ASA Adjudication on Sartoriani London

Ad

A local and national press ad, for a tailor, stated “LIMITED INTRODUCTORY OFFER To celebrate the opening of our showroom in Old Bond Street. 1 Bespoke Suit Uniquely made according to your personal measurements & specification from our extensive range of finest Italian Super 120’s quality fabrics £495 (Regular price £995).

Issue

The complainant objected that the claim "Bespoke suit" was misleading because bespoke suits were made entirely by hand.  He believed the advertised suits were machine-cut abroad to a standard pattern after initial measurements were taken and adjusted at the end of the process.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

Sartoriani said, although it was true that their suits were not made entirely by hand, and were machine-cut abroad, that did not mean the use of the term "bespoke" would mislead consumers.  They pointed out that there were multiple definitions of "bespoke" and listed some of them.  The Oxford English Dictionary definition was "made to order", a men's style guide defined it as "from 'to bespeak' i.e. to order or command.  Generally speaking, this means 'made-to-measure' as distinct from 'ready-to-wear' clothes."  Sartoriani also quoted a definition from another tailor, which stated "To buy a bespoke suit is to buy a suit that has been cut from a piece of cloth to measurements that we have calculated by analysing your body shape.  We are not customising a pre-made suit (sometimes known as made to measure) ... the cut, style, colour, number of buttons etc are all chosen by you.  The suit is therefore made to your exact specifications, and is completely unique to you."  They provided further quotes, from a tailor "All made to measure products are bespoke, made especially for you" and from Ralph Lauren "A term referring to a custom made article of clothing".  They listed other tailoring businesses that used "bespoke" in their advertising.

Sartoriani argued that their suits were made to order at the customer's demand, to their measurements and specification, rather than merely altering an off-the-peg suit, and that they therefore met the definition of "bespoke".  They maintained that the ad did not mislead by ambiguity because all modern dictionaries defined the term as "made to order" and only old-fashioned Savile Row tailors could possibly interpret it in any other way.  They said in their view the specific meaning that certain Savile Row tailors attributed to "bespoke" was not the same as the public understanding of the term.  They added that they were very honest about the service they offered and would never imply, in response to an enquiry made to them, that they made their suits entirely by hand in the UK.  They asserted that their target customers would see "bespoke" and "made to measure" as synonymous, meaning "made for you".  They maintained that no one who purchased a bespoke suit for £495 would reasonably be confused in to thinking that they were buying a suit made to the same world famous standards as one costing up to or more than ten times that much.

Sartoriani listed the processes involved in the purchase of a bespoke suit at their shop. They said at the first appointment the customer would be given an explanation of the process, if they had not already enquired over the phone.  If they then wished to proceed they would choose from a range of fabrics and a book of styles.  The customer would then meet with the Master Tailor who would take approximately 20 measurements and give guidance about the material and fit, if needed.  Payment would be taken and an order confirmation signed once all decisions and measurements were taken.  A length of cloth would then be cut and sent to their manufacturer in Germany along with the customer's measurements and specifications to be made up into a suit.  The measurements and any individual requirements, such as style, buttons, sewing thread, tags, linings and any other items the customer may have specified, would be entered into the manufacturers production computer.  The fabric pattern created for the suit and the lining would be put into a "working-frame" where it would be cut and sewn by machine.  In some cases it would be necessary to cut an individual pattern because either the customer's body shape or their requirements did not match the basic pattern.  Once final adjustments had been made the suit would be sent to the UK and the customer would try it on and take it home if satisfied.  If alterations were needed, they would be carried out by tailors in the showroom and another fitting appointment arranged, and the process would be repeated if necessary.  Sartoriani said, even if a customer had taken their suit home, having signed to say they were happy with it, they could still come back for further alterations if they wished.    

Sartoriani said in order to avoid any possible future confusion they would not use "bespoke" in isolation in ads that referred to their premises in Savile Row.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted the complainant's point that the advertised suits should be described, at best, as 'made-to-measure'.  We also noted the industry traditionally made a distinction between made-to-measure and bespoke.  A made-to-measure suit would be cut, usually by machine, from an existing pattern, and adjusted according to the customer's measurements.  A bespoke suit would be fully hand-made and the pattern cut from scratch, with an intermediary baste stage which involved a first fitting so that adjustments could be made to a half-made suit.

We noted Sartoriani's argument that they made their suits to order at the customer's request, rather than altering an off-the-peg garment.  We also noted they provided definitions of "bespoke" that referred to clothes being made to order or custom made.  We understood that there had recently been changes in the industry: some tailors and high-end fashion designers described their made-to-measure suits as bespoke.  We also understood that traditional Savile Row tailors had reacted by trade marking the term "Savile Row bespoke" and had set out a strict code of practice for its use, that stipulated, for example, that suits should be made entirely by hand.

We considered that both fully bespoke and made-to-measure suits were "made to order" in that they were made to the customer's precise measurements and specifications, unlike off-the-peg suits.  We considered that customers would expect a bespoke suit to be tailored to their measurements and specifications.  We considered that the majority of people, however, would not expect that suit to be fully hand-made with the pattern cut from scratch.  We concluded that the use of the word "bespoke" to describe the advertised suits was unlikely to mislead.

We investigated the ad under CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No action was required.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)