Graham Browne: A Bespoke Guide (Part II)

The Baste

On the second visit to Graham Browne, with colour palette, cloth and composition discussed with fervor the baste can begin. It's in this refined procedure that the subtle nuances of bespoke can really be appreciated.

When buying off the peg, even made to measure, the garment will always be to a formulaic template, assuming that this will be suited to the majority of it's consumers. However, the discretion that can be applied when going bespoke at somewhere like Graham Browne is endless. From the height and cut of the arm holes to the slope of the shoulder, the width of the lapel to the composition of buttons on a double breasted coat or jacket, working cuffs and side adjusters for your trousers. These details which are lost in the mass market are applied to show a competent craft.

Again, it is GB's nonconformist attitude which really warrants a championing here. The house cut for a tailors will typically dominate, at very least, to some extent the look of your garment and it's easy to understand why when specific styles like Huntsman's single button or Anderson & Sheppard's peak lapels are so revered. It would be simpler to cut a dash in a bid to garner a cult following, however at GB the commitment is to the client and giving them exactly what they want, a truly bespoke experience.

For the baste fitting you move from a series of flat panel cloths to build up a prototype of your garment. Once the pattern is cut and struck it is passed to the coat maker to make a baste for the first fitting. The baste is a process of temporarily sewing the panels together loosely so as to create the basic form. This paper panel composition now allows for any adjustments. Adjustments to the major structure of the garment can now be finalised, fittings like the chest canvas and shoulders can be tweaked into place and prepared for final procurement.

For future fittings these paper patterns are kept in the records at GB.

Part I