The Huntsman Cutting Room: How EXCLUSIVE Savile Row Suits are Made

Step inside the Huntsman cutting room with us as we explore the meticulous craftsmanship behind their bespoke suits. Cutter Mike Deans shares his insights on pattern drafting, fitting, and the nuances of Savile Row tailoring.

Huntsman is also, of course, famous for having inspired the Kingsman series.

Video Transcript [Lightly Edited for Clarity]:

Raphael: We’re here at Huntsman today, and we’re on the cutting floor. I met Mike, so let’s talk to him and see how things are going. Hey Mike!

Mike: Good to see you.

Raphael: Good to see you as well. I originally met Mike at Pitti Uomo, like, somewhat 10 years ago.

Mike: Yeah, probably about 10 years ago now.

Raphael: At the time, I think you worked maybe at a different house?

Mike: I was working at Cad & the Dandy. Yeah, that’s where I started my career.

Raphael: So when did you move here?

Mike: I’ve been here since January now. I was at Gieves and Hawkes for about five years; then I went over to Sloane Square. I was looking after the bespoke department at Oliver Brown, and then I joined Huntsman at the start of the year.

Raphael: Interesting. Why did you come here?

Mike: I mean, it’s obviously a very prestigious house. It was nice to come back to the Row, back to the community. And yeah, I guess just taking on more responsibility as well.

Raphael: Excellent. So what’s your title here now?

Mike: Just Cutter.

Raphael: Cutter?

Mike: Yeah. Keep it simple and humble.

Raphael: Interesting. So, I mean, with your experience, how is a pattern that you cut at Huntsman different from maybe other houses you’ve worked at?

Mike: I think Huntsman’s got its iconic style of the one button, and it’s kind of derived from the hacking jacket. So it’s got a slightly longer skirt. When you’re fitting into cutting a house style, you really want to honor that and expand on it in a way that honors that tradition.

With the one button, you’re working with the proportions to balance out the jacket. There’s certainly this fulcrum point of the button position, creating a nice, strong shoulder and clean chest with the Huntsman style. So, yeah, I think it’s important as a cutter to fit into the house style when you’re working for a prestigious house like this.

Raphael: So do you just cut the coats, or also trousers, waistcoats?

Mike: Trousers, waistcoats, overcoats, shooting wear, formal wear—morning wear, tailcoats.

Raphael: So, do you have to adjust your style to the house?

Mike: Yeah, very slightly. You don’t want to be working against the house style. Even if you can cut different ways, you want to be part of a cohesive team and create some uniformity for customers. The bespoke element really comes in with the fit for each individual and some stylistic differences.

Were you trained as a cutter in Huntsman? Or did you pick it up by just visually looking at it?

Raphael: So, were you kind of trained on it? Was it like, “You come in, and here are the hallmarks of our style,” or did you pick it up by just visually looking at it?

Mike: I mean, I, of course, knew about Huntsman anyway. I knew about the house style. But yeah, when I came here, part of the conversation was about what the defining aspects of the Huntsman cut are.

Raphael: Could you rehash them for us?

Mike: I did do a trial day here and cut a pattern for Dario, the head cutter. I’m at a part of my career where I’m confident, so I wasn’t too worried about that.

Raphael: Okay, they had you make basically a trial pair of trousers just to see?

Mike: A jacket and a trouser. Yeah, so take some measurements and draft a pattern. They made it up into a fitting and then checked that it was somewhere close.

Raphael: Nice. But did they communicate specific, you know, it’s like—when I walked over there, I saw a specific, know, kind of almost core values. Does that exist for the Huntsman house style where you have like a list of all the things that you consider?

Mike: Yes. Yeah. In a loose sense. Yeah, they’ve got some—yeah, even in the making of the garment, you know, the, you know, what kind of trimmings go into it, you know, how strong we want the shoulder to be.

Raphael: Nice.

Mike: And so, yeah, it’s definitely something that’s communicated. And yeah, it makes it easier to assimilate that into your way of working, also.

Raphael: S,o what are you working on right now?

Mike: This? I’m just checking—a trouser pattern. Just, you know, so.

Raphael: Quite short legs, it seems, right?

