How to Get Perfect Bespoke Suits

Why bespoke suits become more and more customers’ choice is that they will fit you perfectly.
As for the off -the- rack suits, their sleeves might be too wide, or too long. The jacket might be shorter than you’d expected, or longer. And the fit in the shoulders might be a tad tight, or maybe it’s too loose.
But perfectly fit bespoke suits could be acquired at 90%” satisfaction, and the final 10% will come with experience. Here are a few trade secrets to getting bespoke suits you want.
Fittings. A good tailor takes detailed measurements — beyond your waist, chest and sleeve. Those at Anderson & Sheppard, an established Savile Row tailor, take 27 measurements at the initial fitting. These include the size of your waist and the width of your leg, says John Hitchcock, Anderson & Sheppard’s managing director, but his tailors also discuss with customers “preferences such as the side from which you normally put your garment on.” At most established tailors on Savile Row, three fittings — the initial session; with a half-finished garment; and a final fitting before taking your suit home — is the minimum.
What comes to the first is the length of the jacket and the length of the sleeves. Firstly, sleeves should be long enough to cover your wrists, but not that they invade your palms. Jacket lengths, on the other hand, are commonly mistaken as a crucial barometer of well-fitting bespoken suits. That is subjective. The final decision on jacket length is a personal one and should be a discussed between you and your tailor.
But these simple problem areas can be solved easily. Other mistakes are harder to rectify, and thus, need more attention: the upper torso and the trouser rise.
When fitting a shirt or a jacket, the shoulders should be emphasized. This is because the shoulders provide a draping point for shirts and jackets, making them important for a good fit.
Kevin Seah, a Singaporean tailor, suggests checking that the seam joining the shoulder and the jacket sleeve does not sit “on the edge of the]shoulder bone but instead, slopes a little away.” Poorly fitted shoulders, explains Mr. Seah, can disrupt the “natural swing” of the arm.
The space between the shoulders is also important. Check that the collars of both jacket and shirt settle closely on the back of the neck, and ensure that the jacket lapels sit without breaking, as this indicates the chest is too narrow.
“A gap between the coat and shirt collars,” says Bruce Boyer, author of several style books including , results in ”a loose collar and a shallow chest,” which never looks good. Mr. Boyer, who bought his first Savile Row suit in 1963, explains that when the jacket is too tight, it creates the shallow-chest look — when buttoned, the jacket pulls away from the chest.
The length of the trouser rise is important. “While a tailor can ease the crotch and seat,” says Mr. Boyer, “he can’t actually add height to the rise.” This measurement is a personal choice. The best way to address this is to “be as specific as you can and emphasize what you’re concerned about” with your tailor.
Weight and color of material. When, where and how often you plan to wear your suit should be considered when choosing a fabric, says Anderson & Sheppard’s Mr. Hitchcock. “For frequent use or travel, certain cloth types, weight and finishes are not suitable.”
Bespoke suits made from Super 150’s wool look amazing, for instance, but they are not suitable for hard wearing, he says. And while linen jackets are popular with many dapper travelers, he notes that it “may not be right for someone in a very conservative workplace.”
Time. Be patient. At Anderson & Sheppard, a bespoke suit takes about a month to complete; at Huntsman nearby, it’s at least eight weeks. Mr. Hitchcock says depending on the ability of customers to see their tailor regularly, “Some may wait a year for their garments.”
But the stylish will wait. Mr. Boyer says he requires at least “three or four fittings for the first several garments” and even after the suit is finished, “If there’s something I think can be corrected, I go back.”