Off-The-Rack, Made-to-Measure & Fully Bespoke Tailors Brand Guides

Choosing Between Off-The-Rack, Made-to-Measure & Fully Bespoke

There are a number of ways that a suit can be manufactured, which each have their own advantages and drawbacks. However, this choice is usually made purely based on budget considerations.

Off-The-Rack Tailoring

Also known as “ready-to-wear”, off-the-rack is the common manufacturing method for tailoring. Off-the-rack is essentially consists of pre-made garments that can be worn immediately.

Generally, off-the-rack suits are cheaper as they’re not tailored to fit a specific person. Instead, an entire stock is manufactured from block patterns, which are effectively templates for different sizes.

Another reason that some are cheaper is because their manufacturing process consists of quicker, low-cost methods. However, this isn’t always the case and more premium off-the-rack retailers do exist.

While off-the-rack clothing doesn’t always fit everyone, there is always the possibility of having alterations done with a local tailor. Indeed, this does add more cost and time to acquiring the suit, but it tends to be less than a made-to-measure garment.

Off-The-Rack Pros

• Cheapest option
• Fastest & easiest to wear

Off-The-Rack Cons

• Generally inferior quality
• Likely to fit poorly
• May require alterations

The chances are that you are already familiar with this type of garment. However, you can head to our full off-the-rack guide to learn more.

Made-To-Measure Tailoring

While often confused for fully bespoke tailoring, the difference between the two is often quite nuanced by some retailers. In short, made-to-measure tailoring offers the opportunity to have a custom garment at a lower price.

Although a made-to-measure service such as Indochino is usually more expensive than off-the-rack garments, you’ll notice in our brand guides above that it’s not always by much.

Furthermore, many made-to-measure tailors have embraced the 21st Century with resources where you can purchase your suit online. In this case, you’ll need to take your measurements yourself.

The most obvious benefit is that you can own a suit that’s tailored to your measurements. The tailoring will be far more extensive than the possible alterations on an off-the-rack suit, which will be beneficial for people with body types that don’t fit the norm.

Furthermore, made-to-measure tailors will offer a variety of different fabrics as well as custom options when designing the suit.

However, made-to-measure suits don’t always fit perfectly the first time and alterations may be required. As such, it’s important to find a tailor that offers an alterations service once the suit has been made.

If you want to know more about made-to-measure tailoring, refer to our dedicated guide.

Made-to-Measure Pros

• A tailored suit.
• Cheaper than full bespoke tailoring.
• Customisation options for a unique garment.

Made-to-Measure Cons

• Takes several weeks to construct.
• May sometimes require alterations.
• Fewer customisation options than full bespoke.

Full Bespoke Tailoring

An authentic bespoke suit is a marvel of craftsmanship and quality. It speaks volumes about the wearer’s taste and is a garment that should last years. Often made by hand, a fully bespoke suit will take months to complete and consist of at least 50 hours of work.

During the process, the client will be invited for fittings where he will try on the suit as it’s being made. This step ensures that the suit fits perfectly so it’s crafted to their body throughout its whole construction.

Furthermore, a bespoke suit is a deeply personal affair and the garments can be customised to your heart’s content. Similarly, the fabrics used are often of the highest quality as heritage tailors take pride in their profession.

Needless to say, fully bespoke suits come at a premium given the hours put into creating one. Indeed, it’s not a budget that everyone can afford, which is why made-to-measure has found such a dynamic market.

Similarly, crafting a bespoke suit is not a rushed process and the client will need to be patient. However, the result is a garment that fits perfectly to the wearer and is entirely customised to his personal tastes.

To learn more about this traditional form of tailoring, head to our dedicated bespoke guide.

Fully Bespoke Pros

• A perfect fit for the client.
• High-quality fabrics.
• Superior craftsmanship.

Fully Bespoke Cons

• Long Process.
• Very expensive.

Finding The Right Fit

Once you have decided on the manufacturing process for making your suit, the next factor to consider is how a suit should fit.

While made-to-measure and bespoke tailors will often advise you on this, it’s worth learning how one should fit too so you know what to look for. Alternatively, if you’re buying an off-the-rack suit, it’s of vital importance that you know how a suit should fit.

Indeed, there are a variety of different fitting styles from straight cuts to fitted or slim fits. Most of this comes to personal preference, but it’s worth considering what would suit your body type best.

Similarly, there are also tailoring cut styles that have been associated with different countries. If you want to learn about these, you can refer to the following guides:

• British Tailoring Style
• American Tailoring Style
• Italian Tailoring Style

Despite all these styles and cuts, there are certain guidelines to bear in mind when buying a suit. You can learn all about how a suit should fit with our detailed series of guides.

What Suit Do You Need?

Finally having determined all the minute details, the final question is what suit best corresponds to your needs! While the chances are that you already know the exact purpose of your suit, you might not be sure what style would be fit that criteria.

Alternatively, this may be your first suit or another one to add to a collection. Either way, it’s important to choose a suit that fits your needs in a way that’s both functional and stylish.

Fortunately, we have written an array of different guides for the right types of suits according to occasion and requirements. Whether it’s for a wedding, a funeral or a job interview, we have you covered:

• How To Buy Your First Suit
• What Suit To Wear For A Job Interview
• Best Suits For Weddings
• What To Wear To A Funeral

Finally, if you’re looking at building out a concentrated wardrobe with a selection of the necessary suits, you might be interested in our guide to capsule wardrobes.

What Next?

Having now read our primer on finding the right suit manufacturer for your needs, either head back to our selection of tailors or check out some of the related content below:

You can learn more and peruse their collections via the Indochino website. Alternatively, some of our related guides may be of interest to you too:

• Hockerty Suits Brand Guide
• Best Online Made-to-Measure Outlets
• How To Buy Your First Suit
• How To Take Your Own Suit Measurements