Max Schmidt
I’m Max Schmidt, founder of 1701 Bespoke in Detroit. For more than a decade, I’ve been making bespoke suits, made-to-measure suits, and ready-to-wear. My focus is always on fit, fabric, and craftsmanship. In this blog, I write about the details that set fine clothing apart—from the mills behind the fabrics to the history of tailoring and style. My goal is to make menswear clear and approachable, showing why quality matters, and help foster an obession into the world of fine clothing. I split my time between Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles working with clients.
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Every suit begins with a hand-drawn pattern, crafted from the finest fabrics in Italy and England, and shaped with more than 50 hours of work. Schedule your fitting today in Detroit, New York, or Los Angeles. Other locations available upon request.
Only 100 bespoke suits are made per year, so inquire below for availability.
Latest Articles By Max
The Best Fabric For Your Go-To Suit
December 8, 2024
If you're at the point where you've decided to get a custom suit, be it made-to-measure or bespoke, you're probably wondering what type of fabric the suit should be.
Made to Measure vs Bespoke: The Differences and What’s Right For You
December 7, 2024
Made to measure vs bespoke at a glance: Feature Made-to-Measure Bespoke Pattern Modified block pattern Custom hand-drawn pattern Fittings 2-3 3-5 Production Factory-made Handmade Timeline 5-7 weeks 8-12 weeks Fabric Choice Extensive Extensive Customization Basic Unlimited Price Range $2,000-7,000 $7,000-$20,000 As a bespoke pattern maker, I’ve written extensively about bespoke suits, but every now and
WHAT IS A BESPOKE SUIT?
November 14, 2024
Today, someone walked into my shop asking for a bespoke suit. This happens all the time, but each time I ask myself “do they really know what a bespoke suit is?” Unfortunately, the word “bespoke” has become a catch-all for anything custom-made. There are bespoke cars, bespoke furniture and even bespoke vacations. So it’s natural
Is Picking Fabrics Hard?
December 19, 2025
As you learn more about fabrics, you start to realize there are a lot of variables. Some fabrics work very well in certain conditions, but are completely wrong in others. Take an extreme example; linen. Linen is excellent for hot summer days because it wicks moisture away from your skin and breathes extremely well. But
Navy Grenadine 7-Fold: The Only Tie You Need and How to Tie It
December 10, 2024
If you have read my primer about handmade ties, the article about tie fabrics, or even the article about the different types of folds for ties, you know that ties, just like suits is a deep rabbit hole. It’s difficult to figure out where to start and what’s best for you. That’s why I wrote
The Original Dandy: The Story of Beau Brummell
December 4, 2024
The one man who is given credit for inventing the suit is Beau Brummell. While he didn’t actually invent anything, he’s considered to be the first fashion influencer, and helped popularize wearing trousers among the elite in England. And his fashion influence ended up changing how men dress for hundreds of years after. But what
The Loom: Humanity’s First Tech Revolution
December 3, 2024
When you think of technology that shaped civilization, the loom probably doesn’t come to mind. But it should. For thousands of years, the loom has been one of humanity’s most important inventions, transforming raw materials like wool, flax, and cotton into the fabrics that clothe us, shelter us, and enable trade. Its history is a
How World War II Halted Fashion
November 27, 2024
For most of my life, I thought of World War II as a conflict fought on battlefields, in factories, and across oceans. The impact on politics, technology, and economies was obvious. But fashion? That seemed like a frivolous afterthought in a time of global crisis. Then I came across something that didn’t sit right. I
Loro Piana: A Mill Beyond Compare
November 25, 2024
When you think of luxury fabrics, one name rises above the rest: Loro Piana. For nearly a century, this legendary Italian mill has been synonymous with luxurious fabrics. Founded in 1924 in the heart of Italy’s textile region, Loro Piana has built a reputation as the global standard for fine wool and cashmere. In 2013,
The Italian Suit: How The Italians Developed Their Style
November 24, 2024
Most people know the suit as a British invention. But what they don’t realize is that the style of English suiting was the only style for quite some time. Even in hot climates, suits were constructed with the same heavy structure designed for England’s rainy and cold weather. That was until two men, Gennaro Rubinacci
King of the Dudes: E. Berry Wall
November 21, 2024
I’ve written about Beau Brummel before, history’s most famous dandy, but when I was doing research on the tuxedo, I stumbled upon another legendary figure in the world of fashion: Evander Berry Wall, better known as the King of the Dudes. Back in the 1880s and 90s, being called a “dude” wasn’t exactly a compliment.
