Bespoke
“A Priceless Masculine Experience”
For over 200 years Gieves & Hawkes have hand-crafted the finest bespoke garments and have become established as the paramount English tailor, of international renown. Drawing on our formidable heritage of design and craftsmanship, combined with modern styling and innovation in hand cutting and tailoring, a bespoke suit from Gieves & Hawkes remains the ultimate sartorial investment – hand made in the work rooms of No.1 Savile Row
The Bespoke Process – Nothing compares to investing and dressing in bespoke. The iconic style and elegance afforded by a bespoke suit is timeless. You gain the comfort that comes from a garment created especially for your body and requirements, the pleasure of owning a piece of supreme craftsmanship and the quiet confidence from knowing that there is nobody in the room better dressed than you. Gieves & Hawkes’ bespoke tailoring blends the traditional relationship between cutter and customer with an acute awareness to silhouette.
The Commission – The process of bespoke begins with a detailed consultation with a specialised tailoring advisor. You will be offered help and guidance concerning all aspects of your proposed commission, be it a suit, sport jacket and trouser, or an elegant evening dress suit.
Your cutter (often attended by their undercutter) will then be called on to take your unique order. The cutter will have at least 10 years of tailoring and hand cutting experience – only the best work on Savile Row.
The cutter takes measurements from the body, taking into consideration all configurations. The creation of the garment is initiated with an individual paper pattern which is drafted and then cut by the cutter specifically for each customer. Your patterns will be permanently stored on the premises at No.1, ready for when you return to us again in the future.
The Creation - After cutting, each individual item is passed on to a separate master tailor with the appropriate skills. This single master tailor is responsible for the hand rendering of their item. Horsehair canvasses are washed, softened and hand-shaped over the knee following the cutters fitting instructions. This is completed to a basic stage known as a First Baste, where the garment is loosely stitched, without pockets, buttons or any other finish details.
The Finished Garment – Following on from the First Baste, the garment is advanced at the second fitting. By the third fitting the coat is almost ready to be closed, with a fourth and final fitting for a new customer.
Throughout the process your personal cutter works diligently to perfect your pattern for a supreme fit. All finishing is completed by hand including edge stitching, padding of lapels, individual buttonholes and application of buttons. All linings are felled by hand, with linen being used to reinforce pockets and gorge. Sleeves hand inserted and stitched and shoulder pads and canvases are hand-cut and shaped. The final pressing is completed by a separate finisher whose job is only to press.
Approximately four fittings will be required to complete the exquisite experience of having your first bespoke garment made. The time frame is dependent on the customer’s availability but we generally set a lead-time of eight to twelve weeks. However, once we have a finalised pattern, this can be reduced to four weeks or less for future commissions.
After Care - The life of a bespoke suit is considerably longer than a ready to wear suit due to the quality of its production and the attention paid to fit. There are, in addition, sufficient inlays to allow up to three inches of adjustment to the main body seams. Garments may be ‘freshened’ by the finishing team – including brushing, re-pressing and running repairs over the years.
