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March 28, 2005

oiling the shears...

No, I’m not giving myself a haircut.

Whenever you’re watching a cutter at work, you’ll see that from time to time he’ll open his shears and briskly run the blades through the back of his hair (that’s if he’s still got any, of course).

No, this isn't some kind of weird tailor blade fetish. It’s just that one's hair has just the perfect amount of oil in it to keep the blades finely lubricated. Not too much, not too little.

With this method there's a lot less chance of spoiling the cloth with surplus oil, than if you used the more conventional oilcan.

The thing is, we dont know we’re doing it half the time, so it can all look a little strange.

But now you know.

[PS:] If you're new to this site you may not know this, but those shears I'm holding actually have quite an interesting little history behind them. If you're feeling curious, you can go here and read it.

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March 24, 2005

large gentlemen, please take note...

(Patterns for a small and a large gentleman, side by side)

A lot of larger-size gentlemen will come to Savile Row, not because they watched too many James Bond films in their youth, but simply because they've had so much trouble finding suitable off-the-peg options on the high street.

There's a reason, of course. The off-the-peg manufacturers like "Average". All manufacturers make for Average. Any variation from Average costs them money, so if you're not Mr Average, they do their best to ignore you. Shopping becomes full of unpleasant surprises.

Savile Row prides itself on minimising unpleasant surprises, but here's one for the large folk:

With most of the tailors, including my beloved alma mater, Anderson & Sheppard, if you're over a 44-inch chest, then expect to be charged an extra 10 per cent. Depending on the suit, that's anywhere from £200-400. And that's just for the basic wool worsteds. Imagine if you were ordering cashmere or vicuna...

It's to pay for the extra cloth and stitching your large frame will require [see photo above]. I can see why the tailors do it. I can also see why some customers wouldn't like it.

I don't charge the extra, myself. Frankly, for every large fellow walking in, there's probably a very small, resource-friendly chap walking in right in after him. What goes around, comes around. Horses for courses.

Besides, no tailor will offer a discount if you're under five-foot-four, either.

[PS: Yes, I do cut for women, both large and small.]

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March 22, 2005

thank you...

(Click here to enlarge image.)

Just a quick note to say thanks to Professor Julian Roberts and the students of The University of Hertfordshire.

They say they’ve learned a lot from English Cut. And it was great to be asked to give a couple of lectures and pattern cutting classes. I had a great time and hope you all enjoyed it as much as me.

So keep up the good work and pay attention to Julian. You’re all very lucky, he’s one of the most skilled and passionate people I’ve ever met.

[UPDATE:] Julian left a lovely note in the comments.

Posted by tom at 12:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 21, 2005

in manhattan april 7-10 2005

(Matching the cloth)

[UPDATE: Details of my next U.S. visit to America are here. New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Chicago. November, 2006]

My first New York trip of 2005 looms ever closer. I shall arrive Thursday lunchtime, the 7th of April, leaving Sunday, the 10th of April. Just over two weeks from today.

It promises to be my busiest trip ever, mainly due, of course, to the many kind readers of English Cut who have decided to entrust me with their custom. Thank you.

If you want me to measure you while I'm there, yes, of course, I'll be happy to meet you at my usual base, The Hotel Benjamin, on 50th and Lexington. Then I return to England to cut your suit, returning to New York 2-3 months later for your first fitting, or you may come to Savile Row in the interim should you want it sooner.

My diary is now filling up very fast, ergo if you wish to meet with me, it is imperative that you contact me as soon as you can, so I can fit you in with as little fuss as possible to both parties.

I am only there four days; sadly prior commitments make it very difficult for me to extend my visit.

Here’s how Savile Row in New York works:

When a Savile Row tailor visits NYC, it's part of a continuous cycle.

I bring a good selection of cloth samples with me, which includes the basics of everything you’d want- classic worsteds, tweeds, lightweights etc. New customers are consulted on their requirements and have their first measuring, so I can draft a personal pattern when I return to England. Then the fitting will be arranged for my visit a few months later.

And naturally, I also bring with me the fittings to try on customers who ordered on my previous trip a few months earlier. After I fit my clients in New York I then return to the UK. There I recut and alter their suit and/or amend their pattern if necessary.