Mike: He’s, yeah, a little on the short side. Yeah, reasonably slight. He’s got a small waist, this gentleman, slightly wider hips. So I’ve got an apprentice, Josh, who I work with. So Josh cut this pattern, so I’m just checking over. And this is the gentleman’s jacket pattern here, which I cut. So yeah, when you’re working in a team…

Raphael: And I see a photo here. So you work with photos?

Mike: Yeah, we work with photos. You—you’re working with a set of measurements—if I just cover the customer’s name—but yeah, we’re working with a set of measurements, observations on an individual’s posture and to help us with the posture, which is really important for getting the right balance of a jacket, a pair of trousers, any garment really. You’re looking at how those measurements are distributed around the body. Images are really helpful for that because you might take some measurements, and then it might be two weeks before you get around to actually drafting the pattern. So you want some things to be able to really inform that and remind you.

Raphael: I see like date, know, that says like July 2024. It’s now September, so it’s like quite a while until you actually…

Mike: Yes, yes. So, you know, we’re working on a number of garments at the same time. You know, you kind of—you know, we have to juggle around, right? Okay, this customer’s not going to be around for a while. So, you know, this one, you know, well, we don’t need to get to right away. There’ll be other ones which we’ll need to, you know, cut almost immediately. And so, you know, it’s always a bit of a juggling act.

Raphael: I like all the little abbreviations: “sloped,” “forward SH,” “hips forward square.”

Mike: Yeah. Forward shoulders, back, prominent seat.

Raphael: So what’s “prom ST” then?

Mike: Prominent stomach.

Raphael: Oh, prominent stomach. “Knock knees,” “bow legs”…

Mike: Yeah, so with figurations, the balance is really important of a jacket, and that’s what means that we can cut a jacket that’s going to be able to be unbuttoned and it’s going to retain all its shape. It’s going to hang nicely at the front.

Raphael: How do you achieve that?

Mike: It’s the length from the shoulder and the back neck, which is where the jacket is locked in.

Raphael: So when you talk about the balance of the jacket, it’s like you unbutton it, and you keep the shape. Now, when you have a lightweight linen fabric, it probably is a different result than if you have an 18-ounce tweed.

Mike: Yeah, yeah. If we’ve made for a customer before and they’ve had something like an 18-ounce tweed, and then they come in and order a linen, even though the pattern’s been adjusted through that first fitting process, we’ll always do a fitting again. Different cloths react slightly differently.

Raphael: Totally, and you almost, like, if you take the exact same pattern, the garment gets tighter with a heavier, thicker fabric.

Mike: Yeah, exactly. And you’re thinking about, you know, the visual and also the comfort aspects. You might need a little bit more drape in the back. You know, if someone’s wearing a tweed, they might be wearing some knitwear underneath, things like this. These are all considerations. And, you know, I feel very privileged that the way we work, we’re getting to have conversations at the start of the process for each of the fittings with the individual who’s actually going to be wearing the garment.

Raphael: So you understand—are they going to wear sweaters underneath? Or is it just going to be with a thin shirt? All those things go into it.

Mike: Yeah, it’s an ongoing conversation and a collaborative process. Even though we’ve got a famous house style, we don’t force customers into having exactly what we dictate. It’s part of a conversation. We’re here to guide and assist them, but we like to put the customer in the position of being the designer of their own garment, really. Where some customers will need a lot more guidance, others will come with a very clear idea, and it’s just about our execution, really.

Mike, are there particular things that you really enjoy? Like, maybe special pleat configurations in the back? Things that challenge you, that you don’t do all day?

Raphael: So, are there particular things that you really enjoy? Like, maybe special pleat configurations in the back? Things that challenge you, that you don’t do all day?

Mike: There are definitely things that challenge me. I’ve just been working on this raglan sleeve overcoat.

Raphael: Yeah, let’s walk over and have a look together.

Mike: Yeah, so this was a challenging garment because when we talk about the balance of the garment, it’s about the relationship between the back and the front of the garment and the left and the right. A lot of that is done through the shoulder. When you’ve got a raglan sleeve, the sleeve is the shoulder, so it’s very difficult to adjust.

Raphael: Does that mean there’s more iron work necessary?

