Made to Measure Suits
The King & Allen guide to...choosing between a made to measure suit and a bespoke suit.
The difference between a made to measure suit and a bespoke suit is similar to the difference between a print and an original work of art.
To put it simply the key ingredient to a perfectly fitting suit is the pattern that is cut – essentially the shapes of cloth that get put together to form the suit. The more accurate the dimensions of these shapes the better the suit will fit.
Off the peg suits
By far the most inaccurate suits are off the peg suits. The patterns are cut in usually no more than 5 sizes, from 38-46 inch chests, with just one agenda - to shift as many units as possible. For this reason off the pegs suits tend to be quite boxy in shape, so as to accommodate more chest/stomach sizes.
The problem that off the peg manufacturers cannot overcome is that every human body shape is different AND every human posture is different, so unless you are very lucky there will be many aspects of the suit that do not fit.
Price has nothing to do with it. A £30 suit from a market stall could be cut to fit you perfectly and a £1000 off the peg could make you look like you're wearing a sack. It's all down to chance.
Made to measure suits
Made to measure suits at least have some sort of customisation to them. Instead of the pattern being mass produced, an existing pattern (or block) is altered according to measurements taken. Adjusting a pattern is basically guesswork. One cannot take into account any of the configurations of the human body such as the slope of the shoulders or the shape of the chest. All humans are unique so a made to measure suit is unlikely to fit despite the 'tailor's best intentions. 
Furthermore, adjusting a pattern involves much less skill and therefore made to measure suit tailors do not have to be as experienced or well trained as bespoke tailors. A made to measure suit is a compromise, and it is likely that the manufacturer will have compromised elsewhere as well, either in the raw materials used or the construction methods employed.
Bespoke suits
For a suit to fit you perfectly an individual pattern needs to be cut that is unique to you. In the case of King & Allen up to 30 measurements are taken, as well as posture photographs. The pattern cutter then has a complete image of your body shape so that he can draw a pattern that highlights your best features and hides your worst. This involves considerably more time and skill but we believe it is worth it and all our suits are bespoke suits, whereby an individual pattern is cut to the customer's measurements and specifications.
A King & Allen bespoke suit offers no compromise. We follow the guidelines laid out by Savile Row as to how a bespoke suit should be made. It takes over 40 hours of work by highly skilled artisans to complete your suit, and it features a fully floating canvass, hand stitching throughout and the option of 'baste fittings'.
How does it work?
Watch this short introduction to the King & Allen bespoke tailoring service by Reuters.