Made-to-measure: planning measurements and fittings
Measurements, first fitting, second fitting, delivery: how tailors can plan made-to-measure appointments backwards from the date the garment is needed.
6 min read
Let clients book a consultation online, where you take measurements, choose the fabric and learn the date they need the garment. Then work backwards from that date: fabric delivery, cutting, first fitting, second fitting and final delivery, with enough margin before the event for last adjustments. Book the fittings you can already place before the client leaves, and add the others as the work progresses. The client sees the whole path, and you never face a finished suit and a wedding the next morning.
The steps of a made-to-measure order
| Step | Example slot | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation and measurements | 60 min | Style, fabric, measurements, date needed |
| First fitting | 45 min | Basted garment, first adjustments |
| Second fitting | 30 min | Near-finished garment, final adjustments |
| Delivery and final try-on | 20 min | Check the finished garment, pressing, advice |
Lengths are examples: set your own, and add or remove fittings to match how you work. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end. Only the consultation needs to be bookable by new clients; the fittings can be described as "for clients with an order in progress".
What to ask before the consultation
- the garment: suit, jacket, trousers, dress, coat;
- the occasion and date: wedding, work, a ceremony;
- any photos or references, sent by email after booking;
- a rough budget, if they want to share it.
The public booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, and has an optional note for the occasion and date. You receive it in your new-booking email. Say in the description what to bring: the shoes and shirt they'll wear, and any garment whose fit they like.
Working backwards from the date
Start from the date the garment is needed and place the steps backwards, counting fabric delivery, your workload and a margin before the event. At the end of the consultation, book the first fitting from your calendar: first and last name are required, email and phone optional, and a note such as "navy wool suit, first fitting". If you enter their email, the client gets a confirmation and a calendar file. Book the second fitting and delivery at the first fitting, once you see how the work is going.
Weddings and grooms' parties
For a wedding, the groom and sometimes witnesses or fathers order at the same time. Each person has their own fittings; book them back to back on the same day if they come together, one booking per person with their name. Keep the final delivery well before the wedding week, when everything else is happening at once.
When things move
Fabric arrives late, a client loses weight before the wedding, or a fitting clashes with a trip. Clients can't move bookings online: they contact you, and you move the fittings from your bookings list, keeping the backwards logic from the date. Book doesn't email clients about changes, so confirm new times yourself.
Book doesn't take payments, so explain deposits and balances the way you already handle them, in the consultation description. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.