I have written several guides on detecting fake Giorgio Armani garments. One of my other pet peeves on eBay are sellers who indicate or imply in their ads that their Tom James suit or sport coat is in fact an Oxxford Clothes garment. I am a fan of both Oxxford Clothes and some of the Tom James lines. But there needs to be some clarification and honesty on the relationship between the two.

This short guide is going to clear that up once and for all. Oxxford Clothes is probably the best known American bespoke and ready-to-wear suit lines. It is found in upscale department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York as well as smaller upscale men's boutiques and specialty stores such as Louis Boston and Wilkes-Bashford of San Francisco. Oxxford Clothes is a preferred suit for U.S. Presidents, and for some of the most powerful and famous men in the world. Oxxford Clothes are hand made in Chicago and usually retail from $2,000 to $15,000. Oxxford held off from distributing outside of America but has finally established links in Canada and the United Kingdom.

First of all Tom James is the company name and not the name of a designer. So to see an auction claiming "Oxxford by Tom James" is purely misleading. Tom James caters to middle and upper management types and they have an aggressive sales force that makes calls on them. The sales person will make an office visit bringing the cloth swatches and they take care of the measurements and fittings. There is a saying about the typcial Tom James client; he or she has more money than time to shop for themselves (many of my consignors definitely fit this description). They offer different price packages that includes suits, dress shirts and accessories. The packages start from $1,500 for two ready-made-suits and dress shirts to $20,000 for six bespoke full canvassed (hand-made) suits and dress shirts. Tom James has three main styles of their suits, Classic (American) cut suits, Italian cut suits and British cut suits. Within these three styles are several different collections:

Classic

• Ventura
• Royal Classic
• Executive Collection
• Corporate Image
• Tom James

Italian

• Sartoria
• Filo A' Mano
• Stile
• Innocenti

British

• Holland & Sherry Bespoke
• Holland & Sherry 1836
• Cheltenham
• Windsor

Most Tom James suits are manufactured at the English American Tailoring Company in Westminster, Maryland. As an eBay seller I am selective of the Tom James items I do take in for consignments to list. The Ventura, Sartoria, Holland & Sherry Bespoke, Royal Classic, Filo A' Mano and Holland & Sherry 1836 are all quite impressive in the craftsmanship and the styling. They are full canvassed constructed (hand stitched), not fused like most off-the-rack suits plus many have working sleeve buttons. The quality is outstanding but I would not say it is on the same level as Oxxford Clothes, but a notch or two below which is still far superior than most off-the-rack suits in the upscale department stores. I pass on the lower Classic Tom James, Innocenti, Corporate Image and Windsor lines as they tend to be fused and use average fabrics; which would be no better than a Nautica, Perry Ellis or Men's Warehouse suit.

Just be aware that Oxxford Clothes and Tom James are NOT related in design or manufacture but owned by the same company. It would be like someone telling you their Chrysler 300 sedan is actually a Mercedes-Benz sedan since they once had common ownership. Some sellers on eBay might be ignorant of that fact but some know this but in an effort to sell a Tom James suit or sport coat they feel they have to ride the coat tails of Oxxford Clothes. They will title their auctions as "Tom James Oxxford Suit" or "Oxxford by Tom James suit." These auction ads are misleading and are incorrect. Those who are seasoned veterans of men's fashion know that a Tom James Ventura, Sartoria, Holland & Sherry Bespoke, Royal Classic, Filo A' Mano or Holland & Sherry 1836 suit will sell itself without having to imply Oxxford is the designer. But I will repeat it again, I will reiterate it, I will re-emphasize it, Tom James is NOT a designer for Oxxford Clothes nor is Oxxford Clothes related to Tom James other than the same ownership.