Made to Measure vs Bespoke: What Does it Mean and How to Choose
At Modello, we notice that many of our customers are undergoing the bespoke process for the very first time. And even though this is exciting, it can be pretty confusing too.
In the past few years, suiting has become much more accessible. You can order a suit online or in person by taking your own measurements or booking an appointment with a master bespoke tailor.
You may see the terms custom, made to measure, and bespoke in online ads, or when your friends are showing off their new suits at your next big event. Today we will share why understanding that difference ensures that you get what you pay for in your next suit.
Made-to-Measure vs Bespoke: Why the Difference Matters
Unfortunately, it’s not enough to have a single sentence definition of what made to measure and bespoke mean.
This is because there are many retailers out there (both online and in brick-and-mortar shops) who will label their suits as bespoke as a way to drive up prices. Unless you know what to look for, you could be paying much more than you should for a suit that just doesn’t make the cut.
The only thing worse than finding out a product’s quality has been overmarketed is when that product has been custom made for your body dimensions and preferred features. It doesn’t matter if the suit is made for your wedding day or a big job interview - this doesn’t feel very good. So let’s talk about how to spot the difference.
What You Need to Know About Bespoke Suits
To dive into bespoke suiting, we can start by answering the question ‘what does bespoke mean in fashion?” Bespoke means fully custom, made from scratch to your exact specifications. Although it isn’t as common, you may also hear the term bespoke clothing, footwear, or even jewelry.
But the term took off when Savile Row (London’s ‘mecca’ of menswear) tailors used the term to refer to the products they were making and to signify that suits were crafted with the finest techniques and materials.
How to Recognize a Bespoke Suit
The number of measurements taken is one of the key ways to tell whether a suit is bespoke. A typical fitting appointment will take at least 35 measurements to capture every aspect of your suit’s fit.
This is essential because of the wide range of factors that affect how a suit fits on your body. From mismatched shoulders, due to old sports injuries, to short calves that you blame on your family lineage, everything that makes you unique needs to be considered when measuring your suit.
Look for bespoke suit makers to show you fabrics from established fabric mills. Mills like Dormeuil, Carlo Barbera are examples of where our fabrics come from, and they represent the pinnacle of quality and tradition. These fabrics will also give you greater opportunities to select patterns, textures, and compositions - which an experienced seller will be able to help you with based on your preferences. Made to measure suit makers may not provide these options.
Finally, the time frame for a suit’s completion is one of the easier ways to tell whether a suit is truly bespoke. Bespoke suits take at least 5-6 weeks to be completed, although additional time should be allowed for alterations throughout the process.
Quality garments take time, and if a company is claiming to be able to finish a suit in 2 weeks, it is made to measure, and this will be reflected in the fit of the final product.
What You Need to Know About Made to Measure Suits
Now we will pit made to measure against bespoke tailoring. The first thing to establish is that made to measure suiting, like bespoke, is custom--but that might be where the similarities end.
Made to measure is a modern development, made possible by travelling tailors and technology that aggregates customer data to achieve the “best possible fit”.
How to Recognize a Made to Measure Suit
Instead of being “fully custom”, made to measure is constructed from a pre-existing base pattern. This means that after taking measurements of your body (which will be far fewer than a bespoke tailor would take), the maker will find the closest match out of their existing patterns. From here, your suit is adjusted to fit you the best it can.
Some made to measure retailers operate with an online-first business model, and you submit measurements by yourself (which can often lead to discrepancies). Made to measure operates on a quicker timeline, with delivery taking 2-4 weeks, and fewer alterations taking place.
Overall, made to measure is often better than off the rack, since it provides better options for posture - one of the most crucial aspects of a good fitting suit. However, this may only be the case for customers with “typical” body types, who haven’t had trouble finding menswear that fits in the past.
Key Differences of Made to Measure vs Bespoke Suits
Now that we know how to identify bespoke and made to measure, let’s talk about the key differences.
Cost: Bespoke suits will start at a higher price point due to finer materials and more hours spent in the tailoring process.
Experience: Bespoke is meant to be an intimate experience where you have full control over every aspect of your suit and its customizations. Made to measure offers convenience, with less time spent deciding and waiting for your suit to be completed.
Fit: There is nothing quite like a bespoke suit when it comes to fit. And this doesn’t just mean how it feels when you stand up straight, bespoke considers how you will move in your suit throughout your day, and takes your body’s unique quirks into account. Made to measure will always come from a pattern that wasn’t made for you, which means it has significant limitations in terms of fit.
Trust Modello for the Best Bespoke Suiting
Considering bespoke for your suiting needs? We would love to answer your questions and share testimonials from our clients who chose bespoke and never looked back.
Contact us today to book a consultation or fitting appointment.
