I’ve been really interested to see how Saman Amel have changed their business model in recent years. They’ve made a conscious decision to offer a far more involved service to customers, which is then reflected in their prices. The cheaper Toscana line starts at £2300 for a suit now, but the Neapolitan is £3500.
So, some examples of things they do are:
- Conduct a half-hour interview with every customer before come to their country for a trunk show
- Set the room up differently for every customer, during a trunk show or for any regular appointment, so that the clothes reflect specific things they would suggest (the interview, of course, helping to establish this)
- Send out printed cards to customers each season, showing specific looks they would suggest, given what they know about their wardrobe and what they have bought in the past
- Put together presentations based on discussions, including thoughts on materials and how things fit together with the rest of a wardrobe
Nobody really does this. Bespoke tailors sometimes know the customers the meet on trunk shows very well, but they never have dedicated garments, and rarely talk to them in advance. Some offer appointments of just 30 minutes.
At the other end of the spectrum, luxury houses offer pretty poor customer service. Walk into most shops and you’re often made to feel like you’re privileged just to be served - and the person serving rarely has much style or experience.
Saman Amel have always produced a very good handmade MTM product - I reviewed my jacket here. But the prices have risen to reflect these new services.
For many readers, this will be too expensive. But I also know others that would welcome the hands-on experience, as well as the luxury service (the showrooms in Stockholm and now London are beautiful). Unlike most luxury brands, you can see something of what you’re paying for.
When Saman and Dag opened the new London showroom, they asked me to help make a video for them that explained some of the services. You can see it below.
I also went through the service they offer people, with the pieces I’ve made with them so far (jacket, knits, trousers, coat) discussed, and then a rack of things they would suggest for me. It was really interesting, making me reconsider things like charcoal cashmere for a blazer and different black-silk options for evening wear.
I also try to make clear in the video that if someone just likes the Saman Amel style, they don’t have to go through every part of this process. It’s just there if you want it. People vary in what they like and what they need in terms of service, just as much as they do in their clothes.
I particularly liked the way Dag illustrated this by talking about two customers who recently ordered the same DB charcoal suit. One was a senior lawyer and would wear it with a shirt and tie; but the other worked in fashion and would be more likely to wear it with cowboy boots and a bucket hat. The Saman Amel tonal style can make it a bit of a blank canvas.
One final thing I thought was interesting was the reasons to say ‘no’ to a customer. Or rather, to gently suggest that they already have one of those, or don’t need that for at least another six months. Sometimes people of all levels of experience buy too much too quickly.
In the video I am wearing:
- My Saman Amel jacket in a Loro Piana wool
- A PS pink oxford shirt
- Trousers from Whitcomb & Shaftesbury in Fox charbrown flannel
- Black Piccadilly loafers from Edward Green
Dag is wearing:
- Saman Amel suit in navy Art du Lin linen from Solbiati
- Saman Amel black polo shirt
- Saman Amel black City-Moc shoes
Hi Simon,
I think that the price for the suits/jackets is still a placeholde “XXX”?
Hey Tamaki,
Thanks, yes that’s been filled in now
Got 2 suits from Saman Amel. Absolutely incredible stuff. Very pleased with the outcome.
Great video! Super happy with the couple jackets from Saman Amel that I have. Always get great advice from them.
It’s a nice idea and I applaud Saman Amel for trying something different, but the article and video feel very much like an advertorial rather than objective journalism. Perhaps a follow-up article after you’ve tried the service yourself would be more in keeping with the spirit of PS?
Hey Gaurav – thanks, yes as I mention this was a video for Saman Amel that they asked my help with, not original PS content, so it’s always going to feel more commercial.
Good idea on following up with something myself – obviously I’ve already reviewed my jacket and I did go through what the guys would recommend for me given my current wardrobe, which is the points I mention in the article on both charcoal cashmere and black silk. But I can do more on that
I agree that a more journalistic take on how they changed, and the value proposition, would be interesting. Props to Saman and Dag for daring to evolve their business model, but one must acknowledge that this change makes for a completely new value proposition, and the value for money might drastically change.
I never used Saman despite living in Stockholm; the lack of transparency regarding prices always irked me. I know from the PS articles that I could afford the tailoring (before this change, anyway), but I guess it always made me feel unwelcome. Sort of a “if sir has to ask the price, sir cannot afford it”. It’s a shame cause especially the knitwear offerings look interesting, and I’m hard to fit for knits.
