What is made to measure?

Today, made-to-measure clothing stands for exceptional quality and first-class service: you can find historical facts and some reasons why investing in a made-to-measure suit is worthwhile here.

Definition and explanation: The tailoring of suits based on standardized basic models is called tailoring. The individual work steps are carried out on a shared basis, i.e. not just by one tailor, as is often the case in the trade.

Until industrialization at the end of the 19th century, the tailor-made suit was not the noble exception that it is today, but the rule and only available form of clothing. Each garment is individually tailored specifically for the wearer.

With the advent of department stores, clothing was pre-produced in smaller series for the first time. Around 1900, the standardized size system that is still used today was created. The new system of “confection” was able to assert itself in the following decades; the classic bespoke tailor found fewer and fewer customers. Since the time-consuming work in the trades was also poorly paid and of low social standing, there was an increasing lack of young people. Many tailoring workshops and men’s outfitters were abandoned.

The field of made-to-measure clothing emerged in the early 1970s. The first users of made-to-measure clothing were tailors who outsourced the same and not particularly complex work of creating the basic suit models to specialized large tailors. Over time, these large tailors undertook more and more work steps up to the finished suit – made-to-measure clothing was born.

In addition to the bespoke tailors, more and more companies emerged that now only offered made-to-measure clothing. One of the first of these companies was Dolzer, which is still active today. Dolzer is the company that made tailor-made suits affordable for the masses of consumers for the first time since industrialization and at times referred to itself as the “Aldi of tailor-made suits”.

In addition to Dolzer, numerous other companies emerged that also offered made-to-measure clothing in higher quality. Brioni and Kiton are certainly flagships here. Since the 1990s, made-to-measure clothing has caught up with bespoke tailoring and almost completely replaced it. Almost all major fashion labels now have their own (mostly rudimentary) made-to-measure lines on offer: in addition to Zegna, Armani, Gucci and other designers also offer made-to-measure clothing.

All made-to-measure suits from denium are made according to the rules of made-to-measure clothing.