Why Choose Custom or Bespoke Clothing?

There are many reasons why a custom garment is a superior choice in the fashion industry. If you’re looking for custom suits, dress shirts, and dresses that match your sense of style, the bespoke experience is right for you.

Bespoke literally means “to ask for something” and is the British term for custom-made clothing. Bespoke tailoring originated on Savile Row in London, an area known for custom bespoke suits and quality craftsmanship.

Our clients range from professional athletes with unique body types to business professionals looking to build custom wardrobes. Clients come for the experience and leave with a luxury bespoke garment.

Bespoke Clothing VS. Ready to Wear VS. Made to Measure

It’s so confusing nowadays to discern what is custom and what isn’t. What makes one better than the other, and why do some cost more than others? Fabric quality is undoubtedly a factor, but with many ready-to-wear stores offering made to measure as “custom,” consumers have little idea as to what they actually get.

It’s like comparing a Maserati with a pickup truck or fresh fruit with canned; they get the job done, but is that really what you want?

At Davide Cotugno, we take out the mystery and lay out precisely what you are getting so that you can make the best decision.

READY to WEAR (aka off the rack, prêt a porter, tailor made)
A “tailor altered”, mass-produced garment altered to fit standardized sizes.

MADE to MEASURE (aka box line)
A ready-to-wear stock-sized garment styled and altered in the factory to fit you as close as possible.

CUSTOM MADE(aka Bespoke)
This garment requires multiple measurements transferred to a paper pattern to create a personal template for that individual. A choice of various styles and hundreds of fabrics make it a truly individual garment that will be rarely duplicated for anyone else.

Suits $2500-$15,000

BENCH MADE(aka Bespoke)
Typically made by two or three tailors working together to produce a genuinely handmade garment, this quality garment is found today on Savile Row in London or on Via Condotti in Rome at such venerable tailors as Gieves & Hawkes or Caraceni. It requires a muslin try-on and multiple fittings before actually cutting the chosen fabric for completion. The garment is almost exclusively made by hand.

Suits $8000-$30,000

The Bespoke Process

The Consultation
In your initial visit, you will meet with one of our Elite Certificate* trained clothiers who will guide you through a selection of fabrics, styling, and personalization that fits your budget and lifestyle.

Hundreds of fabrics from the world’s best cloth mills ensure that you find what you are looking for in a fabric that will perform well for its intended use.

90% of our finest fabrics are sold only once, then retired so that your garment will be unique. Choose from our wide range of fabric swatches and materials.

*Elite Certificate
Each member of our staff goes through an intensive training program focused on all aspects of measuring, styling, and fitting, with an emphasis on current styles that are right for you.

Measurements
Thirty-two measurements are taken, including your unique posture and shoulder shape, ensuring a perfect fit. In this step, the tailor will also determine the correct styling for your body and lifestyle.

Your body is unique, so we will style the clothing to fit your body type. A suit that is right for you, not altered to almost fit you.

Measurements are then transferred to a paper pattern to create your individualized template. The garment is then individually cut following your pattern.

Finishings
An appointment is set with you for an initial fitting to take care of any minor nips and tucks. At this point, coordinated accessories are carefully selected for you, such as ties, pocket squares, belts, socks, etc. Minor adjustments and final pressing are completed, and your new custom outfit is ready for you to enjoy. Your pattern is then kept on file for future orders so that your next garment requires only fabric and style selection. A record is created showing all of your past purchases to assist in your following selections and avoid duplication. It’s that simple.

Convenience
A paper pattern with your measurements is kept on file as a template for reorders. Preselecting your fabrics for the coming season and comparing them with your past purchases avoids duplication in your wardrobe. Business with us is quick & efficient.

Service
Our service offerings extend beyond our showroom; appointments in your office or home for fabric selection are available. Many of our clients are too busy to visit our store, so we visit them. We also tour around the country to provide services beyond the Cleveland-Akron area. Whether you stop by the showroom or we come to you, we are excited to do business with you!

Affordability
With ready-to-wear brand name suits starting at $2000, many of our clients found that they were paying more than bespoke, which did not make sense.

Custom is not just another department that we have in our store. Custom is all that we do. – Davide Cotugno

Bespoke Clothing Buying Guide

What to look for and questions to ask your custom tailors to make sure you will get the most authentic bespoke experience.

• Are you trained to measure and fit me correctly?
• Are your suits fused (glued)?
• Are your suits made-to-measure or custom-made?
• Do you make a paper pattern for me?
• Can I have a basted try-on (a partially finished garment) for my first fitting?
• Can I have a choice of any style, interior linings, and buttons?
• What customization options are available?
• How many fittings will I have?
• Do you have an in-house tailor?
• If I lose a significant amount of weight (15 lbs. or more), can your tailor alter it?
• How long have you been in the custom tailor business?

The Art Of Bespoke Tailoring

The magic is in the hands of your tailor. The goal of custom tailoring is to capture a style that fits your body perfectly and that works for your lifestyle. For us, it is not simply a garment; it is a work of art that transforms raw fabric, linings, and buttons into something that you are genuinely proud to wear for many years. So much so that people will stop and compliment you.

Your body is so unique that our styling professionals go to great lengths to precisely measure you and create a paper template based on your measurements and body type. This template is then transferred onto the fabrics of your choice to create one-of-a-kind garments that are a custom fit for you and nobody else.

Our staff is personally trained alongside Head Master Tailor, Giuseppe Cotugno, to better understand what is involved in a truly bespoke garment and ensure that the next generation of tailors will carry on those artisanal traditions.

Are you currently wearing bespoke or custom clothing? You will find that our quality and personal service is strictly one on one with a deep understanding of sophisticated fabrics and styling. That is what is why a Davide Cotugno garment is like nothing else you have ever worn.

Never had custom clothing? Chances are you are ready to step up to quality clothes that will fit you, not altered to almost fit.

We are custom. We never just dabble in it – Davide Cotugno