Category: bespoke suits

Bespoke suits are generally much pricier than their tailor-made counterparts due to the almost endless customizability of the suits.

What is a “Tailor-Made” suit?

While you might think that “bespoke” and “tailor-made” are the same thing – they’re not. Whereas bespoke suits begin from the ground up, tailor-made suits start with some sort of base pattern. That’s the key difference. Tailor-made suits often begin with some sort of basic level of shape and sizing. They start with a pattern, rather than starting from scratch.

Tailor-made suits tend to be cheaper to purchase as a result of this – there is simply less of everything in a tailor-made suit, as the pattern is already created for the tailor. Therefore, buying tailor-made requires less of each material, fewer hours to create, therefore a cheaper product.

The Cost Factor

Make no mistake, bespoke suits are far more expensive than their tailor-made counterparts. This is because of the artistry involved in the creation of a bespoke suit. In total, the average bespoke suit takes around 40 hours of labor to complete. Therefore, the average American consumer can expect to pay around $3000. Of course, this is not necessarily an accessible option for most people, therefore many will choose tailor-made.

What’s Better for Me?

That’s a fair question. It comes down to a few things: budget, desire, and availability. Tailor-made suits are without question cheaper and more available than bespoke suits. However, they aren’t necessarily going to fit you properly, and because of this improper fit, you could find yourself needing another suit in a year, as an ill-fitted suit causes the fabric and fibers to break down faster, making for loosening stitching and therefore fashion problems of the sort nobody wants.

Bespoke, however, will fit you just as well now as it will in ten years from now – providing you undergo no drastic body changes. This is beneficial as it actually saves you money in the long run, buying one or two suits that last you several years is much better than buying one suit per year because you’ve outgrown the poorly-fitted “tailor-made” one.

Choosing A Suit

Whatever you decide, here are some things to pay attention to when you’re buying your suit:

What’s the occasion you’re buying for? Is there something in particular (like a wedding) or are you just after a long-lasting suit you can wear to work? The answer to this will determine the rest of these points.

What colour do you like? You generally have four options: grey, blue, brown, and black. But that’s not to say you can’t go a little bit different either! Grey or blue are good choices for an everyday suit, while black is more formal. Brown can be a little harder to wear and match.

What fabric do you want?

• Wool is versatile and common, ideal for colder weather
• Flannel is heavy, wrinkle-resistant, and great for winter
• Corduroy is long-lasting, fashionable, and warm.
• Silk is fashionable and lightweight
• Linen is light and comfortable
• Tweed is thick, robust, and warm
• Cotton is breathable, absorbs moisture efficiently, and easy to maintain

When it comes to the actual design, you have a few things to think about. For the collar, there are two types of lapels: notch lapels and peak lapels. On most single-breasted suits and blazers, a notch lapel is typical. Peak lapels are popular on double-breasted jackets and dinner suits. With buttons, you can choose one-button jackets that are more formal, two buttons are timeless and classic, or three buttons – though this is considered a little old-fashioned.

You might also consider whether or not you want shoulder pads, the length of the sleeves, and the jacket length in general. If you need some advice, get in touch with our team today.

Buying a bespoke suit will give you the fashion freedom that we all love when it comes to buying clothes that truly work us.

• Consider it an Investment

Buying bespoke isn’t for everyone. As with just about anything that’s tailor-made, it’s going to be a more expensive endeavor than purchasing any old suit from the rack. But, that’s why you should consider it an investment. Most people aren’t going to own more than half a dozen suits in their lifetimes, sometimes less, depending on how often one needs to wear one. Therefore, considering that life is short and bespoke suits are pricey, consider the ownership of just one bespoke suit to be an investment in yourself.

