What Are Your Options When Choosing a Bespoke Suit?

If you’ve ever looked into ordering a bespoke suit and thought, I’ve no idea where to even begin, you’re in very good company. Most people don’t.

But that’s the whole point of visiting a tailor. It’s not about knowing everything before you walk in the door, it’s about discovering it together.

The process is meant to be enjoyable. Choosing a bespoke suit should feel less like ticking boxes and more like shaping a story. One that happens to fit you perfectly.

After almost twenty years in tailoring, I can tell you this much: people often come to me thinking they need guidance on what’s correct, but what they really need is help finding what feels right for them.

So let’s talk through the main choices that define a bespoke, handmade suit.

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1. The Style: Structure and Character

This is where everything starts. The style of your suit determines the shape, the feel, and ultimately the message it sends when you wear it.

Single or double-breasted. Peak or notch lapel. Two-piece or three. Side vents, centre vent, or none at all. Soft shoulder or roped. Modern slim or timeless British drape.

It’s not just about fashion, it’s about proportion and personality.

Some clients bring in photos. Others just point at the Sean Connery picture on the studio wall and say, “That one.” Either way, your tailor should interpret what you’re drawn to, explain the reasoning behind each detail, and build something that complements you, not just your frame.

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2. The Cloth: The Heart of the Suit

If style is the structure, the cloth is the lifeblood running through it.

The cloth determines how the suit drapes, breathes, and behaves. How it looks under light, how it feels after a long day, and how it lasts over time.

At Edinburgh Tailoring Company, we have access to thousands of options: fine worsteds, tweeds, mohair blends, wool and silk, even pure cashmere. Each one brings a different energy.

A daily office suit might call for something durable and practical. A wedding suit allows you to explore texture, weight, and luxury.

One of the first questions any good tailor will ask is, how often will you wear it? That single answer shapes almost every decision that follows.

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3. The Lining: Your Personal Signature

This is where the fun begins.

Lining choice is the hidden expression of personality inside every bespoke garment. For some, it’s bold, such as a deep red paisley, a flash of cobalt satin, or a full printed scene that no one else will ever have. For others, it’s understated. Something clean, tonal, and quietly refined.

We hold over 1200 lining choices, and if none of them feel right, we’ll help you source something that does.

Think of it as the inside joke between you and your suit.

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4. The Experience: Guided, Not Overwhelming

If all of this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. That’s what the process is for.

Your tailor’s role is to listen, ask the right questions, and narrow down your options until the choices feel effortless. By the end of a consultation, we’ll usually have distilled everything into three or four strong combinations. This is the moment where you start to see your suit coming together.

And that’s when it gets exciting.

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5. The Point of It All

A bespoke suit isn’t about chasing trends or copying someone else’s idea of style. It’s about crafting something that could only belong to you.

That’s what makes tailoring so powerful. It’s design with purpose. It’s confidence made visible.

And yes, it’s also a bit addictive. Once you’ve had something made properly, it’s very hard to go back.

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If you’re thinking about commissioning a bespoke suit, come and have a chat. No sales pitch, no pressure at all. Just a conversation about what’s possible when you start from scratch.

Book a consultation to visit us in Edinburgh or our Glasgow visit (each Tuesday). Let’s talk style, cloth, and everything in between.