When Admiral Hyman G. Rickover lamented that “The Devil is in the details, but so is salvation”, one could reasonably assume that he wasn’t referring to the tailoring of a fine made-to-measure suit. Although as one of the longest serving naval officers in U.S history, you probably couldn’t dismiss the idea entirely—he of all people would know a thing or two about a well-tailored blazer and trousers. And while Rickover was no doubt espousing the inherent risks and rewards associated with complex engineering, the sentiment remains true when celebrating the virtues of fashion’s most coveted and rewarding process: made to measure.
Deliberate, considered and incremental, Harrolds Made to Measure is as much an antidote to fast fashion as it is the complete antithesis. Through its flagship and personalised tailored experience, Made to Measure clients are immersed in a curated world of craftsmanship and tailoring. The experience is made all the more seductive through an offering of exquisite fabrics and an equally rewarding exchange of knowledge.
Every suit is prepared by a highly specialised tailor, who assumes responsibility for leading their habitué on a sartorial journey through a quiver of collars, a cast of cuffs and a glorious selection of buttonhole details that, by virtue, demand an inquisitive mind. Each tailor has inherited their passion for craftsmanship and tradition through generations of experience and learning. Harrolds tailors are the gatekeepers of a unique and rare lexicon—a language based as much upon restraint and discretion as candour and informality—where knowledge is a prerequisite and personality a must. Theirs is a world that seeks to stimulate dreams, while reconciling the pragmatic and material needs associated with dressing people. An alchemy of self-fulfilment and self-actualisation.
And while the virtues of slow fashion have been espoused for generations, Made to Measure represents the ethos of its tradition. It’s a service that—like luxury itself—seeks not to deliver upon expectation, but to exceed it by creating a lasting memory of unparalleled attention, excellence and uniqueness.
Historically speaking, the luxury experience only ever addressed the consumer touch points leading to purchase, with the ultimate goal being to sell a given product or service. By acknowledging the changing attitude of its clients, the journey of Harrolds Made to Measure has now expanded to be far more curated and enduring than ever before. The purchase is now only the starting point of an extraordinary lifelong engagement, for those seeking a greater emotional connection to the products and services they consume. It is within this context that Made to Measure is as much about the journey, as it is the destination.
Affirming my decision to participate, my experience of the extraordinary Made to Measure ceremony was commensurate with the roster of brands that underpinned it. Maisons such as Tom Ford, Artioli and Harrolds’ own Private Label were at the ready, replete with their commitment to individualism, creativity and quality. Where everything is considered and everything is possible.
Commissioning a finely tailored suit is not just about paying homage to individual expression, it quite literally represents a memento of the thoughts, feelings and desires surrounding a particular moment in life. What could be more seductive, addictive and sensory? Mark Twain once said that “clothes make the man”. Perhaps it’s for that very reason that the man should have a say in the making of his clothes.
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