Style & Design
Originally published on Tuesday, 1st July 2008
Suits You, Sir?
"You get what you pay for,' has always been the rule. But last week, a landmark ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority allowed machine-made suits to be called "bespoke' - a term which Savile Row tailors apply only to suits which are cut by hand, uniquely for the wearer's body.?
Suits which are adjusted from a standard pattern and then cut and stitched by machine, meanwhile, are properly known as made-to-measure. The difference: at least two grand to you, sir. All designer suits (even those who throw around words like couture and bespoke) are usually made-to-measure, and while often very fine, are not true bespoke. Until now.
But, as a friend who got a bespoke suit made for a few hundred quid in Singapore recently discovered, there's bespoke and then there's bespoke.
For a helping hand from chaps with a similar penchant for the perfect suit, The London Lounge offers forums on everything Savile Row, whilst A Suit That Fits will visit you at home or work to custom fit your chosen attire.
And if you like your bespoke with a side of benevolence, this year's Visa Swap offers the fitting services of Dress2Kill in it's final weekend for any newly acquired suits in need of attention.
