We get asked this every week, usually by someone who has just landed and has a fitting window of about ten days. So this page is the answer we give in the shop, with the numbers we actually see in the city, not just our own.
The price ladder in Seoul, 2026
| What you're buying | Typical Seoul price | Time | What it really is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-wear with alterations | USD 350 to 700 | Same week | A finished suit from a rack, taken in. Fine shoulders only if you happen to match the block. |
| Made-to-measure (MTM) | USD 500 to 1,000 | 3 days to 3 weeks | An existing pattern adjusted to your measurements, usually factory-sewn. Most "custom suits" in Seoul are this. |
| Bespoke, mid-range houses | USD 1,200 to 3,000 | 2 to 4 weeks | A paper pattern drafted for you, cut by hand, with fittings. This is what the word is supposed to mean. |
| Bespoke, top houses | KRW 4,000,000 and up (about USD 3,000+) | 1 to 3 months | Full handmade construction, several fittings, waiting lists. Permanent Style reported B&Tailor's suits starting around 4,000,000 KRW in 2024. |
Prices in Seoul are set in Korean won, so dollar figures move a few percent with the exchange rate. Cloth is the other big variable: a Loro Piana or Dormeuil bunch can add USD 300 to 1,000 over a standard Vitale Barberis Canonico wool at the same house.
Why the same word covers a USD 700 suit and a USD 4,000 suit
Because in Korea, as in most places, "bespoke" is used loosely. Three things actually separate the price bands:
- Who drafts the pattern. MTM uses a house block and moves seams. Bespoke draws your pattern on paper from scratch. That is the single biggest cost, and the thing that fixes sloping shoulders, a forward neck or one arm longer than the other.
- How much is sewn by hand. A fused chest piece and machine-made buttonholes are cheap and fast. A floating canvas chest, hand-padded lapels and hand-sewn buttonholes are slow and expensive, and they are what make a jacket mould to you over years.
- How many fittings. Zero fittings is MTM. One fitting catches most problems. Two or three is where the top houses live, and part of what you pay for is the tailor's time.
What a visitor should actually budget
If you are in Seoul for a week and want one good suit you will wear for years, the honest sweet spot is USD 1,000 to 1,500: a bespoke or well-made MTM with at least one fitting, in a mid-weight wool from a known mill. Below USD 600 you are paying for a cut from a block that was not drawn for you. Above USD 3,000 you are paying for a name and for hand-work you will feel but your colleagues will not see.
How we price it at Buttons & Bows
For comparison, our own list in Gangnam: made-to-measure from USD 700 (ready in as little as 3 days, or 7 to 10 days with a fitting) and full bespoke from USD 1,200 in 2 to 3 weeks, cloth from Vitale Barberis Canonico, Loro Piana and Dormeuil. Our tailors measure, cut and fit on site. We say this so you can place us on the ladder above, not because we are the only option; the shortlist of Seoul tailors lists others.
The cheapest suit is the one you still wear in ten years. Everything else is a rental with extra steps.
Hidden costs to ask about
- Shipping if you leave before the final fitting. Ask whether it is included; we ship worldwide and will say the number before you commit.
- Extra trousers. Usually USD 200 to 400 and the best value add-on in tailoring.
- Cloth upgrades. Ask to see the price per bunch before you fall in love with a swatch.
- Alterations later. A good house alters its own work for free or nearly free. Ask.
Questions people ask
How much should I pay for a bespoke suit in Seoul?+
Expect USD 1,200 to 3,000 for real bespoke at most Seoul houses, and KRW 4,000,000 or more at the top names. If a shop quotes well under USD 1,000 for 'bespoke', it is almost certainly made-to-measure.
What is the price of a bespoke suit compared with London?+
Roughly a third to a half. Savile Row bespoke commonly starts around GBP 4,000 to 5,000; comparable hand-work in Seoul is USD 1,200 to 3,000, mainly because labour and rent are lower.
How expensive is bespoke versus made-to-measure?+
In Seoul, bespoke usually costs 50 to 100 percent more than MTM at the same house. You are paying for a personal pattern, more hand-sewing and fittings.
Can I get a bespoke suit in Seoul in one week?+
Full bespoke needs two to three weeks for the pattern and fittings. In one week you can get made-to-measure with a fitting, or we can finish a bespoke suit after you leave and ship it.