Once completed I courier the suit to the US. But this is not the end of the story. I ask my customers who have received their new suits to meet me my next visit in New York, so I can check the fit after they have been worn. Should they need a little tweaking, I arrange to have that done in New York.

And then, yes, if the client in happy with his latest suit there's a good chance he'll want to order a new one- the cycle begins again.

So it's cycle of new clients, doing fittings and looking after old friends. Should a new customer meet me only in New York, it usually takes four to five months for final delivery. Yes, it's a lot longer than the usual 6-8 weeks delivery for UK customers. But when you consider the logistics and all, people generally don’t mind the extra wait. If you can make it over to London for your fitting, then delivery of course will be much sooner.

I find my customers don’t mind the delivery time. Let's face it, the suits could easily last you twenty years, so why worry?

As with all Savile Row tailors, my customers vary immensely. I have the regular buyers who order a couple of times a year. And there's my big hitters who order a dozen or so suits then disappear for a few years.

I love meeting and making for all my customers. But there’s always that little extra joy when a customers try on on his first bespoke suit. It could be the successful young executive who’s just realized that bespoke REALLY IS as good as they say (Frankly, if it wasn't, I couldn't realistically stay in business). Or sometimes it’s the guy who’s decided that before he dies he’s going to have at least one real suit in his wardrobe. It’s a great moment to witness.

I’d love to keep New York all to myself, but luckily for the customers there are other wonderful Savile Row tailors who visit, so there's plenty of choice. Here are a few:

Anderson & Sheppard.

My former partner, Edwin of Steed.

Welsh & Jeffries. They may not have a website, but they are seriously good tailors.

Dege & Skinner.

Henry Poole's.

Yes, the deal in New York is business. Sadly, I have to pay the landlord and the taxman, same as anyone else. But I do have serious fun when I'm there. Of course I do. It's New York. They say “Do a job you love, and you’ll never do a days work in your life”. To be able to ply my trade in the most exciting city in the world... Lucky, lucky, Tailor.

[BACKGROUND:] The "About Thomas" and "Why Buy From Thomas" pages.

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March 18, 2005

high street or heritage?

(The entrance to English Heritage)

Last week I had the misfortune to witness various pieces of old but graceful furniture being removed from Anderson & Sheppard's former home on the Row. And although I know they’ll be as successful in their new home, it was still sad to see.

Given that Anderson’s are one of the most prominent tailors in the world, what is frighteningly obvious is that they’ll not be the last to move from Savile Row, either. This could be almost acceptable if bespoke tailoring was a dying trade, but it’s not.

Certainly, the business has ups and downs like any other, but there is still a huge demand.

If the tailors on the Row are guilty of anything, is that we have failed to inform people about what bespoke is. We've not communicated the good information properly.

It’s a double edged sword- Savile Row isn’t about changing; and why should they? They're in the suit business and they make the best suits in the world. In the past when the world was a much bigger place, Savile Row was security. A man of standing was always impeccably dressed. So customers were introduced to the Row by family and trusted friends, as existing customers knew their kith and kin would be in the the most competent hands, to sartorially prepare them for all of life's pleasures and trials.

The world is a much smaller place now. Global travel and communication is a wonderful thing, however the fact is we're now open to much greater influence, both good and bad. Our friends and children don’t feel the need for bespoke, nor want such personal advice. They can get supposedly it themselves, without the help of experts, and this is where the media has been quick to take hold with a vice-like grip. This is where we’ve failed on the Row. We need to use proper, modern communication to let our steel shears prise open the misinformed market within that vice. Certainly, the ready-to-wear marketing skills are impressive, but their product is generally not.

The bespoke marketing skills are dire, but the product is peerless.

And aside from Savile Rows chronic undermarketing, there is another enemy, namely, various Westminster leaseholders and Westminster City Council. 'Enemy' is probably too strong a word, but they don’t make life any easier for the tailors. I know they're in business and they deserve the going rate. However, I do think the institution that has clothed most of the world's most influential people for the best part of two hundred years deserves Heritage Status. And it doesn't have it. Unofficially it does, of course. But officially it doesn't.

We have an organization here in the UK called English Heritage; as the name suggests they look after all that’s dear and special to this green & pleasant land. They protect everything from ancient monuments and city parks. Also they help to maintain historical artifacts like old coal mines and waterwheels for future generations. Now what about the tailors? Don’t you think they're part of English Heritage?

