What’s the Difference Between Made-to-Order and Made-to-Measure Clothing?

Made-to-order isn’t just a niche strategy, it’s becoming mainstream as customers increasingly value personalization and sustainability. If you’re considering launching a business or shifting your existing model, understanding made-to-order fundamentals helps you decide if this approach matches your skills and market opportunity. LOUD BODIES is a size-inclusive Romanian slow fashion brand creating delightfully whimsical garments, such as their Flora Top. Patricia Luiza Blaj started LOUD BODIES, because she believes that everybody deserves sustainably stylish clothing in their size and was determined to make ethically produced sustainable clothing of all sizes available to people everywhere. The brand offers a limited and collectible range of eclectic vintage-inspired pieces – such as their Anna Blouse – that are each made in founder Chalsie Williamson’s home studio, using a mixture of locally sourced and deadstock fabrics.

Founder Angeline Oei has also created a range ofspecialty printed fabrics that are designed and digitally printed  on natural fibers with low-impact ink — adding a layer of irreplaceable storytelling to each garment. Fast fashion brands are notorious for producing far too many clothes. These huge fashion companies produce excessive volumes, with the hopes that more people will buy their clothes at an ever-increasing rate. Sustainability and longevity were at the heart of Ciara Booyens’s decision to create a made-to-order model within her business when she started Benjamin Fox. The brand’s pieces are predominantly made from leftover fabrics and often feature on-trend ruffles, puff sleeves and intricate keyhole details.

Whether you’re a minimalist, a maximalist or somewhere in between, I’ve found a made-to-order label that will suit an array of aesthetics. Don’t forget to follow your favourites, and remember, before you get carried away, the brands below often release their collections in staged drops. This allows the designers and their teams time to handmake the garments before reopening their stores to more purchases. This means that often you have to be quick to purchase a piece you love, so following the brand on IG is the best way to stay up to date. Historically, the notion of made-to-order might’ve conjured up images of intricate wedding gowns or Savile Row–worthy suits.

Customers seeking premium customized products specifically seek made-to-order businesses because they expect higher quality than mass-produced alternatives. A made-to-order business model offers a compelling path for entrepreneurs seeking to minimize waste and maximize customer satisfaction. Unlike traditional retail that relies on inventory forecasting, made-to-order businesses produce items only after receiving customer orders. In my experience working with entrepreneurs, this model eliminates guesswork about what to produce and dramatically improves profit margins.

Creating connected experiences for your brand.

The illustrative hand-painted prints that are included on many of their garments, such as this Painted Faces Jumpsuit, make Chelsea Bravo’s garments items of unique wearable art. AGAATI’s dresses and other styles are available for pre-order and can be tailor-made in your size along with the option to choose a color of your liking on some items. Generally, there will be a longer lead time between when the garment is ordered and the point at which the customer receives the garment because the garment is only made once it has been ordered. And because the true cost of this overproduction is not shouldered by the people making the largest profits, they continue to do so without regard for people or the planet.

When custom made clothing a brand sells ‘made-to-order’ garments this means that they only produce a garment once a customer has placed an order for it. "Made-to-order ensures there is never any leftover or unwanted stock," explains Sarah Bartlett, the designer behind Carnations. "In terms of sustainability, it’s the most responsible way of manufacturing." Of course, it’s for this reason that Molby finds the made-to-order model much more appealing.

• Sene is a brand that believes that our bodies are too diverse for the standard sizing system.
• For environmentally conscious entrepreneurs, this sustainability advantage matters both ethically and for marketing.
• When a brand sells ‘made-to-order’ garments this means that they only produce a garment once a customer has placed an order for it.
• Their combination of seasonless silhouettes with the unique aesthetic of upcycled post-consumer waste, Doodlage garments are ones to treasure.
• Because each product is customized and production is guaranteed, you can charge premium prices.

Whether it’s branded as the slow-fashion movement or the rise of made-to-order pieces, there’s no denying that conscious fashion brands offering bespoke services have become more and more prominent over the last few years. "In terms of sustainability, it’s the most responsible way of manufacturing," one designer told me this week. Offering a made-to-order business model means that brands only create what they actually sell, minimising the possibility of waste and oversupply—one of the industry’s biggest contributors when it comes to impacting the environment negatively. Made-to-order fashion business models are also one way to make slow fashion more inclusive for plus-sized folks or people with disabilities who have long since been ignored and under-catered for in the fashion industry. Rather than mass-producing to minimize unit costs, you focus on delivering exceptional quality for each customer.

While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, SelfEmployed does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Simple customization might take days, complex custom work might take weeks. Communicate timelines clearly to customers and deliver consistently on promises. Under-promise and over-deliver rather than setting timelines you can’t meet. Many customers are willing to wait because they enjoy being part of the creation process.

A must for any booklover, Jali lets you show off any collection in whatever the available space. Ideal for narrow alcoves, awkward spaces or even a whole wall, Jali made to measure bookcases offer the perfect fit. The ultimate storage solution and iconic feature to complete any room, Jali made to measure dressers are completely customisable to your needs, turning awkward alcoves into useful extra space. Maximise your available space with our Jali made to measure wardrobes to match any room – featuring hanging rails, shelves and drawers, and designed by you to perfectly suit your lifestyle.

What’s the Difference Between Made-to-Order and Made-to-Measure Clothing?

In the book Living Modern by Wanda M. Corn, the author outlines how Georgia O’Keeffe would bring a dress to a seamstress and have multiples of the style made in various fabrics and colors. In the first phase, as in MTS, a common product base is made to stock. Thereafter, in the second phase, the product base is modified and customized according to the specifications of the buyer as in MTO. The customer takes delivery of the product once it is ready as per their instructions.

Yes, the High Street has cottoned on to their cottage-core appeal but for an authentic version, that will last way longer than the trend does, The Wild Folk Studio have an array of coats and jackets to shop. If you’re lucky enough to already have a vintage quilt or blanket, they could turn that into a coat for you, too. At NEHIMA, all tea is served made-to-order, tableside, in pieces from the owner’s collection of Japanese ceramics. With technicolour prints and smile-inducing patterns, if you’re looking to add an injection of fun into your wardrobe, Megan’s designs are certainly for you. Anything is possible when designing your own set of Jali made to measure drawers, with adjustable details ready to transform any room with storage space to suit your needs. When you can’t be there in person, our food and drink gifts are the perfect treat.

This works if you maintain premium pricing, but fails if you compete on price. This certainty about revenue improves cash flow significantly compared to retail models where you might hold inventory for months before converting it to sales. The made-to-order model also builds customer relationships. Customers are more invested in products they’ve helped design.

Made-to-order requires customers to understand exactly what they’re ordering. Create templates, options, and descriptions that guide customers toward clear specifications. Start by validating your product concept with real customers. Capture actual customer feedback before building systems around your made-to-order model. This testing prevents expensive mistakes based on assumptions. Instead, you’re constrained by your production capacity per order.

You’re not guessing about trends, you’re responding to real demand. This feedback loop helps you optimize product offerings and identify new opportunities. There is something so deeply regal and luxurious about the combinations of colors and patterns.

The first things that will strike you about Mary Benson’s made-to-order dresses are the bold colors, magical 70s prints, and romantic silhouettes, as can be seen on their Zelda Dress. Their garments are upcycled from deadstock material or made using organic and recycled fabrics. And, they are inclusively designed to suit all kinds of bodies. The garments are made with versatile – mostly natural – fabrics.