• Fit Is First

If you’ve always bought suits off-the-rack, you’ll know that sometimes – most of the time, in fact, the sizing is wrong. Whether it’s too long in the jacket arm or the pant leg, or it’s just too tight across the chest. With bespoke suits, that’s not the case, because they’re made to fit you. One of the first things any tailor worth their salt will do is to take all of your measurements across different body points and create a paper (or digital) pattern for you. Once this happens, assuming that you don’t undertake any drastic body changes as you buy your suit, you’ll have the perfectly fitted suit, every single time. It is this very important first step of proper fitting that is the key to everything bespoke.

• Do You Need a Bespoke Suit?

I suppose this is the most important question. Not everyone needs a bespoke suit. Most people can get by just fine with the ones off the shelves. However, if you’re a frequent wearer of suits for whatever reason, it really does pay to spend the money and get yourself a bespoke suit. Your body will thank you for it, as it no longer has to adapt to being squeezed into a shirt that’s too small.

• Suits Can be Motivating

If you find yourself lacking some motivation, then a good bit of retail therapy is in order. But, again, if you’re a frequent wearer of poorly-made, ill-fitting suits, then a bespoke suit might be for you. Find your motivation when you go through the process of fitting, ordering, collecting and wearing your first bespoke that’s made for you and can propel you forward in your chosen career.

Wearing a suit is an important undertaking that far too few people get to experience. Most people wear a suit on two primary occasions: weddings and funerals. But if you’re an everyday wearer of suits, then a bespoke suit is a must.

Once you’ve purchased your suit, it’s imperative that you take care of it so it lasts into the distance. Your bespoke suit is an investment – no doubt it has cost you a pretty penny, so be sure you look after it now, and it’ll take you into the future. If you want to find out more about how to care for your suit, get in touch with our friendly and professional team today. We’re experienced and passionate about our bespoke suit designs and services, and we’re waiting to take your call.

Lets go over a few of the reasons that bespoke clothing holds such a high value in the men that insist on precision attire.

Craft.  A customised suit necessitates a tremendous amount of effort. Not just cutting and sewing, but re-cutting, re-sewing, and re-pressing as well. It provides for lovely photographs; it gives the garment a human feel, as it was manufactured by humans; and it is an artistic rather than a mechanical product.

This offers a modest advantage, especially as you grow to know the folks better. However, I can only enjoy a craft if it is useful. It may appear cold and clinical, but if a machine can do the work better, I don’t mind it being done by a machine.

Longevity. Greater attraction once more. A bespoke suit may be repaired and modified more readily due to the manner it is constructed. This is something we’re talking about in videos right now, and after years of bespoke, you realise how important it is.

This is especially true in an era when vintage and sustainability are becoming increasingly relevant. An antique bespoke suit that has been lovingly cared for, repaired, and cherished can be yours. You’re not going to be able to achieve that with something you bought on the high street.

Environment and sustainability. When it comes to sustainability, there’s a strong case to be made that a tailored suit looks good because it’s usually created locally, with more natural materials, and encourages re-use and repair.

  One often realises how different it is when you witness a master tailor cut material for your body, loosely put it together, and drape it around you. They bring the front and back panels closer together, he unpicks the shoulder seam (but at a diagonal) and runs it down your back in a more attractive way.Then there are the other spots that need to be adjusted in order to keep the jacket’s bottom hem straight, given that the entire back has been shifted up, across, and twisted. It’s shaping material everywhere your body.

In recent decades, made-to-measure tailoring (MTM) has vastly improved.  Many tailors have to deal with unique physical conditions such as tailoring shirts and suit jacket angles of shoulders when one is slightly lower than the other.

However, this will always be a rough estimate. How many different shoulder angle possibilities do you have? Is it three? How about five? A tailor has an endless amount of options, not just in terms of exact measurements by the fraction of an inch, but also in terms of re-positioning on the body, pinning, and re-cutting.  It’s rare for MTM to incorporate all of the unique handwork. Collar that’s been sewn on by hand? Excellent, however the lining is still done by machine. Is that a hand-padded chest? Great, however the armhole is still too low.  The options and details are endless.  However, once your tailor has your body measurements and exact desires dialed in, the bespoke apparel experience is unrivaled.  Looking and feeling like a king is something special to cherish.

