How relevant is the construction of tailor made suits?

While it might not look like it from a cursory glance, there are critical differences between the construction of off-the-rack and tailor made suits. And these differences usually become apparent after a couple of wears.

To ensure you’re making the best choice (and asking the right questions) when you invest in your next piece of suiting, we’ve stepped out the fundamentals of tailoring construction so you know exactly what you’re buying.

Getting under the cloth

For the most part, suits you buy off the rack in a department store will have a fused canvas. This means that the interface is glued to the outside shell of the jacket.

While this generally looks fine when you’re first trying it on, one of the watch outs with fusing is that it can bubble after a couple of wears - particularly if you have it dry cleaned. You may also find it’s less breathable given the fibres of the cloth are blocked by the glue.

In contrast, made-to-measure suiting uses a ‘floating canvas’. This sits between the lining and the cloth of the jacket and is held in place by tiny stitches. These threads ultimately allow the canvas to shift and mould to your body over time.

Made to last

Besides the ease of movement and overall more pleasing silhouette created via  made-to-measure suiting construction, the other major benefit is that custom suits tend to last longer.

Because they are built to your unique measurements, there will generally be a more even wear across the cloth. In contrast, because off-the-rack uses generic sizing, any areas that are slightly tighter will wear faster than the rest of the suit.

Keen to understand more about how tailor made suits are made?

The team at Oscar Hunt are committed to the democratisation of tailoring knowledge. In our showrooms, you can look on as our master tailors work on garments and our team of expert fitters are always on hand to answer any questions you may have.