I am often asked, "what is bespoke?".
Historically, the term comes from an era before the mechanization of labour in tailoring. Clients would visit their local tailor and select from the available fabrics. Once chosen, a length of cloth was "bespoken" for by the client when placing the order.
Today the world carries a slightly different meaning. In tailoring, it refers to a garment made to order for a specific client and to the highest level of quality utilizing traditional handcraft methods and techniques. Bespoke is the hallmark of sartorial excellence. Each bespoke piece is unique, shaped, fitted and styled to individual preferences and specifications. A genuinely bespoke suit requires at least 80 hours of labour. To safeguard and protect the heritage of bespoke tailoring. The Savile Row Bespoke Association has defined standards to adhere to authentic bespoke garments. Establishing standards that separate bespoke garments from familiar competitors is becoming increasingly important in a world where the word "bespoke" is becoming more commonplace.
"Bespoke" has been appropriated by many other industries to convey that their product is both high-end and custom. The word is often poorly borrowed and misleading, forgetting the historical connection to skilled manual labour and time-honoured traditions. In menswear, bespoke is often and wrongly confused or used synonymously with "custom." But a custom suit is a very different thing altogether. There needs to be more than the ability to have control of choice over certain design elements to warrant it bespoke. The world of custom suits is vast in its meaning and quality standards. Whether one buys a custom suit in Vietnam on the cheap or pays a hefty price at a major retail outlet, they can vary widely in cost and quality despite sharing the common characteristic of being "custom."
What should one look for when getting a bespoke suit? In addition to the standards I mentioned, two other vital elements are essential to a genuinely bespoke suit. First, clients should have a unique pattern cut and keep it on hand at their tailors. Patterns live alongside each client; they evolve and adjust to physical and preferential changes clients may experience. Secondly, every bespoke suit should have a minimum of two fittings: a skeleton baste and a forward fitting. A garment cannot genuinely be considered bespoke without physically fitting a garment onto a client at various stages in the making process. This fitting process is fundamental, as each of us has unique physical imbalances that must be accounted for to maintain a perfect fit. There's little point in spending the extra time, effort and money getting a bespoke suit if it is poorly fit. It is also helpful for the client to see the progression of the garment in different stages of the making process. It helps one fully visualize the finished product and allows them to make adjustments and corrections they would have otherwise not considered.
And so what? Does bespoke matter? The answer to that will be very personal and individual. The value of a bespoke suit will depend on how much one values something made by hand versus machine, a long-lasting relationship with a tailor versus a fleeting interaction with a store clerk, or how quickly one can receive their goods instead of a slow and gradual process. There's no doubt that bespoke suits are expensive, and for a good reason, with labour making up the majority of the cost. Cheap labour is not skilled and skilled labour is not cheap. So, is it worth it? What bespoke can offer you is a garment built to last. Far superior to any store-bought suit with increased durability and comfort. Bespoke suits change and adapt alongside the wearer. They can be easily altered to larger or smaller sizing if necessary. The bespoke process allows one to engage in the making process fully. It brings added value and connection to the finished product. Bespoke is quality over quantity and an excellent combatant to fast fashion trends. But is it right for you? Only you can decide.
- Allan David