I certainly do, and I think if there are any grants going to help combat the huge rates and other assaults from the heavy-booted march of progress, then the heritage-packed Savile Row will gladly use it well and honourably.

And wouldn't you know, funnily enough, the main office for English Heritage is Number 23 Savile Row, London. Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of English Heritage, please have a look out your front window and open your eyes.

Posted by tom at 10:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 15, 2005

worsteds & super numbers....

(Me working away with some classic 10-ounce Wool Worsted)

There are all kinds of cloth material out there- wool, cashmere, vicuna etc. But for the moment I just want to let you know about the most widely-used cloth in the business, the classic "Wool Worsteds". This is the main cloth bespoke customers need to know about. These are used for about 90% of our business. The exotics I’ll cover at a later date.

English Wool Worsted is mostly woven in Yorkshire, Northern England and the English West Country. Like all crafts, there are smaller independants dotted around the UK, however the town of Huddersfield in Yorkshire has the big slice of the business.

Wool worsteds are usually made from Merino wool (which usually means Australian and New Zealand Merino sheep) and are supplied by all the London cloth merchants.

Wool Worsteds are very popular for a reason- they make up very well, and with a little care they can last for years. I and most of my customers wear them for this very same reason.

They come in a wide range of qualities- but when you're buying a suit, make sure you know what definition of "quality" you're using.

Is it "quality" in terms of texture and design? Or is it about durability and strengh? Again, always ask yourself “What’s the suit for?” Remember this, or you could end up spending a lot more money and feeling sorley disappointed.

Worsted cloth is rated by numbers. Super 100’s, Super 150’s and higher. These numbers refer to the count, or fineness of the yarn used in the cloth. The finer the count (measured in microns), the more wool is used per square inch of the cloth. Hence the higher the number, the finer and softer the cloth.

To qualilify as a good, hard-wearing and attractive wool worsted, it must be rated at least in the upper 80’s and 90’s.

The Super 120’s and higher are beautiful cloths, but there’s a price to pay, and not only financial. Although they do feel wonderful, the simple fact is they don't wear very well. They're simply not as durable as their lesser-numbered cousins.

I know this seems a little tragic, but still, if money is no object and you want to feel the finest stuff against your skin, go for the Super 150’s. Or if it’s something special that you won’t wear too often, then go treat yourself.

The other advantage of high-number wool worsteds is, because of the finer yarns used, the weavers are able to get more colours and intricate designs into the fabric. This can make them wholly tempting as you gaze at them and stroke them, when the tailor is showing you a sample.

Rest assured, no Savile Row tailor is going to sell you an inferior cloth, as the result to his reputation would be utterly disastrous. But just remember the cost of cloth can differ vastly, and not all for the same reasons.

In summary, Super Numbers look and feel fantastic, but don’t wear as well, and can add 20-30% to the cost of your suit. Your more affordable, classic worsteds are usually made into the timeless designs- pin stripes, chalk stripes, Prince of Wales checks etc. So you'll always have room for them in your wardrobe. They make up well and last for years. The downside is the designs are far more standardised.

(Nicolas Guilbaud of Scabal, one of the top Savile Row cloth merchants.)

A word of advice. It’s very easy for some obscure manufacturer to produce a sample bunch with all sorts of fancy numbers and claims on it. And you'll find out the hard way, a year down the line when the suit starts falling apart, how exaggerated these claims were. No tailor will know all of the manufacturers in the world. But if you look out for these familiar names you can be pretty confident of what you're getting:

London-based to note are Scabal, Wain Shiell, Lessers, Dormeuil, and Holland & Sherry.

Some excellent out-of-town companies are Dugdale Bros., Lear Browne & Dunsford, and H.E. Box.

Posted by tom at 6:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 14, 2005

in london

I'm on Savile Row today, seeing clients.

Sorry I've not been writing much lately; the last week's been a busy one. I've been running around like a madman.

I'm back home this evening, and plan to have some new stuff up soon, once I'm sitting at my own desk again.

Thanks!

Posted by tom at 11:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 7, 2005

anderson's is moving...

My former employer, Anderson & Sheppard are moving off Savile Row next week. This is their new address at 32 Old Burlington Street, just round the corner. You can just see their new sign.

