Canvas Custom Suit — from ~$645–$695 Proper Cloth
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Approach With Caution Ultra-Premium Sea Island Cotton Shirts — up to ~$300 Proper Cloth
How this works — Links to shops may earn FailleGlam a commission. It never decides what we recommend, the score, or the order. Prices are read from each shop and shown with the time we last checked. How we review →
01 Why We Reviewed Proper Cloth
Proper Cloth was founded in New York in 2008 by Seph Skerritt, with one mission: make custom menswear as easy to buy online as a regular shirt. You build a fit profile by answering a short questionnaire (Proper Cloth's Smart Sizes algorithm), measuring a shirt you already like, measuring yourself, or mailing in a shirt to copy. Then you choose from 400+ fabrics from mills in Italy, Portugal and Japan, down to ultra-premium Sea Island cotton. Shirts arrive in about 1–2 weeks, and your profile is saved, so reordering takes minutes. There are also showrooms in New York, Washington DC and Chicago for in-person fittings.
The honest caveat is price and patience. Custom shirts cost $80 to $300, and half-canvas suits start around $645–$695, which is two to five times the cost of travel-tailor suits of similar construction. Fit is algorithm-driven rather than measured by a tailor, so unusual body shapes may need a remake or two before it's right. Even long-term fans note small flaws, like a misaligned sleeve button. Proper Cloth handles these well, though. When it spotted a factory error on a batch of shirts, it traced every affected order and remade them for free without asking for the originals back.
02 Proper Cloth at a Glance
At a glance
- Founded
- 2008 — New York, NY
- Product Category
- Custom dress shirts, casual shirts, suits, jackets, trousers, outerwear, knitwear, accessories
- Price Range
- Shirts ~$80–$300 / Suits ~$645–$845+ / Jackets from ~$350 / Overcoats from ~$850
- Ships To
- USA and international; $15 flat shipping, free over $200
- Made In
- Custom-made by partner workshops; fabrics from Italy, Portugal, Japan and more
- Warranty
- Perfect Fit Guarantee — free remake of first custom shirt; tailoring credits or refunds on tailored clothing
- Return Policy
- Tailored clothing: remake, tailor credit (up to $125 suits) or full refund; pre-altered garments not accepted
- Available At
- propercloth.com; showrooms in New York, Washington DC and Chicago
- Review Count
- Strongly positive independent reviews; long-term testers report shirts lasting 6+ years
- FailleGlam Rating
- 8.6 / 10
03 What FailleGlam Found: The Honest Breakdown
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+01
✅ A real fit guarantee. If your first custom shirt isn't right, Proper Cloth remakes it free. Later orders get free adjustments to keep sizing consistent.
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+02
✅ Several ways to get your fit. The Smart Sizes questionnaire, body measurements, measuring a favourite shirt or mailing one in, with saved profiles for different needs like tucked vs untucked.
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+03
✅ 400+ quality fabrics. Options run from easy-care poplins to Albini's Sea Island cotton, with some of the best fabric photography of any online menswear brand.
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+04
✅ Fast turnaround. Custom shirts arrive in about 1–2 weeks, which is quick for made-to-measure.
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+05
✅ Honest suit construction. Entry suits are half-canvas (a floating horsehair canvas, not glued fusing), with full canvas available. That's better than many online made-to-measure rivals.
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−01
❌ Premium pricing. Shirts can reach $300 and suits start around $645–$695, well above off-the-rack and travel tailors.
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−02
❌ Algorithm fit may need tweaks. Unusual builds may need one or two remakes. Proper Cloth limits free remakes to two per product category.
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−03
❌ Small workmanship slips. Reviewers mention minor details like a misaligned sleeve button, and one past batch had the wrong placket style, which was fixed for free.
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−04
❌ The website takes some learning. Long-time fans say navigation and the fabric catalogue could be easier to use.
Our readProper Cloth's strength is removing the risk from custom clothing. You pay more upfront, but the fit guarantee and saved profiles make each later order easy.
04 Best Proper Cloth Products Worth Considering
Based on value, construction and the fit guarantee, here's where to start.
Proper Cloth
Custom Dress Shirt (Mid-Range Italian Fabric) — ~$120–$180
Start with one shirt in a mid-range Italian cotton. The first-shirt guarantee means Proper Cloth will remake it for free until the fit is right, and once your profile is dialled in, every later order is simple. Long-term testers report these shirts lasting over six years of regular wear.
