TWEEDS Suit Shop opened in Orlando’s Baldwin Park with a new store interior that transformed into a clandestine, backroom 1920s speakeasy.
Port Charlotte native Donald Carlson is a man of impeccable taste and unwavering faith in his dream. Only five years ago, he purchased a 16-foot box truck and built a mobile suit shop inside of it and just started knocking on doors and asking people if they needed a custom suit.
Since then, Carlson has opened five brick-and-mortar TWEEDS custom-suit stores in Florida: Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Naples and, most recently, in Baldwin Park, the renovated former Naval Training Center in Orlando. A sixth location in Fort Lauderdale will open in early January 2025.
“We are thrilled to bring our bespoke menswear shopping experience to Orlando,” said 32-year-old Carlson. “Baldwin Park is a great mix of cafes, restaurants, bars and shops with nearby residential neighborhoods filled with families and working professionals. It’s one of the most successful urban redevelopment projects in the county.”
“If you’ve never done a custom suit before, it’s a cool experience,” he continued. “Your suit will fit perfectly and there are hundreds of fabric colors and patterns to choose from. Then you pick the lining, the buttons and the stitching. Our process brings your vision to life.”
Each piece is crafted from scratch and meticulously shaped to the individual’s exact measurements for an exceptional fit and feel that reflects the client’s personal taste and lifestyle. Clothing options include men’s and women’s suits, dress shirts, sport coats, tuxedos and jeans, with suits starting at $1,850.
Company launched as mobile suit shop
Carlson comes from a family with a background in the dry-cleaning business. After spending eight years learning about styles, fabrics and fits of high-end menswear, he sought a new venture. He was inspired to start a custom clothing business during a road trip with his fiancée in 2019.
Upon returning, he sold his car, bought a box truck and converted it into a mobile suit shop.
“For the first two and a half years, I was by myself: parking in downtown Sarasota, trying to get people to hear about TWEEDS, knocking on doors and selling custom suits and tuxedos,” Carlson said.
“Then, I decided I wanted to try to actually scale and grow the business,” he recalled.
Orlando expansion
“Each TWEEDS store is designed as a place where clients can mingle, relax and have a memorable in-store experience and something fun to do with a local tie-in,” said Carlson, adding custom experiences extend far beyond the walls and reflect local interests. “There’s a poker table in Sarasota, a basketball court in St. Pete’s, a putting green in the Naples store and now, a pool table in Orlando.”
From the moment one steps into the Baldwin Park location at 4871 New Broad Street, it’s apparent that Carlson has created a world of his own — and his bespoke clothing is very much an extension of his vision.
Carlson and interior designer Jared Greenwood of Boise, Idaho, known for creating immersive experiences in luxury retail stores and selected residential homes, took advantage of the store’s odd, shaped layout and transformed it into a clandestine Old-World styled speakeasy.
“In a men’s suit shop, where you are surrounded by beautiful fabrics, we brought in simple elements that make the space feel vibrant, classy and understated,” said Greenwood, adding, “the layout is so unexpected – that’s the fun element.”
At first glance, TWEEDS appears to be an intimate, custom men’s suit shop with floor-to-glass windows and a sleek walnut executive desk and chairs amid mannequins dressed in stylish suits. However, once inside visitors learn that the oversized wall mirror is really a secret door opening to a hidden 30-foot hallway and leading to a backroom 1920s speakeasy.
Greenwood installed a faux wall to create a connection between the store’s streetside entryway with its larger backroom. He also added a series of small and large, new and antique gold-framed mirrors along the hallway’s walls, linked together by a whimsically painted tape measure and drawing of the original TWEEDS mobile truck – sentimental nods to the company’s origins.
The speakeasy vibe transports clients with its luxurious Oriental carpets, vintage crushed burgundy velvet chairs, 8-foot antique pool table, dark walnut bar with complimentary cocktails and hand built arched wooden bookcases stuffed with fabric sample books, threads and buttons. The navy blue-and white backlit step ceiling with its modern light fixture adds another design dimension and provides shine over the pool table that doubles as a large surface for suit layout and design.
Adding a third design dimension are mischievous touches including both archival mid-century and contemporary artist artworks like the newspaper painted with the headline ONLY GOOD NEWS! and the Ralph Steadman-styled poster of Hunter S. Thompson’s quote “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro” from his 1971 book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The quote refers to a state of mind where one embraces and fully indulges in the strange and chaotic aspects of life.
Why Bespoke?
“A bespoke suit is a second skin because it was made just to fit you, in taste as much as in proportions,” said Carlson, adding the foundation of a great suit lies in the precision of its measurements. To achieve a glove-like fit, TWEEDS takes over 30 detailed measurements to capture every nuance of the customer’s body shape – wide-fitting or slim, single-breasted or double breasted.
“It’s important to be able to take a series of measurements and turn them into a pattern,” said Carlson. “It’s like dot-to-dot, but it’s the artistic eye of the cutter that allows the pattern to be turned into a beautiful piece of clothing.”
This attention to detail ensures an exceptional fit and feel which typically begins with a temporary “basted” fitting held together by string. A basic form of the suit will then be made and tried on at the first fitting. It’s here that the tailor will make the all-important adjustments to get the suit right before a second (and sometimes even third) fitting is carried out. A fitting arrives four weeks after an order is placed and pieces can be finished in six weeks.
Fabric choice is equally crucial when it comes to creating a bespoke suit. TWEEDS sources from prestigious mills around the world like Dormeuil, Scabal and Zegna, offering a wide range of luxurious fabrics that cater to both classic and contemporary styles. Whether it’s a lightweight wool blend for year-round comfort or a rich velvet for a special occasion, the right fabric can elevate a suit from good to extraordinary.
Carlson says the clientele at TWEEDS varies from business professionals to individuals preparing for weddings or special events. He also notes a shift in how people view dressing up, with more personal expression involved now compared to the past.
“Twenty years ago, you had to wear a suit to work, but now it’s much more of a decision to put on a suit rather than something you’re forced to do, so I believe that allows for a lot more creativity and it makes it seem more special,” he commented.
The Orlando TWEEDS store is led by managing style consultant Michael “Spetz” Spetosis. A former Sarasota resident, Spetz purchased the very first TWEEDS bespoke suit from Carlson during the company’s early box truck days. He was also the first customer when Carlson opened the first store in Sarasota.
The TWEEDS showroom accepts walk-ins Tuesday through Saturday from 10am until 7pm. Sundays and Mondays by appointment only. Mobile tailoring services are also available. Call (941) 343-7606 and (407) 305-9391 or online.
