Most bespoke tailors offer a made to measure (MTM) option but what is the actual difference between bespoke and MTM? MTM costs significantly less than full bespoke – this much is clear, but are you getting a significantly lesser quality suit if you opt for MTM?
Not really, MTM retains many of the high quality elements of a full bespoke suit which can be summarised as follows;
Both Bespoke & MTM
- Choose the colour, weight & pattern of cloth from the hundreds of high quality cloth swatches on a tailor’s shelves.
- The customer is measured by the tailor
- Your own choice of pockets, vents, lapels, buttons, button holes, pleats, linings
- A second fitting where you try on the finished suit.
The major difference between MTM and Bespoke is that with MTM, the suit cloth is cut to a particular tailor’s house style or ‘block’ and then adjusted for figuration and size.
A bespoke suit on the other hand, will always follow an individual pattern – kept in the classic brown paper roll for future use – and due to the individual measurements, will take longer to cut, make and finish.
Bespoke only
- More detailed measurements taken by the tailor for a more precise fit.
- A customer pattern is made for future reference.
- Three fittings – rough baste, pocket baste then finished suit.
- The suit is finished by hand
With the difference between MTM and Bespoke being this subtle, it’s no surprise that MTM is a very popular option, bearing in mind it costs significantly less than a bespoke suit (as it takes up less tailoring time) and it can be finished faster (a particular advantage for a groom if the wedding plans are running behind schedule).
For some customers, only bespoke will do, but whichever your choice, MTM or Bespoke, you’ll end up with a very special, individual suit that will be admired and worn for years to come.