Proper Cloth
Easy-Care / Non-Iron Custom Shirt — ~$80–$120
If you wear dress shirts daily and hate ironing, the easy-care fabrics give you a custom fit at the lowest price. They're a great workhorse for the office rotation.
Proper Cloth
Half-Canvas Custom Suit — from ~$645–$695
Proper Cloth's half-canvas construction, with handwork at the collar and sleeve heads, is a real step up from fused online suits. With tailor credits up to $125 or a full refund if the fit misses, it's one of the safest online custom suits. Visit a showroom if you can.
Proper Cloth
Ultra-Premium Sea Island Cotton Shirts — up to ~$300
They're lovely, but only order luxury fabrics once your fit profile is confirmed on a cheaper shirt. Spending $300 on a first order before your measurements are dialled in makes no sense.
05 What Buyers Are Actually Saying
A long-term menswear reviewer on overall experience:
One of my favorites… superior photos, quality, and customer service.
A customer whose shirts had a factory error described Proper Cloth's response: the company found the mistake itself, traced every affected order and remade the shirts at no cost, without requiring returns.
— Independent customer write-up
On the concerns side, the same long-term reviewer flagged a small workmanship issue:
A misaligned sleeve button.
And independent suit comparisons question value:
2–5× a Hoi An suit for comparable half-canvas.
The pattern: buyers consistently praise fit, fabric and service once their profile is set, while criticism focuses on price and the odd small workmanship slip.
06 Proper Cloth vs The Competition
| Proper Cloth vs The Competition | Our pick Proper Cloth | Suitsupply | Indochino |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price Range | Shirts ~$80–$300 / Suits ~$645+ | Suits ~$500–$1,000+ | Suits ~$400–$800 |
| Quality / Build | ✅ Half & full canvas disclosed | ✅ Good canvas options | ⚠️ Mostly fused |
| Fit Guarantee | ✅ Free remake / tailor credit / refund | ⚠️ Store alterations | ⚠️ Alteration credit |
| Custom Shirts | ✅ Category leader | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Yes |
| Turnaround | ✅ ~1–2 weeks | ⚠️ Several weeks MTM | ⚠️ Several weeks |
| Showrooms | ⚠️ NYC, DC, Chicago | ✅ Many | ✅ Many |
| Unique Strength | Online fit accuracy + saved profiles | Style & stores | Low entry price |
| Best For | Shirts & online MTM | In-person MTM | Budget suits |
07 Is Proper Cloth Right For You?
Perfect For
Men who never find off-the-rack shirts that fit in the neck, sleeves and body at the same time. Professionals who wear dress shirts daily and want a consistent fit on every reorder.
Worth Considering If
You have an unusual build. Expect to use the free remake on your first shirt, and consider a showroom visit or mailing in your best-fitting shirt.
Skip It If
Standard sizes already fit you well, you're on a tight budget, or you need a suit within days rather than weeks.
08 FailleGlam Recommends
Proper Cloth
One Proper Cloth Custom Dress Shirt in Mid-Range Italian Cotton — ~$120–$180
Order a single shirt first, use the free remake if you need it, and lock in your fit profile. Once it's right, reorder in easy-care fabrics for daily wear and treat yourself to premium fabrics for special occasions. Add a half-canvas suit once you trust the fit.
09 Proper Cloth — Questions We Get Asked Most
Q.01Are Proper Cloth custom shirts worth it?
Yes, if off-the-rack doesn't fit you. The first-shirt remake guarantee takes most of the risk out.
Q.02How accurate are Proper Cloth Smart Sizes?
They're accurate for most builds from a short questionnaire. Unusual body types may need a free remake to perfect it.
Q.03How does the Proper Cloth Perfect Fit Guarantee work?
Your first custom shirt gets a free remake. For suits you choose a tailor credit (up to $125), a remake or a full refund.
Q.04Proper Cloth vs Suitsupply — which is better for custom suits?
Proper Cloth is better online, with half-canvas and a strong guarantee. Suitsupply is better if you want in-store fittings.
Q.05How long does Proper Cloth take to ship?
Custom shirts usually arrive in about 1–2 weeks. Shipping is $15 flat, and free over $200.