Bespoke Tailoring!
Reign Tailors
Apr 29, 2024
Bespoke Tailoring!
Bespoke Tailoring today, is the accumulation of many centuries of dedication to the craft of sewing, stitching, cutting and imitating the human form in fabrics. Bespoke tailoring developed slowly but steadily throughout Europe between the 12th and 14th Century.
Most guys in today's world wear ready-to-wear or made-to-measure clothing that is manufactured in factories. A minuscule minority of gentlemen wear custom-made apparel crafted by tailors, yet two centuries ago, each article of clothing was fashioned by hand. Over time, custom-made clothing from tailors has changed from being an ordinary item available in a range of price and quality categories to a luxury item that costs a lot of money.
Similar to how bespoke tailors work now, all clothing was cut and made by hand before to the invention of sewing machines in the 18th century. But the method used to obtain the intended fit was considerably different from what we would do now. Tailors used techniques that were kept as trade secrets to produce their designs from the middle ages through the eighteenth century. Apprentices weren't given access to them until a master tailor sold his company to a new owner. It took a lot more fittings than it did today. Still, the craftsmanship was superb, and the fit was frequently really near to the body.
London in the 19th century must have resembled a single large tailor shop that catered to gentlemen throughout the Empire.
A great number of finishers, coat makers, pants makers, and vest makers worked directly from their cramped and impoverished east end homes, while shirt makers, fabric merchants, and custom tailors filled the West End. During that period, London served as the global center of the first world, and British clothing and English fashion were widely regarded as the pinnacles of sophistication.
The volume of bespoke tailoring quickly dropped with the increase of factory-produced apparel, but only a select group of upscale tailors were able to continue in business were the final caretakers of the vessel. Starting in the 1970s, the remaining bespoke tailoring industry saw further decline as fashion became more informal, more affordable clothing became more widely available, and classic fabrics were no longer in demand. It appeared in the 1980s that this vessel would not survive, but things have changed since then. It appears that a growing number of young men are drawn to handmade clothing, with some even expressing a desire to pursue the craft.
Today's guys who want to appear nice and invest in a wardrobe that will last have discovered a new appreciation for wearing traditional. For some men, having a custom-fitted garment in their closet is still a dream.
Most guys in today's world wear ready-to-wear or made-to-measure clothing that is manufactured in factories. A minuscule minority of gentlemen wear custom-made apparel crafted by tailors, yet two centuries ago, each article of clothing was fashioned by hand. Over time, custom-made clothing from tailors has changed from being an ordinary item available in a range of price and quality categories to a luxury item that costs a lot of money.
Similar to how bespoke tailors work now, all clothing was cut and made by hand before to the invention of sewing machines in the 18th century. But the method used to obtain the intended fit was considerably different from what we would do now. Tailors used techniques that were kept as trade secrets to produce their designs from the middle ages through the eighteenth century. Apprentices weren't given access to them until a master tailor sold his company to a new owner. It took a lot more fittings than it did today. Still, the craftsmanship was superb, and the fit was frequently really near to the body.
London in the 19th century must have resembled a single large tailor shop that catered to gentlemen throughout the Empire.
A great number of finishers, coat makers, pants makers, and vest makers worked directly from their cramped and impoverished east end homes, while shirt makers, fabric merchants, and custom tailors filled the West End. During that period, London served as the global center of the first world, and British clothing and English fashion were widely regarded as the pinnacles of sophistication.
The volume of bespoke tailoring quickly dropped with the increase of factory-produced apparel, but only a select group of upscale tailors were able to continue in business were the final caretakers of the vessel. Starting in the 1970s, the remaining bespoke tailoring industry saw further decline as fashion became more informal, more affordable clothing became more widely available, and classic fabrics were no longer in demand. It appeared in the 1980s that this vessel would not survive, but things have changed since then. It appears that a growing number of young men are drawn to handmade clothing, with some even expressing a desire to pursue the craft.
Today's guys who want to appear nice and invest in a wardrobe that will last have discovered a new appreciation for wearing traditional. For some men, having a custom-fitted garment in their closet is still a dream.