Mike: Do you know what? We actually use less ironwork these days, mainly because we’re working with a lot of lighter-weight cloth. We still use a lot of ironwork with trousers to shape, shrink, and stretch. But in a jacket, there’s some ironwork in the chest area when you’re canvassing the forepart, and also slightly in the sleeve. The body’s got to get drawn in here so the sleeve can be eased in and things like that. There’s a lot of nuance and art in even just putting a garment together to the mark.

Raphael: So would you say raglan sleeves off the rack are almost impossible to get the right fit?

Mike: No, not really. I think they’re quite a forgiving garment because they’re a full cut. Most people can buy a raglan.

Raphael: And put it on initially. But I’ve found with trench coats particularly, I’ve never been a huge fan of raglan because I felt like the armhole was deeper, and as I moved, I felt more restricted.

Mike: Yeah, yeah.

Raphael: Which is something I don’t like, right? I like to move freely. I like some, maybe, back pleats sometimes because I have a rounded back. So I just feel a jacket or an overcoat should be as natural as possible. With raglan, I’ve always found it difficult. So it would be interesting to do a bespoke raglan and see that impact.

Mike: Yeah, and it’s striking that balance, really, with a garment like this. A raglan is a full garment; it’s quite a full cut. And so, you know, what people tend to want when they have something bespoke is to have it, you know, fitted closely to them, which is a bit of an oxymoron, really, with this particular garment. It’s trying to balance out having something that’s fitted, something that’s very comfortable, is not working against your body, but is also true to what we’re trying to achieve in terms of the style of the garment.

When you cut a trouser, do you aim for a specific rise height? Like the belly button? Natural waist? What are you going for typically?

Raphael: When you cut a trouser, do you aim for a specific rise height? Like the belly button? Natural waist? What are you going for typically?

Mike: Yeah, I think, you know, the way I cut trousers is generally sitting probably about an inch below the belly button.

Raphael: Okay.

Mike: So I like, you know, something on the higher side—a higher rise, certainly in terms of modern trousers. So yeah, something kind of like mid to high rise. But I’ll always prefer to start a little higher, and then, if someone is a little uncomfortable having them that high, it’s easy to lower the waistband during the fitting.

Raphael: Interesting. And then backs—are they typically fishtail backs, or are they more, you know, belt trousers?

Mike: A lot of the time, it’s a straight cut, just a standard band with side straps. But…

Raphael: Side adjusters, yeah.

Mike: Yeah. For formal wear, we do a lot of fishtail-back trousers.

Raphael: Why is that? Just tradition? Is the fit different?

Mike: Because you’re getting that nice high waist, you can really get that built-in shape into the back of the trousers. It hugs into the small of the back and just has a very elegant line. And it’s comfortable to wear. Because it’s hugging into the small of the back, you can wear the trousers a little looser, hanging off the braces. So yes, it’s a very comfortable trouser to wear.

So, in terms of fullness, what do you strive for at Huntsman?

Raphael: So, in terms of fullness, what do you strive for at Huntsman?

Mike: I think we try to strike a balance between something that’s classic and timeless. And, you know, that always shifts a little bit depending on what decade you’re in. As fashion has changed, we’re not a house that’s dictated by fashion, but the way people wear clothes does change slightly over time. So we’re always trying to work with an individual to find out what’s classic and timeless for them as an individual.

Raphael: So, for a person like me, what would be the hem opening, for example?

Mike: Yeah, I think one of the things that comes into play is what size shoe you wear because you want it to sit neatly over the shoe. You want it to balance that out.

Raphael: So when you have a larger shoe, you cut a larger opening?

Mike: Yeah, because we want it to sit neatly on the shoe and sit over the shoe. If it’s too narrow, then it means you have to take some break away—you have to have it shorter. And so you’ve got to work between how prominent someone’s calves are, the size of their shoe, and the silhouette you’re going for. We try to lean towards a slight taper down from the thigh to the hem so it gives a little bit of slimness to the leg.

Raphael: But if it’s too slim anywhere over the calf socks, sometimes it can be sticky unless you have a full lining. What’s the default? Do you go for full lining or half lining?

Mike: Half-lined. So yeah, lined down just past the knee so that it’s not catching on the knee when you sit down. And then, yeah, you want to make sure it’s not going to get caught on the calf ,and you have to keep pulling it down when you’re sitting down and getting up. So, yeah, it’s working with the individual’s body shape and also the style you’re trying to create. You know, we’ve seen a bit more interest in a fuller-cut trouser recently.

