With the aid of our ‘inside out’ jacket on display in our shop window, we list below the answers to questions that are asked of us many times by new customers who have made the decision to upgrade to a bespoke tailored suit.
The inside craft of a bespoke suit
Ray Roberts, Shop Manager & Master Tailor
Why choose Bespoke and what does the word ‘Bespoke’ mean?
You should choose Bespoke to combine your own personal style and taste with impeccable cutting and craftsmanship. The word ‘Bespoke’ means that the cloth you have chosen has been bespoken for.
How does a Bespoke suit compare with a mass produced, made to measure, or designer suit?
Both comprise of a jacket, trouser and sometimes a waistcoat, there the comparison ends. A Bespoke suit involves the construction of an individual pattern cut to your every detail and from your pattern the cloth is cut by hand and tailored on to a full canvas attached to the cloth by fine hand stitching. In fact there are over 4,000 hand stitches required to tailor the average two piece Bespoke suit. This is in complete contrast to a mass produced suit that has a glue-impregnated interlining known as a fusible which can have the unfortunate habit of parting company with the cloth after dry cleaning, leaving tell tale bubbles down the front of the jacket.
It is not only the inside of the suit which keeps the Bespoke garment fields apart from a mass produced one, there are many details on the outside of the suit that are clearly obvious, even to the untrained eye. One glaring example is the construction of the out breast welt. This is the top pocket on the left-hand side of the jacket into which one would sometimes tuck a pocket-handkerchief. A true Bespoke suit would have the side edges of the pocket turned under by hand stitching leaving neat, clean edges securing the sides, in complete contrast to the untidy zig-zag machine finished edges which are clearly visible on mass produced garments. There are countless other details where fine hand tailoring produces a superior garment and once you are aware of these finer points, they can never be ignored.
Does Bespoke offer value for money?
Bespoke offers supreme value for money as it will outlast a mass-produced suit by many years. Combine this with a superb fit, exceptional comfort and the knowledge that wherever you travel or whoever you meet, your clothing will be unrivalled.