The fit of bespoke, and how it may make you more comfortable, flatter you, and even add flair through the management of a lapel roll or the construction of a sleeve head.

Relationship between tailor and client.  This is often the most important and defining reason to keep coming back.  The trust and bond developed with the tailor can be incredible. It’s difficult to fully appreciate this until you have truly tapped into this yourself.  At BBespoke, this is our goal. Once established, like all beautiful relationships, it is almost impossible to break or replace.   It’s not a question of knowing who cuts your garments. It’s the fact that they’ll still be there when you order again next year. That they will learn about your preferences and your tastes.  It’s truly special.

This is something that brands strive to accomplish all the time. There are VIP rooms available, as well as special treatment. But it’s never the same because the staff changes, and they didn’t know anything to begin with. A customised suit is normally of considerably higher quality than anything you can buy off the rack, so it will last far longer. This is critical since a decent suit is a timeless wardrobe staple that never goes out of style, ensuring that you will get a lot of wear out of it over time. If you have trouble finding the correct fit, bespoke clothes are great, and they can save you money if you wear a suit on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, the term “bespoke” has lost its luster in the industry, as numerous custom clothiers claim to deliver bespoke garments, but almost all of them employ the made-to-measure method.

Bespoke, like luxury, is a term that is frequently misused to give something that isn’t bespoke or luxurious a slick sheen of refinement or to justify a high price tag. The truth is that bespoke – something built specifically for you – is probably the ultimate luxury. Perhaps nowhere is truer than when it comes to a suit.

A true bespoke suit is like a second skin, a clothing that best portrays who you are because it was built particularly for you, in taste as well as size.  Yes, it is expensive (in most circumstances), but if done correctly, it is an investment that will last a lifetime and eliminate the need to buy off-the-shelf items. As a result, here is a comprehensive guide to purchasing a bespoke suit.

The History of Bespoke Suits

All men wore bespoke until less than a century ago. Hand-made clothing was available to those who could afford it, while those who couldn’t wore bespoke cast-offs.

Robert Baker established the first tailoring shop in London’s Piccadilly district – named after the Elizabethan phrase for a shirt collar, “pickadill” – in the late 1500s, eventually becoming a suit-maker to King James I’s court. Like craftspeople gathered together, as was customary at the time, and the area, which stretched from Jermyn Street to Savile Row, soon became the epicentre of England’s menswear trade.

Although tailoring was never truly English – ‘tailor’ is thought to derive from ‘tailler,’ the Medieval French word for ‘to cut’ – Savile Row and its environs became synonymous with the best in the world, gaining such a global following that the Japanese word for a suit, ‘sabburu,’ is a misspelling of the famous street’s name.

The tables were only turned in the 1950s, when manufacturing technology enabled for the fabrication of more cheap ready-to-wear clothing. Because of off-the-peg pioneer Montague Burton, creator of the namesake high-street brand and purveyor of many a World War Two soldier’s ‘de-mob’ clothes, bespoke became the exception rather than the rule.

With the emergence of off-the-peg clothing, Savile Row became more of an establishment calling card, where the great and good, but not necessarily the most stylish, obtained their apparel, becoming ever more sophisticated by the season, free to follow this strange phenomenon called fashion. It would take a pioneer – Tommy Nutter, Hardy Amies, Douglas Hayward – to shake things up and remind the entire industry that a bespoke suit wasn’t simply for attorneys, bankers, and businessmen.

While much of ‘the Row’, as its inhabitants refer to it, still caters to those who have to wear suits, in the last two decades it has learned to also cater to those who may just want to. There’s always been the substance. Now there’s more style.

