WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Custom is used to describe anything that isn’t ready to wear. If you buy a dress off the rack and get it tailored, that’s not a custom dress. It’s just a tailored dress.
Custom means made-to-measure. “Custom” and “Bespoke” are not the same thing.
Bespoke clothing are very different from made-to-measure clothing that you might buy online for example.
Bespoke clothing is made from scratch, just for you. In other words, no fabric is cut until you’ve been measured.
Made To Measure clothing, on there other hand, start from a pattern – multiple pieces of fabric that have already been cut, and are ready to be customized according to your measurements and preferences.
Bespoke is much more time intensive. It requires more fabric and more skill. It also requires a lot more money.
In short, all bespoke clothes are custom, but not all custom clothes are bespoke.
Now that we’ve got that cleared up, we’ll take a look at our options using three outfits from my own closet:
- Ready-to-wear –Rudo Dress
- Made-to-measure – Lufuno Jacket
- Bespoke – Orlea Jumpsuit
What really makes the bespoke process special, though, is the fitting. Basically, the first time you try on your outfit, it’s just stitched together with temporary thread. It’s not cut down to your exact measurement yet, so there’s plenty of room to make changes.
This step doesn’t exist in online made to measure, and it’s crucial for figuring out if the shape of your outfit is correct.
After the fitting, your outfit is stitched together for good, and you try it on again. This is typically the second-to-last or final fitting. Minor adjustments will sometimes be made at this stage.
The end result is a 100% unique outfit that is, quite literally, made for you – and only you!
It’s not easy to describe how a bespoke outfit feels on your body, the only word I can think of is perfect!
