3 Different Types Of Suits | Off The Rack, Made To Measure, Bespoke

When you are looking for a suit, you have three basic choices. Off the rack, made-to-measure or custom, and bespoke. What's the difference? Is one better than the other? What are the pros and cons? What's up, guys? I'm Brian Sacawa. You're watching He Spoke Style. And today, everything you need to know about the three different types of suits. So off the rack, made-to-measure, custom, bespoke. If you've heard these terms before but have no idea what they mean, you are in the right place. If you've heard these terms before, have a general idea but need some guidance, you are also in the right place. I'm gonna keep it really simple. I'm gonna talk about each type of suit, go over some of the pros and the cons, why you might want to choose one over the other, and finally, show you an example of each type of suit off the rack, made-to-measure, and bespoke from my closet. First up is off the rack. This is exactly what it sounds like. Off the rack suits are what you see in any store you walk into, whether that's Macy's, Suit Supply, Banana Republic, J.Crew. Off the rack suits are machine-made. They are mass-produced and vary widely in terms of quality and standards. An off-the-rack suit from Express is not going to be the same price or quality as an off-the-rack suit from, say, Tom Ford. But it doesn't matter whether it's a big-name designer or a no-name label. If it's an off-the-rack suit, a machine is making that suit. Sizes. Sizes are standardized, and unless you can find a brand that really, really nails your fit, you should plan on setting aside some money for alterations. Now, what are the benefits of an off-the-rack suit? Biggest benefit is availability. If you need something, you can get it right away. Drawbacks, there are several. An off-the-rack suit is designed for the mass market, and everybody's body is different, so it is literally impossible to make a suit that is available to everyone that will fit perfectly. If you're buying off-the-rack, there's a very high probability that you're gonna have to spend some money at the tailor to get a better fit. Next, you have a very limited choice in terms of the quality of the suit, the fabrics, and the construction of the garment. Also, what you see is what you get. You have absolutely no control over any of the details of the suit. We're talking about things like lapel width, pocket style, button colors, linings, and on and on and on. So my advice, if you're going to buy off-the-rack, is that you pay attention to one specific thing, and that is to make sure that the jacket fits your shoulders properly. This is the one area that is very difficult and costly to have altered. You really don't wanna get into that. So making sure you have a proper fit in the shoulders is the absolute best thing you can do if you are going to buy off-the-rack. Next type of suit is made-to-measure, also called custom. A made-to-measure suit is cut from a preexisting pattern that is then modified to get closer to your actual fit. There are a lot more gradations in the made-to-measure world compared to off-the-rack, so you will definitely be getting a much better-fitting garment. Made-to-measure suits are, for the most part, still manufactured by machine, but there are some programs that do offer handmade options for certain parts of the suit. With made-to-measure, you have a lot more control. You choose the fabric, you choose the lapel style, pocket style, how many vents, how many buttons, what color do you want the buttons to be, the lining, do you wanna cuff, do you not wanna cuff? Now, the amount of control you will have will vary from program to program. Some allow just a few customization options. Some, it feels like you have complete control. I will say that over the past almost seven years that I've been in the business, that I've seen incredible advancements in the quality of made-to-measure programs out there. It's a very good option. It has many benefits, the biggest of which is that you have a lot more control. You are also generally getting a higher-quality garment and a more custom fit. Drawbacks, made-to-measure is more expensive. You also have a longer lead time, so typically it can take four to eight weeks from the time you first place the order to when the garment actually comes in, and then when the suit comes in, it's probably not gonna fit exactly right. You're gonna generally have to allow another week, possibly two, for alterations to really dial in the fit. Now, if made-to-measure fits your budget, it is definitely something I recommend. Not only are you typically getting a much higher-quality garment and a better fit, but depending on the program, you will have much more control over the customization of your suit. Finally, we have bespoke. Now, this is the ultimate and only true custom option, and it also is the highest expression of craftsmanship and quality. The term bespoke actually comes from the days when a tailor would have bolts of cloth, and then the client would choose a particular cloth. From that point on, the cloth was then said to have been spoken for. Now, unlike a made-to-measure suit, which is cut from a preexisting pattern, a bespoke suit uses a pattern that is unique to you. The tailor will take your measurements and create a brand-new pattern that is yours and only yours. With a bespoke suit, you have complete and absolute control over every single detail. If you want any kind of small tweak or customization, it can be done. Bespoke suits are generally completely made and finished by hand. However, depending on the program, a machine might play a role at some point during the manufacturing process. One thing I would like to also note about bespoke is that every tailor is gonna have some sort of house style. That could be a specific style of shoulder. It could be the way the lapel line sweeps down. And what I would say to that is that if you are doing bespoke, I think you should cede some control over those stylistic details that are specific to the house that you're working with. If you are getting a suit