In bespoke, the pattern is drafted from scratch using your measurements. The layers are then cut individually with *a lot* of allowance and then roughly basted together for what's known as your first fitting.

What's the difference between a $250 and $2,500 suit jacket? Let me show you. 🧵

First, I should note there's nothing wrong with buying a ~$250 suit (unless it was made in a sweatshop). In fact, you can look great in cheaper suits. Here's @andrewdefrank in a $200 suit vs. Tristan in a $10,000 suit (so he claims). I think Andrew's tailoring looks better.

The point of this thread is to show you what can go into a higher-end garment. Hopefully, this helps you develop an eye for when you shop for tailored clothing. Some of the points in this thread can also be applied to casualwear.

For the purposes of this thread, I will be comparing J. Crew's lower-end Factory line (ready-to-wear) to Assisi (bespoke). From the jump, the biggest difference between these two garments is in how the patterns were constructed.

The term pattern refers to the paper pattern, which serves as the garment's architectural blueprint. In ready-to-wear, the company identifies what they think is the average figure in their target market. When you try on a garment, you hope you're within distance of this figure.

But even in ready-to-wear, not all patterns are made equally. To understand this, you have to first understand that tailored jackets are made from multiple layers of material—haircloth, canvas, and padding. This is the garment's structure, which forms the silhouette.

The thing is, these layers can move and shift when you lay them on top of each other. So on the high-end of the RTW market, makers will build excess allowance all over their pattern. This way, as they put the layers together, they can trim and adjust until everything is right.

Such work takes time and material. So on the very low-end, companies will draft the patterns with zero excess, cut all the pieces, slap them together, and then pray for the best. Did something shift in the process? Oh well, let's hope the customer doesn't notice when trying it on

At the fitting, you and the tailor examine how the roughly basted garment fits. The tailor takes notes, deconstructs the garment back at their workshop, makes the necessary adjustments, and then prepares the garment for yet another fitting.

This process typically happens three times—basted fitting, forward fitting, and final fitting. By the end, the garment should, in theory, fit perfectly (although reality is sometimes more complicated).

Another important component is the amount of handwork and ironwork that goes into a bespoke garment. In the first video, we see a tailor pad stitching the lapel. In the second video, we see them stretching and shrinking the fabric with an iron to make a curved sleeve.

All of these ingredients come together to create a silhouette. This is the process of transforming flat 2D cloth into a 3D form. On the right, we see an Assisi jacket with a curved chest, conical sleeves, and full lapel roll. These elements are absent on the left image.

I should note here there's a difference between made-to-measure and bespoke. MTM means the garment was adjusted off a pre-made block pattern and then produced straight to finish (no basted or forward fitting). It also prob doesn't include much handwork or ironwork.

For instance, Sene Studio is an online MTM clothier that sells stretch suits. I haven't handled their garments, but my guess is that the internal construction isn't that different from what J. Crew Factory does. Compare the shaping between this Sene suit vs Assisi suit:

It's also not the case that every high-end suit offers this level of construction. At the inauguration, there was an image of Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Musk standing near each other. I suspect Bezos and Musk are wearing ready-to-wear or made-to-measure (Musk is prob in Tom Ford).

Very unlikely Musk's suit is bespoke because it has low armholes. This is causing the entire jacket to lift as he raises his arms (look at the area known as the skirt, which is next to his hips). Compare it to Cagney's suit, which is mostly still.

Similarly, Bezos's suit lacks the shaping evident in the Assisi garment in the second photo. It could be that his dry cleaner pressed the hell out of it (this can ruin a garment's shape). But from the jacket's short length, my guess is that it's designer (often meh quality).

There are other differences. J. Crew Factory mostly uses poly-blend fabrics for their $250 suit jackets. A higher-end garment is typically made from natural fibers, such as wool, linen, silk, and cotton.

Such fabrics can be expensive. Even at trade prices, Fox Brothers cloth is around $100/ meter. Holland & Sherry is $150/ meter. You need 2.5 meters for a tailored jacket. The cost of fabric alone is more than the J. Crew Factory garment.

But this is essentially the difference between a $250 suit jacket and a $2,500 suit jacket (at least when made to a Gold Standard). It's not just about fit—although that's also important—but the materials and construction that create shape.

I know fitness guys will say "well just workout." But this shape is not something you can achieve through bodybuilding. Here are two built-up figures: Conor McGregor and Amotti. Their figures are fairly similar.

But look at what happens once they wear clothes. I believe McGregor wear MTM. His clothes fit poorly and look limp and lifeless. Compare his garment to Amotti's suit from the shop Andrea in Seoul. It's much curvier and has shape!

Ultimately, a truly beautiful garment doesn't just cover your body—it hangs well, fits well, and creates a unique silhouette that's not just the shape of your body. When done well, this is what goes into that $2,500 bespoke jacket.

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