Meaning of "Bespoke" in the U.K.

Clanad | 15:29 Sat 19th Nov 2011 | News

14 Answers

I buy and sell vintage Ray Ban sunglasses via eBay and have found some bargains on rare models available from a seller in the U.K. He/She is very reliable, but the shipping notations states "Securely dispatched by "bespoke" package through Royal Mail"... Question is, what does "bespoke" mean?

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sandyRoe

custom made. She'll wrap it herself.

sandyRoe

In the UK a bespoke suit might be a top quality one you'd order from Saville Row. What the seller means by using that word there is anyones guess.

boxtops

I have never see that before relating to packaging - it seems to suggest that they are making up special packaging for your sunglasses. It would be interesting to ask them - let us know!

jno

as sandyRoe says, it's usually used of suits, meaning hand-tailored for a customer rather than bought off the peg/shelf. The implication would be that the packaging was hand made to your dealer's specifications... but I can't really see why that would be considered worthy of mention on eBay. Is there normally a problem with sunglasses coming in ill-fitting cardboard boxes or something?

boxtops

I suspect they mean "suitably packaged" but I've never seen the expression before, in this context.

ladybirder

Cut to size.

Frank97

There is a company called bespoke packaging
http://www.bespokepackaging.co.uk/
Perhaps this is what she was referring to.

boxtops

Bespoke kitchens are designed especially to fit into your house.

cathfromsaron

made to measure lol

Clanad

Question Author

Thanks one and all... it seems to imply, from your input, a "tailored" package, which all of the pairs I've purchased have been. Well done and very secure. Here in the U.S. I use postal service provided Priority Mail small boxes. They work very well and I've used them exclusively both within the country and worldwide. I guess I would have thought the same type of thing would be available in the U.K.
I've asked the seller but haven't had a reply yet.
The glasses, when packaged properly jno, haven't been a problem... They are a "big ticket" item and need to be safely packaged...

jno

I guess the seller is just trying to reassure buyers that they won't arrive in small pieces in a plastic bag, then. Even so, with expensive items from a specialist seller, I'd have thought that went without saying.