MTM (made to measure) is meant to be a bridge between bespoke and industrial production. The idea is good, but the result depends on what happens on the other side of the bridge. A brand can sell an MTM program, but it is the factory that makes the suit. Having an MTM program doesn’t mean knowing how to make MTM.
I don’t start with the price; I start with the system behind it. So I put together a list of technical questions for an MTM partner. I’d like answers to them before we start discussing a first order.
1. Construction and Patterns
The pattern is the skeleton of the suit. If it cannot be adapted to the body, there is not much point going further.
• Which pattern-making school are your patterns based on: Italian, English, German, or another?
• What size range and drop system do you use: drop 4, 6, 8? What height ranges?
• Which measurements and construction balances can actually be changed: jacket length, chest volume, front-to-back balance, sleeve-head position, shoulder and back width?
• Where are the hard limits? For example, at what point does a balance adjustment stop being an MTM correction and start damaging the proportions of the base pattern?
• How are non-standard figures handled: stooped posture, uneven shoulders, prominent stomach? Is this handled automatically by CAD, or adjusted manually by a pattern maker?
MTM does not mean unlimited correction of a base pattern. Every system has boundaries, and a good one knows where they are.
2. Production and Assembly
This is where you find out whether a suit is being made or simply assembled from parts.
• Where is the order produced: in an experimental workshop, on a dedicated MTM line, or within the general production flow?
• Is cutting done manually from individual patterns or through an automated cutting system?
• What pressing equipment and methods are used: shaped presses for the chest and shoulders, hand shaping, or a conventional pressing table? Which critical areas (lapels, collar, shoulders, sleeve head) are shaped by hand?
• What canvas construction options are available: fused, half canvas, full canvas, unstructured (no canvas)?
• How is the canvas attached: machine stitching, hand pad-stitching, or adhesive? If adhesive, what equipment is used to fuse the parts: a continuous fusing press or a flatbed press?
• How are sleeve hems and cuffs finished? Is canvas or fusible interlining used? Is the construction hand-finished or machine-stitched?
• Are working buttonholes available on the sleeve vents, and does the sleeve construction allow minor length adjustments without disturbing the finished buttonholes?
• How many specialists are involved in one garment, and at which operations is quality control carried out?
3. Materials and Components
A good pattern can still be spoiled by poor interlinings, unsuitable lining, or cheap components.
• Can you work CMT (cut, make, trim) with customer-supplied cloth?
• Is the cloth decatized, and how is shrinkage checked before cutting?
• Which linings are available: cupro, viscose, polyester?
• What canvas materials are available: horsehair, goat hair, cotton?
• Which fusible interlinings do you use: Kufner, Freudenberg, or another supplier?
• Which buttons are available: horn, mother-of-pearl, corozo, bone, plastic?
The details are small.
The accumulated effect is not.
4. Fit Samples and Configurator
Without proper fit samples, measurements quickly turn into guesses.
• Is there a complete set of fit samples covering all sizes, drops, and height ranges?
• Are physical samples available for linings, canvases, buttons, threads, and other components?
• Can lapels, pockets, vents, and other construction details be seen on finished samples?
• Is there a configurator for entering measurements and visualizing the finished garment?
5. Lead Times and Responsibility
This part is about discipline rather than craftsmanship.
• What is the standard production cycle: 15, 21, 30 working days?
• Is expedited production available, and under what conditions?
• Is there enough stock of core fabrics and components during peak demand periods?
• What dimensional tolerances are set for the finished garment?
• Who is responsible for a remake or correction when the finished garment does not meet the approved specification?
MTM only works when the brand and the factory speak the same technical language. If these questions are familiar, I’d be glad to talk about a first order.