It's All Been Done Before

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In this episode of It's All Been Done Before, the podcast, Philip Pravda tells the real story of building his menswear store at 59th and 3rd in New York City, from finding the space to opening the doors.

In this episode:
- How a dilapidated corner building near the old Alexander's site, now Bloomberg Tower, became the opportunity
- What a net lease actually is, and why his grandfather's 99-year net lease at 56th and Lexington belonged to a different era
- Negotiating with brokers, landlords, and a tri-party lease agreement
- Permits, architects, engineers, sidewalk sheds, and all the city paperwork nobody warns you about
- Opening the store with the outside half finished because the stucco crew could not work in the winter
- Running the store from 2003 to 2009, and why he eventually went back to Madison Avenue

Philip also announces his newest venture, Pravda1908.com, which is expanding across the United States and looking for people in major cities who want to sell custom-made menswear with full training and support. Go to Pravda1908.com and fill out the interest form.

About the host: Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a fourth-generation menswear man with more than 35 years in the business and over 100,000 suits sold.

Links:
Pravda1908.com
SuitCafe.com
Email Philip: [email protected]
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-all-been-done-before/id1599921682

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of It’s All Been Done Before, we’re asking a simple question that no one seems to answer honestly:

Where is all the cash?Not in theory. Not in headlines. Not in politics.

Just real life.

If I asked you right now to reach into your pocket, what’s there?

$5?

$20?

$100?

Nothing?

We’re not talking about credit cards, financing, or “I could if I wanted to.”

We’re talking about actual, available cash.

Because everywhere you look, people are saying the same thing:

“I can’t afford groceries.”

“I can’t afford gas.”

“I can’t even think about buying a car.”

But is it really that bad — or is something else going on?

If you woke up tomorrow and decided:

👉 I want a new car.

Could you actually go out and get one?

Lease it? Buy it? Make the move?

Or is that decision not even on the table anymore?

This episode isn’t about blame.

It’s not about politics.

It’s about reality, what people actually have, what they actually feel, and how they’re actually living right now.

Because something has changed… and everyone feels it.

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this heartfelt second episode, I continue to share the legacy of my father, Paul Pravda, who passed away in December 2025. This episode dives deeper into his pioneering role in the luxury menswear industry, how he carried forward a family tradition and made it his own, founding his business in 1978 and shaping it with passion, precision, and a sixth sense for quality.

My father believed in giving value to the customer above all else. He had an instinctive eye for exceptional craftsmanship, often discovering luxury brands before they became global icons, names like Valentino, Canali, Brioni, and Armani were part of his daily vocabulary long before they were household names.

We also revisit how he sourced garments in Europe in the 1950s with my grandfather, decades before global fashion houses had international showrooms, and brought high-quality tailoring back to New York. His dedication, humility, and unmatched standards became the foundation of how I work with my own clients today.The episode photo is of my parents in 2021, a reminder of their enduring love and shared journey. I hope this hour inspires those who care about heritage, family, and excellence in men’s fashion.

This is the final part that will honor his legacy and tell his story—one garment, one philosophy, one generation at a time.

🔗 

Follow Suitcafe

Instagram: @suitcafe

TikTok: @suit_cafe

YouTube: Suitcafe

Facebook: suitcafecom

Website: www.suitcafe.com

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

This episode is personal. My father, Paul Pravda, passed away on December 12, 2025. If you’re listening to this, you probably knew him, or knew of him. And if not, I want you to.

I recorded this to share what he stood for his philosophy on sales, the way he treated people, how he built his business from scratch in 1978 after learning the ropes with my grandfather in the 1950s and ’60s. They were traveling to Europe before anyone else in menswear was doing that, bringing back clothing and ideas no one here had seen. My father had an eye, he could feel quality. And more importantly, he knew how to give value to the customer.

He didn’t follow trends. He set them. Long before luxury menswear was mainstream, he was bringing in the kind of pieces you now see in every high-end store. But for him, it was never about showing off it was about respect: for the product, for the craftsmanship, and for the man wearing it.

This is the first of several episodes where I’ll talk honestly about who he was, what he believed, and how he shaped the way I see business, family, and what it means to do something right.

No music, no editing, just me telling it straight.

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

Prices are up. Way up.

In this episode, I dive into the world I know best — luxury menswear — and talk about what’s really going on behind those skyrocketing suit prices.

From brands I love and have worked with—Brioni, Kiton, Tom Ford, Canali, and Brunello Cucinelli—I give you an honest, insider’s take on what’s changed over the years, how the product has evolved, and whether these $10K+ suits are still worth it.

You’ll hear personal stories, insights from inside the industry, and a true story involving none other than Alec Baldwin, told just the way it happened. If you’re into tailored clothing, Italian craftsmanship, or just wondering if high-end fashion has lost its mind—this one’s for you.

🎙️ Topics:

Why prices have increased so dramatically

What still makes these brands special

How luxury tailoring has shifted post-pandemic

Real talk about value, quality, and branding today

📲 Follow SuitCafe:

• Instagram: instagram.com/suitcafe
• Facebook: facebook.com/suitcafecom
• YouTube: youtube.com/@suitcafe
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@suit_cafe
• Twitter/X: twitter.com/suit_cafe
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/suitcafe
• Substack: suitcafe.substack.com
• Website: suitcafe.com

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

I’ve been going to Pitti Uomo in Florence for over 30 years — and it still gives me that same feeling every time I walk through the gates.

In this episode, I’m sharing what Pitti means to me as someone who’s spent a lifetime in menswear — from growing up in my family’s retail stores to now running my own custom clothing business. I talk about how the show has changed (and how it hasn’t), the people you meet, the fabric houses I’ve worked with for decades, and why true style always comes back to authenticity.

