A muscular man in a navy made-to-measure suit buttoning his jacket, the cloth following the shape of his chest and shoulders
Athletic fit, made to measure

Suits built for the body you built.

Muscle fit suits for muscular men, bodybuilders and anyone off the rack was never cut for: broad shoulders, a big chest, a narrow waist, thick arms and thighs. Cut from your 21 measurements, ordered online, with shipping included across Canada and the United States.

Order Online How ordering works
From $899 CAD. Measure at home. Shipping included. Five to six weeks.
Why nothing in the store fits

The drop is the problem.

A 54 chest on a 40 waist is a 14-inch drop. Off the rack is cut at six, and the "athletic fit" rack stops at eight. So the jacket that closes over your chest hangs like a tent at the waist, the trousers that fit your thighs gap at the back, and everything after that is a tailor fighting a pattern that was never yours.

A muscle fit suit is not a slim fit scaled up. It is a different pattern. Shoulder, chest, bicep, waist, seat and thigh are each cut to their own number, which is the only way to get all of them right at once. That is what made to measure means here, and it is the whole reason the suit looks like it belongs to you.

For the full walk through every measurement, read our guide to suits for bodybuilders and muscular men.

A muscular man in a navy made-to-measure suit with a burgundy tie and white pocket square, the jacket closing flat over his chest and tapering to the waist
What we cut differently

Six measurements that decide it.

These are the places an off-the-rack suit gives up on a muscular build, and what changes when each one is cut to your number.

A muscular man in a navy made-to-measure jacket with a soft unpadded shoulder, the seam ending at the edge of his shoulder

Shoulders

The seam sits on the bone, and the shoulder is soft with no padding. You already have the width. A padded shoulder on top of it reads as a costume.
A muscular man in a buttoned charcoal made-to-measure jacket lying flat across his chest with no pull at the button

Chest and button

The jacket closes flat with no X at the button. The chest measurement and the waist measurement are both cut in, so there is no tent and no strain.
A muscular man in a mid grey made-to-measure jacket with room at the bicep and a little white shirt cuff showing

Arms

Width at the bicep, not extra length. The sleeve follows the arm and stops where it should, with half an inch of shirt cuff showing.
A thick-necked man in a light blue custom dress shirt and navy tie, the shirt collar closed and sitting under the jacket collar

Neck and collar

A shirt collar cut for the neck you have, closed without choking, sitting under the jacket collar where it belongs. The off-the-rack fix is a shirt two sizes too big everywhere else.
A muscular man in navy made-to-measure trousers with room in the thigh, a taper to the ankle and a plain hem with a slight break

Seat and thigh

Room in the seat and thigh, a rise that sits right, and a taper below the knee so the leg reads clean instead of wide. No cuffs, a slight break.
A muscular man in a buttoned mid grey made-to-measure jacket seen from the side, the jacket tapering cleanly from a broad chest to a narrow waist

The waist

The drop is cut into the pattern, not taken in afterwards. Taking in a jacket moves the pockets, the button and the balance. Cutting it in the first place moves nothing. This is the measurement that separates made to measure from a good alteration.
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Cloth

Three cloths, and one with give.

You move more in your clothes than most men, you run warm, and you put more on the seams. Lighter cloth that drapes does better than anything heavy. Here is the range, described by weight and drape rather than ranked.

Wool blend, from $899

An easy, durable way into made to measure. Wears year-round, holds a press, and is the cloth most first suits are built in.

Wool blend with stretch, from $1,049

Our answer to every "stretch suit" search. Three percent stretch woven into a matte wool blend, so it reaches, sits and lifts with you and still looks like a suit, not a performance fabric.

Super 120 and Super 150, from $1,299

Finer, lighter, and cooler on a man who runs warm. Drapes over the chest instead of adding to it. Super 150 from $1,699. Italian Super 130 from $1,999.
Ordering online

Measure at home. We check every number.

No fitting, no call, and nothing goes to production unchecked.

Choose the colour and the cloth

Navy, grey or brown in the shop, in the cloth you want. Pay after your measurements are in. There will be an additional charge for measurements over 50 inches.

Fill in the measurement form

It walks you through all 21 measurements one at a time, then asks for two photos. Ten minutes with a tape and someone to hold the other end.

Your numbers are checked first

Our Owner and Founder, Derek Burbidge, and our team read your measurements against your photos before anything is cut. If one looks off for your build, we come back to you first.

Built, shipped, adjusted if needed

Five to six weeks, with shipping included to any address in Canada or the United States. If anything needs adjusting, a tailor local to you handles it at our cost.

Order Online More on ordering from out of town
Order online

Pick the colour. We cut the rest.

Every suit below is made to your measurements in any of the cloths above. Start with the one you will wear most.

A made-to-measure navy suit by Cardero

Navy suit

The first suit. Works for every room you will wear it to, and the colour that does the most for a strong shoulder line.

From $899

Order Online

A made-to-measure grey suit by Cardero

Grey suit

The second suit, and the one for daytime. Mid grey reads lighter on a big frame than navy or charcoal.

From $899

Order Online

A made-to-measure brown suit by Cardero

Brown suit

The suit nobody else in the room has. Warm, quieter than navy, and the jacket doubles as a sport coat.

From $899

Order Online

Want a dress shirt built for a bodybuilder's neck, chest and arms as well? Custom shirts start at $199 and are planned with your suit on the Wardrobe Plan, so the collar, the cloth and the colours all work together. A suit and a shirt together, our custom fit package, starts at $1,098.

