Timelines by garment type
Bespoke suit (two-piece). Four to six weeks from the first consultation to delivery. This covers: pattern drafting (three to five days), cloth sourcing and cutting (three to five days), initial construction (one week), basted shell fitting (scheduled at week two or three), further construction (one week), final fitting and finishing (final week). A two-piece suit can be delivered in four weeks for first-time clients if the schedule allows; five to six weeks is more comfortable and allows time for adjustments if the first fitting reveals unexpected work.
Bespoke suit (three-piece, with waistcoat). Add one week to the two-piece timeline. The waistcoat requires its own pattern work, fitting and construction.
Bespoke jacket or blazer (without trousers). Three to four weeks.
Bespoke trousers (one pair). Two to three weeks. Additional pairs on the same pattern (for repeat clients): one to two weeks.
Bespoke shirts (one or more, first order). Three to four weeks, including one fitting. Subsequent orders on the existing pattern: two weeks with one fitting, or three weeks without fitting for proven patterns.
Bandhgala or Nehru jacket. Four to five weeks. The stand collar construction requires specific fitting work and adds time relative to a standard open-collar jacket.
Sherwani (plain or lightly embellished). Five to six weeks.
Sherwani (heavily embellished with zardozi or extensive embroidery). Eight to twelve weeks. The embroidery itself, sourced from specialist craftsmen, typically takes four to six weeks. The tailoring and construction occur in parallel where possible, with the final assembly after the embroidery is received.
Kurta and churidar. Three to four weeks.
Jodhpuri suit. Five to six weeks.
What affects the timeline
Cloth availability. If the cloth you choose is in stock at our principal mills and ships promptly, it does not add time. If it requires a special order or sourcing from a specific supplier, add three to seven days depending on the source and the shipping route.
Fitting complexity. Most clients require two fittings as standard. Clients with particularly complex fit requirements — significant asymmetries, unusual posture, or very specific aesthetic requirements — may need three fittings, which adds approximately one week.
Peak season. Our busiest periods are October through February, covering the main South Indian and North Indian wedding seasons and the December holiday period. During peak season, our standard timelines are in effect but we schedule appointments further in advance and our capacity for urgent commissions is reduced. If you are marrying between November and January, commission as early as possible — ideally six months before the date.
Multiple garments. A commission of several garments simultaneously (a suit, two shirts, and a pair of trousers, for example) does not simply multiply the time for each garment — the production can be managed in parallel, with fittings coordinated efficiently. However, the total timeline for a multi-garment commission is generally longer than a single garment and should be planned accordingly.
Urgent commissions — what we can accommodate
We understand that not every commission can be planned six weeks in advance. Occasions arise quickly; gifts are requested unexpectedly; travel schedules change. We do accommodate urgent commissions when our schedule allows, and we are honest about what urgency means for the result.
A suit can be delivered in three weeks with some schedule compression — but only if the cloth is in stock, the client can come in for fittings at short notice, and the complexity of the fit is not extreme. Below three weeks for a jacket, quality begins to be compromised: there is not enough time for the canvas to be worked correctly, for the lapels to be padded with the care they need, for the fitting adjustments to be fully implemented. We will say this if the timeline you are proposing is too short.
Shirts and trousers can be done faster than suits — a trouser can be completed in two weeks without quality compromise, a shirt in two to three weeks. For urgent ethnic wear with embroidery, there is less flexibility: the embroidery timeline cannot be shortened significantly without compromising the work.
We charge the same price for urgent commissions as for standard ones — urgency does not command a premium, but it does command honesty about what is achievable.
Planning around a specific date
If you have a date — a wedding, a function, a board presentation, a trip — give us that date at your first consultation. We will work back from it, tell you whether the timeline is achievable, and book your fitting appointments in the schedule accordingly.
For wedding commissions specifically, we recommend the following planning approach: the groom's outfit, six months before the wedding; groomsmen's outfits, four months before; guests' outfits, two to three months before. These timelines provide enough buffer for a third fitting if needed, for any cloth sourcing delays, and for the peace of mind that comes from knowing the garment is finished and approved well before the date.
The garment that was commissioned with adequate lead time always looks better than the one that was rushed. This is not a policy — it is a consequence of how craft works. Time is part of the material.