The point of custom.
Good clothes should not make you feel like someone else. They should feel like yours from the moment you put them on. That is where Scarborough starts.
Christian Gardner in Scarborough custom tailoring.
the Process
Every garment begins with an appointment with Christian at the Scarborough showroom in San Francisco. From the first conversation through the final fitting, the process is shaped around what you want to wear and how you want it to fit.
01/ it starts with you
Custom tailoring begins with the person, not a garment already hanging on a rack. At your first appointment, Christian gets to know what you are looking for, how you dress, what is missing from your wardrobe, and how the piece(s) needs to work in your life.
You do not need to arrive with every detail figured out. Bring an idea, an image, a favorite jacket, or simply a reason for being there. Christian helps turn that starting point into something specific to you.
Once the direction is clear, the garment begins to take shape. Christian guides you through the cloth, silhouette, proportions and details that define the piece. Lapels, pockets, buttons, linings and finishing choices are considered together rather than selected from a preset formula.
Scarborough works with an extensive range of suiting, jacketing, shirting and formalwear cloth, giving each order a different place to begin.
02/ Cloth, Style & the details
03/ MEASURED FOR YOU
Each garment begins with more than a set of measurements. Christian also considers proportion, posture and how the garment should sit and move on the body. From that information, an individual pattern is created for the client and used as the foundation for the garment’s construction.
That pattern becomes part of the ongoing relationship, allowing future orders to build on an established fit rather than starting from scratch each time.
04/ THE MAKING
With the cloth, measurements, pattern and design details established, the garment moves into production. Each piece is constructed specifically for the client rather than adapted from a standard finished size.
A custom suit typically takes about six to eight weeks to complete, depending on the garment, cloth and requirements of the order.
05/ THE FITTING
When the finished garment arrives, you return to the showroom for a fitting with Christian. He looks at the balance of the garment on the body, the way it falls and moves, and whether any refinements are needed.
If adjustments are called for, Christian coordinates them before the garment is completed. The goal is not simply for the measurements to be correct, but for the finished piece to look and feel right on the person wearing it.
TWO APPROACHES TO FIT
Both begin with an individual client pattern and custom construction. The difference is in how the fit is refined along the way.
Semi-Bespoke
Two fittings - hand finished
Scarborough’s semi-bespoke process begins with an individual pattern created from the client’s measurements, proportions and design specifications. The first fitting takes place at the initial appointment, when Christian establishes the fit and details of the garment. The second takes place with the hand-finished garment when it is evaluated for fit, balance and any final refinements that may be needed.
Bespoke
Three fittings, with an intermediate fitting
before the final cloth is cut - full hand
Bespoke builds on the same individual-pattern approach, with three fittings and a fully handmade garment. After the initial appointment and measurements, a muslin cloth test garment is made for the second fitting. Christian uses this fitting to evaluate the fit, balance and proportions and refine the pattern before the chosen cloth is cut. The third fitting takes place with the finished garment, when Christian assesses the final result and identifies any last adjustments that may be needed.