One day, perhaps...

This gentleman is unfortunately not in a position to have his suits lovingly made to his every whim, but one day - one day dammit! - he shall.* In the meantime I will have to do with pipedreams fuelled by the likes of Thomas Mahon, a mate of Hugh Macleod.

Tom explains the origins of the term 'bespoke':

[It] dates from the 17th century, when tailors held the full lengths of cloth in their premises. When a customer chose a length of material it was said to have “been spoken for”, hence a tailor who makes your clothes individually to your specific personal requirements, is called bespoke. Unlike “made to measure” which simply uses a basic pattern which is then simply adjusted to your measurements.

This is no mere historical blog, though. It is a marketing tool and one I expect to be most successful, particularly as he resides in Cumbria and has an office in Saville Row and therefore, though there are perhaps fewer overheads, there's also less scope to advertise a presence in the Row. He also writes well with a few barbs for the press:

No journalist ever had to spend seven years as a proper tailor's apprentice. Their agendae are different from yours.

All business is personal. Especially in tailoring.

A bespoke suit. Drool.

*(I do buy them from Saville Row and Jermyn Street, however they remain very much, off the peg)