Any bespoke tailoring aficionado will tell you the same when it comes to well-cut suits and jackets; they can be spotted from a mile away. 

Even though you might not be able to put your finger on it entirely, you might even mistake it for a good looking (or perhaps even more mistakenly well-built) wearer, the overall impression is still affected. It’s like a well composed meal or a high-quality wine; even people with less experience in wine and gastronomy will be able to tell the difference despite lacking the detailed vocabulary to explain why. It just tastes better. Or looks better. We consume the world with all our senses at once.

This has even been proven in academic research. In a study published in Psychology Today 2013, a large number of test participants rated four images of a faceless man on five dimensions (confidence, success, trustworthiness, salary and flexibility). The man was depicted wearing a bespoke and a regular (off‐the‐peg) suit, which in other dimensions differed only in minor details. Participants saw the faceless images for a maximum of five seconds. The results were striking! The man was rated more positively on all attributes (apart from trustworthiness) when pictured in the bespoke suit. Due to the nature of the study it was possible to conclude that the impressions arose only from the clothing itself and were not confounded by physical attractiveness or facial features.

In a way this is by no means a controversial insight. Long have we known that “first impressions last”, but it is interesting to see that it can be concluded so clearly in an academic, peer reviewed, study. According the research team the interpretations of the world we carry with us in life are established already at a young age and they often remain the same throughout our lifetime. The impressions we convey to others are thus hard to alter retrospectively by means of intellect or gentlemanly behaviour. Wearing a well-cut suit is therefore something that extends beyond pure vanity or enthusiasm for the style and craft, it is something that can have substantial effect on your actual human interactions and as such your ability to reach your goals and ambitions in life.

However, everything logical and rational aside, most tailoring customers will not tell you they come to have their suits made for them because academic research tells them they should! Most customers will instead have a mostly emotional connection to the tailoring experience. There is something deeply satisfying in wearing a garment that is made exactly to your body’s shape, with every little detail done as specified by you. It makes the suit unique, the comfort fantastic, and it will make you more confident. The ability to feel comfortable and confident no matter the occasion is something that should not be underestimated. Whether it is a garden party, a meeting at the bank, or a night out with the friends, you can feel confident that your appearance will be as good as it can be and instead you can focus on the conversation, the negotiation, or why not the dance?

And what’s more, the enjoyment of the craft of the garment itself can be remarkable. The beauty of a handmade buttonhole, lovely embossed to crown your lapels. Or the pick stitches that brings your jacket and lapel edges to life through their ever so slight irregularities. The feel of the cloth made from high quality natural fibres, combined with your choice of lining (or even perhaps a lack thereof). Studying the details of a handmade suit is like watching a painting, drinking good wine, or listening to a song. The more attention you will give it, the more it will give back in the form of details and traces of the time and skills that have gone into its creation.

But most of all, the value in bespoke tailoring lies in the longevity of the garments. The hand constructed canvas, with its many hand stitches across the chest piece of the jacket, will hold the shape of the front for as long as the cloth will hold up. And with the right choice of cloth, it will hold up for a long time! With the appropriate care and use the garments will last you a lifetime, while still holding the three-dimensional shapes intact. For garments with limited use, such as tailcoats, morning coats, or dinner jackets, they might even last for several generations. And they can be altered to fit the evolving body or transition between generations, since bespoke garments typically will have more cloth allowances in them than any of-the-rack alternatives.

Weather you are looking for quality and longevity, emotional experiences, or making an impression on others, you clearly have a lot to gain from investing in real craftsmanship and true quality. This is not the least manifested by the fact that very few customers feel done after their first suit. Most customers keep coming in time after time. It is like any type of refined experience; like art, music, or film. After you have experienced the joy of true quality and allowed yourself to understand the differences in detail, it feels like the point of no return. Everything else suddenly feels largely pointless.

Make your appointment here to embark on your first, second or third (or whichever it might be), bespoke tailoring journey. We at Götrich are delighted to be your partner in building your personalised wardrobe and advise you on style, care, and wardrobe economics. We promise you it will be well worth it. We know from experience!

The Götrich team