Made-to-measure tailoring for women represents real liberation for women who want to escape the staid corsetry and conditioning of the mainstream. Not just liberation, but also a lever for empowerment.
Ladies, do you want us to help you break free and switch to made-to-measure women’s suits?
If only women knew about the benefits of made-to-measure tailoring
Female body types are not followers of fashion!
Women’s bodies differ so much and are so variable that they don’t fall into three body types like men’s, but at least six.
So when the ready-to-wear industry tells us to follow trends for the months and years to come, the majority of women are excluded from the power of women’s clothing and Gallic good taste.
Look, Coco Chanel would have been horrified by the skinny fit and low-rise trousers that have for years kept a great many apple and pear-shaped women away from the clothes racks.
Whereas with a good made-to-measure suit for women, a garment is timeless and can be altered over and over.
Women’s suit know-how: bespoke tailoring
Bespoke tailoring is the art of creating garments entirely by hand and, of course, entirely made-to-measure.
Bespoke tailoring is characterised by measurements taken at a very large number of points on the body, making it possible to pinpoint the subject’s motion, posture and lifestyle habits.
Here it’s not a question of body type, because each body is parsed so that the garment becomes its own unique flavour enhancer.
No two pieces are alike
So you’ll have to wait and put up with the turnaround time between you contacting us and completion of the piece. But it’s proportional to the longevity of your future outfit.
Meeting and chatting with the Master Tailor
What questions should you ask at an initial meeting with a tailor?
The level of detail in your questioning is very important because the entire process must be tailored to your wishes:
- What kind of lapels? Step, shawl or peak?
- What material for the lining?
- What button sizes and types, and where should they be placed?
- What kind of pockets: overstitched patch pocket? Rounded patch pocket? Flap pocket? Piped or jetted?
With these few questions, you’ll soon find out whether your tailor knows their bespoke tailoring.
What happens at the second appointment with your Master Tailor
At this appointment you get to pick the item you want to have made and have your measurements taken. Since you’ve already explained what you were looking for and what your ideal look would be, the tailor will now enhance your image with suggestions and proposals.
Taking measurements
The number of measurement points depends on the garment to be made.
- For a shirt: expect between 10 and 20 measurement points.
- For a jacket: between 20 and 30 measurement points
- For trousers: 5-10 measurement points and bring appropriate shoes
- For a skirt: 5-10 measurement points depending on how fitted you want it to be.
Many more are needed for a coat or dress, bearing in mind that the neckline, the angle of the head, sleeve details and trouser waistband are all perfectly customised elements.
Traditional taking of measurements with a canvas pattern
In bespoke tailoring, the pattern for your garment does not yet exist. It will only be used for your item, and then it will never be used again (except for you).
You have made an outfit unlike any other in the world. So the Master tailor will make a pattern with a set of pieces of canvas that he will piece together on you, which will allow him to settle on the measurements. This stage takes up to 3 weeks.
Modern taking of measurements
Your tailor may offer to take your measurements using a 3D scanner. This allows you to virtually wrangle various pieces and styles, and customise them almost endlessly. The only limit is that of your tailor’s knowhow. Nonetheless, the canvas for the pattern will still need to be made and cut.
Advice on picking the right fabrics and accessories
Some bespoke tailors are renowned for their speciality fabrics, such as wool. But it’s not necessarily the best material for the cut of your garment.
So pick a tailor that works with various quality suppliers offering an array of options.
Accessorizing is what makes a women’s suit distinctive. But if the boutique doesn’t offer you anything in your style, they’ll be able to offer you women’s collections off-grid.
the third appointment: the fitting
It will be followed by many other meetings, as the finished piece needs to be adjusted to fit, reworked and developed.
Hand-stitched seams are not perfect like those done with a sewing machine, but the tailor’s talent refines this imperfection thanks to the stylistic finish.
That’s where you see real sophistication at work. The number of appointments depends on the complexity of the creation and your expectations.
The total turnaround time of a bespoke women’s garment
Depending on the measurement techniques used, a straightforward garment such as a shirt will need between ten and 20 hours’ work if digitisation technologies are used, for example. A more complex garment takes twice as much work, and wedding dresses with fine embroidery and pearls can take up to 100 hours.
Making a tailor-made suit for women is the price and time of unparalleled satisfaction: feeling unique and valued in your body and in your mind.
Lire aussi : “Everything you need to know about the men’s line of tailor-made shirts“