from Edward Sexton, you should not ask for a soft shoulder, for example. You're working with the tailor because you've done your research, you understand their history, their designs, their styles, and that's why you're working with them. Benefits of a bespoke suit. You are getting a one-of-a-kind garment. You have complete control over the design and all of the details. You are getting something of a superior quality. And because the pattern is made specifically for you, you are getting a superior fit. All that comes with a price tag that can be cost prohibitive and you have a very, very long lead time complete with multiple fittings. My advice, having done bespoke before, there really is nothing like a bespoke suit, but you do pay a premium for that level of quality and execution. Budget-wise, bespoke is not for everyone, but if you can afford it, you definitely won't regret it. Next, let's take a look at an example of each type of suit from my own closet. First up, an off-the-rack suit from ZZenya. Fabric is a lightweight wool with a windowpane pattern, single-breasted, two-button notch lapel, flat pockets, double vent, half canvas, belt loops on the trousers, and a plain bottom on the trousers as well. As I said before, with off-the-rack suits, quality will vary immensely depending on the brand and the materials used. This suit is by ZZenya, so the fabric quality is very high. I've actually had this suit for about four years now. I wear it very often, and it has held up extremely well. Remember, off-the-rack equals what you see is what you get, and a few things here I wanna point out that I wish I had a little more control over. The lapels, at about 2 3⁄4 inches, are a little narrower than the 3 1⁄2 inches that I typically prefer. I still think, proportionally, they look okay, so not a deal-breaker. Next, the button stance. Button stance is a little high, which feels not quite as comfortable for me, but it also leaves the area around my belt, including some of the shirt, open for exposure, which I think is distracting to the eye. Third thing, the sleeve buttons are non-functional. It appears as though there are buttonholes, but that is just cosmetic. Off-the-rack suits typically do not have working sleeve buttons as an allowance should you need any type of jacket sleeve alterations. Finally, the rise on the trousers is rather low. They sit way under my belly button, which is just how this suit has been designed. All in all, I think this suit fits very well. Is it perfect? No, but it is an off-the-rack suit, so you can't expect it to be. Next is a made-to-measure suit, actually the third suit that I ever had made. This was done about five years ago from a local program here in Baltimore called the QG. It is in a heavy wool fabric with a great houndstooth or puppy-tooth pattern, single-breasted, three-roll two, peak lapel, patch pockets, four buttons on the sleeve with working buttonholes, double vent, full canvas, side adjusters on the trousers, and a two-inch cuff. Lots more control here. The fabric is very nice. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the swatch. It's hard to find a jacket like this or pants like this off the rack, you know? I chose to have all the details on this suit. I wanted a peak lapel, and I got it at my preferred width. I wanted patch pockets. I wanted a three-roll two, side adjusters, working sleeve buttons, and a softer shoulder. I could not have found this exact suit in a store. I had a vision, and I was able to create the exact garment that I was looking for. Not much to complain about here, though if I had to nitpick, I would say that the shoulder line is not as smooth as it could or should be. Finally, Bespoke Suit by Edward Sexton. This is made with a beautiful flannel, double-breasted six-show tube, sweeping, oversized peak lapels, flat pockets, including a ticket pocket, four buttons on the sleeve, double vent, full canvas, side adjusters on the trousers, and again, my preferred two-inch cuff. This suit, to me, is extremely special. I got to work with the legend himself, Edward Sexton. Now remember, one of the things I said about doing Bespoke is that each tailor has a sort of house style or details that are specific to them. With Edward Sexton, that is definitely the stronger shoulder. At the time, I had nothing with a strong shoulder, so this was almost like putting on a suit of armor, but over time, I came to really appreciate it and also desire it in more of the clothing that I had made. Also, one of the things I think you find with Edward Sexton is the beautiful sweep of the lapel. It was great to work with Edward because not only was I open to all of his experience, but he also took into account my taste as well, which is why the jacket is a little shorter than he might make for someone else. One area I did defer to Edward was the length of my trousers, which have a full break. I like it. I think it elongates my leg and shows off the drape of the fabric. I did have four fittings, four fittings for this suit, included a basted fitting, and that was just because the attention to detail and commitment to quality was so high. All in all, this suit is such a fantastic suit. All right, so you've got three choices, off-the-rack, made-to-measure, and bespoke. Now, which one should you buy? My take is that if you are serious about investing in your wardrobe, you should avoid buying off-the-rack suits. Even if it costs a little bit more, takes you more time to save up, if you go with a quality and reputable made-to-measure program, you will get a much better-fitting garment, you will get a higher-quality garment, and you will have more control, so you know that you are getting what you want. Bespoke is great, but it is very expensive. If you can afford it, I wouldn't stop you. Another thing is that it does take a lot longer to get the finished product. So let me know what you guys think. Any questions you have, leave those down in the comments. Thumbs up if you like this video. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel. And until next time, thanks for watching and stay tailored.