Journal Entry
5, 7, 10 or 14 Days: Made-to-Measure Lead Times Compared, and What Each Number Counts
Published lead times from seven made-to-measure suit suppliers, what each number counts, and three questions a shop should ask before promising a fitting date.
A shop owner told us she had promised her client a suit in ten days. She had picked a supplier based on the number on its home page, placed the order on a Friday, and counted forward on her calendar. The suit arrived eighteen days later. The number on the home page was not wrong. It just did not count the same things she was counting.
This is the problem with every published made-to-measure lead time. Five days, seven, ten, fourteen, four weeks. None of these numbers are lies, and none of them answer the question a shop actually needs answered: how many calendar days from the moment you submit an order to the moment a finished suit is in your hands, ready for a fitting?
How long should a made-to-measure suit supplier take to deliver an order for my shop?
There is no single right answer. Published lead times from trade MTM suppliers range from 5 days to 4 weeks, and every one of those numbers leaves out at least one step a shop needs to plan for. The question that matters is not which number is smallest, but what each number includes and from which day the count begins.
Half-finished jackets at the next station. The days they spend here are what most lead times measure.
Most published figures are production time only: the days the garment spends on the cutting table, at the sewing machines and on the pressing station. Shipping to your shop is almost always extra. So is the time between placing the order and the factory confirming it, which can be hours or weeks depending on whether the cloth is in stock or needs to be ordered from a mill. A "5 day" supplier and a "14 day" supplier can deliver on the same calendar date if the shorter number starts later or the longer one includes more of the chain.
Published lead times, side by side
The table below shows what seven made-to-measure suppliers publish on their own websites about lead time. Every figure is copied from the page named in the source column. Where a site does not say, the cell says not published. For minimum orders, prices, cloth and construction alongside these lead times, see the full MTM suppliers comparison.
| Supplier | Published lead time | Source (read date) |
|---|---|---|
| Bosinno (Baoxiniao group) | 5 day lead time | bosinno.com home page, 2026-09-26 |
| Kutetailor (Kutesmart) | 7 days on home page; 7 to 10 days on company page | kutetailor.com, 2026-09-23 |
| Baoxiniao | 7 day production for MTM (OEM page); 4 to 6 weeks (FAQ) | baoxiniao.co, 2026-09-23 |
| Formens | Standard lead time usually 10 business days | formens.ro, 2026-09-23 |
| RJ MTM | Fixed 14 day production cycle for core collections | rjmtm.com, 2026-09-23 |
| John Daniel International | Typical four-week turnaround | jdisuits.com, 2026-09-23 |
| Centi Sartoria | 14 days in production from a confirmed order, shipping extra | centisartoria.com |
A charcoal pinstripe double-breasted suit from our range. Production on a piece like this runs 14 days from a confirmed order.
Two things stand out. First, the same parent group can publish different numbers on different pages: Baoxiniao writes 7 days for MTM production on its OEM page and 4 to 6 weeks in its FAQ, both on baoxiniao.co. The two numbers may apply to different order types or service levels, and the site does not say which applies to a single-piece shop order. Second, most suppliers state a number without saying where the clock starts. "14 days in production from a confirmed order" and "typical four-week turnaround" are measuring from different starting lines, and neither one includes the days your suit spends on a truck or in customs.
Three questions that change every number in that table
From which day does the count start?
A lead time that begins "from a confirmed order" starts after the factory has your measurements, your cloth choice and your go-ahead to cut. A lead time with no stated starting point could mean from the day you submit the form, from the day the factory processes it, or from the day the cloth arrives on the cutting table. If the cloth is not in stock, the gap between placing an order and the factory being ready to cut can be days or weeks.
We start counting our 14 days from a confirmed order. The two collections we hold in our Shanghai warehouse, Zegna Trofeo and Traveller (162 styles) and Vitale Barberis Canonico Four Seasons (40 styles), are ready to cut on day one. Every other mill in our range of 33 mills and cloth merchants is ordered in, and that wait sits before the 14 days begin. For a closer look at what held and ordered-in cloth means for your calendar, see held vs ordered in.
