There’s nothing quite like buying a new suit. While off the rack is nice enough, and made-to-measure is special, ordering something bespoke that’s completely unique to your body and tastes takes things to the next level. It’s a rite of passage for some, a one-off luxury for others, but for all who experience it, the bespoke process is about more than the sum of its parts.

This is something Mike Deans, head cutter at Oliver Brown, knows all too well. He’s based at the house’s Lower Sloane Street store, where he consults with clients, discovering their needs and how they want to come across. Measurements are jotted down, fittings are undertaken and numerous tiny changes are made along the way.

‘But the process is not about a formulaic approach,’ Deans tells Brummell. ‘It’s about something much deeper. Our job is to sit down and understand each customer as an individual, their insecurities, eccentricities and how they want to present themselves to the world. It’s a relationship of trust. They have to be able to put themselves in my hands and trust my experience to guide them in the right direction. Some customers have a clear idea of what they want, others have no idea. I aim to demystify the jargon and empower the customer to be the designer of their own garment.’

While going bespoke is all about the personal experience, the hands-on approach with fittings and getting to touch and feel all manner of fabrics, it’s equally about the making. Unlike ready-to-wear and made-to-measure, Oliver Brown’s bespoke is an entirely hand-made process, with patterns drawn, fabrics cut, and bodies measured by those with decades of experience in creating the perfect fit. If you have one shoulder slightly higher than the other, or one leg slightly longer, your unique pattern will accommodate these nuances, subtly offsetting them in a way that a machine-made garment never could.

So, what kind of work goes into a bespoke suit? ‘I would draft a paper pattern for you,’ says Deans. ‘This considers your posture and stance, as well as the measurements; think of this as the blueprint. Once your garment has been cut out of the cloth, the maker would then make up the canvas interlinings, which builds the shape and structure into the garment before it’s constructed and ready for its first fitting.

‘After each fitting, the suit is deconstructed, the adjustments are applied to the paper pattern and the garments themselves, before going back to the maker to be constructed for the next fitting. This process is repeated until the cutter and customer are happy. The last element of attention is the hand-finishing: the sewing of the buttonholes, the attaching of the lining and the fine prick stitching along the edges of the garment; all carried out by a delicate hand.’

It is this attention to detail that sets Oliver Brown’s bespoke offering apart. While there are quicker and cheaper methods of buying a suit, none can match the fit that can be achieved with this age-old method. And the perfect fit is, after all, what tailoring is all about.

‘Bespoke is an artisanal approach, which values the individual,’ says Deans. ‘It’s an immersive experience, where you are invited into the process at many stages along the journey of your garment being made. You become the patron of a craft that has a history of over 200 years. If you have an idea, we can generally make it for you and I can guarantee it will be the most comfortable tailored garment you’ve ever worn.’

oliverbrown.org.uk