Still, none of that detracts from their success, and I very much look forward to seeing a more objective review on their new setup.
From my experience with Saman, Dag, & co, they seem dedicated to making sure customers are getting value for money and have always been fairly open regarding price. They are very welcoming and hospitable in person and definitely don’t give off a holier-than-thou vibe compared to traditional fashion houses.
I’ve never heard anyone say anything but good about them, so I don’t doubt you. But their home page doesn’t make it easy to figure out the price range on their mtm services.
I understand what you mean. I usually just send an e-mail asking about the price before I book a meeting.
As an existing customer of Saman Amel, I really appreciate their products, but the service and the curated part have been so helpful and valuable. Happy that they are finally open in London, congrats!
I have been a regular customer of Saman Amel since they started with tailoring. I actually think I was the first client that bought a jacket from the Napoli line (in RAF flannel) where I later adder trousers in the same cloth.
The majority of my tailoring is now from Saman even if I also have some Attolini suits and jackets (some of them bought on sale) from before I started with Saman.
The guys are great and the service is top-notch. They know my style and my wardrobe so they can offer good advice.
Regarding price. They used to be excellent value if you compare their high-end MTM to brands like Attolini. I would say that they are still good value if you appreciate the service and advice that they offer. I will continue to buy from them. Even if I nowadays only buy maybe 1-2 tailored items a year and maybe something else like knitwear. The reason that I buy less is that I have most of the things I want at the same time that I less often wear tailoring.
I have two suits, three pairs of trousers and few shirts from them. I really like what they do, but I feel they are targeting a different customer now. I know very well what I like, and don’t really have any use for these extra services. Love what they have made for me, but with the price increase, I am going to check out another MTM service this fall.
So pleased with the Saman Amel trousers I managed to get my hands on. They really do make the rest of my wardrobe feel obsolete. Would recommend Saman Amel to anyone who owns a pair of legs 🙂
I have two jackets with matching knitwear. One grey and one navy. Always appreciated their advice and interesting to hear this longer conversation on the topic.
Fantastic to constantly see Saman Amel evolve! I absolutely love everything I own from them.
Love it! Keep it up!
Interesting take on tailoring. Haven’t visited them, but compared to my Tom Ford mtm suits the pricing is very competitive.
Simon, how would you say they are compared to more established mtm brand such as Tom Ford? Brioni etc?
Very good. You’ll get better value for money than from those brands and probably better service too
Is that right, Simon? Full bespoke at Brioni starts at £5.5k, and I remember you being very happy with the service and product.
They were good, but the service was not as described here, and at the time I said the biggest selling point for Brioni was the convenience and the luxury – the fact there are so many stores, so well appointed, and that if you’re a buyer of luxury clothing, you may well prefer that to waiting for a bespoke appointment every few months in a hotel room
I get that they have raised their prices to reflect the availability of their new “service”, but does that mean you pay that higher price regardless of whether you use the new service or not?
It does, yes, there’s no way around that unless you get into complicated levels of service, which is harder to communicate. It means the brand won’t be for everyone, but if anything I think a lot of brands (whether low or high end) don’t define themselves enough this way and end up disappointing customers who had the wrong expectations for whatever reason
This is my favorite brand of all time, I have several pieces from Saman Amel and absolutely adore them😍😍😍
Simon,
Thanks for this – very interesting. Back in the ’90s, when I still had an involvement with clothing manufacturing, I had a long talk with Ampelio Bucci of the Domus Academy in Milan about the future of menswear retail. At that stage their focus was on the importance of the retail environment from a brand positioning and values, customer-fit perspective; the evidence of that can still be seen today. My personal experience of such stores, mirrors, I think, the comment you make about how the environment is let down by the approach to service; good service needs training and time. I want to congratulate Saman Amel for understanding that a customer’s lifetime value is the basis of sustainability and that building the relationship to deliver that takes thought and work that goes beyond simply design and creativity and quality control systems.
John
As a long term customer, I’m super happy to see them grow and I do love their product, but I feel they’re pricing themselves out of my closet honestly. I will still be buying from them, but probably more knitwear, perhaps some outerwear. The tailoring, as nice as it is, doesn’t really present the same value for money as it used to, imho.
Very interesting interview. Their tailoring looks to have a timeless yet modern elegance that can be dressed either up or down.
I’m looking for a 3 season suit for all occasions. Could they be a candidate?
