What to look for in bespoke vs off-the-rack suits?

[Levallois]

I'm not at all clear about what characteristics in a suit suggests it was handmade vs mass-produced back in the 1930s-1950s. I would very much appreciate if someone could let me know what to look for. Thanks for the help!

John

 

[Doggy Darb]

There are three basic suit categories: They are off-the-rack, made-to-measure, and bespoke. The easiest way to determine how a suit was made is to find a label or lack of a label. In the 20th Century, suits were rarely homemade as they are difficult to pattern. Bespoke suits are made by creating a pattern specific to the customer. They are not as common now, but many of these finer garments have survived. Sears and Montgomery Wards etc. offered made to measure services as did many tailors. These are made from a pattern to the customers measurements. This differs from the current norm of buying a finished suit and having it altered to fit.

The quality of the garment will tell you much about the origins. Bespoke suits are normally perfectly constructed. The stitching is uniform, the fabric pattern/weave is matched about the seams, and the fit will be irregular as it is made for one specific person. The fabrics in bespoke suits are exquisite. Good quality suits that are off-the-rack may possess very good stitching and pattern matching, but it will be very evident that it is not craft work. The small details are were mass produced garment are lacking. Nothing is overlooked in bespoke. Do not use the old working cuff as a guide to tell you if it is bespoke. There were and are many made-to-measure suits that have features that people associate with bespoke.

 

[Levallois]

Doggy Darb,

I really appreciate your post! I am still learning how to examine these garments. I don't know if I would know "exquisite" from pretty darn good. If a person's name is on a retailer's/maker's tag, would that suggest bespoke or simply made-to-measure? Thanks again!

John

 

[KeyGrip]

Since a made-to-measure suit was technically made for that customer, it's possible the maker included a personalized tag. I suppose if an off the rack retailer were fancy enough they might also do something similar.

 

[RM Bantista]

Doggy Darb,

I really appreciate your post! I am still learning how to examine these garments. I don't know if I would know "exquisite" from pretty darn good. If a person's name is on a retailer's/maker's tag, would that suggest bespoke or simply made-to-measure? Thanks again!

John

A tailor tag and a made for tag will indicate that the garment is made by one man for another, particular man. That does not mean that it is a better garment than an off-the-rack item might be. It just means that a particular person asked another particular person to make a garment in a certain style which included any requirements and specifications that the end user felt were worth paying to have incorporated in that garment.

I have custom made suits which were made for others but that fit me and and my purposes. I have off the rack suits which are one owner and were altered to fit me in some way. (This is usually not a great variance, since I tend to run to standard sizes, though short by current sizing.) I also have off the rack items which were not altered and which fit me fine.

But one may specify any kind of thing when dealing with a tailor who is able to make a garment to your ideal, and this was also true in the past. Just because a tailor may execute one's particular and individual wish, which they may be very able to accomplish, does not mean that any particular person is a superior designer of what would be the best suit that might be made in any instance. The bespoke tailor will make, in whatever exquisite quality one wishes to specify and fund, whatever one's taste may require.

In any suit, one would want to consider purpose, fit, and fabric foremost. Fit depends on purpose and fabric, as well as silhouette. Other considerations after those are even more individual to the person making the purchase.

When buying a garment one finds to be suitable to the purpose, fit is the most important thing, but a garment must have many attributes in order to be suitable to a particular purpose.

Many custom made garments are not marked, as stated by another in this thread. Many are. Many signed manufacturer/designer items are marked but were specified by the retailer to have specific qualities which may vary from the same kind of item offered by another retailer of the same manufacturer's products. But whether or not an item is off the rack or something else will not be the most important consideration if one intends to wear it to achieve some purpose.

I hope something I have said may be helpful to you.

Rudy

 

[tjoek]

Seconded all the advises above.

Perhaps a suit can be broken down into fit, cut, fabric, colour, pattern and construction.

IMHO fit, fabric and construction are equally important, after that cut, colour and pattern.

However having said that, in general, fit is the most important factor in determining a suit. Colour, cut and pattern are more on a personal taste.

A well fitted garment with average fabric and construction will look better than a superbly constructed suit in superior fabric.

That's only my 2c though