The best way to know if your tailor is creating your tailored garments on UK soil is by asking whoever takes your measurements if they offer fittings - or bastings, as they're otherwise known. These fittings typically happen 4-5 weeks after your measurements have been taken, about midway through your tailored garments being completed. If the person taking your measurements does not offer fittings, there is a chance that the suit that you end up with was not made in Britain.
The reason for this is because the cost to ship internationally - both in administrative time and in actual money - has risen dramatically over the past few years and for tailors that actually have their suits made overseas, the back and forth required for fittings became too expensive. They have not been willing or able to absorb those costs and have instead moved to offering "alterations" under the guise of a "fitting". Alterations are adjustments made to a finished suit and very different from a fitting. The key difference between the two is that in a proper fitting, you as the client will be able to see the inside components of the garment when you first put it on. It's essentially halfway finished. For a jacket or waistcoat, the internal canvas will be visible and for jackets, waistcoats, and trousers, there will be no buttons or button holes in place as yet. This is because once buttons and button holes have been put in, making certain adjustments to the garment, such as Chest, Shoulder, Sleeve, or Waist size changes is impossible. When you put on the suit for the first time and the fit needs to be better, if your tailor simply offers to shorten or lengthen the trouser or taper a sleeve, for example, these are alterations that can all be performed successfully on a finished suit, but if anything beyond simple alterations is required, that tailor would not be in a position to offer those changes. In most cases such as this, you would simply be led to believe that the fit is acceptable.
Another clue to be on the look-out for when trying to suss out if your tailor commits to supporting UK manufacturing is to examine any accessories that they offer. From socks to ties to cuff links, there are so many great British businesses that provide a high quality product, usually with a rich heritage in the manufacturing of that particular product. If you note down the brands that are stocked in your tailor's shop and none of them are Made in Britain brands, it's worth investigating further. This very website is an exceptional resource for a trustworthy list of accessories brands that are wholly made here in the UK.
Carl Stuart Tailors has been proudly made in Yorkshire for almost 100 years. If you are interested in visiting the very workshop where our garments are hand-cut and made, please reach out to enquiries@carl-stuart.co.uk.
Find out more about Carl Stuart Tailors Ltd on their member profile page here
Member-created content 5 months ago | From members