NathanCustom Tailors

Nathan Tailors vs Proper Cloth: which dress shirt is actually worth it?

Side by side on the specifications that decide how a shirt looks after a year: the collar interlining, how the size is arrived at, the cloth, and the price each brand actually advertises rather than the one on the ticket.

Nathan · Bespoke shirtmakerProper Cloth · Online made-to-measureChecked 2026-09-29 / 2026-09-29

Nathan Tailors and Proper Cloth deliver the same specification per dollar

Nathan Tailors scores 100/100 on specification per dollar against 100/100 for Proper Cloth. The score weighs two things a shirt is actually judged on after a year: the collar interlining and how the size is arrived at. Proper Cloth publishes fused or unfused, your choice at order. Price is the lowest per-shirt figure each brand advertises itself, not a list price neither of them expects you to pay.

  • Lower advertised price: Nathan Tailors — $39 against $125 a shirt
  • Fit control: Nathan Tailors — Individual pattern drafted for you against questionnaire-derived size
SpecificationNathan TailorsProper Cloth
List price, one shirtWhat a single shirt costs at full price.$391$1254
Lowest advertised priceThe per-shirt price the brand itself promotes — its multi-buy ladder or standing sale.$39 (no multi-buy)1$125 (no multi-buy)4
Collar interliningA glued collar is what bubbles and curls after a year of washing. Most brands decline to say which theirs is.Fused or unfused, your choice at order2Fused or unfused, your choice at order5
How the size is decidedAlpha sizing asks you to fit the shirt; a drafted pattern fits the shirt to you.Individual pattern drafted for you3Questionnaire-derived size647
ClothCotton blend, premium cotton, linen-cotton, premium linen and a bamboo-blend stretch cloth. Fibre content is stated for each cloth before it is cut and is never claimed as a pure fibre unless it is one.1Broadcloth, twill, pinpoint oxford, chambray, denim, dobby, end-on-end, flannel, melange, oxford, poplin, royal oxford, herringbone and seersucker, in Egyptian, Sea Island, American Pima and Giza 45 cottons. Both two-ply and single-ply are offered, with counts referenced from 50s up to 330s and the rule of thumb that anything above 100 implies two-ply. No non-iron or wrinkle-free treatment is mentioned anywhere in the fabric reference; wrinkling is discussed only as a property of the weave.8
Published constructionCollar shape, spread angle, band height and fused-or-unfused are specified per shirt. Garments ship with seam allowance and spare matching cloth so a local tailor can adjust them.21Collar construction is the one spec published in full, per collar model. Single-needle side seams, stitch density, split yoke and removable collar stays are not stated on the reference pages, and the button material could not be confirmed from the linked button article.54
Where it is madeCut and sewn in our own workshop in Hoi An, Vietnam. There is no third-party factory and no retail middleman.1Does not name a country of manufacture on any page read — not on the custom shirt page, the fabric reference or the guarantee.489
ReturnsNo cash refunds on made-to-measure garments. Every shirt ships with seam allowance and spare cloth so a local tailor can fine-tune the fit, at your cost, and the team works with you over WhatsApp until it is right. We do not offer a free remake.1Free 60-day returns and remakes, with free remakes if the first custom shirt is not right. No numeric cap on remakes is stated on the guarantee page; a third-party write-up claims two complimentary remakes per product category, which the brand page does not confirm. Altered clothing is not accepted back at all, and who pays return shipping is not stated.9
TurnaroundTwo to three weeks to most destinations, made in three to four working days and shipped by express courier. Two days in person in Hoi An.1Made to measure in under two weeks, stated on the custom shirt page.4
Spec per dollarCollar construction and sizing method against the price actually advertised (0–100).100/100 · Exceptional100/100 · Exceptional

Who each one is for

Nathan Tailors
Anyone who has decided the collar and the fit matter more than the label, and is willing to wait two to three weeks to have both specified rather than guessed.
Proper Cloth
Someone who wants to choose a fused or unfused collar knowingly, without measuring themselves, and to have the shirt inside two weeks.

Questions people ask about this pair

Is Nathan Tailors or Proper Cloth cheaper?
Nathan Tailors. Its lowest advertised price is $39 a shirt against $125 for Proper Cloth. At full list the two are $39 and $125.
Which has the better collar?
Neither can be separated on published evidence. Fused or unfused is a decision on the order form at no extra charge, along with collar shape, spread angle and band height, because these are pattern decisions rather than materials. Publishes interlining by collar model and defines the terms: a heat-bonded interlining is fused, a sewn-in one is unfused. Dress collars are stiff fused, casual collars are soft non-fused with the interlining sewn to the collar fabric, and hybrid collars are soft fused with a lighter, more pliable interlining. Because the choice is made by picking a collar, the buyer decides fused or unfused at order time.
How do I get the right size from Nathan Tailors or Proper Cloth?
Nathan Tailors: There is no size chart to read and no fit name to choose between. The pattern is drafted from your own measurements, taken through a guided measurement flow, and a tailor reviews them before anything is cut. Proper Cloth: Three routes: a ten-question Smart Sizes questionnaire that adjusts sixteen independent fit points, nine body measurements entered directly, or measurements taken off a shirt you already own. Standard fits are Super Slim, Slim and Classic. Read the size charts carefully — chest, midsection, bottom and sleeve widths are half, flat garment measurements taken across the front of a shirt lying flat, and the brand says to double them to get the garment circumference, so a listed 21.5 inch chest width is a 43 inch chest.
What are the return policies?
Nathan Tailors: No cash refunds on made-to-measure garments. Every shirt ships with seam allowance and spare cloth so a local tailor can fine-tune the fit, at your cost, and the team works with you over WhatsApp until it is right. We do not offer a free remake. Proper Cloth: Free 60-day returns and remakes, with free remakes if the first custom shirt is not right. No numeric cap on remakes is stated on the guarantee page; a third-party write-up claims two complimentary remakes per product category, which the brand page does not confirm. Altered clothing is not accepted back at all, and who pays return shipping is not stated.

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