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| What does 'bespoke' mean? | What does 'bespoke' mean? |
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| WHO, WHAT, WHY? The Magazine answers... Mr Souster (left) believes bespoke means "made on the premises" | WHO, WHAT, WHY? The Magazine answers... Mr Souster (left) believes bespoke means "made on the premises" |
| Savile Row tailors have lost their exclusive claim to the term "bespoke". So what does the word mean? | Savile Row tailors have lost their exclusive claim to the term "bespoke". So what does the word mean? |
| When menswear company Sartoriani described its suits as "bespoke", eyebrows raised among the tailoring community of Savile Row, who spend hours crafting garments by hand. | When menswear company Sartoriani described its suits as "bespoke", eyebrows raised among the tailoring community of Savile Row, who spend hours crafting garments by hand. |
| The Advertising Standards Agency has rejected a complaint that Sartoriani should not have used the word in a newspaper advert to describe their computerised made-to-measure suits costing £495. | The Advertising Standards Agency has rejected a complaint that Sartoriani should not have used the word in a newspaper advert to describe their computerised made-to-measure suits costing £495. |
| The Collins dictionary's definition is: | The Collins dictionary's definition is: |
| bespoke adj, chiefly Brit (esp of clothing or a website, computer program, etc) made to the customer's specifications | bespoke adj, chiefly Brit (esp of clothing or a website, computer program, etc) made to the customer's specifications |
| Initially, bespoke had a slightly different meaning. | Initially, bespoke had a slightly different meaning. |
| "It's a past participle of the verb 'to bespeak' which meant 'to exclaim or call out', then it changed to describe 'to discuss, decide upon' and lastly became 'discussed in advance', hence its use to describe tailor-made garments," says Cormac McKeown, of Collins dictionary. | "It's a past participle of the verb 'to bespeak' which meant 'to exclaim or call out', then it changed to describe 'to discuss, decide upon' and lastly became 'discussed in advance', hence its use to describe tailor-made garments," says Cormac McKeown, of Collins dictionary. |
| THE ANSWER Dictionary definition means made for the customerNow commonly applied to IT software Interestingly, its first mention by this definition was about a play. In A Narrative of the Life of Mrs Charlotte Charke (1755), there's a line "At length the bespoke play was to be enacted, which was The Beaux Stratagem; but such an audience I dare believe was never heard of before or since." | |
| Since then it's been almost uniquely used to define the art of tailor-making, particularly of men's suits. Increasingly, there's been a creeping trend towards it being used for other items, such as cars and furniture. | Since then it's been almost uniquely used to define the art of tailor-making, particularly of men's suits. Increasingly, there's been a creeping trend towards it being used for other items, such as cars and furniture. |
| These days it has become more commonly used to describe websites and other computer-based articles. "It is statistically more likely to be used with words like application, solution, software, and database. In terms of real examples of English usage, these words have a stronger relationship with bespoke than suit, shirt and shoe," says Mr McKeown. | These days it has become more commonly used to describe websites and other computer-based articles. "It is statistically more likely to be used with words like application, solution, software, and database. In terms of real examples of English usage, these words have a stronger relationship with bespoke than suit, shirt and shoe," says Mr McKeown. |
| The best way to describe bespoke is the cutting and fitting of a suit which is done on the premises Tailor Geoff Souster But the centuries-old relationship between bespoke and tailor-made suits is the most well-known and the one causing the current controversy. | The best way to describe bespoke is the cutting and fitting of a suit which is done on the premises Tailor Geoff Souster But the centuries-old relationship between bespoke and tailor-made suits is the most well-known and the one causing the current controversy. |
| Bespoke suits, which can cost up to £5,000, may be synonymous with Savile Row, but the legendary street in London's Mayfair is not the only place these are made. | Bespoke suits, which can cost up to £5,000, may be synonymous with Savile Row, but the legendary street in London's Mayfair is not the only place these are made. |
| 'Halfway house' | 'Halfway house' |
| Geoff Souster has had his own bespoke tailor business Souster & Hicks since 1978. He does some work from Savile Row but is primarily based in Woburn, Bedfordshire. | Geoff Souster has had his own bespoke tailor business Souster & Hicks since 1978. He does some work from Savile Row but is primarily based in Woburn, Bedfordshire. |
| "The best way to describe bespoke is the cutting and fitting of a suit which is done on the premises. It's not just shopping, it's a whole experience." | "The best way to describe bespoke is the cutting and fitting of a suit which is done on the premises. It's not just shopping, it's a whole experience." |
| WHO, WHAT, WHY? A regular part of the BBC News Magazine, Who, What, Why? aims to answer some of the questions behind the headlines It's a lengthy and intricate procedure. Following the first fitting, it is chalked out on brown paper and then on cloth, followed by basting cotton (which all comes undone) to be adjusted along the way. | WHO, WHAT, WHY? A regular part of the BBC News Magazine, Who, What, Why? aims to answer some of the questions behind the headlines It's a lengthy and intricate procedure. Following the first fitting, it is chalked out on brown paper and then on cloth, followed by basting cotton (which all comes undone) to be adjusted along the way. |
| "You build the suit through the fittings," says Mr Souster, whose own sons are following in his footsteps and learning the trade. | "You build the suit through the fittings," says Mr Souster, whose own sons are following in his footsteps and learning the trade. |
| The 1970s saw the introduction of the ready-to-wear suit, before which everyone had theirs made. | The 1970s saw the introduction of the ready-to-wear suit, before which everyone had theirs made. |
| This has been followed by the made-to-measure (or semi-bespoke) suits, which are machine-cut as by Sartoriani. | This has been followed by the made-to-measure (or semi-bespoke) suits, which are machine-cut as by Sartoriani. |
| "Computerised cutting has given people a stepping stone into our world. These semi-bespoke suits are a halfway house," says Mr Souster. | "Computerised cutting has given people a stepping stone into our world. These semi-bespoke suits are a halfway house," says Mr Souster. |