I certainly think so, yes David. Their product has proved very good for me, I can vouch for the quality and it sounds like you like the style
My editorial background including training and experience at Monocle in London, and whilst during this time, I discovered Saman Amel not long after by an old method which is not even possible anymore – Tumblr. Having spoken personally to Dag previously, when they have first offered their Toscana and Napoli tailoring line, they remitted how PJohnson was an inspiration to emerge as a made-to-measure company, which could also offered high level of full handwork. At their core, Saman Amel wanted to do make clothes with exceptional quality and I’ve long admired that personally integrity.
What Saman Amel also have in common with the influx of contemporary made-to-measure companies is that they continued to support its tailors. Much talk and discussion about bespoke tailoring and its endangered state, their business model meant that they could continually give tailors the work and service for new clients. In many other countries, bespoke tailoring does not even exist – it’s a rarity – and if you do come across it – appear as legal firms. It’s not exactly approachable and not exactly for the younger demographic. If Swedes weren’t going to Saman Amel before it had existed, where could they go? We are probably aware of the bespoke names we know by their names, but it wasn’t until Cad&Dandy came to Savile Row, the demographic which Saman Amel serve could see bespoke or made-to-measure being more approachable and less imposing.
For what Saman Amel are creating now, is a mirror to what fashion houses are doing and have been doing for a long time. It can’t be ruled out that that it doesn’t happen that people will have bad experiences with luxury fashion, but I currently work for one. In-house, their are tailored experiences where high-spending clients are invited to events which they themselves can create a wholly customised product in the bespoke sense with an in-house Italian artisan from Rome, and trunk shows that involved exotic or high skins – meaning cashmere, alpaca, etc. Having current colleagues working at other houses that include Hermes, the standard of service is impeccable. That’s what these business demand and in the same way, so does Saman Amel want to do the same by offering a comprehensive experience.
I’m glad that Saman Amel exist because in their own way, they have invigorated the ecosystem that occupied men’s tailoring that is fresh, sharp and subtle. The Belgian designer Stephan Schneider described that Northern European fashion as being fresh, and without them, there isn’t much by way of having tailored clothes made due to geographical location, that don’t have to be fully bespoke in its entirety, but well-refined. It’s nice to have a different dialogue about men’s tailoring and what can be offered, instead of the pontification of bespoke, because not every person will ever be able to affford or appreciate it enough to be made clothes, but atleast they can (relatively speaking) seek what Saman Amel have done.
Well, at least their price rise comes along with extra service, I can appreciate that even if it means they are not in my price range anymore. This is in contrast to Stoffa, who have raised their prices a quite frankly ridiculous amount over the past few years while not improving their products or services.
Another thing. Private White are running ads for the PS Donegal Coat in navy. Is that the old or the new navy?
The old one….
For your subsequent review Simon, it will helpful to get a sense of the value of SA given the price increase. They are now competing head to head with bespoke tailors you have reviewed very positively recently- so what are the tradeoffs?
With Rubato for example (another Swedish company), you pay extra for design you quite literally cannot get anywhere else. No one else has the styling elements of their sweaters- so at least in my eyes that premium is justified if you are interested in that specific style.
I’d be curious to hear what SA brings to the table in this respect for the PS reader. To be clear- the video does a good job in explaining the value of the consulting/styling advice for folks in the beginning of their tailoring journey.
Great video,
Shaoul
Thanks Shaoul, yes good points and I can do so. There will always be small things in the design of the tailoring, but I agree it’s different to ready-made knitwear etc.
I’d also say that while they are more expensive now, most bespoke has become more expensive as well – for some makers almost the same increases
Saman Amel has become my only clothier. Their service is top notch (they even sent me a mini sweater when they found out I had a daughter) and their quality is top notch. It might now be full bespoke but the garments fit very very well. I do appreciate their guidance as I build a wardrobe and also the candid feedback of what NOT to buy.
Outstanding quality, so happy with my purchases so far. Just an overall great experience to shop at Saman Amel.
This piece feels like an advertorial (a high quality and nicely shot one). Did Saman Amel pay for it? Content like this make it hard to believe otherwise. Since Permanent Style is maybe the only menswear blog left, it has the power to make a brand popular or kill it. So how are brands that are presented here chosen? I’m sure any brand would want a 30 min advertisement in the most popular blog.
Hi Stavros,
As I mention in the article, the video was made for them – to use in their communications and their marketing etc. So yes they paid for it.
