Made-to-Order vs Made-to-Measure: What’s the Difference?

When looking for a tailored suit or kilt, you may come across the terms ‘made-to-order’ and ‘made-to-measure’. While they sound similar, there is an important difference between the two.

Understanding the difference can help you decide what is right for you, particularly if you are looking for a suit that offers more choice, a more personalised fit and a considered approach to tailoring.

What is made-to-order?

Made-to-order means a garment is made specifically following your order, but the pattern is not adjusted to your personal body measurements.

You can customise a made-to-order suit by choosing different fabrics, colours, and style features. However, the garment is still based on a standard-sized pattern and is not adapted to your individual measurements.

What is made-to-measure?

Made-to-measure takes personalisation a step further. Your measurements are taken and used to adjust an existing pattern, creating a garment designed around your individual proportions. Alongside the fit, you can typically select details such as the fabric, colour, lapel style, buttons and lining.

The result is a suit that feels more personal to you, both in how it looks and how it fits.

Rather than simply selecting a standard size, made-to-measure tailoring considers the individual wearing the suit, as well as their style and preferences.

Made-to-order vs made-to-measure

The simplest way to understand the difference is:

Made-to-order: The suit is made specifically following your order.

Made-to-measure: The suit is made for your individual measurements.

The terminology can vary between tailors, so it is always worth asking exactly what is included in the service. In general, made-to-measure provides a greater level of personalisation than a standard made-to-order garment.

Made-to-measure suits at Sett

At Sett, our made-to-measure service starts with an individual fitting. We’ll take your measurements, discuss your preferences and help you choose the details that make your suit your own.

Your measurements and specifications are then sent to our manufacturer, where your suit is made specifically for you.

Whether you’re looking for a suit for your wedding, a formal occasion or simply want something that fits you properly, made-to-measure gives you greater control over both the fit and the finished look.

Book a consultation with us to start creating your made-to-measure suit.