It's where Davies' had their old place. Naturally, I prefer their old building at Number 30 Savile Row.

I shall miss dear old Number 30.

This is something I’ve known about for a while, but I guess I’ve been ignoring the fact. I suppose we all hoped that the great building would remain to house one of the world's greatest tailors. But that’s life.

It’s very sad that they are moving, and I know that it’s the people that make a company, not the bricks and mortar. But Savile Row just wont be the same without them.

The lease ran out a few years ago, and although they’ve had a stay of execution, the developers are moving in next week. Change is inevitable, I suppose.

On a brighter note, I was talking to Colin Heywood and John Malone from Anderson's last week. They're of course sorry that they‘ve got to move, however the Davies’s premises in Burlington Street have been completely gutted and the new shop sounds fantastic. I know there’ll be the smell of fresh paint for a while, but I’m sure Anderson’s will recapture that “comfy pair of slippers” feel about their new shop in no time at all.

Anderson’s have "first refusal" to return to Number 30, should they wish. But with the ridiculous rent and rates required for Central Mayfair, I’ve been told there’s little chance of that happening. I gather the lower ground may be turned into a couple of retail units with offices above.

I wonder if the new occupants will have any real idea of the sartorial adventures that went on within those walls.

I really hope that the spot where the rug was rolled up on the parquet floor, so Mr. Astaire could dance to check the fit of his coat never came away from his collar, won't be the permanent resting place for a new Xerox machine. God forbid.

Well that’s that, and I and the rest of the Row wish them every success in their new home, where I’m sure they’ll be for another 100 years.

Then again, on another level it's actually quite good news for the tailors. Suddenly they're a lot closer to Mulligan's.

[BACKGROUND READING:] The English Cut homepage, plus the "About Thomas" and "Why Use Thomas" pages.

Posted by tom at 12:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 3, 2005

why english cut?

(Open surgery on a jacket shoulder. Notice the soft wadding, which I and a few other top tailors use, as opposed to the far more common ready-made shoulder pad.)

One great thing about Savile Row is there's usually plenty of work for all the tailors. Sure, it comes and goes, but the fact is, there aren't that many proper bespoke tailors out there, and the market, once you've reached a certain level, is amazingly steady and robust.

So when somebody buys a suit from say, Kilgour's or Welsh & Jeffries instead of from me, I'm always perfectly happy for them. Both these tailors are world-class, and the clients are usually very informed about the market, so I know the choice was probably a good one. And like I said, there's plenty of work out there. My turn will come around soon enough.

But recently a lot of English Cut readers have been sending me e-mails, asking the dreaded question, "Why should I buy a suit from you, instead of the other bespoke tailors you've mentioned?"

It's a perfectly reasonable, straightforward question. To save everybody's poor typing fingers, including my own, I thought I would just answer them here directly.

I would list four main factors. They're not so much "Reasons To Buy", more "What Makes Me Unique". Drum roll, please...

1. Mobility and Economics.

The most singular difference between myself and the other tailors I rate highly, is that I’m not permanently based on Savile Row. Though I do the lion's share of customer measuring and fitting on Savile Row, I do my cutting at my workshop in Cumbria, near the small village where I grew up. But because of my Anderson & Sheppard, background, I only use sewing tailors who have been trained to sew "The Anderson & Sheppard Way", which means the majority of the tailors I use are currently used by A&S as well. So there's no loss of quality for my customers in my business model, just an improvement in the quality of life for one humble tailor.

This benefits my customers in two major ways. Firstly, basing my workshop outside of London saves me the huge overheads. This allows me to sell my suits at about 20-25% less than the big houses on Savile Row. This is something I’m sure nobody would complain about, especially our American cousins, who are not encouraged by the current exchange rate.

Secondly, staying mobile has made my business far more flexible than my competition, mentally as well as physically. I don't wait for customers to visit London, to visit Savile Row before I 'condescend' to take an order. No, I happily travel to them. If they live in Paris, I can go to Paris. Or New York. Or Chicago. Or San Francisco. Wherever the market dictates.

And of course, if the client is wanting more than just the suit, and desires the full-on, real-time Savile Row experience with all the local history and colour, I happily meet them there at Number 20, where I have my London offices. [UPDATE: As of January 2006, my London Offices are at No 12 Savile Row.]

