tailored

Tailored is an adjective meaning made or adapted to fit a particular person, purpose, or situation. It derives from tailoring, the craft of making clothing to fit an individual’s measurements and preferences, and ultimately from the Old French taillier, to cut or trim.

In fashion, tailored clothing refers to garments that have been cut and sewn to fit the wearer’s measurements, often featuring a structured silhouette, precise seams, and careful finishing. The term can contrast with ready-to-wear off-the-rack garments, and with bespoke or made-to-measure items, though in common usage it connotes a carefully fitted, high-quality garment.

Beyond clothing, tailored is widely used metaphorically to describe products, services, or plans customized to a user’s needs. Tailored advice or a tailored education plan is designed based on individual data, preferences, or objectives.

In business and technology, tailored marketing, tailored software, and tailored communications aim to improve relevance and effectiveness by considering user characteristics.

In medicine, tailored or precision medicine refers to strategies that consider individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle to optimize prevention and treatment. The term emphasizes personalization over one-size-fits-all approaches.

See also: bespoke, custom-made, made-to-measure; comparison to ready-to-wear and off-the-rack. While similar in meaning, tailored emphasizes fit and customization to a specific person or purpose rather than general applicability.