Tailoring is the timeless craft of cutting, fitting, and finishing garments, a tradition dating back to medieval armorers and Savile Row masters. At Bards Clothing, we honor this history with American-made bespoke clothing, hand-crafted in Brooklyn. Every stitch is tailored to your story, blending old-world craftsmanship with modern style.

A rule we are all familiar with, but how does it hold up?

Bards Clothing, founded by Matthew Banever, continues to grow in Connecticut with a new Higganum showroom, expanded women’s custom clothing (now 45% of clients), and a booming wedding business (80% of sales). Matthew shares personal updates, including his move to Middletown, family time, and his new role on Connecticut’s WIPA board. Exciting news ahead: a new website, Bards Knitwear, and a “Who Made Your Clothing” campaign.

Twice a year, Bards Clothing travels to New York and the Chicago Collective, one of the largest trade shows in the world, to connect with top custom clothiers and mills. This season’s highlight: introducing Ariston fabrics from Naples, Italy, known for heirloom quality, personalization, and timeless style. Now booking Autumn wardrobe consultations.

If we want to revive American clothing, we have to revive American textiles. That means celebrating every part of the process: from farm to fiber, mill to memory.

This week we celebrate Bards Clothing 5th year in business!

Blazer vs. sport coat: what’s the difference, and why are more people pairing jackets with jeans? Blazers are sleek and structured; sport coats are casual and textured. Both offer timeless style, no suit required. Custom jackets, tailored for your lifestyle.

The story of American manufacturing is one of immigrant hands and working-class dreams. Italians, Irish, Polish, Puerto Ricans, Black Americans from the South, and refugees from wars far away, they all walked into factories and sewed their story into ours.

I’ve got a black tie wedding in August, yeah, I know. But honestly? I’m excited. Because I’ll be wearing a lightweight wool tuxedo, and I’ll be cooler (literally and figuratively) than everyone sweating through their bargain-bin polyester suits.

What are the fabrics you should be looking for this summer?

It wasn’t “what fits the largest niche?” It became “what fits you?” The process felt like a private version of those trade shows, tailored to the individual. And I loved that.

I told them the truth, that without them, there would be no Bards Clothing. No business. No me. I could tell they hadn’t heard that enough from brand owners.

Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. by Rachel Slade is a nonfiction exploration of the challenges and possibilities of reviving domestic manufacturing in the United States.

At Bards Clothing, we believe the clothes you wear should move with you, breathe with you, and carry the story of where you've been. Linen does all that, and more. It doesn’t demand perfection. It invites presence.

Think of the warp as the vertical threads held tight on a loom—like the foundation or backbone of the fabric. These threads run lengthwise, creating tension and structure. The weft, on the other hand, is the horizontal thread that is woven back and forth over and under the warp, interlacing to form the fabric itself.

The floating canvas isn’t about luxury for luxury’s sake. It’s about respect. For the craft. For your story. For the long road a garment should travel.

Culturally, the dandy was a disruptor. In a world where birthright often trumped merit, he used dress as a tool of self-invention. Tailoring became his armor and his microphone—every perfect lapel, starched collar, and tailored waistcoat was a declaration: I define myself. This wasn't vanity, but philosophy stitched into cloth.

By the early 20th century, ready-to-wear clothing exploded in popularity. It was convenient, affordable, and offered the average person a way to keep up with rapidly changing trends. Brands flourished, factories roared to life, and what you wore became as much about what was available as it was about who you were.

Imagine this: it’s the 13th century. You’re a nobleman in England, and your calves have never looked better. Why? Because your tailor knows you. Not like “he follows you on Instagram” knows you—but he knows your measurements, your taste, your station in society. This is the birth of bespoke.

By the 1990s, with the rise of fast fashion and offshoring, tariffs had become less about protecting American industries and more about facilitating global commerce. The result? A rapid decline in domestic clothing manufacturing. At one point, 98% of the clothes Americans wore were made on American soil. Today, that number is closer to 2%.