Raphael: So when you cut an armhole, I think you cut it on the higher side?

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: How do you retain movement? Do you cut it more like an oval, you know, front to back? Or…

Mike: So, I’ll show you here—let me move this out of the way. What we’re trying to do is—I think any bespoke house or bespoke cutter should be trying to cut a high armhole.

Raphael: But high is relative, right? High compared to ready-to-wear is one thing.

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: But you also have to look at the arm, right? A bigger arm, like Jack’s, has a much different build than mine, for example. So our armholes—he usually has a lot of space also in his sleeve. I like a small armhole but a big sleeve, but I still need to be able to move.

Mike: Yeah, exactly. So what you’re really going for is a comfortable armhole. You’re trying to create, you know, almost like a slight egg shape towards this point here.

Raphael: So it’s deeper in the front and slightly higher in the back?

Mike: Yeah. It runs up and kind of follows the shape of your pit. You’re trying to get it to sit neatly into the front here and then…

Raphael: Would you mind lifting your arm here? Just so we see. Okay, so you would say this is a pretty high armhole?

Mike: Yeah, yeah. And so when you lift your arm up, the whole jacket’s not getting pulled away. If the sleeve was attached lower, as soon as I move my arm, it pulls the whole jacket away.

Raphael: I mean, same here, right? It’s like I’m trying to get it slightly up.

Mike: So yeah, what’s more important than how high an armhole is how well-fitted an armhole is. Because you can have a very high armhole, but it can still actually be quite restrictive if you don’t have the correct drape at the back of the jacket.

Raphael: So with the drape at the back of the jacket, I mean, like, could you point out on the camera, like, where?

Mike: Yeah, so here. Really, you want this to fall neatly and kind of snap to there, and then it gives you that clean drape and space. It just gives you a bit of movement forward.

Raphael: Which I like—it feels quite comfortable.

Mike: Yeah, exactly. And you want to feel comfortable in the clothes you’re wearing. You want them to be functional, you know?

Raphael: That’s a good point, though, because oftentimes, you hear, “Oh, just have a high armhole and it makes things easier.” But it’s not just that; it’s the combination of the drape in the back…

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: …with, basically, the height here.

Mike: Yeah.

What else is important for a good armhole, in your opinion?

Raphael: What else is important for a good armhole, in your opinion?

Mike: Some places will have more front drapes. We cut a reasonably clean chest, and it gives a lot more daylight between the sleeve and the armhole.

Raphael: This is a Huntsman coat, I assume?

Mike: It isn’t, no. Apart from the two buttons, it’s similar in style.

Raphael: Very similar in style.

Mike: Yeah. You’re creating something that’s fitted to the individual. And as I was talking earlier about balance and these types of things, it all comes into play. And then the sleeve, as well, that goes into the armhole—you want some ease in the sleeve, a little bit of width, and it should be in harmony with the rest of the jacket.

Raphael: Most men today, you know, have some form of desk work.

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: Who wore these types of suits? Have you noticed that, you know, right-handed people often have a sloped shoulder?

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: And therefore, we have to adjust the pattern. Because it’s the case with me—like my right shoulder is almost two inches lower than my left.

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: But it also means the armhole is lower, and everything has to be kind of balanced out.

Mike: Yeah, the armhole is ultimately kind of moving around on the jacket. It will stay reasonably proportionally similar in relation to the chest and shoulder size, but yeah, it’s kind of moving around on the jacket. If you’ve got a sloping shoulder or a dropped shoulder, it’s going to move down. If you’ve got a broad back and a narrow chest, it’s going to move forward.

When it comes to lapel width, I noticed that jackets in ready-to-wear lines sometimes have a consistent lapel width, regardless of whether they are size 36 or 50. What’s your take in bespoke?

Raphael: So, when it comes to lapel width, I noticed sometimes jackets in ready-to-wear lines have a consistent lapel width, no matter if it’s size 36 or 50. What’s your take in bespoke?

Mike: Well, I think the important thing we’re able to do in bespoke is work with proportions. Sometimes, it’s about working the proportion to the figure you’re working with. And sometime,s it’s about adjusting it slightly. Depending on chest size, height, shoulder width—all these things—the lapel width is going to change. Also…

Raphael: Do you decide it visually, or do you start with, I don’t know, three and a half inches, and then see?