There was, however, no mention of an article on Permanent Style. You cannot pay for that.
A significant proportion, possibly the majority, of the comments on this thread are enthusiastic endorsements from Saman Amel’s customers. Would I be right in thinking that the brand has asked them, e.g. by email, to post here?
Not as far as I know Kent
Hi Simon,
I get your point but I must say that this very much feels like a promotional piece that does little more than share the video. It doesn’t bring anything new to the discussion other than share the details of the new service. No personal experience or insight with regards to using them unlike your earlier articles. I get the feeling of a Hodinkee article in this piece, generally quite enthusiastic and seldom approaching anything critically.
Thanks R, always useful feedback. The reason I wanted to include the video and write something about it, was because I think it’s genuinely interesting what SA are doing, and I wanted to share it as well as give my brief thoughts. I can certainly do more in detail later.
One reason I think it’s so interesting is that readers often complain about poor service from bespoke tailors, about mistakes being made, about waiting for an appointment because someone has double booked, and so on. It’s worth reminding people they can have a higher level service (not necessarily this one, but any) but it will always cost something.
MTM has gotten very expensive. Shocked to see those prices. Same for places like J. Mueser. When you can find bespoke at those prices, not sure what allure these spots carry.
Most bespoke has gone up quite a bit as well Dave – the big names are often charging over £5000 now. I’m not sure which bespoke you’re referring to, but there’ll often be something different there if the cost is the same (eg production abroad, very likely the style side)
Love their work!
Intriguing proposition for someone who is building a new wardrobe and doesn’t know where to begin. But can’t help noticing that the pricing here is significantly more than Whitcomb & Shaftesbury, which is fully bespoke and top notch in quality. WS doesn’t provide unsolicited consulting, but Sian remembers everything she’s cut for me and has always given me good advice.
It doesn’t sound like this applies to you, but there will certainly be readers that like the style input of the Saman Amel guys – which whether you like it or not, bespoke tailors like Whitcomb aren’t really providing. It’s just a question of different priorities.
Also the cheaper Saman line starts at £2300 for a suit. What does a Whitcomb suit start at these days?
Just checked with Whitcomb. Offshore bespoke suit starts at £3120 with VAT, so more not less than the lower Saman line
I guess I must have most track, since I pay I pay in dollars and my last couple of purchases were sports jacket only. Looks like WS’s prices have also shot up over the past couple of years, like everyone else… But you’re still getting full bespoke.
Hi Simon,
what is the starting price for a single jacket in the Neapolitan line?
Thanks
Rupesh
£2400
Hello Simon. I found this an unusual comments section. You’ve covered some great tailors and brands over the years, and my feeling is the initial comments on this article seem a little over the top (eg “I’d recommend their trousers to anyone who owns legs”) in comparison to other brands, especially when paired with the speed they came in, the repetitive structure some appear to follow (i.e. I own this followed by superlative with minimal detail as to why), that a high proportion of comments really stand out.
Thanks Chris. Yes I know what you mean. Perhaps the Saman Amel guys shared the article, and implicitly or explicitly encouraged people to contribute. I know they wouldn’t do so cynically – it’s probably more a case of their genuine fans leaving comments.
They have shared this article on their Instagram, I think, but I find it hard to believe that they’d tell people to comment good things about them on here. I have quite a lot of garments from them and have atleast not head anything like that.
I am a regular client of them and they have to my knowledge not asked people to write reviews. I love what they are doing but agree with people who think that they are less of the value they used to be.
On luxury houses service: I remember walking down Bond Street some time ago and being amazed to see very high end shops having ropes outside for people to queue. If I were going to spend thousands and were to be asked to wait I would rather expect to be able to rest in a room and be provided with a cup of tea or even a martini if they really wanted me to spend.
Oddly I had the same experience in a department store in Tokyo. A chocolatier from Paris (Hervin I think) had opened and constructed a glass box with staff in white lab coats. There were about five customers in there and I was asked to wait outside until they were prepared to see me. It felt rather insulting really.
Clearly deliberate marketing to make the products feel ‘exclusive’ but frankly quite happy to be excluded from something so utterly absurd.
It is the same in Copenhagen. Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermès regularly have people queuing outside. Hermès will hand out umbrellas to the people waiting if it rains.
Man, bespoke has just turned me off with the prices and traveling costs involved. At first glance, this extra service does not merit a higher price. Also, I refuse to use persons like Sartoria Solito after they posted a photo of a Trump loving customer with hashtag Donald Trump. What were they thinking? Why get politics involved in your business?
