Shears out on Savile Row over mis-use of the word
Savile Row tailors are in a tizzy after a mid-market British clothing chain announced its plan to offer “bespoke suits” to the masses. The Telegraph reports that the heart of Britain’s tailoring industry is “up in arms” over Moss Bros.’ plan to market “bespoke” made-to-measure suits for £250 to £350 ($380 to $530). It’ll take a customer’s measurements, allow him to pick from various fabric and style samples then ship the material to China where the suit will be made and delivered in four weeks. This practice runs contrary to the definition of “bespoke” as practiced by the famed London street’s tailors, said Martin Henderson chairman of Savile Row Bespoke: material has to be individually (rather than machine) cut, a customer needs three fittings, the garment must be hand-crafted under the supervision of a Master-Cutter, and the suit, which costs £3,000 ($4,500) on average, must be made within 100 yards of Savile Row. “It is a sad prostitution of the word ‘bespoke,’” says Henderson, who also admits it’s “not a bad” business idea from Moss Bros.’s point of view.