Bespoke, Made-to-Measure and Custom: What’s the difference?
For anyone considering their first custom suit, it’s important to understand the key distinctions between bespoke, custom, and made-to-measure tailoring — terms that are often used interchangeably but mean very different things.
The terms explained
Made-to-measure clothing begins with a standard base pattern. That pattern is adjusted to better match your body’s proportions before the fabric is cut and the piece is sewn. In other words, the sizing framework already exists, but it’s adapted to your measurements. It’s similar to tailoring a garment that’s already made in order to suit you better. Thus, it’s a refined version of ready-to-wear, offering improved fit and fabric choice, but it stops short of true bespoke creation.
Bespoke tailoring, by contrast, means the suit is built entirely from the ground up. The fabric is cut from a raw bolt, using a unique pattern drafted exclusively for you. Every element - posture, shoulder slope, stance, and silhouette - is considered. This is the purest and most traditional form of tailoring, offering total control over style, fit, and construction.
“Custom” is a broad catchall that encompasses everything from adapting a ready-made garment to genuine bespoke. Not surprisingly, it is a term that is used inconsistently. At its best, it implies a garment made for you in its entirety but very often, it does not.
B. Kreps is a true bespoke tailor.
In the case of B. Kreps, we are a bespoke or fully custom tailor. That means we cut your suits from scratch based on a pattern specifically conforming to your measurements and physical particularities, rather than altering an already-existing garment or pattern. On top of that, our ability to customize a garment through choice of fabric, trims and detailing is practically limitless.
The B. Kreps process: Why a try-on garment is superior to a measuring tape
At B. Kreps, we often encounter customers accustomed to the old-school tailoring process—especially those familiar with Savile Row or Hong Kong tailors—where a tape measure is used to take 12–16 basic measurements. While that approach is time-honored, it misses a critical truth: a measuring tape can’t tell you how a garment actually drapes on a living, moving body.
That’s why we do things differently.
Our process begins by fitting you into a try-on garment—a template jacket and trouser in your approximate size. From there, we perform up to 35 separate adjustments, including 15 posture-specific data points that a tape alone can’t capture. This includes complex nuances like:
Erect or stooped posture
Sloping and/or uneven shoulders
Hollow or prominent chest
Sleeve pitch (whether your armhole sits more in front or back)
Armhole depth and width
Ideal lapel length (to prevent gapping)
Collar gap (when shoulders and neck are not proportional)
One especially important innovation in our process is that we measure and adjust for the front half and back half of the torso independently. Traditional tailors typically measure the chest circumference in one pass—treating the body as a symmetrical cylinder. But bodies aren’t symmetrical. A swimmer, for example, may have a broad back and modest chest; a weightlifter may have a pronounced chest and relatively flat back. We account for these asymmetries using the try-on garment, ensuring the jacket fits naturally and comfortably from all angles.
These visual, tactile diagnostics are only possible when a garment is on the body. Since you can see and feel the adjustments on your body in real time, you can have confidence that the final garment will actually fit, rather than relying on the abstract measurements of a measuring tape.
This method results in a dramatically more accurate pattern. You walk away knowing what your garment will feel like and look like—with confidence, not guesswork.
Finally, we update your pattern on a rolling basis, so that any changes in your size or shape are applied to your next order.
Visit one of our Houston locations to begin your commission.
Heights
2313 Edwards Street
Unit 115
Houston, Texas 77007
(281) 799-4872
How it works
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STEP 1
1 - 2 hours
Initial sizing and fitting of try-on garment
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STEP 2
4 - 5 weeks
Pattern creation and making of garment
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STEP 3
30 - 60 minutes
Fitting of tailor-made garment
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STEP 4
Up to 1 week
Final adjustment of tailor-made garment
What our clients say…
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Great service, personal attention, and limitless options makes this THE bespoke haberdashery in Houston, Texas! Every distinguished gentleman (and lady!) should know about this boutique.
Alton DuLaney
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What stood out was their impeccable customer service. They were extremely accommodating to my schedule, ensuring every fitting was timely, smooth, and enjoyable. I felt completely confident throughout the process, knowing I was in expert hands.
