Commissioning a bespoke suit is a surprisingly personal transaction. It takes four to six months, costs at least twice what you'd pay off the peg for equivalent fabric, and rests on a relationship with one cutter rather than a shop window. If you've never done it before, the whole experience can feel opaque. It shouldn't. What follows is the version of the process we wish more first-time buyers had read before they walked in the door.
Step 1 — Work out what you actually need
Before you ring a tailor, answer three questions for yourself honestly. What's the suit for — a wedding, a court appearance, a first serious professional wardrobe, a special occasion you'll retire afterwards? How often will you wear it — weekly, monthly, a handful of times a year? And what's your actual budget, not the budget you'd like to have?
The answers determine almost everything else. A suit that will see weekly wear needs a sturdier cloth and a more classical cut than one destined for six occasions a year. A suit that will be photographed for a wedding can prioritise drama over durability. And an honest budget — "all-in €2,200 including trousers and a waistcoat" — is more useful to a tailor at first consultation than vague "whatever it costs."
Step 2 — Shortlist two or three tailors
Don't enquire with ten. Two or three is the sweet spot — enough to compare approaches, not so many that you'll be worn out before the first fitting.
Filter by: price band (you'll waste everyone's time approaching a €4,500 cutter with a €1,800 budget), region (fittings multiply, travel adds up), and house style (some tailors are classical, some more contemporary, some specialise in tweeds, some in city worsteds). Our directory is organised on those axes.
Step 3 — The first consultation
You'll usually get 60–90 minutes, free, with no obligation. The cutter will measure you, discuss the occasion, take a read of your posture and build, and walk you through their cloth library. You'll probably be shown ten to twenty cloth options rather than the full catalogue — a good cutter edits for you.
Questions worth asking at consultation:
- "What's your lead time right now?" — some houses are booked 6+ months out.
- "How many fittings will there be, and over what period?" — three is standard; four is normal for a first commission; two is usually MTM rebranded.
- "If I don't like it at first fitting, what happens?" — the answer should be "we re-baste and re-fit, no charge." If there's a re-fit fee, that's information.
- "Do you cut here or send the work out?" — either answer is fine; houses that outsource cutting should be transparent about it.
- "What does the deposit cover, and is it refundable if I change my mind before cutting?" — typically 50% deposit, refundable up to the cutting stage, not after.
Step 4 — Cloth choice
Beginners almost always default to a heavier cloth than they need. For Ireland, a 10–11oz worsted suit cloth is the correct choice for 80% of year-round use; 12oz+ is a winter-specific cloth. If you wear a suit five days a week indoors, something lighter — 8–9oz — wears better through summer.
Colour: if this is your first commissioned suit, resist the urge to pick something dramatic. A plain navy, mid-grey, or charcoal is the correct first-suit answer. Save the window-pane check for your second or third commission when you know the cutter and the fit works.
Irish fabrics — Donegal tweed, Magee Donegal, Kerry worsted — are worth considering if the suit's purpose allows (see our Irish fabrics guide). They're rarely the right choice for a strict city-business suit, but they're excellent for weekend wear and weddings.
Step 5 — The fittings
Three to four fittings, spaced over 8–12 weeks, is standard bespoke:
- Baste fitting. The suit is loosely tacked together from canvas and cloth. It looks nothing like a finished suit. The cutter marks adjustments on it.
- Forward fitting. Closer to finished but still with significant adjustment capacity. This is where most shoulder, collar, and balance corrections happen.
- Final fitting. The suit is finished. Minor adjustments only — trouser length, button positions. You try it on with your own shoes, your own shirt, and the cutter checks it falls correctly.
If at any fitting something doesn't feel right, say so. Cutters would rather re-work than have a client leave with a suit they're unhappy with — reputation is everything in this trade.
Step 6 — Payment
Typically: 50% deposit at first consultation (or at cloth ordering), balance due on final fitting. Ask if the tailor takes bank transfer — it's usually the cleanest for both parties on a bigger commission.
Step 7 — The first wear
Resist the urge to dry-clean it before the first wear. The shape of a new suit needs to settle onto you over the first 3–5 wears. Store on a wide wooden hanger, brush after each wear, steam rather than press, and get it professionally cleaned no more than twice a year. See our care guide.
Timeline, plainly
First consultation to finished suit in hand: 3–5 months is normal. Peak season (April–July for wedding commissions): book at least 5–6 months ahead. If someone tells you they can turn around a true bespoke suit in four weeks, you're not getting bespoke — you're getting made-to-measure. There's nothing wrong with made-to-measure, but know what you're buying (see our explainer).
One practical last note
If, part-way through the commission, you realise you've picked the wrong tailor — the consultation felt off, or the baste fitting conversation went nowhere — it's okay to stop. You'll lose the deposit, but not the balance. That's a cheaper lesson than ending up with a suit you don't want to wear.