Bespoke or ready-to-wear?

For as long as it has been around, bespoke tailoring has played an important social part. Until relatively recently, people did not have the alternative of buying ready-made clothes straight off the shelf.

Today, few are those that are familiar with the advantages of wearing bespoke clothes, and even fewer those that will go the extra mile and pay the price of a piece of a garment that was hand-made by a skilled craftsman. Most people would rather go shopping, and simply buy their apparel of choice on the spot.

There is a world of a difference between a tailor-made and a ready-made garment, yet there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Why should you bother go all the way to a tailor's shop, when I can effortlessly purchase my clothes from the local store, for a much lower price? I am sure most people ask themselves this same question. We will continue and have a closer look at the differences between bespoke clothes and off-the-shelf clothes.

1. Bespoke garments: made by hand, made by a tailor, upon a placed order

As nobody is perfect, and everyone is born with a body that is bound to be more or less attractive than that of others, bespoke clothes are the safest bet that one's attire fits his body correctly.
Also, one needs to take into account the fact that, no matter whether or not he considers himself, as far as physical appearance goes, a lucky person, everyone has more or less visible asymmetries between the left and right side of the body. Such differences can be: slumped shoulders, a slouched back, one shoulder or pectoral larger than the other, etc. By taking all these details into account, bespoke tailoring saves us a lot of trouble regarding our looks, all the while making the garment we wear a lot more comfortable and "light", due to the margins and slack spaces that the tailor purposely imbedded in it, during its creation.

A bespoke suit, pair of trousers or jacket will require that we spend much more. however, we also need to take into account how, alongside our tailor or sartorial advisor, we are able to pick whatever fabric and accessories we please.

Unlike with ready-made clothes, putting together a bespoke garment requires setting an appointment for measuring, and two or three more appointments along the way. During this time, the tailor will make sure that he mends even the slightest of imperfections, so as to ensure that the final product is flawless and unique. Of course, most slackers cannot be bothered to make all the necessary trips to the tailor's shop. Others still do not have the actual time to do so, on account of their jobs. There are, however, some that will compromise nothing when it comes to acquiring bespoke clothes. These people turn to tailors not because they are "ungainly" or because they simply have too much money, but rather because they prefer to wear something that carries status, name and history.

A workshop like our own, Filip Cezar, will guarantee you the image that any gentleman needs. Filip Cezar tailoring shop boasts tailors with no less than 20 years of experience in the field of men's hand-made tailoring, so it is nearly impossible to find better craftsmen in all of Bucharest. The prices of our garments are not at all that high, seeing the quality of our products and the earnestness of our team. Thus, ordinary people or young men looking for a dream wedding, as well as headlining stars or businessmen of high-standing, each of them finds what they are looking for within our shop.

2. Ready-made garments: made in standard sizes, available off-the-shelf

As we already mentioned in the first part of our comparison, a piece of clothing bought as is and ready to wear, still has its advantages. As well as disadvantages. Firstly, a ready-made garment will never fit as well as a bespoke garment does. Its price, however, will usually be lower (it may depend on the brand – it is not always the case). Then again, to be sure, if you happen to find the right size for you, but also if you either maintain a balanced diet, or practice some form of sports regularly or go to a fitness club frequently (in order to be able to maintain said size), a readily-made shirt won't necessarily look bad on you.

Another advantage for all ready-made clothes is that they can be easily acquired, either on the spot, from a store or via an online order. Their production costs are also much lower compared to those made by hand, by a tailor.

Now that you've been made aware of the differences between ready-made clothing and bespoke tailoring, I shall invite you to have a look at our collects and, if you choose to, pay us a visit, anytime, for a free piece of sartorial advice, as well as the best coffee around. We're located at no. 65, Jean Monnet street, district 1, Bucharest. We're available 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.