For custom shops planning a trunk show
What a trunk show is, and how a custom shop runs a made-to-measure one
A trunk show is a short in-store event where a maker or brand brings its cloth, models and samples to a shop for a few days, so customers can see the range, be measured and order in person. For a made-to-measure shop, it turns a quiet week into a week of confirmed orders.
- Digital swatch book
- plus swatches posted on request
- 1 piece
- minimum per order
- 14 days
- in production, shipping extra
- AI ordering
- orders go straight to the factory
Trunk show meaning
The name comes from the trunks that travelling makers once used to carry samples from town to town. The format stayed: a range that is normally out of reach comes to the shop for a few days, and customers come in to see it.
In ready-to-wear, a trunk show is usually a preview where customers pre-order next season's pieces. In made to measure, every order is cut for the person standing in the shop, so the event is really a concentrated run of measuring and cloth choice, with the orders going to production afterwards.
For a shop that already sells custom suits, the point is not a party. It is a reason for customers who have been meaning to order to book a time and decide.
Running a made-to-measure trunk show, step by step
- 1
Pick the dates
Two or three days are enough. Put them ahead of the moments your customers buy suits: before wedding season, before autumn, before year-end events. Book appointments in advance and keep some slots for walk-ins.
- 2
Edit the cloth
Choose a short, focused edit from the digital swatch book rather than showing everything. Request swatches of the cloths you plan to feature ahead of time, so customers can touch the ones you are recommending. The rest of the range stays on a tablet.
- 3
Show made-up garments
Customers decide faster when they can try on a finished jacket. Have your own samples in the models you sell, ideally one in each construction you offer, so the difference between fused, half canvas and full canvas is something they can feel.
- 4
Measure without rushing
Give each appointment enough time for measuring, cloth choice and style details. A trunk show order is still a made-to-measure order, and a rushed measurement comes back as a fitting problem.
- 5
Enter orders the same day
Put each order into the AI ordering system while the customer is there or the same evening, with your measurements and notes. Orders then go straight to the factory.
- 6
Promise a date you can keep
Production is 14 days from a confirmed order, and shipping comes on top. Set the first fitting date from the day orders are confirmed, plus production, plus your shipping time, plus a margin of your own.
Who does what, before, during and after
| Phase | Your shop | The factory side |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Choose dates, invite customers, book appointments, choose the cloth edit, prepare made-up samples | Digital swatch book, swatches posted on request for the cloths you feature |
| During | Measure, advise on cloth and style, take deposits, enter orders | AI ordering system receives each order as it is entered |
| After | Confirm orders, book first fittings, keep customers informed | 14 days in production from each confirmed order, then shipping |
| Fitting | Fit, note changes, send notes back | Notes go into the next order for that customer |
What we can and cannot provide for your trunk show
Can: a digital swatch book
The whole range, in a form you can show on a tablet or screen.
Can: swatches on request
Posted swatches of the specific cloths you want customers to touch.
Can: any single order
The minimum is one piece, so every trunk show order is a normal order.
Can: 14 days in production
From each confirmed order, with shipping on top.
Can: the AI ordering system
It suggests a size from height and weight and sends the order to the factory.
Cannot: full physical swatch books
We do not send full physical bunches. Plan the display around the digital book and the swatches you request.
After the show
The orders are the obvious result. The less obvious one is the list of customers who came, were measured and did not order. Their measurements are on file, and a follow-up with the cloth they held longest gives the event a second chance.
If your bench cannot absorb a trunk show's worth of orders on top of normal work, that is the moment the factory earns its place. See production for tailor shops, and the construction guide for how to explain the three constructions at the table.
Frequently asked questions
What does trunk show mean?
A trunk show is a short in-store event where a maker or brand brings its cloth, models and samples to a shop for a few days, so customers can see the range, be measured and order in person. The name comes from the trunks travelling makers used to carry their samples in.
What is a made-to-measure trunk show?
A trunk show where every order is cut for the customer who placed it. The shop measures, helps choose cloth and style, and sends each order to production after the event.
Do you send physical fabric books for a trunk show?
No. We provide a digital swatch book and post swatches of specific cloths on request. We do not send full physical swatch books.
How soon can trunk show orders be delivered?
Production is 14 days from each confirmed order, and shipping comes on top. Set the first fitting date from the confirmation date, not from the last day of the show.
Is there a minimum per trunk show order?
No. The minimum is one piece, so each customer's order is a normal order.
How are trunk show orders placed?
Through our AI ordering system, which suggests a size from height and weight and sends each order straight to the factory with your measurements and notes.
For shops that already sell custom suits
See the price sheet and your margin per suit
Three minutes, seven questions, free. You get the wholesale price sheet, your margin per suit at your own retail price, a direct line to a partner manager and an account on the AI ordering system.
Start the 3 minute checkOpens b2b.centisartoria.com/start