Refashioning London's bespoke and demi-bespoke tailors: new textiles, technology and design in contemporary menswear

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory study conducted in the main London tailoring districts in order to understand what is currently happening in the industry in terms of textiles, colour, style and manufacture. Historically delineated tailoring districts are mapped out into a new style-typology based on the researcher's ethnographic observations and interviews. The key tailoring terms used in the interviews including ‘bespoke’, ‘made-to-measure’ and the emerging industry concept ‘demi-bespoke’ are defined and discussed in both secondary and primary analysis. New technological changes such as body scanning for sizing, advancement in fabrics and computerized manufacture are investigated. Multicultural tailoring style influences are examined through in-depth interviews and ethnographic research. The conclusion evaluates aspects of the notion of ‘new’ and assesses whether a paradigm shift is occurring from traditional handcrafted tailoring to a more demi-bespoke style of menswear fashion.