Bespoke

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Bespoke is usually a British English term for tailored clothing made at a customer's behest, and exactly to the customer's specification. Bespoke clothing is created without use of a pre-existing pattern, differentiating it from made to measure, which alters a standard-sized pattern to fit the customer. In American English, it is a synonym for "custom made."

Today, it is also frequently used for technical components specifically developed for a certain application (e.g. bespoke software), as well as in the automotive and cake decorating industries, when customers get a chance to have an automobile equipped or cake decorated to their specification.

[edit] Etymology

Bespoke derives from the word bespeak, meaning 'to ask for' some thing. It comes from Savile Row, where a customer would bespeak a measure of cloth. The bespoke bolt of cloth was unavailable to any other client until the entire suit had been cut, assembled, and sewn.

[edit] Other uses

The term can also refer to

Furniture.
Elements of interior design (e.g. closets).
Computer software, in which it refers to software designed and written for a single company and/or task.
Telecommunications refers to non-standard solution tailored for specific customer solution.
Customisation of a particular product or service (e.g. envelopes).
Structured finance products (e.g. collateralized debt obligations).
Custom specifications in ordering a luxury automobile such as a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley.
Firearms, particularly luxury sporting arms such as shotguns and rifles. These may include custom appointments (stocks made of rare woods, custom engraving, case coloring or other metalwork) and custom fitting.
Shoemaking - generally provided by small manufacturers, working by hand. There are shoemakers who are specialised mainly for bespoke orders.
Staplers - from Ryman's the stationers.