Tom Marchitelli left a job as a hedge fund accountant to design suits for athletes. He works from a home office in Hoboken, N.J., with no store. He brings 200 to 300 fabrics to the client and takes the measurements himself. The suits are made in the Los Angeles area.
His business is called Gentleman’s Playbook. USA TODAY Sports has called him “one of the most well-known suit designers in all of sports.” Each item below comes from a published account, and I say so where an account is old.
Who wears him
Fox 4 in Dallas reported in July 2024 that every suit Dak Prescott had worn for seven years was designed by Marchitelli. ESPN lists Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Justin Jefferson among his clients. This season, ESPN credited DeForest Buckner’s navy and black silk suit in Week 2 to Gentleman’s Playbook.
ESPN also wrote up Prescott’s navy pinstripe suit at the Giants game in Week 1. It did not name the maker that day, so this page does not either.
What it costs, and how to book
The booking form on the Gentleman’s Playbook site offers price ranges from $2,000 to $2,500 up to $3,500 and more. Fox 4 reported in 2024 that suits typically run $3,000 to $5,000. A Fox 5 story in 2022 said $2,800 and up. Ask for the current price in writing.
You book by filling out a form with your city and state, whether you want a suit or a tuxedo, and what it is for. Business is one of the choices. The site says it serves New York and New Jersey and clients “everywhere.” It names athletes, actors, musicians and executives. It does not name lawyers, and it does not say whether he will travel to your city. The standard turnaround ESPN reported is three weeks, and he can work faster if he has your measurements.
What the tunnel suit teaches a trial lawyer
The tunnel walk is the loudest place in America to wear a suit, and the best of it is fit. ESPN reports that Marchitelli adjusts the tailoring for athletic and larger bodies and watches the cuffs, wrists, ankles and thighs. That is the same advice this column gave in The Jury Reads Your Fit: buy for the shoulders and neck, and have the rest made for your body.
The design is another matter. The tunnel favors double-breasted jackets, three pieces, pinstripes and color. The tunnel is built to be photographed. A courtroom is built to be believed. For court, ask for the same fit in a quiet color that suits you, with a single-breasted jacket, two buttons and a trouser that breaks once.
Before you book, ask what he would charge for a suit you can wear through a full day in court.
What jurors respond to
I looked for research on what jurors like to see on a lawyer. There is less than you would expect, and none of it says a suit has to be dark.
A 2014 study at University College London had 201 adults rate photos of lawyers in five outfits. The formal suit with a tie rated most capable, and jeans rated lowest. The raters were recruited in public places. They were not jurors.
Consultant Andrea Ward told a Connecticut bar program in 2007 to choose well-fitted clothes in subdued colors and to avoid bold ones, such as a red suit or a pink shirt. Brenda Swauger, a Chicago clothier, suggests a blue or gray suit with a pale shirt and a subdued tie.
A 2024 study by Stetson law professor Catherine Cameron found little evidence that conservative dress changed what potential jurors learned from an opening statement. They did remember the less conservative lawyer’s name better. I read only the abstract, so I do not have the sample size.
My read is this. Fit the suit to the person. The suit should speak confidence, not shout an edgy design. I found no research that tests that, so it is my view and not a finding.
Designer of the Month
This page features one designer a month. The women’s designer this month is Roland Mouret. The men’s is Gentleman’s Playbook.
Prices were read from the Gentleman’s Playbook booking form on Nov. 7, 2026, and from the dated articles named below. No photographs are used on this page. Nothing on this page is sponsored.
Sources
Gentleman’s Playbook, booking form · Gentleman’s Playbook, home page · Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, July 22, 2024 · Fox 5 New York, Nov. 4, 2022 · ESPN, Tom Marchitelli profile · ESPN, Week 2 arrivals, Sept. 21, 2026 · ESPN, Week 1 arrivals, Sept. 13, 2026 · Yahoo Sports/USA TODAY, Sept. 10, 2026 · Furnham, Chan and Wilson, J. Applied Social Psychology, 2014 · ABA Journal, Sept. 24, 2007 · Legal Examiner, Sept. 17, 2020 · Cameron, Univ. of Florida J. of Law & Public Policy, 2024