Tariffs, imports, fast fashion, climate change, changing styles, body issues, lack of quality, cheap labour. The list of things to think about goes on and unfortunately the problems mount when it comes to the fashion industry and the style business.
There are so many questions to ask yourself before you buy anything new to wear, if you are that way inclined but if you are reading this, I’m going to take a guess that you just might be.
Questions such as, do I like it and how much does it cost? But also, things like where was this made? How long will it last? Is it good value? What was its impact on the environment? Am I supporting the wrong sort of business? As I said, the list is endless.
I think bespoke is the answer to all of these but why? Well, let’s start with the first two questions.
Do I like it?
Of course, with bespoke, that’s up to you. You pick the cloth and lining, even the style, you determine the fit and you have input into the garments. You are commissioning an individual piece, so you get what you like. You don’t have to compromise. This also covers things like body concerns, the garments are going to be made to work with your body not the latest trends. That’s ticks in the box for bespoke there.
How much does it cost?
True, bespoke or tailoring in general, can appear costly and it’s never going to be as cheap as the high street but let’s link it to a couple of the other questions. How long will it last and is it good value?
In short, a long time and yes. A bespoke or tailored garment is made from high quality fabrics, made individually for each customer, more time is taken on each garment than multiple garments on a production line, maybe even hundreds of garments. It’s made to fit and take into account each client’s needs, so there is less wear and tear and the cloth is appropriate to the task it’s required for. Not to mention you are having something made to your style, not the current fashion which of course means it’s never going to go out of your style or fall foul of not being the current trend.
But it’s still expensive isn’t it?!
Is it?
A typical bespoke garment looked after even anywhere near correctly is going to last you a long time. Let’s be conservative and say 10 years (body changes excluded, that one’s on you I’m afraid). So, say you spent £2,000 on a suit that lasts 10 years. That’s an average spend of £200 a year.
How many off the peg suits are you going to buy for £200? Nothing good that’s for sure. But let’s say you spend £500 on a decent suit off the peg every 2 years or so. Fashions changed, the trousers have worn out, the cloth has gone shiny, you name any one of the usual suspects. A new suit every 2 years at £500 is £2,000 to £2,500 over 10 years, add in that they don’t fit well and they aren’t your style then suddenly that investment in tailoring doesn’t seem expensive at all.
We are all just programmed to think it’s expensive! Optics are everything aren’t they!
So, let’s cover off the last couple of questions I posed. I’m I supporting the right sort of business?
A big high street chain where things are being made, cloth, labour, buttons, everything, is going outside the UK or supporting a local or smaller business, adding money into the local area and also keeping the traditional skills going whilst supporting a small team. The cloth too, is almost always made in the UK. I know where I would rather put my money.
The last question I posed to look at is a biggie! The environment.
Is bespoke actually any better for the planet? Once again, yep.
The worse bit is the cloth, making cloth is a water heavy process and is very energy hungry, so how does bespoke help with that?
Well by using just the right amount and making sure nothing goes to waste, we also make sure it travels the shortest distance possible. We don’t make hundreds of garments that don’t sell and then get stored or even worse thrown away into landfill.
Bespoke isn’t electricity hungry either. Tailor’s shops aren’t huge beasts of industry, far from it. We like to keep things simple, we use traditional skills and techniques. It’s a way of working that has been around for a very long time and it isn’t trying to do anything at scale or turn it over to machines or AI. Sounds good right?
So, we have less airmiles, less waste, less processes, less electricity, etc etc etc. you get my point.
No business or industry is perfect but bespoke has a bloody good go at getting as close to that as possible. As a one of the tailors that I worked and trained under liked to say to his enthusiastic customers who said something was perfect, “Ahh, we don’t do perfect but we do do damn good”
And he was right. The high street and fast fashion have their place of course they do but I think it has a long way to go to catch up with a tailor’s shop.
Viva Bespoke!