notebook

What is Made to Measure?

A ready-to-wear suit is designed to fit the average man. When you buy one from Harry Rosen, your sales associate and our expert tailors will make whatever alterations are required to provide an excellent fit. A made-to-measure suit is a more personal purchase. It is custom-made according to the customer’s precise measurements, in a fabric and with tailoring details chosen by the customer, but based on a designer’s existing model – a unique adaptation, if you will.

Who buys Made-to-Measure?
Many of Harry Rosen’s made-to-measure clients don’t need custom treatment because of their size or shape. With a few slight alterations, ready-to-wear garments would fit them well. What appeals to these men is the vastly wider range of fabrics available – fabrics from  the finest Italian and English makers – and the chance to customize details they can’t find in ready-to-wear. With made to measure, manufacturers can change measurements in the cutting and assembly and also adjust for any variances in the customer’s figure, following the meticulous instructions relayed by his sales associate in our store. The result is a garment that can be considered a true expression of a man’s individuality. And a made-to-measure suit costs only fifteen to twenty percent more than the same maker’s ready-to-wear model – a difference that an increasing number of men are willing to accept to achieve this level of personalization.

Measurements

Getting fitted for a first made-to-measure suit takes a little time, but once all a man’s dimensions and preferences are on file, the process becomes simplicity itself. Depending upon how much time has elapsed and whether there have been any changes in his size, he need only come into the store to select a fabric for a subsequent order. That’s one reason why we urge first-time customers, before they begin the process, to find a sales associate with whom they feel very relaxed and confident. Good associate-client relationships last a lifetime, to the great advantage of both sides. More immediately, a comfortable rapport helps the customer relax during his fitting. Many men tend to stand rigidly at attention in front of the mirror – a completely different posture than they usually adopt. A natural stance is vital for an accurate fitting.

Decisions
Once you find your associate, the first decision usually has to do with the cloth. When an associate fits a client, he will ask how he plans to wear the suit. This helps establish what weight of fabric will be most appropriate, what sort of yarn and weave. In the course of the conversation, he’ll learn of his client’s preferences and whether his taste in tailored clothing is more innovative or traditional. Often the customer’s physique will suggest a manufacturer renowned for particular nuances of cut and style; how much the client wishes to spend is another determining factor. At least eight Harry Rosen suppliers, from Samuelsohn to Ermenegildo Zegna, have a made-to-measure service.

The try-on garment
The next step is to find the “try-on garment,” a ready-to-wear jacket that is closest to the customer’s size. This is where a skilled sales associate’s expertise and experience really come into their own – judgement that owes as much to the eye as the tape measure. The try-on garment serves as a guideline, accentuating points where adjustments are needed. Those shoulders are slightly high, creating a roll behind the collar and pulling open the vents at the bottom. Easily solved. One shoulder is about three-eighths of an inch lower than the other. No problem. The client is long-waisted – his seat shows under the jacket. These are all just refinements that can be made at the factory.

Finessing the details
Every detail is assessed and adjustments ordered. Should the armholes be deepened or the sleeves pitched a bit forward or back? (Prince Charles once told a meeting of London’s guild of tailors that the reason he and his father always walked with their hands behind their backs was that their tailor cut their armholes that way.) Sleeves are checked to make sure the client’s arms are of equal length. Would he like to show a quarter or a half inch of shirt cuff at the wrist? Next comes “the drop” – the difference between a man’s chest measurement and his waist. The ready-to-wear Average Man with a 42 regular chest has a 36-inch waist, but the client’s waist is a 33. Duly noted. This will be the most flattering jacket he has ever owned.

Trousers
Time for the trousers. The length of the leg will be looked after later: far more important to ultimate comfort is “the rise” – essentially the distance between the inseam and outseam measurement. Again, a pair of “try-on” trousers is found and used as a template.

Finishing touches
All in all, a minimum of 16 different measurements are taken. It sounds like it must take hours, but the whole process can be completed in less than 30 minutes. And now there are only the aesthetic decisions left to be made. Single-breasted or double-breasted? Two buttons or three? Vents or no vents? Should there be cuffs on the pants? Surgeon’s cuffs with buttons that actually open? A stem-holder under the lapel to hold a boutonniere in place? These are the touches that add finesse to a made-to-measure garment, that help a man find his own inimitable style.

Future orders
And once that style is established, a sales associate can easily accommodate and even anticipate a regular customer’s needs, knowing his measurements, his taste, how much he likes to spend. If keeping abreast of fashion is important, the latest refinements can be built into a subsequent purchase. If not, buying another suit can be as simple as choosing a different fabric. It’s entirely a matter of individual preference – the essence of made-to-measure.

The term “trunk show” dates from the era when sales representatives travelled by train from town to town with a trunk full of samples. These days, we refer to them as Special Events and the rep and his samples may go separately, but the idea remains. A manufacturer sends someone – it might be the designer himself – to meet customers face-to-face and show them selections not currently available in stores. Clients can also get an advance look at styles and fabrics that won’t be appearing until the following season. Typically, special prices apply during Special Events, and some include discounts on discontinued fabrics.

Made-to-measure services are offered year-round. Special Events dates for all stores can be found here