It’s a little disappointing to read comments questioning the motivation and integrity of some of the positive comments about Saman Amel. Perhaps it’s understandable, given the extent to which social media is used to cynically and insidiously manipulate the way that information is presented and interpreted. However, that seems to be so much at odds with the people I have come to know at Saman Amel, having been a customer since relatively early days, that it seems inconceivable to me. I’ve always enjoyed my interactions with both Saman and Dag, and also with more recent appointments, who seem to be entirely in tune with the ethos of the company. I’ve never felt under any pressure to place an order at an appointment, and have, on more than one occasion, left without doing so, because the cloth I wanted wasn’t available or we couldn’t converge on something that particularly appealed. Regardless of that, I’ve always been treated with considerable courtesy and warmth, and a friendliness which I think is absolutely genuine.
My experience of the service from Saman Amel has never been anything less than first class. I can see that the proposed new model has additional features, but I’m not sure that those features provide any additional appeal for me and, therefore, any enhancement to the value proposition. I was perfectly happy with the service I’ve already experienced which, along with the quality and well-considered design of the products keep me coming back.
As another person has commented, I must say that I have been equally happy with both the service and product from Whitcomb & Shaftesbury, from whom I’ve had many items. I continue to regard them highly and will continue to commission pieces from them. (Which reminds me….)
I should say, too, that The Anthology deserve an honourable mention. Although I have less experience with them, the experience I have had has been very positive.
I haven’t had an opportunity to visit Saman Amel’s London premises, but I intend doing so soon and I’m looking forward to it. I admire their commitment to service, to quality and to design (as well as conversations with fellow guitar nerd, Andreas!) and I hope that it’s a successful venture for them.
Thanks RT, all very useful
I am not sure what kind of inflation is applied in the luxury sector, but it seems that the 60% increase in price between 2018 and 2024 for Napoli line (2200 vs 3500) is quite significant. I can’t blame Saman Amel for this, it seems an industry wide trend, but prices are getting quite ridiculous. This was the same with when I started buying Stoffa vs. their prices today, pants have gone up by more than 70%.
I was quite excited by your initial review of Saman Amel and had an initial interview before a NY trunkshow, I expected the price to be around 3500 euros and Irish linen Napoli suit was quoted at 4300. Of course it’s natural that some will be priced put but the pace is just crazy to me.
Simon this would actually be an interesting point for an article. It seems pricing has inceased quite a lot across the industry, to an extent that doesn’t seem comparable to the overall inflation and economy.
I’m not sure if “luxury pricing” are even a relevant benchmark though? But I personally find it hard to justify the fact a pair of cotton trousers run for 800 euro now, that used to run for 350 in the recent past. That can’t all be down to increased costs.
Hey JB,
It is a particular problem for the luxury industry, but it’s quite patchy. Eg leathers have gone up a lot and quality has gone down (meaning you can often get less out of a skin). Exotics have basically doubled in the past 10 years, other fine leathers up almost 50%. Costs also depend a lot on whether you have a physical shop or travel, as costs for both have gone up a lot.
The wider economy or inflation isn’t a very good guide really, as the costs are often quite specific. Eg a top coat maker I know in London used to charge £500 a jacket five years ago. Now it’s £1000 – because the top level is such a scarce commodity
But yes, if I have time to talk to enough people to demonstrate these points, it would make for a good piece I agree!
I’ve bought quite a lot from these guys, and I applaud them for their success, but this is just turning to much into a luxury brand for me.
Seems all very high quality but neither the whole modern luxury brand feel nor the advice is very welcome for me. I find the whole idea of the room being set up to reflect my taste rather embarrassing. Based on the other comments they do high quality stuff, but not my cup of tea.
I don’t think personally the business model is sustainable in the long run, making an appointment to look at knitwear never mind purchasing. Another point is I recently purchased a cardigan on the Marrkt website whilst the design and material is excellent the buttonholes lacked stitching re-enforcement which can cause gaping as seen in the video of Dag’s polo-shirt.
Hi Simon, I’ve always had many questions about the high prices of Saman Amel, but after watching this video, I was able to clear up some of them. I was just wondering if you know whether the jackets that Saman Amel curates each season are made from exclusive fabrics that are only available from them?
Many thanks,
Jack
Not usually, but sometimes they are I think Jack