T. J. Gonzalez
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Attention to detail, professionalism, incredible quality, sincere kindness. They truly go above and beyond. Look no further.
Andrea Hornbuckle
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I have years of experience with custom clothing and Brian has exceeded all of my expectations. I will use them for all future clothing needs.
Miguel Adame
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I came for the suits, stayed for the customer service. Brian and Dinora are an absolute joy to work with. They don't rest until you have exactly what you're looking for. Officially my new favorite business in Houston.
Caleb
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Best clothing experience in my life.
Eric Mikel
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B. Kreps’ rating is ★★★★★ on Google
FAQs
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From the first fitting to the final tweaks of the finished garment, the entire process takes between 5-6 weeks.
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We can request a rush that can narrow the ETA from five weeks to three. There is an additional charge depending on the garment but normally it’s about $150.
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While it is possible to conduct fittings outside of the store, we strongly encourage our clients to visit our store for the first fitting at least. It allows us to show you the full selection of fabrics and customization options available to you, in addition to learning your lifestyle and sartorial preferences.
We believe the in-store experience is one of the joys of bespoke clothing and our customer testimonials prove that point emphatically. The truth is, it is hard to reproduce that experience in a time-pressured office environment. Once we have fine-tuned your fit, we can bring fabrics and styling accessories to your office. But then you miss out on spending time with Magic the Dawg!
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Our garments are made by our tailoring atelier in Amsterdam, Holland. But final adjustments are made by our in-house master tailors in Houston.
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Click here for a detailed comparison between these different categories of customized clothing.
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Suits, sport coats, formal wear, pants, shirts and casual wear including bespoke denim. We also make bespoke women’s suits, jackets, trousers, skirts and shirts.
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No, we are in the business of designing and making garments from scratch.
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Yes, we do embroidered monogramming. We always put your name in the jacket but there are actually multiple spots we can add nicknames, wedding dates, or a signature phrase. We can even do a custom embroidered patch for the back of your custom denim or chinos.
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All prices depend on the choice of fabric and fabric is the single biggest determinant of price. Importantly, the internal workmanship of every commission is the same.
Introductory prices:
Suits: $1295.00
Sport Coat: $895.00
Shirtings: $295.00
Slacks: $395.00
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Yes, we carry a significant selection of ready to wear items including shirts, footwear, denim, t-shirts, outerwear, and assorted casual and dress garments and accessories.
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We do make unconstructed jackets and more casual fits like safari jackets, shirt jackets and drawstring pants.
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We have thousands of clothing fabrics, shirtings, denim, leather and linings from the best mills in the world including Scabal (Belgium), Dormeuil (France), Loro Piana (Italy), Carnet (Italy), and Ariston (Italy), Gladson (England), Holland & Sherry (England), Albini (Italy), Thomas Mason (Italy), Liberty of London (England), and Candiani Denim (Italy).
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Yes, we have a selection of sustainable fabrics from Dormeuil and Candiani.
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No.
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It is best to set an appointment due to the detailed work we put into your first fitting. We suggest you allocate 45 minutes to an hour for us to create your pattern and then some time to choose fabric and details.
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Once you understand the process of designing your individual garment and have a grasp of fabrics and detailing, the creative time is usually shorter, but the time it takes to actually make the garment remains the same, 5-6 weeks.
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Since it is custom for you, we require full payment up front.
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We have a staff of tailors at both of our locations that can handle most adjustments and many repairs.
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Our in-house tailors can do adjustments to your commissioned garment if those become necessary later.
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Our in-house tailors will be glad to help with alterations.
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We are here to create a fit and style that you are comfortable with in relation to your goal for the garment. We will guide you and explain current styles and trends. Our goal is for your commissioned garment to reflect your personal style and choices as closely as possible. It’s your style, we just help to create it.
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We do not charge for adjustments made when we do the first fitting and fine tune your commissioned garment.
Our in-house tailors charge for doing outside alterations according to the requirements of the job.
Book an appointment
We take appointments at our showrooms at The Heights at Sawyer Yards and Downtown Tunnel Loop. If you’d like to be fitted or seen by a specific member of the team, please designate your desired consultant when making your appointment. You can learn more about the team here.