LOOKING GOOD FOR LOTS LESS — Dress Like A Fortune 500 CEO On A Mailroom Budget!
In the previous column, I discussed off the rack (OTR) attire, which is what most of us purchase and wear. Now I’ll talk about made to measure (also known as semi-custom tailored) clothing.
Made to measure is a step up from off the rack. It costs more than OTR, but is far less expensive than full custom tailored attire, and is a viable alternative for folks with unusual physiques or who are very particular about how their clothes look and fit. Pants, suits, sport coats, and shirts are all available as made to measure clothing.
Made to measure means just that. The customer is thoroughly measured at a number of places on his or her body. Nowadays, the customer’s dimensions are input into a computer, and a pattern is developed. Two options are then available. The selected cloth can be cut directly under the control of the computer without the need for a paper pattern The second option is to print out a paper pattern, lay it over the cloth, and manually trace and cut the individual pieces of cloth. The pieces are then assembled and sewn together all at one time, and the finished outfit is sent to the customer. Like OTR attire, a final fitting is usually required to “fine tune” the fit.
There are two advantages to made to measure tailored attire. First, of course, is fit. Clothing based on an individual’s unique body shape and size will conform to that body better than one based on average human bell curve dimensions. For some, there is no choice. Their bodies are so far from the middle of the bell curve that OTR clothes simply aren’t manufactured for them — it’s not profitable enough for most labels to do so.
The second advantage is choice. Custom tailors keep an enormous number of swatches for customers to examine. A customer can choose from a wide range of fabric colors, patterns, weaves, and weights — far more than are carried by department stores and clothiers in OTR.
Made to measure attire isn’t difficult to find. Custom tailors in Asia (primarily in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok) specialize in made to measure. These are the establishments where you can get a semi-custom tailored suit in a day or less. Full custom tailored clothing is also available from many of them, but is more costly and takes more time. There are also middlemen here in the U.S. who will make the measurements, have the clothes made in Asia, and perform final fit here. A number of American and foreign tailors have representatives that travel to major North American cities on a regular basis. Google “made to measure tailors” for more information. Finally, many upscale department stores (such as Nordstrom) also have made to measure attire available in addition to off the rack.
In the next column, I’ll discuss full custom tailored attire and how it differs from made to measure.
James F. Brown is a business consultant, writer, and expert on professional attire. Copyright 2008 James F. Brown, all rights reserved.