The Story of Thomas Mason Fabrics
November 21, 2024
When it comes to shirting fabrics, one mill stands above all of the rest: Thomas Mason. Started in Lancashire county in 1796, Thomas Mason quickly developed a reputation weaving some of the finest cotton shirting fabrics in the world. Its history isn’t just a story about one company — it’s tied ot he rise of
The Jacquard Loom Riots
November 20, 2024
During the industrial revolution, inventors all over Europe began changing the textile mill to make it more efficient, increase production and ultimately make themselves wealthy. One of the men that completely revolutionized the production of cloth was a man name Joseph-Marie Jacquard and his invention The Jacquard Loom. While he dramatically altered textile production, it
Unraveling Fabric Weight
November 19, 2024
One of the three main metrics I teach my clients to evaluate fabric is the weight of the fabric. The weight of the fabric is important because it not only affects the look and drape of the fabric, but also its suitability for different seasons. And while it may seem pretty straightforward, there’s a bit
The Tools of a Bespoke Pattern Maker
November 17, 2024
Bespoke tailoring is an art form that requires precision, attention to detail, and the right tools. But if you’re not in the world of bespoke tailoring, how patterns are made can be a complete mystery. Because i’m so close to the industry, I often overlook how interesting the tools a bespoke pattern maker uses to
All About Tie Fabrics
November 17, 2024
In a previous article, we made the case why you should get a handmade tie, and in it we briefly covered the types of fabrics you can get in a tie. However, there’s a lot more to be said, and if you truly want to be an expert on ties, this article is going to
Explaining Tie Folds: 3-Fold, 5-Fold and 7-Fold Ties
November 16, 2024
When it comes to ties, most people focus on color, pattern, and of course what knot you’re using. But if you’re serious about luxury clothing, you know there’s more to a tie than just that. The construction, specifically the number of folds, is what seperates a good tie from a great one. In this article,
How Shoulders Should Fit
November 15, 2024
Shoulders are the foundation of any suit. Whenever I’m looking at a suit, it’s the first thing I notice. If they don’t fit correctly, an excellent fabric or even perfect craftsmanship won’t matter. Poorly fit shoulders stick out like a sore thumb and can completely ruin a look. The purpose of this article is to
The Case for a Handmade Tie
November 15, 2024
While many volumes have been written on the art of the handmade suit, the handmade tie mostly goes overlooked. I think this is because ties seem so simple and ubiquitous, why bother learning anything about them? You put them on, some look cool, some don’t. That’s it. Right? Well just like suits, there are levels
WHAT IS BESPOKE PATTERN MAKING?
November 10, 2024
In the world of suits, the highest quality garment you can possibly get is a bespoke suit. But in my experience, almost nobody knows what a bespoke suit is. Many assume it means custom, but a “custom suit” could mean a ready-to-wear suit that is tailored, a made-to-measure suit, or a bench-made bespoke suit. So
Linen: The King of Summer Fabrics
November 8, 2024
The telltale sign of someone who has an advanced wardrobe is dressing seaonally. And whenever summer comes around and I see someone wearing linen, I know they’ve got a good head on their shoulders. Linen is the quintessential fabric for the summer time because it actively keeps us cool. It can be made to be
How Eli Whitney Made Us All Fat
November 7, 2024
In 1793, a young man named Eli Whitney was riding a train from Massachusetts to Georgia, headed to a tutoring job. Fresh out of Yale, Whitney had ambitions of becoming a lawyer, but he needed money first. The tutor position seemed like a quick way to earn some cash. On the train, Whitney struck up
What’s So Great About Cashmere?
September 16, 2024
Cashmere isn’t just fabric—it’s a symbol of luxury and refinement. Sourced from goats in some of the world’s harshest climates, only a small portion of their coat can be used, making cashmere incredibly rare. In fact, it takes fibers from three goats to produce just one sweater. This rarity, combined with its unmatched softness, warmth,
The Origins of Cashmere: Where It Comes From and Why It’s Rare
September 16, 2024
Cashmere’s story begins in some of the world’s most remote and unforgiving landscapes. The Capra hircus goat, which produces the luxurious fibers, is found on the steppes of Mongolia and in the Himalayan mountains in China. The weather there is intense; lows of -22 degrees Fahrenheit and highs in the mid 80s. And the cashmere
How to Become a Fabric Expert
May 15, 2024
Luxury fabrics are intimidating and salespeople like it that way. When something’s intimidating, a salesperson can intimidate you into buying by throwing around terminology that you don’t understand and count on you being too embarrassed to ask. But I take the opposite approach: I want you to know as much as possible about fabrics. Because
The Heritage of Harris Tweed
April 19, 2024
Harris Tweed is a traditional fabric still hand made in Scotland, with a tradition going back at least 100 years. Below is its storied history and how this unique fabric is still made today. History in your closet A WOOL UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE This is what makes Harris Tweed so special. Every fabric has not
James Hargreaves and the Spinning Jenny
March 27, 2024
The late 18th century was a transformative period for the textile industry. As the Industrial Revolution took hold, never before seen inventions reshaped how fabric was made, pulling millions out of poverty and creating new industries from the ground up. But before the machines powered everything, one of the great inventions that helped blossom the
Tour the 1701 Bespoke Loft
February 29, 2024
Below is a brief tour of the 1701 Bespoke loft. Pressing Room Fitting ROom The way I see it, the more you know about fabrics, the better decisions you make as well as the more appreciation you’ll have for your suit. Lounge Work Room 1701 Bespoke is a space that has been thoughtfully designed to
The Best Suit Fabrics for Summer
February 9, 2024
Watch the Weight Wearing something like this will make sure any breeze you’re around cuts through your suit and keeps you cool. Choose the Right Weave Look for Linen It’s not perfect science, because that assumes the moisture is distributed evenly, so don’t be a jerk about it, but you get my drift. Linen absorbs
Inside Vitale Barberis Canonico
January 30, 2024
Deep in the foothills of the Alpine mountains, a few kilometers north of Biella, Italy lies the what is probably the oldest fabric mill in the world: Vitale Barberis Canonico. Where VBC made fabric 250 years before electricity is still where they make their fabric today, only on a much larger piece of land, and
