Prada made-to-measure in Sydney and Melbourne

For individuality and fit, there’s a golden halfway point between bespoke and off-the-rack.

WISH 4 Sep 2015

Fashion’s biggest spenders and the driving force of the luxury industry may be women, but it’s menswear that’s generating the most momentum for the world’s biggest fashion brands.

According to the consulting firm Bain & Company, since the depths of the global financial crisis in 2009, growth in the market for men’s ready-to-wear has outpaced that of womenswear. With softening demand in China and Europe, fashion brands have expanded their menswear offerings with new product categories and in some cases stand-alone menswear stores.

Last year Prada, once a predominantly female-focused business, announced that over the next three to five years it planned to double its menswear sales to €1.5 billion ($2.3bn) and would add 50 more dedicated menswear shops to its store portfolio. Prada’s commitment to its menswear business followed similar moves from rival luxury goods conglomerates Kering and LVMH, which made significant investments in their respective luxury menswear brands Brioni (purchased by Kering in 2011) and Berluti, which LVMH acquired in 1993 and in the past few years has transformed from a cult shoemaker into a fully-fledged men’s ready-to-wear and accessories brand.

Despite this season’s gender-bending collection of men’s clothes shown on the catwalks of Milan, the core of any men’s fashion business comes down to three far less sensational items of clothing: the coat, the shirt and of course the suit. Even for a fashion-forward brand like Prada, which seems to turn menswear in a completely new direction each season, it’s the brand’s substantial offering of more easily digestible clothing and accessories that keep male customers coming back. And when it comes to those three staples of every well-dressed man’s wardrobe, the hottest thing this season is made-to-measure.

Prada launched its men’s made-to-measure over a decade ago and, in Australia, a made-to-measure shirt service is currently available in the brand’s Westfield Sydney store only. This month the full made-to-measure service will be available in its Collins Street Melbourne store from September 11 to 13 followed by Westfield Sydney from September 16 to 18. The service is by appointment and customers will be able to choose from the brand’s latest autumn-winter season fabrics.

Unlike bespoke tailoring, where a garment is stitched from scratch, in the made-to-measure process a customer is fitted in store using a master garment. The tailor or trained sales professional then takes a series of individual measurements (as many as 20 for a suit). These measurements, along with the customer’s choice of fabric and personalisation preferences such as linings, buttons and monogramming, are then sent to Prada’s tailoring workshop in Italy. Approximately six weeks later, depending on the nature of the garment, the finished product arrives back in store ready for the customer.

For suits and coats customers can choose from an extensive range of Prada fabrics that includes luxury materials such as vicuna and cashmere. However, it’s the made-to-measure shirt service where the Prada customer can really make their mark. There are hundreds of Prada shirting fabrics to choose from including many of the house’s current and archival prints. If you want something completely individual then you should opt for a bespoke service, but when you consider the various collar and cuff styles available from Prada as well as the ability to monogram your shirts in a choice of lettering styles, the chances of someone else ordering the same shirt as you are very slim.

To book a made-to-measure appointment contact Prada on [phone] for Sydney or [phone] for Melbourne.