Lapel

I’ve never been as impressed with a business as I have been with Lapels. Due to an issue with another vendor, I needed a black suit custom fit on a Friday. I found Lapels on the Tuesday before the big day. Without worry, I was measured, the suit was ordered. As if that wasn’t enough, I couldn’t make it to pick up the suit before Lapels closed at 6 PM. I was told not to worry and get there when I could. I showed up right at 6, after which the suit was tailored to fit me and I was sent on my way.
Truly remarkable service. Don’t go anywhere else if you can help it.

Summary: Unbelievable quality. Excellent price. Amazing and personal service.
Like the other reviewers, I usually don’t post Unilocal reviews– but I’ve been raving about Lapel the whole weekend of the wedding to my friends and I still can’t get enough of telling people how awesome it is. Let’s break it down to Quality and Service.
Quality:
My first worry was «what if I’m renting a terrible tux?». Well, after I walked in and tried on a tux, I could say I’ve seriously never worn such nice clothing in my life… and that’s coming from someone who owns a tux, multiple suits, and half a closet devoted to nice shirts.
The shirt was a thick and heavy fabric; soft, as if it were made from ultra-​high thread count sheets. The stitched edges of the french cuff were neat and crisp. The cut was slim, fitted, modern, and stylish. Not sure it was altered, but it simply fit so well. The complete opposite of the paper-​thin, see-​thru, baggy shirts you might see at a place like Marshall’s. The Tux itself was also of a soft and fine fabric. My tux, in comparison, resembles a course wool suit. The fit (granted, part of graham’s work) is simply exquisite, like a high-​end designer suit. The bow tie, though just a simple black, was so soft, shiny, and silky. When I first entered the store, Graham was working some black magic with a bow tie and the open flame from a lighter. I’ll assume that same level of shine is probably applied to everything.
Just soooo good (especially for the price). When he begins selling tuxes instead of just renting them, I’ll be one of the first in line.
Service:
If I had to describe his service in as few words as possible, I’d say, «simple and clean». Graham is easy-​going and always willing to help. Professional, but not stiff. Honest, yet always uplifting. He even took the time to teach me tying the bow tie!
But with relation to getting a tux, he made the process as simple as Measure, Test-​fit, Choose options, Re-​measure (example: pant length), Write stuff down. Next week, you arrive (re-​confirm fit, if you’d like), and there’s a garment bag neatly packaged with everything in it– From tux with a bow-​tie in the pocket, to new socks with the newly polished shoes in the shoe-​compartment. With all the other wedding stuff going on, simply picking up a garment bag with your name printed on it makes life that much easier. (It holds up really well in travel also!)
I can’t say enough for how he makes everything easy.
His fashion can also be relied on as well.
Conclusion:
Overall, I can’t recommend Lapel enough. There’s a reason why the highly rated Unilocal place for custom tailored tuxes (with three dollar signs) in the heart of DC uses Lapel for their rentals (at time of writing). Serious Quality & Service.

So… I’m only giving these folks 5 stars because Unilocal won’t let them be great & take all of the 10-​star reviews they deserve.
There I was, master procrastinator that I am, trying to figure out (on Monday) what to wear to a black tie gala at the Marriott Marquis downtown (on Friday). In the past, my tuxedo rental experiences have always been less than stellar and my final look has consistently been underwhelming. I had pretty much resolved that renting a tux meant I would have to spend some amount of time in a sloppy, ill fitting garb that looked like it was made for an oddly proportioned individual. This was such a common occurrence that I had pretty much accepted ugly tuxes as a fact of life… ya know, just one of those things.
Lapel provided me with the exact opposite of that experience.
Graham was swift, professional, fun and provided me with honest feedback on my choices for the evening. The selection is fantastic and it doesn’t hurt that they’re actually delivering what you see advertised; a well-​tailored, modern, tasteful look. I was also thoroughly impressed with the ease with which the entire process was carried out. Speed never compromised attention to detail.
Not only was I elated with my tux but I’m extremely relieved to know that I now have a trustworthy «go-​to» in the future for any and every occasion that calls for formalwear. Trust me, all of the 5-​star reviews are accurate. You won’t be disappointed!

I’m not prone to writing reviews, but I was very pleased with the quality of the tuxedos at Lapel and Graham’s professionalism and good eye. The event was last night and I even had compliments! Lapel’s tuxedos are classic and very clean in their style. When getting ready, I had a moment of panic, and Graham responded immediately to answer my question (and, it was my misunderstanding, not his problem). All in all, I am very pleased with the first black tie event I’ve attended in some years and happy to highly recommend Lapel.

