The Future of Custom Clothing Is Built Together
Every few months, I pack a bag and head to the Custom Tailors & Designers Association (CTDA) trade show. Founded in 1880, the CTDA is the oldest continuously operating trade association in the United States. For more than a century, it has served as a gathering place for the people who keep custom clothing alive, clothiers, tailors, manufacturers, fabric mills, and designers who believe craftsmanship is worth preserving.
Trade associations exist for a simple but important reason: to strengthen an industry by bringing its people together. In a world that often rewards competition over collaboration, the CTDA reminds me that our craft is strongest when knowledge is shared. We exchange ideas, learn from one another's successes and failures, discover new techniques, and challenge each other to raise the standard. No one succeeds alone. Every custom garment relies on an entire ecosystem of people, from the mills weaving cloth to the factories constructing garments, to the clothier guiding a client through the process.
That spirit of collaboration is what keeps me coming back.
One of my goals from the very beginning was to build a custom clothing company that served everyone, not just men. For too long, the custom clothing industry has treated women as an afterthought, adapting men's patterns instead of designing garments specifically for women's bodies. I knew that if Bards was going to tell people's stories through clothing, those stories had to include women as well.
That's why finding the right manufacturing partners has been so important.
Walking through the rooms and seeing the newest women's offerings was easily the highlight of the weekend. Wrap coats with beautiful drape. Dresses designed from the ground up. Thoughtfully tailored jackets and separates with details that feel both timeless and distinctive. These weren't compromises or adaptations. They were garments intentionally designed for women, with the same level of craftsmanship and personalization that has long existed in men's custom clothing.
Seeing what our manufacturing partners are capable of creating filled me with an incredible sense of pride, not because of what we've already accomplished, but because of what's now possible.
Today, nearly half of Bards Clothing's clients are women. We've created custom dresses, shorts, rompers, trousers, jackets, and complete wardrobes. Every year, those possibilities continue to grow, and every new fabric, silhouette, and construction technique opens another chapter in what we can create together.
That's what trade shows like the CTDA are really about. Yes, we discover new collections and products. But more importantly, we return home inspired. We leave with new ideas, stronger relationships, and a renewed commitment to our craft.
The future of American custom clothing isn't built by one tailor, one clothier, or one factory.
It's built together.
And after this weekend, I'm more excited than ever for what's next.
