Definition: 1 a: custom-made b: dealing in or producing custom-made articles 2 dialect : engaged

Quotation: “Unbuttoning my suit jacket, I took a cigar from the inner pocket of my coat. From a still smaller pocket I took out my cigar cutter and matches. Though it wasn’t after dinner, I lit the cigar–a Davidoff Grand Dru No. 3–and stood smoking, trying to calm myself. The cigars, the double-breasted suit–they’re a little too much. I’m well aware of that. But I need them. They make me feel better. After what I’ve been through, some overcompensation is to be expected. In my bespoke suit, my checked shirt, I smoked my medium-fat cigar until the fire in my blood subsided.” from Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I saw this in a book recently and found it very odd. It was in a context similar to the above quote and it seemed totally out of place. On the other hand, the definition for “bespeak” makes a lot of sense (to hire, engage, or claim beforehand : request). From that it’s a little easier to find the meaning behind “bespoke”. If you order a bespoke suit, you have to bespeak the tailor. The suit is “bespoken” or “bespoke”.