I’m standing in a room accessible by private elevator, sipping Scotch cooled by hand-chiseled ice, and listening intently as an immaculately dressed man presents me with a swatch of vicuña worth its weight in gold. Classically, such a scene would have played out in a bespoke tailor’s atelier. Only I’m in the men’s store on Fifth Avenue—and in the market for made-to-measure.

Long existing in the shadow of bespoke, made-to-measure (or MTM) has been cast as the second-best option for those without the money—or the time—to enjoy tailoring’s ultimate expression. Recent retail developments on Manhattan’s choicest shopping streets, however, are painting a different picture.

This past spring witnessed the opening of a new flagship on Madison Avenue, followed swiftly by the launch of a dedicated

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