Bespoke is a British English word that means clothing made to a buyer’s specifications: bespoke suits are personalized and tailored. It’s all about choices made by the buyer, and the measuring and fitting. What distinguishes a bespoke suit is that it is created specifically for the wearer, who chooses the fabrics, the features and details, and normally has several fittings so that the end product is a customized suit made by hand specifically for him. Tailor-made bespoke suits are a luxury in a ready-to-wear world, and their excellent quality sets them apart.
In a normal suit purchase, the buyer chooses from the closest standard size and may then have it tailored for a better fit. A bespoke suit requires an individually cut pattern. This assures a perfect fit since the measurements are painstaking and detailed. This pattern is retained so that it’s available for future suit purchases. An excellent tailor will always recheck the measurements for each individual bespoke suit, since bodies change with age and the purchaser may wish to have additional suits made in a different style: narrower lapels, a switch from single to double breasted, alterations in the venting.
With changes made in technology, machine-making now plays some part in many bespoke suits, although the benchmark of a bespoke suit is the amount of hand sewing involved in its creation.
When purchasing a bespoke suit, one of the first choices is the fabric. Different fabric weights, patterns and textures will influence the cut and the drape of the suit. The buyer chooses from bolts of fabrics and is well-advised to select something classic in order to get the most wear out of the custom-made garment. A traditional chalk pin-stripe is popular, as is the subtle tweed and the four-season light worsted wool. The style of suit you order will dictate fabric choice to some degree, since the fabric weight and drape is an intricate component in excellent fit. The cutter and tailor for the suit can offer advice on fabric selection based on design elements you require.
Always choose a style that compliments your height and proportions. Will it be a 4 or a 6 button front? Trying on jackets can help you find the ideal buttoning point, as well as allowing you to determine the most flattering lapel shape and amount of wrap.
When the fabric is selected and your measurements have been taken, bespoke tailors arrange for a hand-drawn pattern to be made. This allows the suit to be cut to adjust to each client’s unique form. Patterns are often crafted from canvas. The fabric is then meticulously cut and ready to be stitched.
When your suit is completed, there will be a final fitting so any necessary adjustments can be made. A bespoke suit is certainly more expensive than something you would find at the mall men’s store, but it is more unique and likely to last a lifetime. Once the almost exclusive domain of specialty tailors in London and Hong Kong, the internet has spawned a resurgence of interest in and availability of custom suits, and helped to make them more affordable.
A bespoke suit gives a man a refined look that’s classic rather than trendy, and is an investment that pays off in longevity. Bespoke suits add more than great style to a wardrobe. Men can feel confident knowing that their custom-made look is both flattering, uniquely their own style, and fabulously comfortable.
