Made-to-Measure or Bespoke?
There is a big confusion between made-to-measure and bespoke tailoring. Some still think that they are the same. And at some points they may be a bit similar, but at the same time not at all.
These two terms are specialized methods of tailoring. But bespoke is loosing it's meaning as many made-to-measure companies are using it incorrectly.
There are five clear distinctions between these two terms and lets talk shortly about each of them.
1. Patterns:
Made-to-measure - uses a standard pattens for each size and adjust it according to your specification.
Bespoke - creates a pattern from scratch according to the client's specific measurements.
2. Fittings:
Made-to-measure - no fitting during the production process, but to the final product, adding one last fitting at the end. Samples production is very useful in this case.
Bespoke - multiple fittings during the production process starting from the skeleton.
3. Customization:
Made-to-measure - since it is based on a standard set pattern, the amount of customization design is limited not to ruin the base pattern. There is a list of available options.
Bespoke - unlimited options.
4. The cost:
Made-to-measure - more affordable then bespoke as requires less time to produce.
Bespoke - more costly as requires more time and people involved. The average range is $2000-3000 and even more.
5. Fabric selection:
Made-to-measure - a selection from 1-2 mills.
Bespoke - usually a selection on ten plus mills.
In the end, we would say that if you are choosing between MTM or Bespoke, with all ups and downs of both, everything depends on the tailor/company professionalism. A poor bespoke tailor, with all the numbers of fittings, can deliver the final fit that is worse than a talented MTM company.
