Doyle & Mueser Bring Rocker-Approved Bespoke to the West Village

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• Off the rack suits on display
• Jake Mueser and Amber Doyle in their own creations

Recently-opened Christopher Street bespoke boutique Doyle & Mueser isn't your grandfather's custom tailor shop. For one thing, FIT alums, partners in crime, and general downtown scenesters Amber Doyle and Jake Mueser are offering their talents to both gentlemen and ladies. Plus they have a seemingly endless stock of Balvenie single malt scotch to offer guests who stop by their cozy, clubby, hipster jewel box of a shop.

Jake tells us that the entire bespoke process takes about six to ten weeks. "We start by taking a series of measurements and then we design the actual garment," he explains. "We try and really accommodate as much as we can, like the different fits and styles that people like, rather than the old Savile Row type of thing, where they badger the client into things." All fabrics are sourced from England and Italy and the construction takes place at the duo's Lower East Side studio and shop Against Nature. Then the client comes in again for multiple fittings (and fingers of Balvenie scotch, we presume).

Of course, bespoke doesn't come cheap. The custom suits for men and women generally run from $3000 to upwards of $12,000, depending on fabrics and such. Jake tells us that for men, lean cut suits are the hot request, especially in a natty three-piece version (which looked quite dashing on him). In addition to suits for women, other popular items include capes (which start around $1200) and outerwear.

Not feeling so flush? Well, the shop also sells off-the-rack suits, which they will tailor to fit for a relative bargain of...$2700. Still not quite hitting the sweet spot? Doyle & Mueser also design silk ties (fabric milled in England) priced at $175. The prolific duo also designed a line of plush leather goods, running from $195 for a pouch to $1200 for weekender duffles.

In addition to opening this charming shop, the duo seem to also have quite the charmed life. They started their own line immediately upon graduating from FIT. Amber tells us, "When we first started, we started designing for our friends in bands and that's how it snowballed." Jake's old DJing days helped out with connections, too. The duo reluctantly divulged the names Royston Langton (Spacehog bass player and ex-husband of Liv Tyler), Robert Plant (OMG!), and rocker Jesse Malin. Jesse is a longtime client and Jake tells us, "As soon as I started making suits, he's like, 'I want in on this'. He wasn't taking the suit off after that."

The shop is open every day except Monday, so you might want to consider diverting funds from your 401K contributions ASAP. Jake might hate us for saying this, but he did mention that anyone is welcome to drop in for some single malt scotch. You don't need to bespoke to imbibe.
· Doyle & Mueser [Official Site]