The Art of Basted Fittings: True Bespoke Tailoring Explained
When it comes to creating the perfect suit, there's bespoke tailoring—and then there's true bespoke tailoring. At A Hand Tailored Suit, we offer an exclusive basted fitting service that elevates your custom suit experience to the highest level of craftsmanship and precision. This traditional technique, used by the finest Savile Row tailors for over a century, ensures your suit fits like a second skin before we ever cut into your chosen cloth.
What Is a Basted Fitting?
A basted fitting is the hallmark of authentic bespoke tailoring. After taking your measurements and creating your unique paper pattern, we construct a preliminary version of your suit using an inexpensive cotton canvas template. This "basted" garment is hand-stitched together with temporary basting stitches, allowing you to try on and assess the fit, style, and proportions before we commit to cutting your final fabric.
The Benefits:
- Preview Your Suit: See exactly how your jacket and trousers will look and feel
- Perfect the Fit: Make adjustments to shoulders, chest, waist, sleeve length, and trouser fit
- Refine the Style: Review lapel width, button stance, pocket placement, and silhouette
- Risk-Free Confidence: Ensure every detail is perfect before cutting your precious cloth
- True Bespoke Experience: Experience the same process used by royal tailors and Savile Row masters
The Basted Fitting Process: Step by Step
Stage 1: Measurement & Pattern Creation
Our master tailor takes over 30 individual measurements, noting your posture, shoulder slope, and body asymmetries. From these measurements, we draft a unique paper pattern specifically for your body—no two patterns are ever the same.
Stage 2: Cotton Canvas Construction
Using an inexpensive cotton canvas fabric, we cut and hand-baste your jacket and trousers together. This template garment includes all structural elements: shoulders, chest canvas, collar, sleeves, and trouser construction.
Stage 3: First Basted Fitting
You visit our showroom to try on your basted suit. Our tailor assesses the fit across shoulders, chest, waist, hips, sleeve length, and trouser fit. We mark any adjustments directly on the canvas with tailor's chalk.
Stage 4: Adjustments & Refinements
Back in our workshop, we make the necessary alterations to your pattern and basted garment. If significant changes are needed, we may schedule a second basted fitting to ensure absolute perfection.
Stage 5: Final Approval & Cloth Cutting
Once you're completely satisfied with the fit and style, we carefully deconstruct the basted garment and use the perfected pattern to cut your final cloth. Now we know with absolute certainty that your suit will fit flawlessly.
Stage 6: Construction & Finishing
Your suit is hand-tailored using traditional techniques, including hand-stitched buttonholes, hand-set sleeves, and meticulous pressing. The same perfected pattern ensures a guaranteed fit.
Stage 7: Final Fitting & Delivery
You return for your final fitting, where we make any minor finishing adjustments. Your bespoke suit is then ready to wear—perfectly fitted, beautifully crafted, and uniquely yours.
The Canvas: Foundation of a Bespoke Suit
At the heart of every true bespoke suit lies the canvas—a hidden layer of horsehair and wool that gives the jacket its structure, shape, and longevity.
Half Canvas vs Full Canvas
Half Canvas Construction:
- Canvas extends from shoulders to mid-chest
- Provides structure to chest and lapels
- Allows natural drape through lower body
- Excellent balance of structure and comfort
- Ideal for most business and formal suits
Full Canvas Construction:
- Canvas extends from shoulders to jacket hem
- Maximum structure and shape retention
- Molds to your body over time
- Superior drape and movement
- The ultimate in bespoke craftsmanship
- Preferred for formal wear and luxury suiting
Both constructions use genuine horsehair canvas, hand-stitched to the jacket fabric. This allows the jacket to breathe, move naturally with your body, and maintain its shape for decades. Unlike fused (glued) construction used in off-the-peg suits, canvas construction improves with age, conforming to your unique body shape over time.
