Working Style

The Heart of Modern Tailoring

Working Style has long stood as one of New Zealand’s most respected menswear houses, admired for its refined tailoring, meticulous craftsmanship and the deeply personal way it approaches every made-to-measure client. A Working Style custom suit is never simply ordered. It is shaped, considered and guided into being, becoming part of the wearer’s story from the first fitting to the final flourish. —— Across their Parnell, Wellington, Christchurch and Shortland Street stores, the team brings decades of experience and a rare sense of care to each made-to-measure groom they meet. —— Their approach feels old-world in its intimacy, yet modern in its execution. In an era where wedding attire is becoming more expressive and fashion-forward, Working Style stands out for its unwavering belief that a groom’s suit should feel utterly his own. Tailoring is treated as collaboration rather than transaction, resulting in clothing that reflects personality, confidence and emotional significance. —— These four stories, shared by Working Style staff, open a window into the care, intuition and personal connection that sit at the heart of great tailoring.

Rex Massey-Molloy Wellington (Store Director) on Jazz & Charlie

Some clients arrive with a clear sense of style. Others remind you why service is at the heart of great tailoring. In Wellington, Rex Massey-Molloy has built a reputation for delivering both with equal grace.

For Charlie (pictured above), choosing his wedding suit felt like a full-circle moment. While studying, he worked at Working Style’s Wellington store, where Rex was his manager. When it came time to create his own made-to-measure wedding suit, Charlie knew who he trusted. Working Style, crafted a look that was elegant, modern and beautifully considered. A slim silk ribbon tie, handmade by his wife’s dress designer, was chosen to complement the suit rather than define it, a gentle finishing note to an ensemble where Working Style’s tailoring did the talking.

Rex’s work extends far beyond design consultation and fine fabric. Some tailoring memories, he admits, stay with you. One crisp Wellington morning, months after completing a jet black pure wool wedding ensemble for another groom, Chris Young, the shop phone rang. The suit was immaculate. The waistcoat sat cleanly. The silk-faced lapels caught the light. But
no one in the car on the way to his wedding could tie the bow tie.

Rex grabbed his bike and crossed the city. By the time he arrived, guests were beginning to gather. Moments later, the car pulled up. Rex tied the bow, offered a few calming words and watched the groom’s nerves dissolve. A small applause followed as he cycled away, returning to the shop within half an hour, as though it were all part of the day’s usual rhythm.

Together, their stories capture what Working Style does best: crafting clothing with intention and showing up when it matters most.

Amanda Vine (Christchurch Director) on Michael & Georgia

Amanda has styled countless weddings over the years, yet the memory of Georgia and Michael remains particularly close to her heart. Their wedding fell just before her own, creating a natural sense of camaraderie as they navigated their respective planning journeys.

Michael and his friends had been clients for years, so being chosen to style them for the wedding felt meaningful. Their process began with a swatch from the bridesmaids’ dresses. The goal was harmony without uniformity. For the jackets, they selected a cream Loro Piana cotton-blend, luxurious yet subtly relaxed. Double-breasted, softly structured and tapered at the waist, the design offered ease of movement and quiet sophistication.

Fittings were joyful and full of laughter. Every measurement mattered. Jacket length, shoulder structure, sleeve pitch, trouser break. Six weeks later, the garments arrived from Portugal. Final adjustments brought precision. Sleeves skimmed the wrist with just enough shirt cuff visible. Trousers broke elegantly across the shoe. Silk linings shimmered with every step.

A few days after the wedding, Michael sent Amanda a photograph. The couple, radiant and at ease, embodied the true purpose of great tailoring. A year later, the friendship continues. They even collaborated recently on an event with the Turtleneck Association, a group founded by Michael and his groomsmen. For Amanda, it is these unexpected bonds that make the craft so rewarding.

John Mangham (Shortland Street Director) on Brian & Brian

Brian and Brian arrived with a shared vision and an appreciation for classic style, something John recognised immediately. Their wedding in Ireland required distinction and a sense of occasion. They wanted a look that nodded to old Hollywood, with tailoring sharp enough to honour the formality of the day, yet personal enough to feel like them.

Working Style’s Premium Made to Measure programme became the natural solution. Over refreshments, they explored fabrics, silhouettes and design details. Every measurement was precise, every posture note recorded. When the chosen garments arrived from Europe, the first fitting confirmed the pieces draped exactly as imagined.

In one touching detail, both Brians chose not to see each other’s suits until the wedding. Their anticipation added a sense of ceremony to the process. Inspired by the joy of their fittings, additional outfits were commissioned for the following day.

Their wedding became a celebration not only of love but of style in its truest sense. For John, helping two individuals express their confidence and identity through tailoring was an honour and a collaboration built on trust, taste and thoughtful design.

Graig Douglas (Parnell Store Director) on Gemma & Henry

Graig describes working with Gemma and Henry as a creative exchange, filled with clarity, enthusiasm and contemporary vision. The couple approached the process with genuine curiosity, eager to understand every nuance of bespoke tailoring, and their openness encouraged experimentation.

Their city wedding called for a new take on black tie, something elegant yet unexpected. The starting point became a striking burgundy velvet dinner jacket, rich and plush, balanced with a crisp white fly-front shirt, classic black wool trousers and a silk bow tie. Every detail was explored with intention, from proportion to lapel width, creating a look that captured both tradition and modernity.

For Graig, it was a reminder of why he loves this work. Helping couples express themselves through clothing and seeing that expression mirrored between partners is one of the great privileges of tailoring.

A NEW CHAPTER FOR WORKING STYLE
These team stories reveal the heart of a brand that Graig Douglas has played a significant role in shaping throughout Working Style’s journey. He is now a shareholder and a key part of the next generation guiding this iconic menswear institution forward.

Investing in the company and stepping into a leadership role feels, he says, like coming home. Graig began his retail career at Working Style more than twenty years ago. It was where he fell in love with menswear, despite studying something entirely different.

He speaks passionately about the people the brand attracts: loyal clients, dedicated staff, a community that feels like family. It is this culture that inspired him to invest, as well as the enduring presence of brothers Chris and Tim Dobbs, who founded Working Style in 1987 and remain deeply involved. Graig, who has a young family, hopes to steward the brand for the next twenty years. He is committed to honouring its legacy while shaping its evolution for a new generation of New Zealand men.

Chris Dobbs shares the same confidence. Graig’s investment ensures Working Style retains invaluable institutional knowledge and craft expertise. With a strong management team in place and the Dobbs brothers guiding the transition, the future feels both stable and exciting.

LOOKING AHEAD
Working Style has always balanced tradition with progression. Today, as grooms embrace individuality, colour, texture and modern silhouettes, the brand is perfectly positioned to lead the conversation. Their approach, rooted in craft and care, offers something increasingly rare: menswear shaped person by person, story by story.

These four wedding tales, and the new leadership era with Graig at the helm, reveal a brand that understands men not only as clients but as people marking life’s most meaningful moments.

Working Style remains, as ever, a house of tailoring, character and quiet confidence. The next chapter is already unfolding, stitched with experience, vision and the kind of personal connection that will always define great menswear.