To Clarify the Difference - MTM, Custom, Bespoke

Originally Posted by Shirtmaven

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MTM= Made to your measurements.. which = custom.
Bespoke is an English term that = Custom in the US

sometimes MTM is confused with stock specials.
this is the process of using basic block patterns with a choice of fabric and usually
collar and cuff style and a sleeve length.

a benchmade garment is a handmade suit.

the terms are all very confusing.
the important part is if the garment fits. and you are comfortable

Can you define handmade?

Originally Posted by taxgenius69

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Can you define handmade?

Oxxford HQ

Originally Posted by taxgenius69

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Can you define handmade?

In the 70's and prior, mens clothing was graded on a number system. A jacket was graded a # 2 or 4 or 6 according to how many sewing operations were done by hand rather than by machine. A #6 had hand padded lapels and collars where a #2 did not. If you bought a #6 jacket you were sure that the jacket had X amount of hand work. That system went away when the amount of time spent on construction of a garment was more important a guide to quality. Example Levis are made in 6 minutes or less, trousers can be made in 20 minutes. a jacket in 2 hours, Brioni suit 19-22 hours, bench made jacket 40 hours+, Mercedes Benz on the production line 55 hours. This info is over 10 years old and some of the numbers have changed but you get the idea.

Handmade to me, means the quality of the sewing is in the skill of the one doing the sewing rather than an operator just repeating a task they have been trained for or someone just feeding work into a machine programmed to execute the sewing. It requires a different more specific set of skill.

The best clothing is bench made meaning made by an individual coatmaker working at his bench. Some tailor shops still operate this way, some use chain work where one tailor makes fronts all day, others make pockets, someone does lapels, shoulders, collars, sleeves, etc.