Photo by Michael
Each month we ask our expert tailors to address one of your most frequent questions. This month we’re giving you the lowdown on what you need to know about house styles.
If you’re new to the world of bespoke tailoring, you may find yourself coming up against sartorial vocabulary you’re unfamiliar with.
One of the terms you may find baffling is ‘house style’. After all: doesn’t opting for bespoke tailoring mean that your clothing will be created to your precise requirements?
What is a house style?
It’s a well known fact in the menswear world that the overall ‘style’ of British tailored garments differs from Italian tailored garments and, in turn, from Parisian tailored garments.
Also commonly accepted is the idea that within these big national differences, there are typically smaller more character-based differences between the pieces created by different tailors.
Every tailoring house has it’s own way of doing things. This tends to result in small but distinct differences in the garments they produce. For instance, some tailors are known for their structured formal suits, while others are known for producing more relaxed modern silhouettes.
How much should you take this into account when choosing a tailor?
Which tailor is right for you depends entirely on your personal preferences. Though a good high end tailor will be able to produce your suit to your exact specifications, you may find that you would prefer to work with a tailor whose house style is a good fit for your personal style aspirations.
We’d always advise you to meet with any potential tailor for a consultation before you decide to go ahead. During this meeting you’ll be able to see examples of the tailor’s work and consider how they relate to the tailored pieces you have in mind.
Next month we’ll be asking our tailors to tell us about lapels: should you opt for notched or peaked? Sign up to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss it.