In the 21st century, just about everything can be deemed bespoke. From fixed-gear bicycles to high-end dinners, round the world holidays to interior design, the term has become a familiar term in near every industry. But while the usage of bespoke as a practice has become widespread, the term itself still essentially means the same thing: that is, to have something made unique to the choices of the buyer. In tailoring, the term originated from Savile Row, a street and surrounding area in London’s Mayfair district in which the cloth and cut of a suit was said to “be spoken for” by the individual customer.
Like haute couture, some debate exists around the legitimacy of the bespoke process outside of Savile Row, but unlike the former, which is protected by French law, a bespoke suit can essentially be crafted anywhere in the world, so long as it follows the tradition of being made by hand from the finest quality fabrics. In establishing their business, The Bespoke Corner, Miles Wharton and Rami Mikhael aimed to bring this level of quality to Australia. “We wanted to create an experience like no other,” explains Wharton of the tailoring house, which launched in 2015. “An experience where the customer feels at home, sipping on whiskey while looking through the fabrics and styling options.” And given that The Bespoke Corner operates as a 24/7 travelling tailor, visiting customers at a time and place that best suits them, the notion of home is certainly made more prominent.
“Once a customer makes an appointment, we identify the budget that the client wants to spend and then show suitable fabrics within this bracket,” explains Mikhael of The Bespoke Corner’s made-to-measure process, which employs the personalisation of the bespoke process with the more affordable and accessible nature of ready-to-wear. “We show them different styles of suits and talk them through which options will complement their body shape. Finally we try a few sample suits on the client so they get an understanding and feel for a suit then use a mixture of body measurements along with block measurements. We recommend starting with a made-to-measure suit first, to see how it feels, before ordering a fully bespoke suit.”
The Bespoke Corner’s dedication to quality extends to the fabrics used for the suits, with Merino wool cloths sourced from the best mills around the world, such as Holland & Sherry and Dormeuil, and the final products crafted in Italy, with final touches applied in Sydney. Given that The Bespoke Corner is based in Australia, its tailors are particularly apt at catering for warmer climates, and as such offer great advice for those wanting to wear suits in sunnier corners of the globe, such as South East Asia and South America. Most importantly, they say, is the use of cloth. “Using lighter wools definitely suits warmer climates better, says Mikhael. “For example, a suit in a super 110 is what the average Australian tends to wear.”