True Bespoke vs Made-to-Measure vs Off-the-Peg
Understanding the differences between these three approaches helps you appreciate the value of authentic bespoke tailoring.
Off-the-Peg (Ready-to-Wear)
Construction: Mass-produced in standard sizes Fit: Generic sizing (38R, 40L, 42S, etc.) Alterations: Basic adjustments (hem, sleeves, waist) Canvas: Usually fused (glued) construction Pattern: One pattern for thousands of customers Timeline: Immediate purchase Price: £200-£800 Best For: Budget-conscious buyers needing immediate suits
Limitations:
- No accommodation for body asymmetries
- Limited style customization
- Fused canvas deteriorates over time
- Generic fit compromises comfort and appearance
Made-to-Measure
Construction: Pre-existing pattern adjusted to measurements Fit: Customized from base template Alterations: Modifications to standard pattern Canvas: Sometimes half-canvas, often fused Pattern: Modified standard pattern Timeline: 4-8 weeks Price: £600-£1,500 Best For: Good fit without full bespoke investment
Limitations:
- Pattern based on "average" body shape
- Limited structural adjustments
- No basted fitting to preview fit
- Less accommodation for unique body shapes
- Cannot achieve true bespoke fit
True Bespoke (With Basted Fitting)
Construction: Hand-cut and hand-tailored from scratch Fit: Unique pattern created specifically for you Alterations: Unlimited adjustments during basted fitting Canvas: Full or half horsehair canvas, hand-stitched Pattern: 100% unique to your body Timeline: 12 weeks (8 weeks standard + 4 weeks for basted fitting) Price: From £899 + £200 for basted fitting Best For: Perfect fit, unique style, lifetime investment
Advantages:
- Preview and perfect fit before cutting final cloth
- Accommodates all body asymmetries and posture
- Hand-stitched canvas molds to your body
- Unlimited style customization
- Pattern kept for future orders
- Suit improves with age
- Repairs and alterations easier
- True investment piece lasting decades
Why Choose the Basted Fitting Service?
For First-Time Bespoke Clients
If you've never had a bespoke suit made, the basted fitting provides invaluable peace of mind. You'll see exactly how your suit will look and feel, eliminating any uncertainty about fit, style, or proportions.
For Special Occasions
For weddings, milestone celebrations, or important business events, the basted fitting ensures absolute perfection. When the occasion matters, you can't afford to compromise on fit.
For Unique Body Shapes
If you have significant posture variations, shoulder asymmetries, or have struggled to find well-fitting suits in the past, the basted fitting allows us to perfect every detail before committing to your final cloth.
For Luxury Fabrics
When investing in premium cloths from Loro Piana, Scabal, or Holland & Sherry, the basted fitting protects your investment by ensuring perfect results before cutting your expensive fabric.
For Style Experimentation
Want to try a new silhouette, lapel width, or trouser cut? The basted fitting lets you see and feel the style before finalizing your decision.
The Investment: £200 for Lifetime Perfection
We offer our basted fitting service for both men's and women's suits at an additional £200, added to our standard bespoke pricing:
Standard Bespoke Pricing:
- 2-piece suit (jacket + trousers): From £699
- 3-piece suit (jacket + waistcoat + trousers): From £899
With Basted Fitting Service:
- 2-piece suit: From £899 (£699 + £200)
- 3-piece suit: From £1,099 (£899 + £200)
Timeline:
- Standard bespoke: 8 weeks
- With basted fitting: 12 weeks (additional 4 weeks)
The Process:
- Initial consultation and measurement (Week 1)
- Basted fitting appointment (Week 4)
- Adjustments and pattern refinement (Weeks 5-6)
- Final cloth cutting and construction (Weeks 7-11)
- Final fitting and delivery (Week 12)
This additional investment ensures that your suit fits perfectly from the moment you receive it, eliminating the need for post-delivery alterations and providing absolute confidence in your purchase.
