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Julie Goodwin Couture: The Process of Bespoke Clothing

Navy tailored blazer by Julie Goodwin Couture

What does ‘bespoke’ mean? We hear it all the time these days – bespoke soap, bespoke candles, bespoke jewellery, bespoke underpants. Yes, custom-made, tailored, underpants—you heard right.

It wasn’t until I started a project with Melbourne couturier Julie Goodwin, that I learned about the true meaning of the word.

It’s a 17th century tailoring word, born when gentlemen would visit their tailor and select, or ‘bespeak’ for a piece of fabric. It was then ‘bespoken’ for, or ‘bespoke.’

From then it evolved to mean one very specific thing: clothing that’s made from scratch using the precise measurements of an individual.

Finally I went to the craftsmen, for I was conscious of knowing practically nothing, and I knew that I would find that they had knowledge of many fine things. In this I was not mistaken; they knew things I did not know, and to that extent they were wiser than I. Plato

Sometimes confused with made-to-measure, bespoke is truly something original and unique.

At her Melbourne atelier, Julie and I chatted about a garment that I might like created exactly to my measurements. A blazer came to mind, as it’s a timeless piece you can wear again and again. In part two, I’ll be talking in-depth about the actual step-by-step process, but in this post I just wanted to introduce the idea and showcase the stunning end result. The antithesis of fast fashion, I’m already re-thinking my wardrobe and how my clothes are made. Have you ever thought about how what you’re wearing came to be?

What I’m wearing:
Blazer: Julie Goodwin Couture
Blouse: Julie Goodwin Couture
Necklace: Vintage Chanel
Bag:Trussardi ‘LOVY’ bag from Farfetch.com
Jeans (yes I’m wearing them!): James Jeans

Navy bespoke blazer by Julie Goodwin Couture

Navy bespoke blazer by Julie Goodwin Couture

Navy bespoke blazer by Julie Goodwin Couture

Navy bespoke blazer by Julie Goodwin Couture

Navy bespoke blazer by Julie Goodwin Couture