Does the number include shipping?
Most do not. Production time ends when the suit is finished and packed. Shipping time depends on where your shop is, which carrier you choose, and whether customs clearance is in the way. A 5 day production time plus 7 to 12 days of international shipping and customs is a 12 to 17 day delivery to your counter, not a 5 day one. Ask every supplier whether its published number stops at the factory door or includes the journey to your shop. Our 14 days end at our Shanghai factory. Shipping is extra and on top.
Hand stitching on a jacket edge. The hours of work inside a production window are the same whether the published number is 5 days or 14.
Calendar days or business days?
Formens writes "usually 10 business days." Business days exclude weekends, so 10 business days is at least 14 calendar days, and more over a public holiday. Most other suppliers on the table do not specify. Our 14 days are calendar days, counted from the confirmed order to the suit leaving the factory. If a supplier writes a number without saying calendar or business, that is one of the three questions to ask before you rely on it.
What to settle before you promise a fitting date
The shortest lead time in the table is not necessarily the first suit in your shop. What gets a garment to a fitting appointment on time is the full chain from order to delivery, not the factory's portion alone. Before you commit a date to a client, settle these five points with your supplier:
- Cloth. Is the fabric in stock at the factory, or does it need to be ordered from the mill? In-stock cloth starts the production clock on the day of confirmation. Ordered-in cloth adds the mill's own delivery time before production begins.
- Starting point. Does the lead time start from your order submission, from the factory's confirmation, or from the cloth arriving?
- Shipping. How long does shipping take from the factory to your shop, and is it included in the published number or extra?
- Calendar vs business days. Is the number in calendar days or business days? Ten business days over a week with a public holiday is close to three calendar weeks.
- Your own margin. The gap between the suit arriving at your shop and the client's fitting is yours to set. Having one is the difference between a relaxed fitting and a phone call explaining why the suit is not ready.
For a fuller view of how the calendar looks from a shop's side, including seasonal timing and trunk show windows, see how long does a custom suit take, from the shop side. For a side-by-side comparison of everything beyond lead times, see MTM suppliers for tailor shops.
A published lead time is a starting point for the conversation, not the end of it. The suppliers who spell out what their number includes are giving you something you can plan around. The ones who leave it vague are not necessarily slower. They are leaving you to fill in the blanks before you can promise your client a date.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a made-to-measure suit supplier take to deliver an order for my shop?
Published lead times from trade MTM suppliers range from 5 days to 4 weeks. The number that matters for your fitting calendar is not the smallest one, but the one that tells you where the clock starts, whether shipping is inside it, and whether it counts calendar days or business days. Centi Sartoria runs 14 days in production from a confirmed order, shipping extra.
Do published made-to-measure lead times include shipping?
Most do not. Published lead times from MTM factories typically cover production only, from cutting to pressing. Shipping to your shop, customs clearance and any courier time come on top. Ask every supplier whether its published number ends at the factory door or at your counter.
What is the difference between business days and calendar days in suit production lead times?
Ten business days exclude weekends and public holidays, so the minimum calendar time is 14 days and can be longer over a holiday. Most suppliers do not specify which they mean. If a lead time does not say, ask, because the difference is at least four days on a two-week production run.
Why does the same factory publish different lead times on different pages?
Different pages can describe different products, order sizes or service tiers. Baoxiniao, for example, writes 7 day production for MTM on its OEM page and 4 to 6 weeks in its FAQ on the same website. The two numbers may apply to different order types or include different steps. Ask which number applies to the order you are placing.
How can a tailor shop compare lead times from different made-to-measure suppliers?
Put every supplier on the same checklist: from which day does the count start, does it include shipping, and does it mean calendar days or business days. A 5 day production time plus 10 days of international shipping is a 15 day delivery. A 14 day production time with cloth already in stock and a clear starting point can be faster to your shop than a shorter number that starts later or leaves out steps.