How long does it take to create a Bespoke suit versus a Made-to-Measure?
Are you confused about the difference between BESPOKE tailoring and MADE-TO-MEASURE?
Below we discuss the difference between these two services in terms of the time commitment required from you!
A Bespoke coat returning to the cutter’s table to be re-cut (between Step 2 & 3)….. the paper pattern would be updated at this point to making your next jacket begin ‘nearer to the mark’.
How long does it take to create a Bespoke suit vs. Made-to-Measure?
When considering the purchase of either a bespoke or made-to-measure service it is important to consider the different timings for each type of service. Knowing this before you begin to shop around the various tailors could help you make a better decision as to which option is right for you.
To begin with let us look at the full bespoke service as it is the most comprehensive and the bigger investment.
A baste fitting requires a bit of imagination! In Bespoke this allows the cutter test the garment on you before it becomes too difficult to make major changes. Your feedback is essential !
Bespoke:
There is a great deal of debate as what is ‘authentic’ bespoke and what is not. This is not the article for this debate, however this is what you should expect from real bespoke service:
Overall, I would expect 10 - 14 weeks from start to finish for most bespoke tailors from ordering to finish. This time is also mutable based on how busy they are, how many tailors they have access to, and how easy it is for you to get in to see them for the fittings.
Step 1: The Order
The process will begin with a consultation where cloth, style, and trim options are discussed and decided. Body measurements are then taken, usually by the cutter (the person who will draft your garment’s pattern and cut garment, canvas, and trim to be handed to the coat maker). Usually, 1 to 1.5 hours will suffice.
Step 2: Baste Fitting
2 - 4 weeks after the order is placed the baste fitting will be ready (please see my other articles on what this entails). The process cannot continue to step 3 until you try on the garment at this stage. This allows for the cutter to do his work and also for you to give your first round of feedback even though it won’t look anything like the finished article. I would expect 15 - 30 minutes for this fitting. Afterwards the garment returns to the cutters table and the adjustments discussed are made to the garment (and to your pattern).
Step 3: Forward Fitting
3 - 4 weeks later a forward fitting will be ready. The forward fitting will look more like a finished garment, but it won’t be so far towards finished that major changes cannot be made if required. Again, the process cannot move forward until you have tried this on. I would anticipate 15-30 minutes of your time for this fitting.
Step 4: Final Fitting
3 - 4 weeks later the finished garment is ready for your final sign-off.
Step 5: Completion
In approximately a week later the final alterations are completed and the garment is ready to go.
Many bespoke tailors will offer an express service at an additional charge. This means you either skip a step (not recommended especially if it’s your first commission) or you jump the queue in front of the other garments being made. The biggest factor in this process is your availability for the fittings. Some chaps are so ‘time poor’ that months will go by between these stages making the process much longer.
Made-to-Measure:
Made-to-measure, simply put, is a truncated version of the bespoke process. Please see my other articles on Bespoke vs Made-to-Measure for more detail here. In terms of the time frame, the total time for made-to-measure garments will vary company to company but most orders can be done in as quickly as 3 weeks and others up to 10-12 weeks. This depends on who, where, and how they produce garments. (This is too large a discussion for this article so please have a look at my article on the benefits of made-to-measure for more detail.)
Step 1: The order
The same choices need to be made as in bespoke but with less body measurements being taken and more emphasis on trying ‘the block’ which is representative of the pattern that will be adapted to fit you. Think of what can be done as ‘plus or minus’ that which you are trying on. Unlike bespoke a new pattern is not drafted, but adapted.
Step 2: Final Fitting
3 - 8 weeks later the 95% finished garment arrives for you to try on. Alterations can be made at this point to get the garment as near to your taste a possible.
Step 3: Completion
1 week later alterations are completed and the garment is ready to go.
The try-on part of this process is the key feature of made-to-measure as it effectively combines the beginning two to three steps of the bespoke process into a single step. This emulates the bespoke baste fitting (step 2) by using an already made garment in the relevant block. The garment arrives 90-95% finished, meaning less can be changed at this stage compared to bespoke. Concerns must be addressed at the try-on/ordering stage because most makers forbid changes once the garment order has been submitted.
In short, bespoke will require more visits to your tailor though not necessarily more time spent with the your tailor overall than made-to-measure. Made-to-measure will require more time at the initial ordering stage to go through the try on process but usually only one or two short visits thereafter.
Both services can produce great results but they require very different time commitments.
If have any questions or would like some more advice please click here.
