Bespoke (English pronunciation: /biˈspoʊk/ ( listen)) is a British English word meaning an item made to a buyer's specification (personalized or tailored). While it is applied to many items, including computer software and luxury cars, the term historically was applied only to men's tailored clothing, footwear and other apparel, implying measurement and fitting.
The distinguishing points of bespoke tailoring are the buyer's total control over the fabric used, the features and fit, and the way the garment should be made. More generally, "bespoke" describes a high degree of "customization", and involvement of the end-user, in the production of the goods.
"Bespoke" is rarely used in any context in other varieties of English[citation needed], which usually prefer terms such as "tailor-made" or "customized".
The word bespoke itself is derived from the verb to bespeak, to "speak for something", in the specialized meaning "to give order for it to be made". The term bespoke in fashion is reserved for individually patterned and crafted men's clothing, analogous to women's haute couture, in contrast with mass manufactured ready-to-wear (also called off-the-peg or off-the-rack).