bespoke

American  

[bih-spohk] / bɪˈspoʊk /

adjective

1. 1. (of clothes) made to individual order; custom-made.

      a bespoke jacket.

   2. making or selling such clothes.

      a bespoke tailor.

2. Older Use. engaged to be married; spoken for.

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verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of bespeak.

bespoke British  

/ bɪˈspəʊk /

adjective

1. (esp of clothing or a website, computer program, etc) made to the customer's specifications

2. making or selling such clothing, websites, etc

   a bespoke tailor

   a bespoke web designer

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Usage

What does bespoke mean? Bespoke means custom-made—made based on the specifications of the person ordering it, as in a bespoke suit. It can also be used to describe a person or company that makes such things, as in bespoke tailor.Bespoke is an adjective, but it’s also the past tense of the verb bespeak, which commonly means to ask for in advance (as in I need to bespeak your help) or to reserve beforehand (as in You need to bespeak a table, sir). But bespeak is rarely used as a verb anymore—it sounds very outdated.Bespoke also sounds a bit old-fashioned, but that’s probably why it became so trendy—it’s often used to imply a handcrafted, unique approach to making something. In its strictest sense, bespoke means made-to-order, but it’s often applied to things that aren’t actually made specifically for someone but that are simply made individually, as opposed to being mass-produced.Example: I found this website yesterday that does bespoke sweatshirts that can be custom-made to my preferences and body type!

Etymology

Origin of bespoke

First recorded in 1745–55 bespoke for def. 1

Example Sentences

"We are already seeing a paradigm switch between large models taking huge resources, to smaller models being more bespoke and running more locally and tailored to business uses."

From BBC

Those lenders have increasingly been turned to for complex bespoke financing deals across Wall Street and have backed consumer lenders, but a deal this big and complex would have been new ground.

From The Wall Street Journal

I think it pushes us into more of a challenge of the unique thought, the unique piece of art, doing things that are bespoke.

From Los Angeles Times

In the real economy, private contracts, “buyer beware” principles, and the prosecutions of fraudsters sustain a healthy ecosystem of bespoke arrangements.

From Barron's

To assuage wildlife concerns, National Grid in 2020 built a bespoke bat barn during the construction of a new overhead line.

From The Wall Street Journal