Whether you’ve been to Pitti or dream of going one day, I hope this gives you a sense of what it’s like — not just the suits and style, but the soul of it.

Thanks for listening —

Philip

🔗 

Follow me and SuitCafe:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suitcafe
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@suitcafe
• Substack: https://suitcafe.substack.com
• Website: https://www.suitcafe.com
• Tik Tok: http://www.tiktok.com/suit_cafe
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suitcafecom

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

Take a walk with me through New York’s Upper West Side in the rain — no script, just real conversation. In this episode, I talk about the old Cafe Lalo, my years living on Riverside Drive, NYC’s changing neighborhoods, and what makes the West Side feel different. You’ll hear about:

• My stops at classic places like H&H Bagels and Barney Greengrass
• Tales of sending bagels nationwide during my Periscope days
• Real stories from my time on Madison and Fifth Avenue running multi-floor menswear stores
• Custom tailoring, $695 raincoats, and what’s coming this fall/winter
• Observations on the state of retail post-COVID — what’s real and what’s hype
• Getting caught in the rain in a lightweight shell coat (with no umbrella, of course)

This is a stream-of-consciousness walk through Manhattan — raw, real, and full of New York character.

🎧 Audio recorded live on TikTok

📍 Route: From Amsterdam & 86th → Central Park Transverse

🎙️ Hosted by Philip Pravda of Suitcafe

—

Learn more: www.suitcafe.com

Instagram: @suitcafe

TikTok: @suit_cafe

🎥 YouTube: youtube.com/@suitcafe

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

Walk with me through the streets of Midtown Manhattan — just blocks from where I ran custom clothing stores on Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue, some of the most expensive retail real estate in the world. This is a raw, live-recorded podcast from a New York City sidewalk, where I reflect on decades in fashion, retail, and custom menswear.

From the story behind my $695 handmade raincoats to tales of $40,000 suits, vintage rent prices on Fifth Avenue, and my family’s generational roots in the clothing industry — this is the unfiltered perspective of a lifelong menswear entrepreneur. We talk about:

🗽 Life in New York’s Madison Ave & Fifth Ave Midtown

🧵 The process behind selling custom-made suits

🇮🇹 Italian mills, mink-lined coats & real tailoring versus made-in-China hype

📈 Pricing, tariffs, and why quality wins over marketing

📍 Flashbacks to former stores on Madison Ave and stories from 47th Street’s diamond dealers

💼 Doing business online, by appointment, and connecting with clients across the country

👞 A shoutout to new burnished leather shoes and style tips for dressing in the city

🎙️ Why I started this podcast: to show how anything “that’s been done before” can be done better

This isn’t polished, filtered content. It’s storytelling from the sidewalk, mixed with business wisdom and street-smart style.

—

📆 Recorded live: May 6, 2025

📱 Originally streamed via TikTok Live

🎧 Podcast by: Suitcafe

🎙️ Podcast Series: It’s All Been Done Before

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📍 Learn more or shop custom menswear at:

👉 https://suitcafe.com

📲 Follow Suitcafe on Social:

📸 Instagram: @suitcafe

🎥 TikTok: @suit_cafe

🧵 Threads: @suitcafe

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/suitcafecom

🎥 YouTube: youtube.com/@suitcafe

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, recorded live on TikTok, I share a real-world look at the clothing business — from managing production challenges to dealing with unexpected client issues.

I talk about working with custom orders for high-profile clients, including a story about Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King suit fitting problems during filming in New York.

I also dive into stories from the retail side: dealing with stolen credit cards, shoplifting incidents, and the realities no one tells you about running a customer-facing business.

Whether you’re in fashion, retail, entrepreneurship, or just curious about the true behind-the-scenes experience, you’ll find honest lessons, unexpected stories, and insights you won’t hear anywhere else.

Follow along for unfiltered talk about craftsmanship, resilience, and building a business when the unexpected is just part of the job.

• clothing business
• Sylvester Stallone
• Tulsa King
• custom suits
• shoplifting stories
• stolen credit cards
• retail life
• small business owner
• fashion industry
• entrepreneurship journey

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com

Send us Fan Mail

On this episode of It’s All Been Done Before, we take you behind the scenes of our 4-hour TikTok Live Stream where we officially drop the brand-new Cashlana suit—a luxurious blend of Super 150s wool and cashmere—at just $495, with an exclusive $100 off using code CASH100.

Throughout the live, we take real-time questions from viewers and dive into everything menswear—from custom suit construction to top-tier Italian labels like Zegna, Brioni, Canali, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, and Tom Ford. We also preview fresh spring/summer swatches, including new Irish linens, dynamic wrinkle-resistant linens, and other standout seasonal fabrics.

If you’re into tailoring, fabric geekery, or just love a good fashion convo, this one’s for you.

🧵 Tailoring. Talk. TikTok energy. It’s all been done before—but not like this.

🔗 Connect with us:

• TikTok: @suit_cafe

• Instagram: @suitcafe

• X / Twitter: @suit_cafe

• Facebook: @suitcafecom

Meet Your Host: Philip Pravda

Philip Pravda, founder of SuitCafe.com, is a seasoned menswear expert with over 35 years in the business and a family legacy dating back to 1908, when his ancestors first started selling men’s clothing in New York. His passion for luxury fashion, fine tailoring, and craftsmanship has made him a respected voice in the industry.

Philip’s expertise extends beyond traditional menswear—his new collection includes handmade shoes and sneakers from Spain, fully customizable online, along with silk neckwear, pocket squares, and genuine crocodile belts. Each piece reflects his commitment to quality, elegance, and modern customization.

Follow Philip on social media (@suitcafe on all platforms, especially YouTube & Instagram) for exclusive content on luxury fabrics, tailoring, and the ever-evolving menswear industry.

Explore the collection at https://suitcafe.com