Beginners guide to bespoke shirts
At Acorn Fabrics, we have serviced an industry that’s a little different to that you’ll find on the average high street. Instead of offering standardised off-the-peg shirts, the companies we supply give you the opportunity to create bespoke shirts of your own design – allowing you to choose everything from the colour to the construction of shirting fabrics. Once you’ve picked your fabrics, top notch tailoring will add that finishing touch – leaving you with a shirt that’s designed just for you.
What do we mean by bespoke?
Bespoke is the term used for anything that has been custom made for a person. This can be anything from a fine pair of brogues to a three-piece suit. The term dates back to the early days of Savile row, where a tailor would refer to the fabric for a suit as ‘spoken’ for by his customers.
Why go bespoke?
A bespoke shirt not only makes you feel pretty special – knowing that a product was custom made for you, it also looks good too. Opting for a bespoke shirt ensures a perfect fit – with no baggy sleeves or wrong lengths to worry about. When compared with its common counterpart, an on off the peg shirt, the cut and finish are much more superior – giving a more exclusive and pricier look and feel to the shirt.
Made-to-measure
From posture to deportment and arm length, to the size of the watch you wear, any experienced tailor will make all the right considerations and measurements. This will guarantee that the shirt will look good on its own and still be comfortable when worn under a jacket – something you can’t always guarantee with a ready-to-wear shirt. The latter rely on a single measurement – the circumference of a man’s neck – for the sizing. This means that all the other dimensions – which include the breadth of the chest, the length of the arms, the width of the shoulders, the size of arms at the biceps, and so on, have to be averaged out.
Infinite possibilities
Another great aspect of going bespoke is the endless possibilities you’ll have to create something that’s truly ‘you’. From the fabric and colour you choose to the buttons you add down the middle of the shirt and at the cuffs, it’s completely up to you!
Designing your shirt
If you want to treat yourself to bespoke shirting, here’s just a few things you should keep in mind to ensure the perfect finish:
. Opt for higher armholes. This will define your shoulders and give a greater range of motion – making the shirt look good and feel comfortable.
. Don’t forget the watch cuff! Think about the watch you wear and the size of its face before discussing this aspect with your tailor.
. Go slim. Slim fit shirts always win. While it’s common for many men to choose loose-fitting shirts to cover up a belly, this can actually be unflattering and give the appearance that you’re larger than you are.
. Choose the right sleeve length. The sleeve length should end where your palm meets your wrist. This is usually around one inch beyond your wrist bone.
To start designing your bespoke shirt, head to our product page to discover which of our 500 plus fabrics are perfect for you. We’ve also got 20% off all orders over £100 at the moment – just in time for Easter. To take advantage of our special offer, pop in the coupon code ‘EGG’ at the basket page.
