Bespoke and Made-to-measure

Many people use the terms "bespoke" and "made-to-measure" interchangeably. They are mistaken.


'Bespoke' is actually a term which dates from the 17th century, when tailors held the full lengths of cloth in their premises.


When a customer chose a length of material, it was said to have “been spoken for”. Hence a tailor who makes your clothes individually, to your specific personal requirements, is called "bespoke". This is unlike “made-to-measure”, which simply uses a basic, pre-existing template pattern, which is then adjusted to roughly your individual measurements.


The first thing what type of suit you are looking for, and its uses. Then a cloth is chosen from the full range available today, and also which type of style and fit would be most suitable for you.


More than 20 measurements and figuration details are taken from the customer. A personal patern will be hand-drafted and cut from scratch- not the basic, adjusted template pattern, as used by so many other tailors these days.


Using your pattern, the cloth is then cut and trimmed, along with the finest linings and silks available. A single tailor is then given the parts of the garment to sew together, from the earliest fitting stages to the final, complete suit. Each suit is completely hand-made, even down to the button holes.


For a fuller explanation of the different levels of tailoring (ready-to-wear, made-to-measure, bespoke etc), please go to TailorU's website.