A Toronto tailor is making $20,000 bulletproof suits (and people are actually buying them)

A Toronto tailor is making $20,000 bulletproof suits (and people are actually buying them)

Tailor Michael Nguyen demonstrated the suit’s efficacy at a gun range in Ajax yesterday (Images: Mike Paul)

What do you do when you’re a rich guy with an ultra-dangerous job and a flair for style? You drop $20,000 on a custom bulletproof suit, of course. Responding to requests from elite clients who travel to dangerous places for work, Garrison Bespoke owner Michael Nguyen set out to develop a discreet alternative to a bulky Kevlar vest. His solution, unveiled yesterday, is a three-piece suit lined with the same carbon nanotube technology worn by U.S. troops in Iraq. Each suit takes 160 hours to make, is 30 times stronger than steel and protects its wearer from all kinds of threats, including attempted knifings and gunshots from semi-automatic pistols. President Barack Obama reportedly wore a similar get-up at his first inauguration. Clearly, plenty of non-presidents also feel the need for tailored protection: four orders have already been placed. [Garrison Bespoke]