When you’re looking for a suit, you certainly have a lot of options and lots of terms to get your head around.
What does ‘bespoke’ mean? What is a made to measure suit? How good are the best ready to wear suits?
In this article, we take a look at bespoke, made to measure and ready to wear in terms of four key considerations: fit, customization, time and cost.
After reading it, you should have a better idea of what type of suit is right for you and have a much clearer understanding of tailoring jargon.
Bespoke Suit
What is bespoke?
In the dictionary, ‘bespoke’ means made for a particular customer or user. In tailoring terms, it means more specifically that your suit or garment is 100% created from scratch.
There is no base pattern for the tailor to work from. The pattern comes from the measurements they take from you. Also, the look of your suit is a blank canvas. You can choose whatever you want and your tailor will make it happen.
Fit
At HKT, our tailors take many unique body measurements from you to create your pattern.
They also meticulously consider every contour and angle of your body, including the slope of your shoulders and the arch of your back.
After all your measurements are taken, all the individual panels that create your suit are carefully cut out from your chosen fabrics and stitched together.
Creating a bespoke suit or garment usually takes three to five fittings, but more may be needed. The purpose of these fittings is to allow our tailors to find the most perfect fit possible for you.
Overall, the fit of a bespoke suit is much better than that of a made to measure suit and far superior to a ready to wear suit.
Customization
For your bespoke suit, you can choose from hundreds of luxury fabrics from around the world.
You also have an incredible amount of options in terms of how you customize your bespoke suit, from the overall style of it, to the buttons and linings, to the type and position of the pockets.
We can even accommodate completely unique or complex requests, such as a personalized lining.
Time
We estimate that one of our peerless bespoke suits takes around 60–70 hours to create, without factoring in the time for your fitting sessions.
As a guide, it will take around 8–12 weeks from you coming into our store to discuss your bespoke suit to you receiving a fully bespoke suit that fits you perfectly.Bespoke items we create at HKT
The bespoke items we typically create at HKT Clothiers are suit jackets, pants, and vests, as well as bespoke tuxedos.
Made to Measure Suit
What is made to measure?
A made to measure suit (also known as a custom suit) is a suit that’s made from an existing pattern that’s modified to meet your exact measurements and provide a better fit.
Typically, your initial appointment for a made to measure suit involves you speaking to us about your requirements, selecting a cloth, making your customization choices, and having your measurements taken.
Fit
Having a made to measure suit created from you is different from having a ready to wear suit altered to fit you because our tailor takes measurements from around your body.
Typically, these essential measurements include your:
- Chest circumference
- Shoulder width
- Arm length
- Bicep circumference
- Back length
- Waist circumference
- Hip circumference
- Inside and outside leg
- Thigh circumference
Our tailors also record angles and subtleties of your body, including the slope of your shoulders, the arch of your back and differences in your arm length.
After your first fitting, you will generally have no further fittings until you receive your made to measure suit.
However, if everything isn’t quite right at this point, we may need to book you in for another fitting to make some final alterations.
Customization
Although your options aren’t limitless, like they are with a bespoke suit, you can still customize your made to measure suit in many ways so it reflects your personal character and your unique style.
These customisable design features include:
- number of buttons on your jacket
- pocket style
- trouser pleats
- cuff style
- jacket vents
- linings
- number of cuff buttons and spacing
- lapel and collar style
- contrasting thread
- trouser waistband style
As one of our made to measure customers, you can also choose from our extensive range of fabrics from world-leading cloth manufacturers from the UK and Italy.
Time
A made to measure suit from HKT takes a lot less time to create than a bespoke suit.
Typically, you’ll have to wait 6–8 weeks from your first consultation to receiving a superb made to measure suit that fits you exquisitely.
Custom items we create at HKT
The most popular made to measure clothing items we create at HKT Clothiers are custom suit jackets, vests and pants, as well as custom shirts and tuxedos.
Our tailors are also experts at creating made to measure women’s clothing, jeans, sweaters, polos, topcoats, and overcoats.
Ready to Wear Suit
What is ready to wear?
Ready to wear means that a designer has decided what the form and style of a garment will be. They also typically create the garment in a number of generic sizes to fit pre-established body shapes.
However, our ready-to-wear suits do not necessarily mean the mass-market clothing you’ll find on the high street.
At HKT, our ready to wear suits are carefully curated and change every season. This ensures our ready to wear suits still feel unique and special to every customer who purchases one.
Fit
What you’ll notice with ready to wear suits from different design houses is that they fit you differently. That’s because each designer will have a house style and set body shapes they create their different sizes for.
At HKT, we can help you find the right designer for you in terms of your body shape, as well as your style and fabric preferences.
Our tailors can also carry out some adjustments to help you get a better bit. These alterations include having your suit pants shortened and hemmed, the sleeves of your jacket shortened, and your actual suit jacket shortened too.
Customization
With ready to wear, customization just isn’t an option. Your suit fabric, linings, lapel style and much more is chosen for you.
However, it’s important to remember HKT only stocks suits that look great and are perfectly balanced.
Time
If you wish to purchase a ready to wear suit with no alterations, it can take a matter of minutes to buy one from our store.
However, we always recommend that you have a chat with one of our style consultants and try on at least a few suits before making a purchase.
And if you do decide that your ready to wear suit does need some alterations to ensure the optimum fit, you can leave your new suit with us so we can modify it.
Times may vary, but our tailors can usually carry out these changes within a week or so.
Ready to wear items we stock at HKT
At our welcoming store in Atlanta, we stock exquisite ready to wear suits, shirts, pants, and tuxedos from some of the world’s leading clothing brands and designers.
Bespoke, made to measure or ready to wear? We’ve got you covered
So, the big question is – should you go for a bespoke, made to measure or ready to wear suit?
Well, of course, this all depends on your circumstances and budget. If you’re looking for a suit for your wedding and you want to feel like a million dollars, then we’d always advise you to go for a bespoke or made to measure suit.
But if you need a high-quality business suit that you’re actually not going to wear that often, then it may be the case that we have a great ready to wear suit that’s ideal for you.
The main thing is to book an appointment with one of our style consultants, or just come into the HKT store for a chat.
We’d love to discuss with you what you’re looking for, show you suits we’ve created for other clients, and talk you through our excellent range of ready to wear suits.
