bespoke shirts
A bespoke shirt is more than a wardrobe essential; it's a personal statement. At Allan David Bespoke, every bespoke shirt is cut and crafted exclusively for you, tailored to your exact measurements, posture, and style preferences. From collar shape and cuff style to fabric weight and button choice, every detail is considered to create a shirt that fits not just your body, but your lifestyle.
Our custom dress shirts are built with the same dedication to craft that defines our bespoke tailoring. Patterns are drafted from scratch for each client, ensuring a fit that enhances your posture, offers ease of movement, and flatters your frame. We source our shirting fabrics from the world's finest mills, selecting only those that meet the highest standards of quality and refinement.
Whether worn under a custom suit or on its own, an Allan David Bespoke shirt delivers quiet elegance and lasting quality, a piece you'll reach for again and again, knowing it was made expressly for you.
bespoke shirt process
1. initial consultation & style planning
Your journey begins with an in-depth consultation in our showroom. This is more than a simple measuring session; we study your posture, shoulder slope, and stance to understand how you naturally hold yourself. We take over thirty precise measurements, ensuring your bespoke dress shirt will fit seamlessly across the shoulders, chest, and collar while allowing for ease of movement.
We also explore your style preferences in detail: collar shapes, cuff designs, placket styles, pockets, and even how you like your shirt to drape when worn untucked. This stage sets the creative and technical foundation for your custom dress shirt.
2. luxury fabrics for bespoke shirts
A shirt's fabric is the first thing you feel when you put it on and often the first thing others notice. That's why every bespoke dress shirt we make is cut from cloth sourced exclusively from the world's most prestigious Italian and Swiss mills, renowned for their mastery in weaving luxurious cottons. Our curated collection offers everything from crisp poplins and silky sateens to textured oxfords and airy linens, ensuring the perfect choice for every season and occasion.
We'll guide you through weight, weave, and colour options, considering not only your style but also your lifestyle and wardrobe needs. Whether you're commissioning a custom dress shirt for business, formal events, or relaxed weekends, we'll help you select a fabric that combines beauty, comfort, and lasting durability.
4. from muslin to masterpiece
Before cutting your final fabric, we create a muslin test shirt to perfect the fit. The first fitting is just the torso, without sleeves or collar, allowing us to assess balance, drape, and the accuracy of the neck, shoulders, armscye, and body width. The second fitting includes the collar, cuffs, and sleeves so we can confirm every detail, from cuff circumference and collar stand to placket tension and sleeve pitch. This two-step process ensures your final custom dress shirt is balanced, comfortable, and tailored to perfection.
3. a pattern made for you alone
Unlike made-to-measure shirts, every bespoke shirt starts with a unique paper pattern drafted from your measurements, without using templates or pre-set sizes. This pattern reflects every nuance of your physique, from the shape of your shoulders to the subtle differences between your right and left sides.
Once your pattern is finalized, we hand-cut the fabric, aligning patterns and stripes with precision so that every seam flows cleanly. This step requires a trained eye and a steady hand, ensuring your shirt has perfect balance and symmetry before a single stitch is made.
5. bringing cloth to life
Once your fit is perfected, we cut your chosen cloth and begin the process of bringing your shirt to life. Construction combines precise machine work with carefully executed hand-finishing, ensuring every seam, button, and edge is clean, balanced, and built to last. The result is a bespoke shirt that offers a flawless fit and enduring craftsmanship. From the moment you put it on, it feels refined and comfortable; over time, it becomes a trusted piece in your wardrobe, ready for every occasion.