Bespoke & Made to Measure Service

If a suit ranks as the most articulate of garments in the language of clothes, then it should guarantee sartorial eloquence. Today the term "custom made" has come to represent a wide range of different manufacturing processes and qualities. Legitimately bespoke suits involve a specific series of steps with commensurate degrees of quality. An Oliver Brown bespoke suit represents the highest levels of authentic bespoke craftsmanship distinguished by its construction and tailoring.

Why custom made?

Wearing something expressly created for one's body and mind is an intoxicating luxury. After realizing what such refined raiment can do for him both physically and psychologically, it is the rare man who does not become a convert for life. Even in today's culture of instant gratification, a large majority of the world's best-dressed men still go to the effort and expense of having their clothes custom made.

Custom-made apparel is the product of exact measurements taken for you, instead of an imaginary figure. Ready-to-wear garments, no matter how well altered, can never be as accurately fitted as one made by a skilled craftsman who constructs it especially for your body.

The Construction

• Fabric
  One of the first things you may notice when looking at a Oliver Brown suit is the softness and quality of the fabric. Only the finest natural fibers such as Super 100s to 200s wools, cashmere and linen are used. This allows us to construct a suit that is unsurpassed in comfort. These high quality materials drape better, are more resistant to temperature and humidity and will resist creasing. Through our exclusive tie-ups with the finest mills of Italy and Great Britain, we ensure that the fabric is stored in a climate controlled warehouse and shipped to our shop only on the day the suit is actually cut.
• Canvas Construction
  Oliver Brown uses the finest canvas for interlinings. This is an exclusive lightweight horsehair construction that adds lasting shape and body to the coat front without the heavy stiffness of the lesser quality 'fused' canvas used in most suits.
• Lining
  Oliver Brown suits are lined with Bemberg or pure silk. Neither will fade nor shrink and both offer unsurpassed quality and comfort.
• Buttons
  Oliver Brown uses only the finest buttons of natural 'smoked' horn and carozo nut. Made in France, these buttons offer durability and a richness of color and texture that are unmatched by man-made materials.
• Silk Thread
  All sewing operations are accomplished with the finest silk thread. Silk provides strength, elasticity, and "memory" (it returns to its original length after being stretched) plus reliable color brilliance and fastness. Finally this holds up better against the constant stress of daily wear, dry cleaning and pressing.

The Tailoring

An Oliver Brown suit is the result of many hours of expert craftsmanship. Every part of the construction is carried out the old-fashioned way-by hand; from the cutting of the cloth to the stitching of the final buttonhole. Every suit carries over 20.000 individual stitches by hand - creating its unique structure. Our precious heritage is based on experience in knowing how to touch fabric, evaluate its drape and knowing how to translate this into a suit. With a tradition of highly skilled tailoring, the final product is a suit of unsurpassed fit, comfort and quality.

Some of the details include:

• Canvas:
  This gives the jacket its shape and structure. Using only the finest materials, jackets are constructed using a 'full' canvas. The canvas and outer fabric are molded in the form of the wearer and basted before being sewn in place with minute skill stitches. This is called a 'floating' canvas and allows the jacket to move with its wearer. Normal jackets typically employ a cheaper 'fused' half canvas method of construction.
• Lapels:
  Oliver Brown jackets are easily identified by the 'roll' on the lapels. Calling for a high level of craftsmanship each lapel has literally thousands of stitches that hold it in place and create the perfect roll.
• Details:
  Oliver Brown suits are recognized by the high quality workmanship and the details in the garments. These include:
  
  
  • Button Holes: The result of high quality craftsmanship, all Oliver Brown button holes are painstakingly sewn by hand using the finest silk thread to create durability and a silky feel. Additionally all jackets come with working buttons at the cuff. Should you chose to place a flower in the lapel, there is a 'flower keep' to hold the stem in place.
  • Pockets: Whether it's a simple besom or the traditional 'ticket' pocket, all Oliver Brown pockets are identified through the crescent shaped stitching on either side. This serves to reinforce the seams and prevents the mouths from 'gaping' when heavy objects are placed in them.
  • Shields: Jackets come with an underarm shields and trousers come lined and with a crotch guard - details found in only the finest suits.

The bespoke process/ timescale are roughly 4 weeks for a fitting and depending on the amount of fittings required (generally 1/3) will take 8 weeks to complete. This can be arranged in a much faster time scale 1/3 weeks but can affect the cost.

NB Timings can be greatly improved but charges can apply accordingly

Made to Order - Personal Service

What it means.

We have taken our finest ready to order procedures and combined them with the flexibility of creating your own garment with ready to wear blocks.

Our classic Personal Tailoring Service enables you to have suits, jackets, trousers, waistcoats and evening wear made to your individual specifications – from a chosen block – in the cloths that suit your taste and needs. You can ensure that your own special requirements are met.

No fittings are required but small quick adjustments are sometimes advised at no extra cost by our in house tailor.

For example Oliver Brown stock garment made in accordance with particular instructions or requirements; custom-made.

Instructions can be on Jackets/coats/waistcoats.

• Lining colour
• Any choice of stock cloth
• Detailing ie
  • Slanted/straight pockets
  • Pockets flaps or jets
  • Number of buttons on sleeve
  • Number of buttons on a single breasted jacket i.e. button one, two, three or four etc
  • Number of buttons on a double breasted jacket i.e. button one fasten two, button two show three etc
  • Covered buttons or plain buttons
  • Inside pockets (telephone and money sizes)
  • Outside pockets
  • Roping
  • Facings
  • Lapel width
  • Cuffs; flared, gauntlet.
• Trousers
  • Pleats
  • Pockets
  • Bottom width
  • Brace buttons, loops, side straps
  • Zip/button fly
  • Raised seem

The above is just few examples of what we can do

Minor Alterations to a garment

For example the alterations we can add to a block are sleeve length, jacket length, trousers length

What is NOT included in the made to order service is any changes to the actual block fit for example if the block doesn't fit you in the chest then you need a Made to Measure or Bespoke garment.

If you have a block that fits you and you can’t come into the shop we can take your requirements and your order can be made over the telephone or email.

Oliver brown also provides and alteration service please book an appointment with our in-house tailor.

To book an appointment please call/email Juan Carlos our in house bespoke cutter and tailor on juan@oliverbrown.org.uk or call 02072599494.