Health & Wellbeing

Dressed to not kill: Garrison Bespoke's bullet-proof business suit

Dressed to not kill: Garrison Bespoke's bullet-proof business suit
The scene at Ontario's Rod and Gun Club, where Garrison Bespoke's new bulletproof three-piece suit was publicly demonstrated this week (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
The scene at Ontario's Rod and Gun Club, where Garrison Bespoke's new bulletproof three-piece suit was publicly demonstrated this week (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
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A 9mm bullet stopped dead in the carbon nanotube lining of a new bulletproof suit (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
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A 9mm bullet stopped dead in the carbon nanotube lining of a new bulletproof suit (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
The scene at Ontario's Rod and Gun Club, where Garrison Bespoke's new bulletproof three-piece suit was publicly demonstrated this week (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
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The scene at Ontario's Rod and Gun Club, where Garrison Bespoke's new bulletproof three-piece suit was publicly demonstrated this week (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
Garrison Bespoke's bulletproof suit looks and feels much like any other (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
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Garrison Bespoke's bulletproof suit looks and feels much like any other (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
Adjusting one's tie after a dust-up? (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
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Adjusting one's tie after a dust-up? (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
Garrison's bullet-resistant suit shows little sign of its special properties (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
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Garrison's bullet-resistant suit shows little sign of its special properties (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
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In a scene only dreamt of by most people, the employees of Garrison Bespoke, an upscale Toronto tailor, lined up and waited their turn to stab their boss, Michael Nguyen, with a hunting knife. Mr. Nguyen emerged from the experience unscathed, thanks to a remarkable bullet-proof business suit that has just been revealed to the public.

Although bulletproof clothing has been available to the public for many years, the typical offering took the form of rather heavy casual clothing or outerwear. New advances in bullet-resistant fabric, however, have made it possible to provide solid protection in the guise of fashionable business wear.

Garrison's bulletproof (bullet-resistant is a more accurate description) suit contains several sheets of carbon nanotube fabric in its lining, manufactured by the same (anonymous) company that makes personal armor for the US Army Special Forces.

Garrison's bullet-resistant suit shows little sign of its special properties (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
Garrison's bullet-resistant suit shows little sign of its special properties (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)

These sheets are thinner and more flexible than Kevlar, while only having half the weight, and are so resistant to damage they have to be cut using a bandsaw. The resistance of the suit to stabbing is due to the tendency of the carbon nanotubes to tighten their weave in response to a point force, effectively blunting the tip of the knife, and preventing it from penetrating the fabric.

In relatively informal tests, Garrison's bullet-resistant suit proved capable of stopping 9 mm and .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) handgun rounds, in addition to the stabbing attacks by the Garrison employees. Stopping a 9 mm round is considered to be Level IIa protection by the US National Institute of Justice standards, however, Garrison has not responded to our inquiry about formal certification of its suit.

A 9mm bullet stopped dead in the carbon nanotube lining of a new bulletproof suit (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
A 9mm bullet stopped dead in the carbon nanotube lining of a new bulletproof suit (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)

The world of carbon nanotubes, especially when applied to personal armor, is a rather murky one from which it is difficult to gather many details. One major player in this field is Nanocomp, a company that manufactures carbon nanotube sheets and yarn for a variety of purposes.

In a 2010 Forbes article, the Nanocomp's VP of Business Development John Dorr remarked that, "The particular (bullet) stop you mention was accomplished with ... the thickness of several business cards. It was able to stop a 9 mm round in that example." This level of performance seems consistent with Garrison's bullet-resistant suit, although there is no hint as to whether it is Nanocomp's carbon nanotube sheets being used in Garrison's suits.

Garrison Bespoke's bulletproof suit looks and feels much like any other (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)
Garrison Bespoke's bulletproof suit looks and feels much like any other (Photo: Garrison Bespoke)

Starting at 20,000 CAD (US$19,160), these suits probably won't be flying off the shelf, but for those who are rich, powerful, and find themselves involved in risky business, this offering from Garrison Bespoke may be just what the bodyguard ordered.

Source: Garrison Bespoke

View gallery - 5 images
17 comments
17 comments
Mats Svensson
Time until first related Darwin-award: 5 ...4 ...3 ...2 ....
MBadgero
Just when I thought it was about time to order a new suit, I saw the price.
Primecordial
Wouldn't the force trauma from a slug not cause significant harm, if not death?
ljaques
Wow! $20k for something which looks like it was just taken down from the K-Mart Clearance Rack since it didn't sell... Well, oogly or not, it probably is a whole lot less cumbersome than alternative flak jackets. When they're down to $39.99 at Wally, I'll get one, fer sher.
Jimbo Jones
Don't tase me, dude just shoot me.
myale
Hmm surely that is goning to leave one hell of a bruise - interesting to note where all of the force of the bullet goes with such a thin layer of material - it may hold the bullet, but if doesnt absorb the force - that is still going to do internal damage or does this fibre shed the force accross its whole structure? I guess it is still better than a hole
JonathanPDX
I thought that in business, the concept was to go for the jugular...
I don't see this helping in that respect. :-P
Griffin
That main picture is very telling- I remember a recent Russian Mafia informant was shot leaving a courtroom and was killed.
He was wearing a "bulletproof vest"... but it was a head shot.
Anyone going after somebody with one of these would probably have the intel on the jacket- I doubt that they would have more than one and I can't see them wearing the same jacket all the time.
It would then be obvious if they were wearing it unless they had a broad variety of them.
It's a fun sort of thing but I cannot take it seriously.
It will probably get him a lot of attention for his business,though.
I cannot imagine it being very comfortable.
Jim Sadler
Watch your wallet as wearing bullet proof clothing in the US may be illegal. After the notorious armed robbery in California in which police had to pitch a prolonged battle with the criminals due to their bullet proof garb laws were passed allowing only police officers to use bullet proof clothing. That gunfight was so serious that the cops had to run into gun stores and commandeer high powered hunting rifles to take down the killers.
nocky88
Ok so it might stop a bullet, but all that energy has to go somewhere... So I'm thinking your still going to get some major shock trauma and broken ribs etc... Almost makes a "flesh wound" appealing..
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