Behind the Suit is a series by Koviem where we take you behind the scenes of the custom suiting world. Inspired by questions from our curious clients, this series aims to be an educational experience for all of our readers. Have a question about custom suiting? Let us know here.

Have you ever wondered how a Koviem suit it made? How our suits are constructed to enhance each person's unique figure and stature? Why it takes 4-6 weeks for the suit to arrive?

Before investing in a custom suit, I think it's important to understand the immense amount of work that goes into creating a piece that will fit you perfectly. This post will be a high-level overview of manufacturing a made-to-measure suit. Although it is not exhaustive, it can answer most of the important questions.

Drafting the pattern

The process of suit making begins with measurements. When it comes to women’s suiting, it is important to remember that there are women of different shapes and sizes. Therefore, a suit cannot be made for all based on one person’s measurement.

Before creating a single suit, at least fifteen measurements are taken. So firstly, the client’s best fit will be discussed as well as the client’s preference, the style of suit and the fabric to be used. Once this is decided on, a bespoke pattern for the suit will be created.

Cutting the fabric

Making a suit involves cutting out the suit pattern from the stock fabric. After the pattern of the suit has been designed, we proceed to cutting. This is done by properly arranging the pattern on the stock cloth with the use of a computer. After the layout is gotten, a cutter will be used to cut out the pattern on the fabric.

Sewing the suit

After the fabric has been cut and pressed, they go into the sewing room. The sewing room is where the suit pattern will be brought to life. The lapels, pockets, buttons and other details of the suits will be sewed in the desired pattern. When it comes to bespoke women suits, great care is taken when sewing these individual parts of the suits.

Canvas construction

The canvas construction is a very special and important part of bespoke suit making. Horse/camel hair material – either hair from the tail or the mane of a horse/camel – is used to sew the chest area of the jacket. This makes the suit firm and rigid and helps it adopt your body shape. The hair material is also sometimes used along with the shoulder pads to keep it firm and snug.

Underpressing the suit

Underpressing is the final stage of suit making. It is the pressing of the suit done in the factory to help shape jacket. Underpressing is done both for the large pieces and other specific details on the jacket.

During underpressing, a lot of hand shaping and molding is done to perfect the buildup of the suit. Gradually all the different parts of the suits are linked until it comes out as the suit jacket. During this process, the suit sleeves are added as well as all the important finishing touches to create the suit.

At Koviem, our suits are created with the utmost care and attention. It's the little details that come together to create the perfect suit.

Have any other questions? Feel free to send us an email at contact@koviem.com