Which one to go for? Bespoke or made-to-measure!

Bespoke suit has become a buzz word in the suit industry. It is a term used a lot these days but only few understand it’s true meaning. They often tend to confuse with Made to measure suits. So today to clear all the doubts I am here to explain what is the actual difference between Bespoke suit and Made-to-measure suits.

The term Bespoke means “to speak for” and here it means that the suit’s requirements are literally “spoken by” the customers according to his/her specific requirements. They are custom tailored suits. It is a one of a kind design that’s hand drawn and crafted based upon exact specifications of the wearer’s body. The design is not owned by anybody else other than you and is a craft straight out of your vision!

You feel royal and a sense of confidence as soon as you adorn this unique creation.

On the other hand a made to measure suit is a more generalized form. An initial fitting is taken, then the suit is created and then final fitting is taken. Here made to measure suit will be ordered, existing patterns will be modified and then different patterns assembled. The final suit will of course depend upon the mastery of tailor and how specific the customer has been while giving an order. Some choices of fabrics will be there but not so many as in the case of Bespoke suits!

Now let’s look at some differences

Pattern Design

MTM:- Here modification of base pattern is done. Suppose there is size 42 suit. The MTM Company will take the pattern, modify it according to your size and then hand you the final suit. All MTM companies manufacture made-to-measure suits in standard sizes which is 5-7 sizes. The master tailor will modify the pattern according to your shape like arm length and shoulder width!

Bespoke suit:- Here first your size is measured the specific suit pattern is decided and then the suit is manufactured from scratch! Not only measurements are taken but other specific details like arch of the back, slope of the shoulder is also taken into account.

Fitting Decision

MTM:- Generally no fitting during creation process is taken. When you select a suit your fitting is taken into consideration, then suit is modified and then you get the final product which fits you and if not another measurement is taken!

Bespoke suit:- The fitting is taken during the creation process and not just one but multiple fittings! First is the base skeleton fitting, second is the forward fitting, third is the fin bar fin fitting and they all are taken during different stages of tailoring!Here’s where you can say that Bespoke suit is a more premium form than MTM!

Fabric Selection

MTM:- The no. of mills offered is usually 1 to 2.And not fabric but mills! Some shops however offer more options than that but most of them offer max two mills!

Bespoke:- They offer a wider number of mills usually 8-10.It’s actually called “library”

Of fabrics here. You get a large number of choices and some of them are high end ones!

Customization Options

MTM:- Usually few options are available. You can talk to your tailor for choices of no of buttons on jacket, vent style, pleats, types of cuffs, etc. But customizations are limited in made to measure suits since they do not want to ruin the base pattern of the suits.

Bespoke:- They are at a big advantage here since they are built from scratch and customer can order any pattern, design, cuffs, lapels,etc. The tailor does not have to worry about destroying the integrity of any pre-set pattern.

Cost Difference

MTM suits are quite affordable as they do not consume much effort and time. They usually cost around 500$-1000$.

The Bespoke suits cost more since they use multiple fittings, labor hours and most of all because they are handmade!

Ultimately it’s your choice which suit will you go for depending on your budget and requirement. Whether you need it for a party or office wear, or marriage ceremony. I will only say have all the information before making any decision so that you don’t regret after!