Mike: No, always… Something I actually do is when I’m drafting, I’ll sort of eyeball it, really. I’ll think about what the measurements are, I’ll eyeball it, and then once I’ve drafted the pattern, I’ll put it on the floor, take a step back, and look at it from a little bit of a distance. I can normally see if the proportions are right and decide if I want to change some things like the pocket height, lapel width, or button position.

Raphael: Do you go through a mental checklist when you evaluate the fit, proportions, and balance, or do you just look at it and see where things need to be changed?

Mike: In the fitting or when I’m drafting?

Raphael: Both.

Mike: Both. Yeah, I mean, when I draft, I follow a particular method, so it means I’m being thorough because I’m working in a methodical way. Rather than jumping from that panel to that panel and then back again, I’m trying to work in a systematic manner so that I don’t miss things and I can do these checks along the way.

Raphael: Would you mind walking us through those steps? Or is it too many?

Mike: Not at all. I mean, just in a very basic way, I’d draft the back first. A lot of the balance is from this back neck here.

Raphael: Which would be the point? Can you point it out?

Mike: That would be this point here—what we refer to in the trade as the “nape.” The nape of the neck. So, you know, the depth of the armhole is taken from there, as well as the waist length and the length of the jacket. And when we’re doing the balance measures on the front panel, that’s also measured from the back neck. So that’s kind of the point where we want the jacket to be locked into.

Raphael: So that’s the starting point. That’s interesting.

Mike: Yeah, and so I start from here, getting the shape of the back. This is the center back seam. We want that to fall into the small of the back and kind of lock in there. Then, I’ll draft the shoulder out from there—the chest, waist, and hip.

Raphael: When you go for the shoulder, do you always try to get, you know, if your shoulder bone is here, to extend it a little bit?

Mike: Yeah, yeah, it’s about—you know, I cut quite a neat shoulder, so it doesn’t extend out too far. If it’s someone who needs a bit more width, like if they’re larger in the hips or waist and have narrow shoulders, then I’ll try to balance that out. Otherwise, I try to cut a reasonably neat shoulder, naturally extended a little because you want it to fall neatly over the arm. You don’t want to see the bicep bulging out—not that I’ve got particularly bulging biceps, but… And so once you’ve got the back in place, then you’re going to move on to the side body. This panel down here.

Raphael: Yours actually is a one-piece front and side body, but most of the time, do you cut a separate side panel?

Mike: Yeah, most of the time, it’s a separate side panel.

Raphael: What’s the advantage of that versus a one-piece?

Mike: You can get a lot more shape in. If you’re trying to pull all the shapes through one seam or a particular dart, you’re going to be more limited in the shape you can achieve.

Raphael: Is that typical of Savile Row, or is that something unique to Huntsman?

Mike: It’s pretty typical of English tailoring in general. If you look at Florentine cuts, for example, they generally use one piece, and they don’t even have a front dart.

Raphael: Yeah, the front dart goes all the way down, right?

Mike: Yeah. And when I’ve drafted the back, and I’m laying it on the side body here, I want it to match up pretty neatly so the tailor doesn’t have to manipulate it too much when sewing. It should be sewed together nicely for the tailor. Then I move on to drafting the forepart. After that, I draft the sleeves—the top sleeve and the undersleeve.

Raphael: In ready-to-wear, the width of the upper sleeve seems strongly determined by the size of the armhole. But in bespoke, you could make a small armhole and a wider upper sleeve, right?

Mike: Yeah. We ease fullness through the crown of the top sleeve and also through the backside. That allows us to create a larger sleeve that fits into a small, fitted armhole, giving a lot of ease of movement.

Raphael: Because then you’re never constricted in the front when you move, right?

Mike: Yeah, and you don’t have a small sleeve controlling the body.

Raphael: In recent years, the trend for tight, slim silhouettes left us with really slim-fitting sleeves. They look fine when standing still, but as soon as you want to move, they’re really uncomfortable.

Mike: Exactly. For me, I like a fairly slim sleeve through the elbow and cuff—I rarely wear a double cuff unless it’s formal wear. But I still need the right amount of width in the upper part of the sleeve for movement. It’s about working out that balance.

Raphael: So is it challenging if you have people who are into bodybuilding or shaping and have really strong biceps?

