Hiploose University

Be•spoke – /bi- ‘spok/

Dealing in or producing custom-made articles “a bespoke suit” – Merriam-Webster

Bespoke derives from the word bespeak meaning ‘spoken for’ or ‘speak for something‘. A well-to-do gentleman visited his favorite tailor shop and chose a fabric that was then ‘spoken for’ and not used by any other customer. After his measurements were taken the tailor would start drafting from scratch the design of the garment and craft the suiting.

Much has been made about the difference between Bespoke made-to-measure versus off-the-rack (OTR) tailored suits. Quite simply put a Bespoke garment is made after a customer picks a fabric, chooses a style preference and their measurements are taken. A tailored off-the-rack suit or tailored suit – as some say to trick the customer, are pre-made suits where they adjust a couple of sections of the suit, like the sleeve and pant. These garments are usually machine made in mass production and have been picked over.Bespoke allows the customer to choose from an array of fabrics then add their own style preferences and then have the garment crafted specifically to their measurements. The 20+ measurements taken, such as, armhole-to-armhole across the chest to the size of the thigh allow tailors to craft a garment to an exact fit.

You can always tell a Bespoke garment because it ‘hangs’ on the body perfectly!

Terms you need to know:

Worsted: Lightweight cloth made of long staple combed woollen yarn.
Merino Wool: Fine, silky and super soft, this is some of the finest sheep’s wool.
Cashmere: Luxurious fine wool from the undercoat or under layer of the Kashmir goat.
Gabardine: Tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, uniforms, overcoats and other garments.
Floating Canvas: term used to describe the cloth-construction inside a jacket or coat.
Off-the-Rack: Made in standard sizes and available from merchandise in stock; ‘a ready made suit’.
Savile Row: Shopping district in central London, famous for its traditional men’s bespoke tailoring.

Some of the material we use:

Super 120s and 150s (wool and cashmere)
Italian Cotton
Pure Linen
Worsted Wool (English)
Merino Wool Cashmere (Italian)
Gabardine Wool
Cashmere Wool in Houndstooth (Tweed)
Cashmere Wool in Herringbones

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