Expanding Canadian menswear start-up makes U.S. debut

Surmesur, a custom menswear retailer, has dropped anchor in the United States.



Surmesur, which blends traditional tailoring methods with technological innovation, recently opened its seventh store to date, and first in the United States, in Pittsburgh. It’s the first of several new stores the company plans to open in the coming months, including one in Chicago and other major centers both in the U.S. and in Canada.



"Our concept is to democratize made-to-measure menswear by making it accessible to everyone, and after lots of planning, all the stars aligned to allow us to come and share with the people of Pittsburgh," said François Thériault, who co-founded the Quebec City-based company with his brother, Vincent.



The brothers launched Surmesur in 2010 in Québec City, because they wanted to create a shopping experience they felt they could not find in retail stores.



The Surmesur experience starts with a four-step process: the selection of fabrics, followed by the selection of options from collars to cuffs to buttons and more, the taking of measurements by the company's measurement specialists, and the fitting. Shirts start at $60 and suits at $375.



The company combines traditional tailoring with technological innovation. Customers who open an account get access to The Studio, an online creation program that allows them to design their made-to-measure suits and shirts and to view the finished product before placing their order.