Bespoke for Men & Women
Our basted fitting service is available for both men's and women's bespoke tailoring. Women's suiting presents unique fitting challenges—accommodating curves, ensuring proper shoulder and bust fit, and creating feminine silhouettes that maintain structure and elegance. The basted fitting is particularly valuable for women's tailoring, allowing us to perfect these complex fit elements before cutting your final fabric.
Women's Bespoke Considerations:
- Bust and waist shaping
- Shoulder slope and width
- Hip accommodation in jackets and trousers
- Sleeve pitch and length
- Feminine lapel proportions
- Trouser rise and leg shape
The basted fitting ensures every element is perfected to your unique feminine form, creating suits that celebrate and flatter your silhouette.
Traditional Craftsmanship Meets Modern Precision
While we honor traditional basted fitting techniques, we also integrate modern technology to enhance your experience:
AI-Powered Measurement App: Our contactless measurement technology provides precise initial measurements, which we then refine during your in-person consultation. This combination of technology and human expertise ensures the most accurate starting point for your pattern.
Digital Pattern Storage: Your perfected pattern is stored digitally, making future orders seamless. Once we've achieved your perfect fit through the basted process, subsequent suits can be ordered with confidence.
Traditional Hand Techniques: Despite modern tools, your suit is still hand-cut, hand-basted, and hand-finished using techniques unchanged for over a century. The human touch remains irreplaceable in true bespoke tailoring.
Book Your Bespoke Journey
Ready to experience true bespoke tailoring with a basted fitting? The process begins with a consultation at our showroom, where we'll discuss your style preferences, fabric options, and timeline.
What to Expect:
- 60-90 minute initial consultation
- Fabric selection from our extensive collection
- Detailed measurement session
- Style discussion and design decisions
- Basted fitting appointment (4 weeks later)
- Final fitting and delivery (12 weeks total)
Investment:
- Men's 2-piece bespoke suit with basted fitting: From £899
- Men's 3-piece bespoke suit with basted fitting: From £1,099
- Women's 2-piece bespoke suit with basted fitting: From £899
- Women's 3-piece bespoke suit with basted fitting: From £1,099
The Difference Is in the Details
True bespoke tailoring with a basted fitting represents the pinnacle of sartorial craftsmanship. It's the difference between a suit that fits and a suit that feels like it was made for you—because it truly was.
Your suit will feature:
- Unique paper pattern created specifically for your body
- Hand-stitched horsehair canvas (half or full)
- Hand-set sleeves for natural movement
- Hand-stitched buttonholes
- Working sleeve buttons (surgeon's cuffs)
- Hand-finished collar and lapels
- Personalized interior monogram
- Genuine horn buttons
- Hand-sewn linings
Every stitch, every seam, every detail is crafted by hand to create a suit that will serve you beautifully for decades.
Experience the A Hand Tailored Suit Difference
With over 50 custom orders completed each month, a 5-star Trustpilot rating from 250+ customers, and recognition as the #7 tailoring blog by FeedSpot, we combine traditional craftsmanship with modern service excellence.
Book your bespoke consultation today and discover the confidence that comes from wearing a suit made exclusively for you—perfected through the time-honored tradition of basted fittings.
A Hand Tailored Suit – Where traditional craftsmanship meets modern precision.
"PEOPLE WILL STARE. MAKE IT WORTH THEIR WHILE" - HARRY WINSTON -
A Hand Tailored Suit, the bespoke tailoring company offering you a slice of London’s Savile Row, for a cut of the cost.
If you have a special event or wedding to attend, an autumn gathering, or a cozy office fall celebration, we can create a unique bespoke ensemble just for you. From hand-crafted wool and tweed jackets to custom shirts, corduroy pieces, and merino wool tailored trousers perfect for the season’s crisp air.
Get in touch with our talented tailoring team today.
You can either design online or book in with one of our talented tailoring team. All garments are hand-made to fit your unique body pattern & size.