I felt compelled to write a review for Lapel because Lapel’s owner Graham consistently went above and beyond. I rented a tux for an event scheduled in January that was subsequently rescheduled for February due to snow. The date change was not a problem– I simply returned the tux to Graham and was able to pick it up later for no extra cost. I received several compliments on my tuxedo, which fit me better than any tux I’ve tried on, and even most suits. I would recommend Lapel to anyone in DC, Maryland, or Virginia for any formal event. I live in DC, but the commute to Old Town was well worth it.

Graham and the company, lapel, were such a pleasure to work with — he was flexible and accommodating — my (now) husband and I are currently living in FL, but are from NoVA and got married on NYD in DC, so we had a very limited time frame of when he and I would both be home to find an ivory tuxedo jacket for our wedding. Graham was understanding and opened his shop to us on a Sunday, when they’re usually closed. He was attentive, knowledgeable, and responsive — great at emailing and answering calls — no wait time, straightforward about pricing/​when the rental would be in, and just a real treat to work with. It’s little things like this that make a huge difference on the ease of planning a «perfect» wedding day, when you want someone reliable to count on for such a crucial detail! I would recommend lapel to all of my friends, both in DC and in Charlotte!

I’ve never written a Unilocal review in my life, but I felt that the service my boyfriend and I received at Lapel this evening was deserving of me changing that.
The couple working at the shop are very dedicated to making sure the customer has a great experience– down to asking details about the event to make sure they are giving you everything they can to make it perfect. The service is extremely speedy while also being very careful– you could tell that they cared and wanted you to leave completely happy and feeling taken care of. The tuxedo was promised to be ready for pick up the very next morning– rare for such a busy time of year. We couldn’t be happier with the level of care we received.
The shop is clean and trendy, in a fresh and renovated space with exposed brick to make it charming and «Old Town-​ish»… The tuxedos are exquisite and the selection is unlike other shops who have limited options and the tuxedos smell from being worn/​used so many times.
If I could give this shop 6 stars I would… Go see for yourself how great this shop and the couple working so hard to make it great really are.

When you go to a black tie event, your look is usually Very Important. If you need to rent a tux, here are the standard questions that you need to ask:
1.) Do you want to look like you beat up a fat guy and stole his suit?
2.) Do you want to look like the man who sold you your first car?
3.) Is your waist roughly the same size or larger than your chest?
If your answer to any of the above questions is «yes» then pretty much any tux rental company will do. Your best bet is probably one of those internet rental companies with nice websites and great prices.
If, however, you want a tux that isn’t just as stylish as the ones in advertisements, but is also cut for someone who still looks like they could run a mile or three, then Lapel is probably one of your best & only options.
These guys cost about double what a good bargain hunter will find, but seriously, have you seen what those internet companies ship? Call them and ask about their stock… they’ll use euphemisms like «american cut» hoping that you are an ignorant fuck that thinks that wearing a suit meant for a fat man is actually a real american style. (fact check: it’s not)
If you look good and you want to look good in a tux, then come to Lapel. They’re doing things right.

It was 2 days before a 10-​day international trip that included a black tie wedding, in which I was a groomsman. I tried on a rental from another tuxedo rental shop in DC and it just didn’t fit right, the material felt cheap, and it looked like I was swimming in it (I have an athletic build and need slim fit suiting).
I called Graham at Lapel the day before I was set to leave and he said, I’ll take care of it. Within an hour, I had tried on a tux that fit great, looked great, and was high quality. He even agreed to do minor adjustments that day so it fit even better.
I would recommend Lapel as a company to anyone looking for a high quality, modern tux for an event. I’ll definitely be back!

As with other reviewers, I have attended multiple weddings recently and had to wear various suits and tux’s from each. Bottom line? They are feel the same, and they all feel cheap. Lapel is just different. They have a different cut in the tux, which brings out a better and more modern look. The tux feels great. Really great. It came time for my wedding, and I knew I wanted to look really sharp. I found my look with Lapel, and the team went above and beyond for me and my crew. Between the out of towners, and the locals, the Lapel team worked overtime to get them all measured, fitted, and set. When something didn’t go right, they made sure it was taken care of. I can’t stress how much of a difference it made on my wedding day, and how much I appreciate the extra work that was done.

Having been to several weddings this past year with tuxedo rentals at each one, I had a chance to experience a wide variety of offerings from other rental companies. Lapel was the only tuxedo that fit my body build as my atheltic build makes it rather difficult to make a generic rental tuxedo fit. The owner went out of his way to make sure everything fit perfectly on me. This was by far the most comfortable tuxedo, best looking, and blew the competition away in quality of materials. For my next function I will definitely be coming back to Lapel for a tuxedo.