How to get a Tailor-Made Outfit in 5 Steps

Would you love a tailor-made dress or suit that’s expertly cut and made to fit your unique curves and edges? Whether it’s for work or a special event, take a look at modern-day tailors Assemble in Orchard Road, Singapore. They talk us through the steps of getting the right fit, plus show us how they put their own twist on traditional tailoring.

Best known for made-to-measure tailoring and high-quality signature linings (more on that later), Assemble’s founders started spreading their threads in 2015 as roving tailors, appearing in mobile stores and pop-ups.

They saw a gap in the market to curate an extraordinary “high-touch” experience, combining quality tailoring with artistic linings in their one-stop-shop in Orchard Central. Aside from their signature tailoring concept, you can shop gifts and stylised items like socks, watches, hair products, cufflinks and bags, along with activewear and daywear, via their website or in-store.

We asked the style team at Assemble to walk us through how to go about getting a tailor-made suit, jacket or dress made.

#1 Booking

Your tailoring journey begins on Assemble’s stylish website, assemblesg.com, where you book an in-store consultation with their craftsmen and stylists. It’s best to set aside two hours to get the full works, with no rush.

#2 A Tailor-Made Consultation

The experience continues when you walk into the Orchard Road store. You’ll feel like a kid in a candy store as you’re taken through an array of customisations that will help the team put together your expertly tailored ensemble. In Assemble’s words, they create pieces to give you a “high level of confidence to make a positive and lasting impression on your audience”.

Choosing a suit to match your needs

Where will you be wearing your tailored suit or dress? The occasion determines the choice of fabric (material, weave and weight), colours, pattern, cut and, most importantly, fit.

This is really where things get exciting. You get to discuss and choose the style you want to go for. You’ll be presented with fabric options, patterns, colours, stitching choices, a variety of buttons and pocket styles, to pick, match and play with. For a personalised look, you can even have your initials embroidered. It’s an engaging consultation experience, right down to the very last detail.

A surprise in the lining

Perhaps most interesting is their twist on the humble lining. Who would have known that the lining of a tailored jacket could be the defining signature of a brand? But that’s exactly what the Assemble team have done: created an exciting collection by partnering with local and international artists to create lining designs that reflect a range of different personalities. It’s an aspect that separates them from other tailors; you won’t find these linings anywhere else.

You can select from the general range, featuring roses and different animal prints. There’s also a fabulous Japan-inspired range, with ocean waves, koi fish, peonies, sakura flowers, and a lady in a kimono. The safari range showcases endangered species like tigers, giraffes, monkeys, hedgehogs, toucans and flamingos. And, in a nod to the Lion City, there’s even a Singapore-inspired lining collection.

If none of those take your fancy, send in your own designs. As the first tailor in Singapore to do customised printed linings, they’ll have your concept expertly woven into your tailored jacket. It takes personalisation to a whole new level!

#3 Measurements

As the first step in the crafting process, the team will carefully measure you, taking note of your posture, how you stand, sit, and slouch, so they can precisely create your bespoke suit.

#4 Fitting

You’ll be invited for your first fitting two weeks after consultation, with the second fitting taking place another two-and-a-half weeks after that. The whole process takes six weeks from start to finish.

Paying homage to their brand name, the Assemble tailors will literally assemble the skeletal fabric of the suit around your body shape during the first fitting. They’ll drape pieces of fabric on you as a canvas, observing how you move, the slant of your shoulders, and how the fabric creases and folds as a result, to ensure an excellent final fit.

After the first fitting, they’ll then cut and structurally finish the shape of your jacket, leaving the final nips and tucks for the second sitting.

#5 Collection and Styling

When you finally collect your masterpiece, the Assemble team will provide styling advice, and show you how to tie your tie the best way (if you care to know!) and wear your new outfit. You can also try on shoes, ties, cufflinks and tie-pins to complete your look, with special discounts available on accessories for clients.

New and notable works of art!

In exciting news, Assemble has partnered with local tattoo artists to add more exclusive designs to its collection of linings. The store is also launching a women’s range, so both sexes get to be fussed over in the new larger space on Orchard. Now we all get to become walking, talking works of art!

Assemble is at #04-04/05/06 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road.
assemblesg.com | hello@assemblesg.com | 8742 6863

If you like this, you might want to read more from our style and fashion pages.