* Fabrics ordered online will vary slightly from what you see on screen. Monitors and phones render colour and texture differently, and fabric bolts change over time, so the cloth you receive may differ slightly in shade or weave from the photo. These natural variations are normal, not a defect. See our remakes and alterations policy.

A muscular man in a made-to-measure suit, the jacket following the shape of his chest and shoulders without strain
Not sure what to build first?

Start with a conversation about you.

The Wardrobe Plan is a one-to-one session with our Owner and Founder, Derek Burbidge, who has dressed thousands of men since 2015. It starts with a conversation: your size, your frame, how you train, what you wear it to, and what you want to feel like in it.

You leave with a written plan built on you. One outfit if that is what you need, or a full wardrobe: the colours that work with your complexion, the cuts and cloths that fit a big chest and a narrow waist without fighting either, and the order to build it in so every piece works with the last. The plan is yours to keep whether or not you order.

$199 CAD. Online, from anywhere in Canada or the United States.

Book Your Wardrobe Plan How the Wardrobe Plan works
Two minutes

Not sure what suits a build like yours?

Take the style quiz. You will see what your colouring suits, why off-the-rack jackets fight a muscular frame, and your first step.

Take the Style Quiz
Questions

Common questions.

What is a muscle fit suit?

A suit cut for a chest that is much bigger than the waist, with room through the shoulder, bicep and thigh and a real taper at the waist. Off the rack, "muscle fit" and "athletic fit" usually mean a slim fit scaled up one size in the chest. Made to measure, it means the pattern is cut from your own 21 measurements, so the drop, the sleeve and the thigh are each right on their own.

What is the best suit for a bodybuilder?

One built from his measurements rather than adjusted toward them. The shoulder seam sits on the bone with no padding, the jacket closes flat over the chest with no pull, the sleeve has width at the bicep without extra length, and the trousers have room in the seat and thigh with a taper below the knee. In cloth, something light that drapes, in a plain colour. Our guide to suits for bodybuilders and muscular men walks through every measurement.

Should a suit be tight to show off muscles?

No. A suit shows the shape by following it, not by straining against it. A jacket that pulls at the button or a sleeve that grips the arm reads as too small, not as big. Cut properly, the chest, the shoulder line and the taper to the waist are all visible with the jacket sitting flat.

Can muscular men wear slim fit suits?

A slim fit off the rack is cut for a slim man, so on a muscular build it is tight in the chest and arms and still loose at the waist. What most men mean by slim is a clean, tapered line, and that is what a made-to-measure cut gives you without the strain. See slim fit vs classic fit.

Are stretch suits a good idea for a muscular build?

A little give helps, because you reach, sit and lift your arms more than most men. Our wool blend with 3% stretch woven in starts at $1,049 and looks like a matte wool suit, not a performance fabric. Stretch does not rescue a bad cut, though. Get the pattern right first and the give is a bonus.

Why do bodybuilders look smaller in suits?

Because the jacket was bought to close over the chest, so it hangs straight down from there and hides the waist. Add padded shoulders and a sleeve cut wide all the way down and the shape disappears. The fix is the drop cut into the pattern, a soft shoulder that ends at the bone, and a sleeve that follows the arm. Then the suit shows the work instead of covering it.

Do you make dress shirts for bodybuilders?

Yes. A custom dress shirt is built to the same measurements, so the collar fits the neck, the chest and shoulders have room, the sleeve fits the arm, and the waist is still trim. Custom shirts start at $199. The easiest way to get one right is the Wardrobe Plan, where the shirt is planned with the suit it will be worn under.

Can I order an athletic fit suit online without a fitting?

Yes. You choose the cloth and colour in the online shop, fill in our measurement form and send two photos. Our Owner and Founder, Derek Burbidge, and our team check your numbers against the photos before anything is cut, and come back to you if one looks off. Production takes five to six weeks, and shipping is included.

I compete. When should I get measured?

At the weight you live at. A suit cut at competition weight will not fit in the off-season, and the other way round. If you are mid-cut or mid-bulk, wait until you are near where you will stay for a while, and build for the weight you spend most of your time at. Men who compete can keep two sets of measurements on file, one for each phase. Alterations within 30 days of delivery cover ordinary settling, not a full cut.

How much does a muscle fit suit cost?

A Cardero suit starts at $899 CAD in a wool blend, $1,049 in a wool blend with stretch, $1,299 in Super 120 wool and $1,699 in Super 150, each cut from your 21 measurements. Shipping and any alterations are included. There will be an additional charge for measurements over 50 inches.

Do you ship to the United States?

Yes. Shipping is included across Canada and the United States, and the price you see is the price you pay. All prices are in Canadian dollars, so if you pay in US dollars the number on your statement is lower than the one on the page.

What if it does not fit when it arrives?

We fix it. Alterations are covered at our cost and handled by a tailor local to you, and if a garment cannot be altered we remake it. Your measurements are updated on file after any adjustment. See our remakes and alterations policy.

Do you make suits for big and tall or stocky men?

Yes. The same 21 measurements cover a long frame, a short one and a big one, because nothing is cut to the nearest size. Our guide to big and tall suits, made to measure covers the jacket, the rise and the cloth, and suits for tall men covers length, sleeve and rise. If you are near our studios in Langley, Coquitlam or Abbotsford, the first appointment is complimentary and we measure you in person.

Guides

Worth reading before you order

In the Fraser Valley?

Come in instead.

Our studios in Langley, Coquitlam and Abbotsford measure you in person. The first appointment is complimentary, private, and nobody works on commission.

Reserve Your Appointment
Or order online, with shipping included anywhere in Canada and the United States.
Reserve Your Appointment