In the world of bespoke tailoring, a well-fitted suit is designed to last a lifetime. It’s an investment, a promise of precision, a unique piece of craftsmanship designed to stand the test of time – unless, of course, your waistline has other ideas.
Weight loss is nothing new to our industry but at this speed and scale? It’s unprecedented.
Initially designed as a diabetes medication, Ozempic is a rapid weight-loss drug that has risen in use by 5,000% since 2018. Essentially, it helps users lose an average of at least 15% of their body weight by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP-1. It’s controversial because it triggers a chemical reaction that causes the body to physically revolt against the food on their plate, causing users to shed pounds incredibly quickly.
From restaurants forced to switch from large meals to small plates because their clientele isn’t hungry, to gyms replacing treadmills with weight machines, the knock-on effect across industries has been extraordinary – and us tailors are no exception. Why? As exposed in a fascinating article in The Times a few weeks ago, Ozempic holds a particular appeal among image-conscious, high earners – a core segment of the industry’s clientele.
So, how is this new-fangled wonder drug disrupting the traditional rhythms of tailoring and what’s to be done about it?
Here’s my tuppence worth.
Sizing down – the immediate impacts
Unsurprisingly, there’s not much concrete data on the impact of weight-loss drugs on tailoring – no one wants to interrogate a long-standing client on the reason behind their newly found svelte waistline.
But, we can see that weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are having a staggering effect on the retail industry as a whole, with many major brands reporting that customers are buying clothing items multiple sizes smaller than before.
The high street has been hit by this shift in weight-loss culture as demands for smaller sizes rise, while luxury designers are also responding to the shift with garments like the “Ozempic coat”, which emphasises slimmer and skinnier silhouettes.
When it comes to re-sale, websites like Vestiare Collective have seen a rise in larger sizes of garments on their platforms. Poshmark, a leading social marketplace for pre-loved style, has reported a significant surge in plus-size women’s clothing available on the website in the past two years, including a 103% increase in listings mentioning “weight loss”.
The evidence is there; people simply don’t fit into their clothes any more.
A surge in demand for alterations might seem like good news for us tailors. After all, more alterations mean more business. But it’s the sheer frequency of these visits that is disrupting the steady predictable pace of the industry. Clients who used to visit their tailors every few years for minor tweaks are reappearing within a few months, in need of drastic alterations due to extraordinarily rapid weight loss.
This unprecedented volume of alterations can also put a strain on resources. After all, time spent on alterations eats away from time spent taking on new commissions. A new commission costs three to four times the amount of an alteration, so there are implications to consider for business too.
But our industry is built on loyalty and long-term relationships. No respectable tailor would ever turn away a client in need and therein lies the challenge, gents, to find a balance between our traditional rhythms and adapting to this changing landscape.
The challenges of drastic alterations
It’s one thing tweaking a pair of trousers for a man who has taken up squash twice a week and dropped a few pounds, but it’s no mean feat restructuring a suit jacket for a chap who has shed a quarter of his body weight.
These sorts of drastic alterations can be technically complex and removing excessive amounts of fabric from a garment can compromise its original design and structure.
The waistline is usually the first area that needs attention after any weight loss, and this is probably one of the easiest areas to adjust. Ergo, the sleeves. Any decent tailor can take in or let out a jacket for the perfect fit around your chest and waist, but it needs to be within reason. Reducing a jacket by several sizes is not an alteration, it’s major surgery. The process involves completely deconstructing the internal canvassing, padding and seam allowances, which are all designed for a specific shape. Shoulders are set by the original pattern, so can’t be narrowed without affecting the drape and silhouette. Sleeves can easily be slimmed, but shedding too much fabric can result in the losing its intended style and proportions.
Then there are the elements you probably haven’t thought of. If your collar is now oversized and you’re experiencing the much-maligned “collar gap”, there are ways to rectify it, but it likely involves removing and re-cutting the collar entirely. That can then throw up other issues, like asymmetry in the shoulder height.
And, really, there is only so much fabric that can be removed before the original silhouette and design is lost too. Sometimes, the technical complexity and structural limitations can mean that starting the whole bespoke tailoring process afresh is the only option.
Even more troubling is if the gent in question has decided to start his weight-loss journey ahead of a major event, say, a formal event or a wedding – particularly if he is keeping his weight-loss efforts on the down low. This inevitably requires more fittings, adding more pressure to an already time-sensitive process.
Re-thinking our approach
So what does the Ozempic revolution mean for today’s tailors?
Firstly, the fittings schedule needs to be reconsidered. Traditionally, crafting a bespoke suit involves three to five fittings. But as more clients turn to weight-loss drugs, this may need to be adjusted, either with an increased number of fittings or by delaying major alterations until clients are closer to their target weight, to avoid any unnecessary modifications early on in the process.
There is even some talk of incorporating more adaptable construction methods into the process, like strategic dart placement that makes it easier to tailor as the body changes. Or integrated hidden seams and allowances that allow for easier alterations without distorting the suit’s structure as the body changes.
Fad or long-term trend?
It’s hard to say whether the rise of weight-loss drugs is a passing trend or something tailors will need to deal with by permanently refining techniques to cater to this shifting demographic. Ozempic isn’t a permanent solution, nor does it guarantee sustained weight loss. In fact, research shows that roughly half of patients who eventually stop using GLP-1 drugs put the weight back on, if not more. And then what? Will there be a rebound rush for bigger suits?
Ultimately, it’s a sticky situation. Our approach? Simply, observe and adapt. This isn’t the first time the industry has been shaken up. We’ve battled away our fair share of tales of imminent doom for the future of tailoring, from recessions to the post-pandemic work-from-home revolution. But while the long-term effects remain to be seen, the impact of Ozempic is undeniable and certainly not to be ignored.
That’s all for today, gents! We look forward to seeing you in store soon.
Author: Gary Sweeney
