How Marketers Are Ruining the Suit Industry (And What to Do About It)

I’ve spent the last seven years diving deep into the marketing of suit businesses, and let me tell you—after viewing over 2000 suit businesses and working with some of them, I’ve seen a massive disservice being done to the industry by marketing.

In this article, I’ll break down the problems and what you can do to steer clear of them.

1. Selling Suits Like They’re Fast Food

Here’s the deal: marketing agencies and freelancers are treating suits like they’re just another commodity, no different from fast food or low-cost gadgets. It’s a cookie-cutter approach across the board.

Whether it’s a $300 off-the-rack suit or a $3,000 custom creation, they’re selling it all the same way—like fast food. Why? Because it’s scalable.

Custom strategies don’t fit the agency model—they can’t crank out tailored approaches and keep the lights on.

Freelancers aren’t much better.

They’ve got a basic toolkit of strategies and tactics, but no real depth when it comes to understanding the nuances of the suit industry. They deliver the same cookie-cutter stuff, just at a lower price, and guess what?

You get what you pay for.

And if it doesn’t work?

Too bad.

You’ve lost time, money, and momentum.

Meanwhile, they’re onto the next client, throwing them into the same marketing meat grinder.

I’m not bashing agencies or freelancers—they deliver results across a lot of industries. But when it comes to suits, this one-size-fits-all approach of commodities just doesn’t cut it.

2. The Pushy Sales Tactics

So you’ve got the agencies and freelancers that move beyond the basics and focus on lead generation. Sounds better, right? Not so fast.

Generating leads at scale is great for them because it justifies their fees, but the focus shifts from quality to quantity.

You end up with a bunch of leads who are lukewarm at best. When you bring this up, the solution is often more pushy sales tactics.

You get told you’re not closing well, or you need to push harder.

What does that do?

It turns you into a full-time salesperson, pulls you away from other critical parts of your business, and frankly, makes you look a little desperate.

Desperation and high-end suits don’t mix.

This doesn’t just harm your sales; it diminishes the public perception of your brand and the value of a suit.

The Pitfall of a Commodity Mindset

A suit, at any price point, is more than just clothing; it’s a symbol. It’s about confidence, respect, and self-expression. But when you reduce it to a commodity, like a T-shirt, you strip away its soul.

In most cases same “soul” that brought you into this business niche or made you fall in love with the sartorial lifestyle.

Think about it: the iconic images we have of suits—old Hollywood, Savile Row, the mafia, successful business moguls—they’ve all built up this image of a suit as something powerful, something special. But that’s all being destroyed by commoditization.

When suits are evaluated purely on price and features, the emotional value gets lost. And when the emotional value goes, so does the perceived value.

This is where the suit industry starts to crumble. Brands start cutting corners to keep prices competitive, and the quality diminishes over time.

Eventually, we’re left with a world where the brand name and the image of a suit mean less and less.

Look at what Shein and Temu are doing—they’re ripping off iconic suit designs and selling them for peanuts. And when people buy those suits and look terrible, the looks of it being worn in public drags down the entire industry.

Slowly, but surely, the perception of suits as something desirable starts to fade.

Maybe I sound like the boy who cried wolf, but the early signs are here.

The commoditization of suits is happening, and it’s the marketers who are driving it.

So, What’s the Solution?

Be smart. Instead of chasing quick wins and shouting “Buy now” at the top of your lungs, focus on building your brand’s real and perceived value.

Storytelling and education-based content consistently outperforms static ads and limited-time offers. Stop selling suits and start selling yourself.

Position yourself as an expert, the go-to person for all things sartorial.

Transition from being product-centric to people-centric. Build a brand that resonates on both a logical and emotional level. The logical side covers price, testimonials, convenience, and fabrics. But the emotional side? That’s where branding and design come in.

In the suit industry, we know first impressions matter. But here’s the kicker: that first impression isn’t made when someone shakes your hand—it’s made when they see your ad or visit your website.

How to Avoid the Commoditization Trap

When it comes to marketing, think of it like heart surgery. You want someone who knows what they’re doing and is specialized. You wouldn’t let a dentist perform heart surgery on you, right? So why let a generalist marketer handle your brand's soul?

Here’s how to avoid the trap:

1. Hire and Train In-House: Bring in a good generalist marketer, but before you let them loose, train them on everything there is to know about suits.

   They should know the difference between R2W, MTM, custom, and bespoke.

   They should understand how a suit should fit and look. And don’t let them do a thing until they can spot the difference between a peak and notch lapel.

   Yes, it’s a lot of work, and yes, you’ll make some costly mistakes along the way. But consider it an investment.

   In the end, you’ll have someone perfectly tuned to your business, and they’ll be more affordable than an agency.

   
   

2. Poach Experience: Top-tier marketers with suit industry experience are rare and usually locked in at good companies. But if you can offer better pay or bonuses, it might cost you upfront, but it’ll save you big in the long run by avoiding costly mistakes.

   
   

3. Shameless Plug: Or, just have a chat with us. Maybe we can handle it for you, train your team, or at least point you in the right direction.

In the future of TikTok attention spans, fast fashion, commoditization of everything, remain the business with the soul and the market will reward you for it as there will be less competition that can stand out in the crowd.

Whether you’re selling affordable suits or luxury garments, the future of the suit industry is in our hands. Let’s make sure it’s a future where suits—at any price point—are seen as the symbols of confidence, style, and self-respect that they truly are.

To your success,

Andris

P.S.

If you are one of the suit business owners who want to grow profits in the most realistic way where results are almost guaranteed and don't believe the "magic pill" we might be of assistance.

With our 7 years of experience helping over 45 made-to-measure, r2w, and bespoke suit businesses across the world and growing our own r2w suit store over 15X in revenue, we can guide and assist you in boosting your sales, appointments, and profits.

Due to our attention to detail and one-on-one time with each client, we can only take 2-3 new clients per month and if you want to see if we can be of assistance, feel free to schedule a quick free discovery call if times are still available here:

https://calendly.com/sartorialdigital/45min