The future for bespoke industry has a lot of potential: Sandeep Gonsalves

Bespoke Segment Shunning the mass-produced, ready-to-wear options available commercially, bespoke clothing brands have, in the last few years, evolved to reclaim their rightful place in the market. While bespoke clothing dates back to the advent of clothing and tailoring decades ago, it had only gone out of vogue for a very brief period of time. The bespoke suit, with its exquisite detail and luxurious fabrics, has come with a bang and is here to stay. SS Homme is one such brand tapping this evolving brand and is offering the best fitted suits to its fashion conscious customers. We talk to Sandeep Gonsalves, Co- Founder , SS Homme, about this segment and its future.

How has bespoke clothing evolved over the years?
There has been a boom in the number of bespoke brands in India as more and more gentlemen become aware about the perks of bespoke garments. The prospect of complete customization for varied body type is something every person is interested in. The fits, the cuts and the silhouettes have definitely evolved over the years. With the advent of technology, there has been a vertical integration of manufacturing and design. SS Homme plans on automating many processes in the bespoke section, considering all patterns are handcrafted, though this will be implemented on client orders only after various stages of trial and error to give clients the epitome of bespoke garments. 

Why tailoring hasn’t really become a national phenomenon yet?
Tailoring is significant and it guarantees a fit that ready- to- wear garments cannot give the client, a fact not many clients are aware of. Most clients believe a generic suit size is something they could work with and assume a bit of discomfort is a given. This lack of awareness combined with dearth in communication regarding bespoke is the reason behind the less popularity of bespoke segment.

What salient feature of your bespoke clothing makes you any different from other bespoke brands in the market?
SS Homme designers hand pick fabrics from the finest mills in Biella. We have tie- ups with prominent fabric houses such as Dormeuil, Huddersfield, Holland & Sherry and Scabal. We have an extensive variety of high quality English and Italian fabrics by Zegna, Loro Piana, Vitale Barberis Canonico, etc. For shirtings, we have 100 percent cotton by Soktas, Vaugh & Pickett, Grandi & Rubinelli and Dormeuil. We also have pure linens by Solbiati amongst others. All SS Homme garments are finished with a 1/4th inch burgundy piping. We use horse hair on the chest piece as well as lapels. For closures, we use the finest zips sourced directly from Japan.

What factors have contributed to consumers’ inclination towards bespoke clothing?
Bespoke suits are completely customized. Utmost attention is given to even the tiniest of details. It gives the consumer the best fit for his body type without compromising on the comfort factor, unlike ready-to-wear suits.

How has the category penetrated the tier –II and –III regions?
While most MTM and bespoke boutiques are limited to metropolitan cities, believing that that there is not much market in smaller cities is a misconception. There is much potential in the smaller cities. SS Homme has a lot of customers travelling from various smaller cities due to lack of good brands in their hometown.

What are the occasions for which people opt for bespoke clothing?
People’s preferences vary as per their needs. Our core target group involves businessmen and industrialists who opt for a crisp business suit. During the season time, we also have a plethora of grooms and groomsmen for Indian wear as well as western wear.

What does the future behold for bespoke clothing industry?
As more and more clients are becoming aware of the need for a well-fitted garment, the bespoke industry is becoming more known. Be it Indian wear like sherwanis, bandhgalas and bandis, or western styles like tuxedos, suits, dinner jacket, every gentleman looks forward to a trendy garment with the added comfort factor. The future for bespoke industry has a lot of potential.