Power of the Bespoken Word

A recent adjudication published by the Advertising Standards Authority ("ASA") on its website www.asa.org.uk, has reignited the debate regarding use of the term "bespoke" in relation to suits.

Sartoriani London, based in Old Bond Street, advertised an introductory offer to its suit-making service:

"LIMITED INTRODUCTORY OFFER To celebrate the opening of our showroom in Old Bond Street. 1 Bespoke Suit Uniquely made according to your personal measurements & specification from our extensive range of finest Italian Super 120s quality fabrics £495 (Regular price £995)".

A single complainant lodged a complaint with the ASA that the advertisement contravened the CAP code on the basis that it was "misleading". The cloth used in the making of the suits was cut by machine abroad following the taking of initial measurements, based on standard patterns. The suit was then adjusted in the U.K. following its construction. The complainant said the advertisement was misleading because "bespoke" meant "made by hand" and the Sartoriani suits were machine cut.

In their defence, Sartoriani said that there were many different meanings of the word "bespoke" including the Oxford English Dictionary definition "made to order" (which its suits were). Sartoriani claimed that the term was being used to distinguish a specially-ordered garment from a ready-to-wear garment. Sartoriani also used the example of other tailoring services offered by a number of companies which performed a similar service and which used the term in a similar way i.e. to mean "made to order". Sartoriani went on to argue that its customers see the terms "bespoke" and "made to measure" as synonymous with both meaning "made for you". Sartoriani also stated that although most cloth was cut to standard patterns, where necessary, it would cut the cloth to a person's individual form. In its defence it also pointed out that, in any event, it made clear the manufacturing process at the first meeting with a customer.

Therefore the service was not misleading and could be said to be "bespoke".

The ASA agreed. It said that whilst there was traditionally a difference between the meaning of "bespoke" and "made to measure" most people understood the terms to be synonymous with meaning a product "made to order" to their individual specification and not a ready-to-wear garment. On this basis the complaint was not upheld.

Comment

This adjudication has garnered a lot of press coverage, being interpreted as yet another assault on the prestige of Savile Row. Perhaps it is a question of experience (or possibly our location) but we in the Fashion Group have always understood bespoke to mean a hand-made garment of limitless possibility and made-to-measure to be a product made to order but within certain confines, cut by machine. It should be stressed at this point that we mostly wear mass-produced, ready-to-wear garments.

Given the (entirely justified) pride held by Savile Row in the bespoke nature of its garments, it seems likely that the adjudication will be appealed.