Established in Dublin in 1948, Best Menswear has been an industry leader in Irish tailoring for over 70 years. While traditionally, the company catered mainly towards a cisgender male clientele, it has expanded in recent times to become more diverse and inclusive, particularly through the introduction of the Women’s Made To Measure service.

The bespoke suits are tailor-made to fit and flatter individual bodies, with all details chosen by the customer, with the help of a specialist. The aim is to ensure that anyone can come into the shop, and leave feeling confident and comfortable in their formalware.

To get more insight on the new offering, we spoke to Tara Grehan and Karolina Vasiliauskaite from the Best Menswear team to hear about both the professional and personal impact of the Women’s Made To Measure service.

 

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Tara, what inspired Best Menswear to provide a Women’s Made To Measure suit service?
T: For many years, we’ve been asked by women frustrated by the lack of quality women’s tailoring to offer a selection of business and occasion wear. With over 70 year’s experience in tailoring, we feel confident to include this service for the women of Ireland who have been looking for this service.

We are Best Menswear, but it is important to us that we are able to cater for anyone who walks into one of our stores. For a long time, we had women coming into our stores to get a suit that wasn’t their fit, it was about time we broke that cycle.

How does the Made To Measure process work for women’s suits?
T: First, the customer books an in-store appointment with one of our Made To Measure Specialists, who will explain the process to them and gain a full understanding of their requirements.

Under the expert guidance of our Made To Measure Specialist, they choose the cut, cloth and styling details down to linings and buttons and trims, including personalised embroidery if desired.

The tailoring and manufacturing process usually takes 4-5 weeks. When completed, the customer is invited for a final fitting where any minor adjustments will be made.

What has the response been like from customers using the Women’s Made To Measure service?
T: Since we launched Women’s Made to Measure, we can confidently say that every woman who walks out of our store has been pleased with the process and the finished product. We can always see the confidence of the customer when they try on the suit that they designed for the first time. We don’t mean to be cliché, but “glowing” is the word we would use!

 

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For you, how important was it to have the right suit for your wedding?
T: It was a proud moment for me to be able to wear a suit designed by me with Best Menswear for my wedding day. I have been part of this company for over 20 years, and have led the Women’s Made to Measure service since it launched. I knew that I would be happy with the suit, as I have seen so many other people be thrilled with their finished suit.

It was really important for me to have my exact fit and give me one less thing to worry about on my wedding day. 

Can you tell us about the design you chose?
T: I chose a mix-and-match look, with a light blue window check jacket and a matching navy waistcoat and trousers. I chose to embroider the date of the wedding on the back of the collar to make that bit more special.

As you can imagine, I felt so confident and relieved to be wearing something made just for me. It is great to have something of that quality as I am still wearing pieces from the look I designed and wore, today!

And Karolina, similarly, how important was it for your partner to have the right suit for your wedding?
K: It was really important for Jen to have the right suit for the wedding, as she would usually be concerned about what to wear coming up to events, so it was a huge relief for her to know this would be made especially for her and that she got to be a part of the process.

Jen went for a lovely double-breasted two-piece navy pinstripe suit, which is made from a wool stretch fabric. She chose to go with crème buttons and a turn-up on the trousers. We wanted a relaxed wedding look where she felt comfortable in what she was wearing. She chose to pair it with white leather trainers and a cotton tee.

How did Jen feel wearing the suit on the day?
K: Jen felt really sure of herself and relaxed on the day. She felt a huge difference in wearing something that is specifically made for her. It meant that all of the important things to her were possible, regardless of her size or shape, and Tara was able to make it look exactly how she envisioned it.

To learn more about Best Menswear’s new Women’s Made To Measure service, and to book a consultation, click here.