For retailers, stylists & traveling tailors
Add made-to-measure suits to your business
Whether you sell in your clients' homes and offices, from a small showroom, in a brick-and-mortar store, or on the road city to city. You can offer made-to-measure suits without holding a rail of stock or running a workshop. You sell from swatches and a measurement; we cut and make each suit to order, under your own label, from a single piece, in about 14 to 20 working days, factory-direct. Centi Sartoria is a Shanghai atelier of 200 house tailors making made-to-measure suits, trousers and waistcoats in cloth from 33 European mills and merchants, with full- or half-canvas construction.
Three ways to offer suits, and why made-to-measure direct wins for a small seller
| Stock ready-to-wear | Made-to-measure (Centi, direct) | Run your own workshop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront inventory | Buy stock in every size up front | None. Made to order from swatches | Cloth, patterns, equipment up front |
| Capital tied up | High. Unsold sizes sit on the rail | Almost none. You order after the client pays | Highest, premises, staff, machines |
| Minimum to start | A full size run per style | One suit | A workshop and a tailor |
| Your own label | Only if you commission a bulk run | Yes. Private label from one piece | Yes, but you carry all the risk |
| Fit & returns | Alterations on you; size gaps lose sales | Made to the client's measurements | On you, in-house |
| Lead time | Immediate, if the size is in stock | 14 to 20 working days, made to order | Your own production schedule |
| Best if you… | Have storage, capital and steady footfall | Sell to clients directly and want margin without inventory | Have the volume to run a full atelier |
Figures in the "Made-to-measure (Centi, direct)" column, one-piece minimum, 14 to 20 working days, 33 European mills and merchants, are Centi Sartoria's own terms. The other columns are typical of those models.
How a no-inventory suit line works
The terms a retailer, stylist or traveling tailor meets when adding made-to-measure.
- Made-to-measure (MTM)
- A suit cut to a customer's measurements from an existing base pattern, with set style options. It needs no stock and no in-house workshop. You take measurements and choices, the factory makes the suit. It is faster and far cheaper than bespoke, which is drafted from scratch.
- Selling from swatches (a bunch)
- Showing the client physical cloth samples, a swatch bunch from the mills, plus style options, instead of finished garments on a rail. The order is placed after the client chooses, so you tie up no capital in inventory.
- Made-to-order / no inventory
- Each suit is produced only after the client has ordered and paid. You hold nothing, so a home stylist, a small showroom or a traveling tailor can offer a full suit range with no storage and no unsold stock.
- Private label / white label
- The factory makes the suit to your specification with your label inside, so it sells as your own product. With Centi Sartoria this works from a single piece. You do not need a bulk commission to put your name in the jacket.
- Minimum order quantity (MOQ)
- The fewest units a manufacturer will make. Bulk factories set high MOQs per style; a made-to-measure atelier like Centi Sartoria makes from one suit, which is what lets a small seller start without committing capital.
- Ex-factory (factory-direct)
- Buying straight from the maker with no trading-company or wholesaler margin in between. It is the lowest cost for a given cloth and construction, which is where your retail margin comes from.
- Trunk show / traveling tailor
- Selling made-to-measure on the move, visiting clients in their home or office, or touring cities with a swatch book and a measuring tape. The no-inventory MTM model is built for exactly this: you carry samples, not stock.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell made-to-measure suits without holding inventory?
Yes. You sell from swatches and a measurement; each suit is made to order after the client pays, so you hold no stock. This is what lets in-home stylists, small showrooms, retail stores and traveling tailors offer a full suit range without tying up capital. Centi Sartoria makes from a single piece in about 14 to 20 working days.
What is the minimum order to add a made-to-measure line?
One suit. Many manufacturers require dozens per style, but Centi Sartoria is a made-to-measure atelier and produces from a single piece. So you can start, test demand and grow with no bulk commitment.
Can the suits carry my own label?
Yes. Private label from one piece. The factory makes each suit to your specification with your label inside, so it sells as your own product. You do not need a large bulk run to put your name in the jacket.
I sell in clients' homes or travel between cities. Does this work for me?
It is built for it. You carry a swatch book and a tape, take the order and measurements on site, and the suit is cut and made to order and shipped. No stock to transport or store. This suits in-home stylists, trunk shows and traveling tailors as well as fixed showrooms and stores.
How do margins and fit risk work?
Because you buy factory-direct only after the client has paid, your margin is the gap between the ex-factory price and your retail price, with no inventory risk. Suits are made to the client's measurements. Ask us to put the fault, rework and freight split in writing before you order, and ask every other supplier you are comparing to do the same. One who will not write it down has told you something.
Add a suit line without the inventory
Talk to the atelier about a made-to-measure program for your showroom, store or traveling business. Swatches, your label, from one piece, factory-direct.