A BESPOKE SUIT’S ANATOMY

The majority of bespoke suits fall into one of three cut categories: slim, fitted, or classic. For a more streamlined look, a slim cut suit fits close to the body with a higher waist and armholes. This style will most likely favour those with very slim body types, and while it is now fashionable, it will not necessarily last as long as a traditional fitting suit.

The name denotes that this is a classic cut suit. It’s a classic, elegant style with enough of room for the body. This cut is perfect for folks who prefer more conservative attire or prefer their apparel to be more comfy and roomy. Surprisingly, the trends from London Men’s Fashion Week show that men’s tailoring is headed in this way!

A tailored suit is a good compromise between the two styles mentioned above. It isn’t excessively slim, but it has a modern shape that shapes your figure nicely. This is a style that will suit most body types and will remain fashionable for many years.

This became an adjective that was used to denote something that had been planned ahead of time. The term bespoke came to be connected with tailor-made clothing and accessories as a result of this progression in the word’s definition. The purchaser would negotiate the garment’s specifications in advance, and the tailor would create it to those specifications. The term bespoke came to be associated with men’s suits that were custom-made or manufactured to order.

Where does bespoke come from?

The term “bespoke” first appeared in print in the mid-1700s. Before 900, the verb bespeak was recorded. The word is derived from the Old English word besprecan. It’s made up of the verb speak and the word be-, which is a verb prefix.

The term bespoke refers to something that has been custom-made to be one-of-a-kind. Custom-made apparel has long been connected with the term. Bespoke tailors take a person’s measurements and create one-of-a-kind clothing for them. (In truth, tailor-made is a synonym for bespoke that can be used to describe anything manufactured to order.) Custom jewelry, bespoke shoes, and bespoke websites are all examples of things that are made to order.

Bespoke, on the other hand, is frequently used to make items sound more distinct. It’s become a marketing buzzword in the same way that vintage, artisanal, curated, and craft have (as in craft beer and craft cocktails). So be wary of anything marketed as a custom!

However, bespeak is rarely used as a verb nowadays since it sounds antiquated. Bespoke also sounds a bit old-fashioned, but that’s probably why it became so trendy—it’s often used to imply a handcrafted, unique approach to making something. In its strictest sense, bespoke means made-to-order, but it’s often applied to things that aren’t actually made specifically for someone but that are simply made individually, as opposed to being mass-produced.

The Meaning in Today’s World

Since the turn of the century (2000), the term bespoke has become widely used to describe database and computer programs, as well as in reference to suits, shoes, and other clothing. As the phrase became more widely used, many people recognized it, and the Oxford Dictionaries website now defines it as “made for a specific customer or user” and “making and selling bespoke goods, notably clothing.” The term “bespoke” is now frequently used in ads, often out of context. Interior designers may use the term “bespoke” to promote a new kitchen or a restaurant that is adding a new menu item.  The abuse of the term bespoke has left many people perplexed as to what it really implies. Our goal is to dispel any misunderstandings about the term “bespoke” and provide a clearer image of its genuine meaning.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF BESPOKE?

When you hear the phrase “bespoke,” the words “high-priced” and “luxury” immediately come to mind, but the universally accepted definition is “custom made”.  Bespoke refers to something that is manufactured specifically for you and only you, according to your specifications. The phrase bespoke is most typically linked with men’s professional clothes such as suits, tuxedos, sports jackets, and more, while it is not limited to apparel.

WHAT DOES BESPOKE TAILORING MEAN?

The term bespoke is most typically linked with tailoring and men’s clothes.  Bespoke tailoring is equal to custom-made tailoring and blends the essential concepts of bespoke with the fine technique of tailoring to create something truly unique. To be considered a truly custom garment, the materials, construction, and skilled craftsmanship must all be of the greatest quality.  Every time a garment is made by a skilled cutter, bespoke tailoring uses a pattern that is designed uniquely.   At BBespoke, we tailor to you, your desires, and your needs.  Truly custom-made apparel for the distinguished individual requiring precision.