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: What do you do then?

Mike: You’ve just got to make sure you’ve got the right amount of width, certainly over the chest. It’s hugging their chest and not bowing out. So you need a lot of what’s called front balance to get it over the chest and then sitting back into the body so that it can sit neatly down here. You know, what often happens, especially when they buy ready-to-wear, is it’ll be sitting off the chest like that, and the jacket will be sticking out. What they’ll want you to do is just take it all in, but it’s not actually that it’s too big—it’s just that it’s not able to sit in the right place.

Raphael: I think most made-to-measure patterns are limited. So, if you really have strong chest muscles and arm muscles, bespoke is probably one of the only ways to get something that fits you really well.

Mike: Yeah, and certainly for people who have got very broad chests and shoulders and a slightly slimmer waist and hips. The most important thing, if someone’s buying ready-to-wear with that particular body shape, is to make sure it fits in the shoulders and chest first because it’s very difficult, especially with ready-to-wear, to alter that. So make sure it fits there, and then you can take it in through the waist to, you know, make it look a little bit more like it’s yours.

Raphael: But in terms of cutting steps, now at this stage, do you add the collar?

Mike: Yeah, so that really happens with the tailor. You know, with ready-to-wear production, the cutter would cut every single piece—they’d cut the pocket flap out, the facings, and, yeah, any little part that is going to get added, like the breast pocket. Here, because our tailors are very experienced, the cutter will cut out all the main panels, and then it will be struck out. We’ll match the checks on the main panels so that they’re all going to line up and look harmonious. But when it gets to things like the pockets and facings, the tailor will cut those out.

Raphael: So you don’t touch that normally?

Mike: No, we don’t really need to. And so, the way that a bespoke collar is put on is, again, there’s lots of ease in there. It’s not just a flat piece of cloth that’s added on. The maker will actually take the piece of cloth, baste stitch it in place to make sure all the fullness is in the right place, and ensure it sits nice and flat. If it’s a pattern, they’ll match the patterns, trim it away, and then finish the edges.

Raphael: You mentioned patterns. Where exactly do you try to make the match, and how do you achieve that?

Mike: So you want it to match really through all the panels.

Raphael: So your panels align here, right? You’ve got a checked jacket on…

Mike: Yeah, so they align horizontally, and you want it to match at the back of the collar. If I turn around, you can see—the back of the collar matches the back.

Raphael: And then, with the sleeve, when you let it down, you’re kind of trying to match these areas too.

Mike: Yeah, so these are going to match horizontally. Sometimes, you can match them vertically, but it depends on the pattern. If you’ve got a really bold check, sometimes it’s better to just match them horizontally. Otherwise, you might end up with a bold check in a small, awkward spot, which can look strange. So you’ve got to make a judgment call—do I cut it to match perfectly, or do I adjust for better visual balance across the garment?

Raphael: I’ve seen German tailors try to match the stripes up here.

Mike: Yeah.

Raphael: But that sometimes doesn’t work out if you have a little more fabric in the back.

Mike: Exactly. On this pattern, for instance, the back shoulder is about half an inch wider because that all gets eased in. And what you do when you ease that is you’re creating shape here over the—you can see when I…

Raphael: Yep, you create a three-dimensional pattern.

Mike: Yeah. You’re creating this space from the back here.

Raphael: Which is exactly what you want because if you have a rounded back, then you need more space there to get that freedom of movement. Then it can’t align anymore.

Mike: Yeah, and it brings the shoulder forward. So it kind of shortens it here, where you’ve got this hollow. And then it gives you more freedom of movement over the back there.

Raphael: So this was the methodology for drafting. For fitting, is it a similar way, or what are the points that you look at?

Mike: Yeah, I mean, as a cutter, when you’re walking into the fitting room, there’s a couple of different considerations. One, you’re walking in, and you’re problem-solving, really. You’re looking at the garment, thinking, “Right…

Raphael: Defect and remedy.

Mike: Exactly, yeah. Our job is a problem-solving job. And so you’re thinking about what do I need to fix? What do I need to be aware of? You’re also thinking about the customer. You want the customer to be relaxed and comfortable. You want them to enjoy the experience. So you’re finding the balance between conversing with the customer and getting done what you need to do. Really, if you’re a new customer to a tailor, the first fitting you’re going to have, which is the first baste fitting, is really almost the tailor’s fitting. They’re looking at dialing the balance in and getting it sitting neatly on your body.

