Fittings and Making
After the consultation and fabric choosing the tailoring can begin.
We now conduct a full assessment of the client in the form of around 30 body measurements. This number can change dependent on the garment we are making with some requiring more measures and others slightly less.
However, the true art of this body assessment doesn’t come from the accuracies of the tape measure yet through that of the cutter's eye. It is at this stage that we take time to observe the client from an experienced perspective observing traits such as the balance and the nuances of the clients build.
These observations could include a slight drop of the shoulder, a rolling forward of the hips or even a minute twist in the spine. Gone unnoticed, features such as this would have a detrimental effect on the balance of the resulting garment, something we avoid through the application of our expert analysis.
The next step in the Monte Lys bespoke process takes place on the cutting table.
We take the details of the consultation, body measures and observations and translate this into the drafting of a paper pattern
The pattern is essentially the specific client converted into a suiting format. This paper pattern will then be laid upon the client's selected cloth and then cut out with a steady hand. The paper pattern is key to a true bespoke garment. This is a process which is an intimate one revolving entirely around the one client and the one tailor at any given time.
This is a feature made to measure counterparts neglect through the use of a generic pattern that is not based on one client specifically but instead designed to be as close a fit as possible for many.
When the suit is cut out it is handed to our makers. There will be a different maker for each part of the garment. A series of highly skilled individuals who have spent years developing their craft. whether that be coat making, trouser making or the finishing of button holes. There is a romantic aspect to Monte Lys bespoke that is the coming together of the client with highly skilled individuals over a series of time all in an attempt to create one near perfect garment as intended by the wants and needs of one single customer.
Our makers now construct 3 stages of fitting with the customer being refitted at each point.
The first of which is the baste fit, also known as the tailors fit which is a skeleton build of the final garment that simply checks the pattern in combination with the selected fabric. After this point the garment is entirely recut to implement any changes.
We then proceed to a forward fitting where the garment is now at a 70/30 stage of completion. The implemented changes are checked to be in accordance to both the tailors and customers' liking.
Another round of alterations takes place to bring us to the final stage of a final fitting.
The garment is now fully completed bringing together the changes from the stages before. If any slight adjustments are to be made we make these at this point and the customer then takes the garment home.