Lifestyle Feature: The guide to buying a bespoke suit
TOBY Luper has been in the clothing industry all his life. His firm Hemingway Tailors provides bespoke and made-to-measure suits as well as overcoats, shirts shoes and ties to customers across the UK and abroad.
He gave David Parkin the benefit of his expertise to guide him through the process of having a suit tailor made.
Made to measure or bespoke?
One is made by machine and one is made by hand – right down to the button holes on the jacket. It’s like comparing a Jaguar with a Bentley. A Jaguar is a beautiful car but it’s not handmade like a Bentley.
It is the time and inter-lining to do a bespoke garmet.
There are no fittings with a made-to-measure suit. It is the alteration of a standard garment. I make the adjustments on a pre-determined pattern.
If you have another suit made I then only need to take three measurements for the chest, waist and seat – because nothing else changes.
With bespoke I make the pattern from scratch and it is adjusted as I do the fittings.
It might take two or three fittings to get it right. But in general you should only need one fitting.
One category of client can’t get a fit from off-the-peg suits. Another is one that wants clothes individulally made for him.
No shops in the world can carry 600 fabrics in all the sizes and lengths.
Our bespoke garments are of Savile Row quality, hand-made in our workrooms in the UK. Bespoke suit and shirt prices start at £1,850 and £165 respectively.
Our made to measure garments are produced in Europe. Made to measure suit and shirt prices start at £525 and £90 respectively.
Cloth
I would assess the person’s size and hair and skin colour and then suggest 
certain fabrics depending on those factors.
I would ask what is the suit for? For example, is it for travel, a wedding or leisure?
For instance if it is a wedding suit and a person is getting married on a beach, I would suggest a linen suit or jacket.
If they wanted to go on business abroad I would suggest a lightweight cloth made of a very high twist yarn. It creases but recovers really well if you fold it up on a plane or wear it all day but then hang in the bathroom with the steam from the shower and all the creases would fall out overnight.
Unless somebody asks you for a specific fabric if I didn’t think that was right I would discuss it with them and talk it through. I am trying to advise the client because they are my best advert. There is no better advert than if somebody says: ‘That’s a lovely suit’ or comments on the colour.
We have a signature cloth which can have the client’s name running through the cloth. We have a super 140s worsted with cashmere and mink – it takes three months to make.
A good suit should give you confidence.
Style
If a gentleman is of a fuller figure I would suggest he has checks or double breasted. A short man can look taller with plain cloth or striped fabric. Depending on his build I would suggest a thinner stripe for a thinner man and a thicker stripe for a bigger man. If he’s short then possibly a finer stripe. A chalk stripe makes you look wider which makes you look short.
Instead of straight pockets you would have slanting pockets.
There are people who have long bodies and short legs for their height. You would make the rise of the trouser longer (the difference between the inside and outside leg measurement) so it is a higher trouser.
I have one client who has 250 suits and jackets – he has more stock than I have!The average person should have about six suits in their wardrobe.
Figuration
I would look for any figuration issues to address. For example a drop shoulder, if or someone is sway-backed – which means that you stand forward or are stooped.
The measuring is one thing but it’s being able to achieve a look to make the person look slimmer or make it look like you haven’t got a drop shoulder.
I can do with a needle and cotton and a pair of shears what a surgeon does with a knife – without costing you a fortune!
Wardrobe maintenance
I also offer an aftercare service as well as shoes, shirts and ties. We would help customers choose these. The ties are made of Dormieul silk and only two are made of each.
We have a range of gift items such as cashmere throws, bespoke cufflinks including ones in white gold with 18 carat diamonds inlaid, plus handmade tidy boxes.
Hemingway Tailors also provides a ‘refresh’ service for garments such as suits, jackets, trousers and overcoats which includes sponging, pressing and any repairs plus collection and delivery. Painstaking craftsmanship and cloth finish can be ruined through the use of harsh chemicals and heavy industrial processes associated with modern dry cleaning.
We recommend:
Hang jackets and overcoats on broad well-shaped hangers
Always empty pockets before hanging
A day of action merits a day of rest – allow your suit to rest and the fabric to breathe
Avoid ironing – professional pressing is recommended
If you don’t have time for a professional press, hang your garment in a steamy atmosphere and then allow the fabric to rest
Avoid lint rollers – quality garmets are best brushed with a natural bristle clothes brush
