The Process

House Style

Each garment tailored at Monte Lys is crafted to achieve a certain set of qualities; this can be regarded as our house style. Our cut is designed to offer the highest level of balance between functionality and a timeless aesthetic.

We believe a bespoke suit should stand apart from its non bespoke counterparts even to the untrained eye. We achieve this effect through the sculpting of shapes. Rather than following the natural drape of the client's body, we sculpt and cut new lines building fuller shapes to create the illusion of a more athletic silhouette. We wish for our clients to look and feel better when wearing their garments than when they are not.

It is our aim to craft unique garments which stand the test of time. Tailoring in such a way to produce a classic silhouette ensures that the coming and goings of fashion do not affect the length of time the wearer can enjoy our suits. We adhere to a classic blueprint of features including: a low gorge line, a wide yet proportional lapel, a dropped front button setting and a modest amount of taper. The resulting Monte Lys garment would look equally as relevant in the city today as it would have done when cut by Don Manuel Benito In the 1940s.

A suit should not only be aesthetically pleasing but also functional for the wearer - this is where our expertise comes into play. We will ensure the practicalities and functions of the suit are steadfast so as not to detract from what the client should really be focusing on a garment of their dreams!

We are able to achieve the highest level of functionality through characteristics including a high arm hole and a calculated level of fullness in particular regions such as the sleeve head and back drape. This optimizes the level of functionality the wearer will experience.

The resulting garment of the house style is one which embodies the fundamentals of traditional English cutting, the dramatic shapes of a Spanish cut and the exact needs and desires of the wearer. We believe that a truly successful house style is one that evolves in the ever changing world to remain practical whilst maintaining its deeply rooted heritage and tradition.

Step 1 : The Consultation

At Monte Lys we take the time to guide the client on the right pathway through discussing and discovering the client's precise needs.

Before we begin to choose a cloth we ask multiple questions to fine line the exact reason as to why the garment is being crafted. Every garment has a story to tell and it is imperative that this story has the right beginning. At this point we rely on our experience and knowledge to tell us exactly what garment the client is asking for, why the garment is being produced and how best to achieve this.

We boast a library of over 35000 fabrics - each with a different tale to tell. From robust thorn proof tweeds fit for the Scottish highlands to the luxuries of the worlds best Vicuña and cashmeres we can guarantee that our range has the exact fabric for you.

Step 2 : Body Measurements

After the consultation and fabric choosing the tailoring can begin. We now conduct a full assessment of the client in the form of around 30 body measures.
However, the true art of this body assessment doesn’t come from the accuracies of the tape measure yet through that of the cutter's eye. It is at this stage that we take time to observe the client from an experienced perspective observing traits such as the balance and the nuances of the clients build.

Step 3 : Pattern Drafting and Striking

The next step in the Monte Lys bespoke process takes place on the cutting table. We take the details of the consultation, body measures and observations and translate this into the drafting of a paper pattern. The pattern is essentially the specific client converted into a suiting format. This paper pattern will then be laid upon the client's selected cloth and then cut out with a steady hand. The paper pattern is key to a true bespoke garment. This is a process which is an intimate one revolving entirely around the one client and the one tailor at any given time.

When the suit is cut out it is handed to our makers. There will be a different maker for each part of the garment. A series of highly skilled individuals who have spent years developing their craft, There is a romantic aspect to Monte Lys bespoke that is the coming together of the client with highly skilled individuals over a series of time all in an attempt to create one near perfect garment as intended by the wants and needs of one single customer.

Step 4 : The Fittings

Our makers now construct 3 stages of fitting with the customer being refitted at each point. The first of which is the baste fit, also known as the tailors fit which is a skeleton build of the final garment that simply checks the pattern in combination with the selected fabric. After this point the garment is entirely recut to implement any changes.

We then proceed to a forward fitting where the garment is now at a 70/30 stage of completion. The implemented changes are checked to be in accordance to both the tailors and customers' liking. Another round of alterations takes place to bring us to the final stage of a final fitting. The garment is now fully completed bringing together the changes from the stages before. If any slight adjustments are to be made we make these at this point and the customer then takes the garment home.

Step 5 : Aftercare

It is commonly said in bespoke tailoring that the first real fitting is the first time the garment is worn. We actively encourage feedback and are always on hand to offer any aftercare that may be needed.

Periodically we reach out to our bespoke clients to arrange a time to sponge and press their garments to inject a renewed lease of life. It is through this level of care which started at the initial consultation and extends to after the garment has left our workshop that we can confidently state our garments are future heirlooms and garments for life.

Telephone

+44 (0) 7972 0694 96

enquiries@montelys.com

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