So things like the sleeve length and how nipped-in the waist is—those things are not hugely important at that point. It’s still a consideration, and it will be looked at, but we’re dealing with getting the balance in the right place. And then those fine-tuning adjustments will generally happen in the next fitting once the balance is in the right place. I like to think of the first fitting as the tailor’s fitting, and then the next one is the customer’s fitting. That’s where, you know, you get to have lots of conversation about lapel width, fine-tuning jacket length, sleeve length, how much break there is on the trousers, and these types of things.

Raphael: Just setting the right expectations.

Mike: Yeah, yeah. You know, we just had a customer in this morning, actually, who’s had a lot of garments made, and he just really loves the experience. He loves the process—coming in, seeing the garments on, watching them come together, and seeing them evolve through that conversation and the adjustments we’re making.

Raphael: Or maybe even taking a call: “I’m at my tailor’s, talk to you later!”

Mike: Yeah, exactly, yeah! But I think it’s important for customers to make that time to come in and just say, “I’m going to be here for an hour,” and enjoy the experience. Otherwise, as a customer, you could see it as an inconvenience: “Why do I have to come in three times?” You know, some customers just want their suit. They come in, pay, and expect their suit. But the customers who get the most out of it are the ones who enjoy the process and…

Raphael: Take time for their fittings.

Mike: Yeah, exactly. It’s about taking a little bit of time out of whatever you’ve got going on in your life to immerse yourself in this experience. What you put in, you get out.

Raphael: Nice. So, you know, I’ve seen Italian tailors, like in Naples, who go more with “rock of the eye.” Then I’ve seen German tailors who use the Müller & Sohn pattern or Rundschau. They’re very methodical, very systematic, very accurate. And as a result, sometimes, with the rock of the eye, you might get a slightly different-length jacket or something that feels more handmade. What’s your take on that?

Mike: I think probably somewhere in between the two, really. I think it’s good to have a solid drafting system. A good drafting system provides a solid foundation—something you understand that’s replicable and has some uniformity. Then, for me, where “rock of the eye” comes in is when you’re looking at things like proportions.

I’m at a stage in my career where I can look at a pattern—as I said earlier, I like to put it on the floor once it’s drafted before I cut it out. I’ll look at it and say, “I’m going to move that pocket down a quarter of an inch”, or “I’ll just take a nibble off the back drape.” It’s in those adjustments where the artistry comes in. But it doesn’t really make sense for me to draft a whole pattern rock of the eye or freehand. You’re trying to have some accuracy and replicability. So, I think it’s good to have that foundation of a solid drafting system.

Raphael: So, is the basis something that you acquire over the years and take with you from tailoring house to tailoring house? Or does the tailoring house say, “Hey, this is what we use, and we want to make sure we’re on the same page”?

Mike: It depends on the tailoring house, I’d say. At Huntsman, for example, we all cut the house style, but how we achieve that varies slightly. We all use different drafting systems. Mine, for instance, probably stems from when I was working at Gieves & Hawkes, where I did my cutting apprenticeship. I’ve adapted it and adjusted it over time. There’ve been a lot of people who’ve been very generous with their knowledge over the years, and I try to pass that on myself now.

All those little influences inform how you cut, your own personal tastes, and what you’re looking for in a silhouette. I think that’s why people like coming to particular tailors—why they like working with specific cutters. We don’t use a cookie-cutter method of producing things. It’s about connecting with people and understanding them. The best garments come from understanding.

“I think that’s why people like coming to particular tailors—why they like working with specific cutters. We don’t use a cookie-cutter method of producing things. It’s about connecting with people and understanding them. The best garments come from understanding.”

Mike Deans

Raphael: So, do you have a lot of customers who follow you around?

Mike: Yeah, some customers do follow you around. I think it’s… Some customers are house-loyal—they like a particular house style. But others are more about the connection with the individual they’re working with and the craftsman.

Raphael: Awesome. That was very enlightening. Mike, I appreciate you. Thank you.

Mike: Thanks for coming by.

Raphael: Mike Deans, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you.

What do you think about the role of a cutter in bespoke tailoring? We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions in the comments below!