The In's & Out's of Custom Made Women's Suits

While many modern workplaces have become more lax when it comes to dress code and formal requirements, there is still nothing that quite matches the confidence, power, and respect that comes with wearing a custom made suit - and that goes for both men and women.

Custom made women’s suits are becoming more popular and diverse than ever before, as many of the conventions of older, stale workplace attire and etiquette are being brushed aside in favor of more self-expression and individual style. But despite the changes in perceptions of clothing at work and new trends in fashion, the process for making custom made women’s suits is relatively similar. The basic steps in the process are listed in detail below.

 

Measurements

While it may not be the most exciting part of the equation, getting the right measurements for your suit is perhaps the most important step. That’s where TAILORS KEEP fitting sessions can help to get your exact dimensions so the final product fits you perfectly.

 

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Fabric & Patterns

Next comes the selection of the fabrics and patterns you would like to use. The selection here can sometimes be overwhelming, but the most common types of fabric used for custom made women’s suits are:

  • Wool or a wool blend

  • Cotton

  • Tweed

  • Polyester

  • Velvet

  • Corduroy

  • Linen

 

Common patterns for jackets and pants include:

  • Matte/Solid

  • Pinstripe

  • Plaid

  • Herringbone

  • Houndstooth

 

Style

Of course, style is the fun part where you can start the put your own fingerprints on the design and look of your bespoke tailoring. And as with men’s suits, tailored women’s suits have a number of different elements that can be customized, or personally chosen, like our luxury ties or pocket squares.

For the jacket:

  • Jacket Buttons & Lapels: These can be arranged in several ways with varying numbers of buttons and lapels. Popular styles include single breasted lapels, double breasted lapels, and the no-lapel look. In addition to how they are arranged, buttons and lapels come in all sorts of shapes and sizes that can be customized. For lapels, their width can be wide, slim, or standard, and the top of the lapels near the neckline can either have a peak, a notch, or a shawl-like quality.

  • Jacket Style: This is a general category that includes other ways to adjust your custom made suit jacket such as the length, slim or standard fit, hemline (e.g., cutaway, rounded, straight), and vents (e.g. side, center, ventless)

  • Pockets: You can choose the pocket design, the number of pockets, and their placement on the jacket and pants

For the bottom half of the suit (depending on whether you decide to go with a pant suit or a skirt suit):

  • Pants Style: Pants can be customized based on their fit (e.g. slim, standard, loose), length (e.g. ankle, standard, bermuda), pleats (e.g. flat, double, or single), and rise relative to the hips

  • Fastening: Often overlooked, the fastening on the pants or skirt can have a major effect on the comfort of the suit and how easy it is to get in and out of. For example, the fastening can be centered or to the side, it can be a zipper or buttons, and it can be hidden or relatively easy to access.

 

Stop by our location in San Francisco to browse through unique fabrics, have a garment altered, or kick back and relax.