Bespoke is a derivation of the old verb to bespeak. When something is spoken for, it is essentially claimed and refers to an order of goods. So, in tailoring terms you might speak for the cloth. You do so by covering some part of the cost of the order. Nowadays, bespoke has come to signify goods that are made to an individual’s specific requirements and the word’s usage has extended from tailoring and shoe making to furniture and cars. The term is less known in the United States where the word custom is instead used.