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Bespoke means something has been made to measure. It originated in London’s Savile Row for made-to-measure suits, but now refers to anything customized. The Savile Row Bespoke Association has a code defining bespoke, but the British Advertising Standards Authority allows custom to be labeled as bespoke. Fully customized menswear is expensive and considered an investment.
Bespoke is an adjective in British English indicating that something has been made to measure. It is derived from the verb bespeak, to speak for something. The use of this term in fashion originated among the tailors of London’s Savile Row, where fabric for made-to-measure suits was said to be reserved for an exclusive client. In modern usage, it can refer to anything that has been customized or made to order.
Haute couture, for women’s fashion, and bespoke menswear are the opposite of ready-to-wear, or off the rack. A distinction is also made between a custom and made-to-order creation. A fully custom design means that the entire pattern has been created from scratch for that garment. Custom made refers to adapting an existing design to fit the client’s measurements.
A custom tailors trade group, the Savile Row Bespoke Association, have drawn up a code and accompanying trade mark to define the requirements they feel are necessary for calling a bespoke garment bespoke. Under their terms, the pattern for a suit must be cut by hand, and the garment must be completely hand-sewn and hand-finished at the tailor’s facility. At least 50 hours of manual labor are required to complete a two-piece suit. The code includes 21 specific details that describe aspects of how the garment will be made and finished, and has provisions for providing customer services to care for the garment after purchase. Detailed records and strict training standards are also required.
The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has not adopted the Savile Row Code to define what can be advertised as a tailored garment. In 2008, the ASA issued a ruling allowing bespoke garments to be labeled as custom. This ruling did not require the same strict labor standards. Clothing that has been customized or mass-produced is often loosely referred to as bespoke, a practice that has raised some objections in the fashion industry. Traditionalists have argued that traditional standards should be protected by British law, in the same way that haute couture standards are protected by French law.
The exclusivity of fully customized menswear represents the high end of luxury fashion. The expensive fabrics, the hours of work, and the unique nature of the custom design are reflected in the price. A truly tailored suit made to traditional standards is, along with haute couture, one of the most expensive clothes you can buy. Devoted followers of artisan fashion consider a custom suit to be an investment, and bespoke tailoring has been described as a wearable art.
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