To me, Savile Row is a proper business, not a tourist attraction.

I know the grand houses of Savile Row are wonderful institutions, and they have a big part to play, but Savile Row's tailoring heritage was formed on that street simply because, frankly, the the Well-to-do of London "Society" lived in the immediate vicinity.

Two hundred years ago, if you wanted the Well-to-do's custom, you had to set up shop where they actually lived. Making sure your customers didn’t have too far to ride in their horse & carriage. Savile Row is in Mayfair, the West End residential neighbourhood that occupies the top slot on the British version of "Monopoly" (i.e. where "Boardwalk" lies on the original American version). Savile Row evolved there for perfectly mundane, ordinary, economic reasons. That is where all the business was.

But now my market is global. Some of my customers come to London now and then, but seriously, they live and travel all over the world, and it's my job to keep track of them. However grand and magical Savile Row can appear on an early morning walk, all that's really needed to do the job is skill, a tape measure, a cutting table, a sharp pair of shears and the ability to keep one's word. I'm as happy meeting my clients in a Manhattan hotel suite as I am meeting them in London.

Ergo, I’m open for business, anywhere on the planet. Who wants a suit?

2. Credentials.

Without tooting my horn too much, here are a few anecdotes to help illustrate my worth.

After I had decided to leave Anderson & Sheppard, I got a bit of a rush of people, who suddenly wanted to work with me. Stephen Hitchcock, who was an apprentice, became my striker {undercutter) for a few months before my departure. Gieves & Hawkes headhunted me, offered me a great package. This I turned down, as they said I could cut any style of coat I wanted, should I have taken the position. This I found flattering, but utterly bizarre.

More interesting was when Anderson’s first found out I was leaving, they made me train their present Managing Director, John Hitchcock [the father of Stephen]. This I found rather strange at the time, as Mr Hitchcock was nearly twenty years my senior.

[An old photo from circa 1990: My teacher, the great Dennis Hallbery. Click on image to enlarge.]

But the best bit of all is that Mr Hallbery, who was one of Anderson & Sheppard's most respected cutters of all time, gave me Mr Sheppard's shears, which were handed down to him a generation before by his teacher, Mr. Cameron, who was given them before that by Mr. Sheppard, the man with his name on the door. Yes, you could credibly argue that Mr Hallbery was one of the greatest tailors of the twentieth century. I have no problem going on record with that belief, especially as his work is on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

So if you like the Anderson’s cut, I guess you could say I'm the one currently wielding Excalibur. At the time, it felt like Obi Wan Kenobi was handing me over his lightsabre. It certainly made me smile.

Any tailor I've so far mentioned- Messieurs Hitchcock, Anderson’s et al- are all great, world-class tailors, not to mention the rest of the Row. To have their collective respect is the by far the greatest achievement of my life.

Also via the Row, I have recently been asked to give a pattern-cutting "masterclass" (their term, not mine) for one of the Universities here in London. It's nice to get the occasional bit of outside recognition, as long as nobody gets too carried away.

Sure, with my globetrotting, mobile ways I may seem to be a bit of a heretic, but the fact is, I know this business. And best of all, I know the best bits of it. First hand.

In truth, I’m as hardcore Savile Row as you’ll get.

3. Temperament.

I love Savile Row, and love being there. But I know myself, and know the rest of London doesn't suit me nearly as well.

I don’t want four hours of commuting on tubes and trains, every day. Nor am I particularly interested in getting my name in the right glossy magazines. I can’t be bothered with the trendy parties. You never get a decent drink, anyway.

Call me old fashioned, but I have an independant streak. Yes, I prefer to rough it up here based in beautiful Cumbria and keep visiting my customers where they need me, not where it’s 'cool' to be seen.

4. My Age.

There are a very few top tailors left on Savile Row, realistically, maybe a dozen left on the very top shelf. I am the youngest one I know of, and I think I know most of them. I am not yet forty. Most of them are in their sixties. I know one person who is considered one of "the younger ones". He is in his late fifties. More than a few of them are set to retire within the next couple of years.

A decent wardrobe, built as a collaboration between the client and his tailor, takes a long time to build up. Like English Cut, the plan is for me to still be around in 20 years.

Thanks for reading. Should you wish to discuss any of this further, here are my contact details.

Posted by tom at 2:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack