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When Angels and Demons opens in theatres on Friday, Robert Langdon, the character played by Tom Hanks, will be one spiffily dressed symbologist. That's because the film's costume designer, Daniel Orlandi, opted to outfit the actor in Brioni, the same world-renowned suit maker that has clothed the two most recent 007s, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

True, most viewers will be far more interested in unravelling the plot conspiracies than scrutinizing the fabric of Langdon's sport jackets. But the Brioni approach to men's wear offers many clues about the details that matter in an everyday work wardrobe, regardless of whether you can afford such pricey threads.

Based in Penne, Italy, Brioni specializes in Made to Measure (MTM) clothing whereby everything - suits, shirts, even ties - can be customized and tailored to the individual. There are over 5,000 different fabrics available and that's just for suits.

But Brioni is not a fashion brand so much as a label that represents exceptional Italian quality and workmanship. As freelance men's fashion consultant and stylist Alon Freeman says, "It's the gold standard of Italian suiting."

The label's chief master tailor Angelo Petrucci visited Harry Rosen's flagship location in Toronto recently, offering his services to customers willing to spend upward of $5,300 to look their very best.

Opt for vicuña - among the world's most exclusive fabrics, it comes from a relative of the llama - and expect to pay over $40,000.

At a time when people are being especially watchful about their spending, this may seem not only excessive but awfully unrealistic. A Brioni garment, however, goes beyond bragging rights. (Although who could resist telling people it takes over 18 hours and 186 distinct steps to produce a single jacket?)

"We make a second skin for our customers," says Mr. Petrucci on a break between consultations. Trim and impeccably dressed in a dark suit with a grey-purple tie, he began training at Brioni's tailoring school in 1985 and assumed his position in 2001. He travels nearly 100 days a year, fitting dignitaries, royalty and captains of industry. In the two days Mr. Petrucci spent at the Bloor Street store, more than 20 men met with him.

Mr. Freeman points out there are typically two types of MTM shoppers: the guy who "needs to project a certain professional image," and the guy who has a body that isn't necessarily suited to buying off-the-rack clothing.

To be clear, other labels at Harry Rosen and most men's retailers now offer MTM clothing, usually starting at $3,000. Brioni also offers off-the-rack suits (priced from $4,995), and of course, a customer can order an MTM Brioni suit without Mr. Petrucci.

The biggest benefit to the Brioni made-to-measure experience, he says, is the care paid to problem solving and not just aesthetics. "For the perfect suits, you must look at all the parts of the body and cover all the problems; everybody has different shoulders," he says, citing one example where the most microscopic changes can make a major difference. The way a jacket fits at the waist can either help conceal the burger-a-day diet or reveal that you've packed on a few too many pounds.

Ask Mr. Petrucci for more general advice about the minimum number of suits a corporate-type should have in his wardrobe (a question frequently asked by Suitable readers), and his answer is four. As for shirts, at least six.

But he is much more in his element discussing the world of Brioni. To wit, becoming a tailor at Brioni Tailoring School begins during adolescence. "When very young, your fingers are very delicate and you have much more sensitivity," he explains. "Starting at 25, it's impossible, you can't make the stitching; you can only get the sensation with the eyes. Tailors shouldn't work with eyes, they should work by feeling."

The assumption is this philosophy and passion should translate to the garment. Really, though, can the expense be justified and is a Brioni MTM suit all that different from a custom creation from another label? Mr. Freeman draws the comparison between two Porsches with different horsepower: The driver will sense the difference but the visual impact is effective either way, he says.

Still, he recommends that men never rush to purchase their first MTM suit. "Be the aggressive consumer that you are in other areas of your life; take the same approach that you do with a car or a stereo," he says. "Ask a lot of questions."

Incidentally, being associated with James Bond introduced a new customer to the world of Brioni, according to Todd Barrato, managing director and executive vice-president for Brioni worldwide. "Our average customer was, say, 60-65," he says. "[Bond] brought us a much younger customer. The buzz was incredible."

You can't underestimate the power of looking - let alone feeling - like 007. Heck, even a symbologist would agree.