Several weeks ago I did a post featuring some highlights of the Interests and Activities sections of the several hundred resumes I had received for intern positions. (Update: We did not hire the whittler, but we did hire the erstwhile racer. The beer snob turned us down.)
Two days after I posted the list, (of course), I got a resume with the most unbelievable Interests and Activities section I have ever seen. This candidate carefully listed his interests in “Paris in September, Ella, Aretha, fine German wristwatches, golden retrievers, and bespoke.”
I mean honestly. Paris in September? Fine German wristwatches? Bespoke? Did he include that just to show off his vocabulary? I was pretty sure I knew what it meant, but I had to look it up to double check. (adj: (of clothes) made to individual order; custom-made.)
In addition to being insufferable on paper, this candidate was also very qualified, so we interviewed and then actually hired him. I absolutely cannot wait to see his wardrobe.
I am fascinated by this idea of bespoke. It makes sense, I suppose, in a culture where it’s totally normal for there to be 87000 possible variations on a coffee beverage, for people to like things just the way they want them, and to be willing to pay a premium for super-custom items. Is this idea of bespoke really catching on? Let’s take a little tour of bespoke on the internet, shall we?
Of course there are clothes (if it’s good enough for Deion Sanders, it’s good enough for me):
You can get a bespoke gift basket (though this one seems a little obvious- people expect to be able to customize corporate gift baskets, don’t they?)
You can schedule a bespoke cooking party, where you get to choose the food you and your friends will make in the caterer’s kitchen for $100 a person:
Rolls Royce offers a Bespoke programme, (“a service designed to help our customers realize the particular vision they have for their Rolls Royce”):
When in Paris, it’s apparently trendy to get yourself some bespoke perfume (and for a mere 30,000 Euro they’ll guarantee that no one else can ever use your formula):
But my personal favorite has to be this one: bespoke chocolates. The master chocolatier will help you design a bespoke chocolate portfolio, using a series of interviews to learn your tastes, the sending of some samples, and finally, a collection of 120 chocolates presented in a hand-made custom wooden box.
Note: my birthday is in May. For anyone looking for that perfect gift, $2400 seems like a reasonable price tag for 120 pieces of custom-designed chocolate, no?
So funny because I’m sort of doing bespoke bridesmaids dresses … I pick color and length, they pick style … to each their own!
May what? I’ll be sure to get you something scrumptious!
That’s it! That last one will have to be the favors at our wedding! And totally within our price range, of course. I look forward to spending months designing the perfect box of chocolates for each of our guests.
i’m not sure i would have been able to hire him, despite the qualifications. my eyes are sore from all the rolling they just did having to read about the resume here… i don’t know if they would have survived an in-person interview.
You HIRED him?
You’ve got to keep us updated on what he’s like in person! I envision him wearing a shiny tie with a tailored suit, and a matching silk handkerchief sticking out of the pocket.
Plus, he likes to preface sentences with the word, “Actually…”