Dissecting the Finer Details of Bespoke Shirts

To truly understand and to get to know better these highly coveted and expensive garment pieces, the finer details of bespoke shirts must be dissected and studied one by one.

To the fortunate majority few with a discerning eye, they can immediately distinguish if a particular custom suit or shirt is of bespoke tailoring quality or not. It is in the fit, the cut, the fabric materials, and lastly, it’s in the stitching, they say.

There are invariably six fine details that must be studied thoroughly in order to tell whether a shirt is a bespoke shirt or merely pretending and aspiring to be one. And in no particular ranking order of importance, the following are the collar, the cuffs, the buttons, the pleats, the yokes, and the long tails.

First off are the collars of bespoke shirts, this is an important detail because the collar frames the face. It is also the first thing that people notice when they talk or look at someone.

In order to be considered of good quality and well constructed, the collar must be neat, crisp, and most of all, durable. It should not lose form easily and should stay in shape for years.

Other tailoring houses offer removable or sewn-in collar stiffeners, or collar stays.


As for the shirt cuffs, it normally ends four and a half inches from the end of the thumb. And bespoke shirt would not be called as such for nothing, the shirt could be customized to fit and accommodate a big man’s wristwatch. Depending on one’s hand dominance, the cuff link on that side would be a bit bigger.

Meanwhile, the buttons, as befits a bespoke tailoring garment, should be none other than pure mother of pearls. Mother of pearls buttons are of the finest and highest quality and can withstand the wear and tear of repeated use and washings.

As mentioned, these are bespoke shirts and that means that the wearer has the final say on where he should want this next piece of detail.

Pleats are placed generally though at the center of the back, under the yoke, but other options can be made available too.

Another finer detail to watch out for is the yoke of the shirt. The yoke is the fabric that is located at the upper back of the shirt and runs the breadth of the shoulders. The client can have the option to ask for a one-piece yoke or a two-piece yoke.

A two-piece yoke, which is a couple of pieces of fabric sewn together in the middle, is supposedly more durable and can provide a better comfort fit on the body.

And finally, the so-called long tails. The best of them, seams masters, believe that the finest custom shirts should have one. This is to ensure that the shirts will not pop out easily when tucked in at the waist.

Truly understanding and comprehending the finer details of bespoke shirts take a lifetime of study. But once a discerning eye is opened to the superior beauty of it, there is no going back to an inferior quality.