What happens at your first fitting

Plenty of clients delay their first commission for years because they aren't sure what a fitting involves — whether they'll be judged, undressed, or upsold. Here is the honest itinerary, minute by minute.

Minutes 0–15: the conversation

Before any tape appears we talk about the garment's life. Where will it be worn? How often? Checked luggage or carry-on? Air-conditioned boardroom or outdoor site visits? Your answers narrow four hundred fabrics to a shortlist of three, and they decide construction details you'd never think to specify — like softer shoulders for someone who drives everywhere, or an extra inner pocket for a passport.

Minutes 15–35: the measurements

Wear normal office clothes; you stay fully dressed throughout. We take thirty-plus measurements, but the numbers are the least of it. What matters are the observations written beside them: a right shoulder that sits lower (most people's do), a preference for standing with weight on one hip, arms that are longer than the sleeve chart expects. Stand naturally — the worst thing you can do is stand to attention, because we'd be cutting a suit for a posture you'll never use again.

The wait: drafting and cutting

Over the following fortnight your measurements become a paper pattern, the pattern is chalked onto your cloth, and the pieces are cut and loosely assembled with white basting thread. Nothing is final yet — deliberately.

The basted fitting: where the magic is visible

You return to try on a garment that is held together by hand stitches, without buttonholes or finished edges. It looks unfinished because it is. This is the point of maximum adjustability: seams can move centimetres, not millimetres. We mark corrections directly on the cloth with chalk while you stand, sit, reach and cross your arms. Ten minutes of honest movement here saves years of small irritations later.

The forward fitting and delivery

Two to three weeks later the suit returns nearly finished for a confirmation fitting. Most clients need nothing more than a sleeve tweak. Then buttonholes are sewn, the final press is done by hand, and the garment is yours — along with your pattern, which stays in our archive so your next order skips half of this article.

What to bring

• The shoes you'll most often wear with the garment (trouser length depends on them)
• A shirt with the collar height you prefer, if commissioning a jacket
• Any garment whose fit you love — or hate; both teach us plenty
• Your calendar, if there's a deadline we should plan around

Ready when you are: book a first fitting, or read how the whole commission unfolds on the suits page.