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September 29, 2005
the london lounge cloth
[Edwin's coat, made with Michael's cloth- click on image to enlarge.]
I was visiting my old pal Edwin Deboise of Steed the other day, where he showed me this coat pictured above, that he's making for one of his American clients.
I recognised the cloth immediately. It was the very cloth designed by my friend, Michael Alden, exclusively for members of the London Lounge. Small world.
Michael has started something on the London Lounge he calls "The Cloth Club". He explains it thus:
The charter of the Clothclub is to take all actions required to preserve and perpetuate the art of weaving high quality, traditional fabrics. This art form is in danger. It may cease to exist as the hegemony of mass produced cloths for ready-to-wear garments continues to grow. Already the sector has suffered greatly. Weavers are forced to close down leaving precious looms and talented hands idle.Great work, Edwin and Michael.The arrival on the market of "high-tech" cloths has confused the consumer in a spiral of marketing excess and high prices, prices required to pay for the marketing. The modern, high tech, disposable suitings will never replace qualitatively the elegant and substantial suitings of the past.
If we are to continue to dress like Gentlemen we will require the services of the few master weavers still producing a variety of quality products. The practical work undertaken in theclothclub and thelondonlounge chapters can contribute to educate consumers directing them to the cloths that last not for seasons but for generations of seasons.”
Experienced bespoke dressers have a difficulty finding unique fabrics that were plentiful on the market 30 years ago. The wholesalers who provide cloth for the bespoke tailoring trade, are driven by the business suit, worsted, blue and grays market demand. There are very few books available from these wholesalers that include the patterned suitings of the past. The londonlounge “clothclub” was created to fill the void.
The clothclub was formed when yours truly wanted a large format Prince of Wales check in tan. It did not exist anywhere, anymore. So the idea was born to gather together a dozen londonlounge members to make a purchase direct from a weaver according to the member’s specifications. I did the design work and the weaver made the Limited Edition cloth you see in the picture. Today, twelve men own lengths of this cloth. Twelve fortunate men who made an investment in Elegance!
New creative projects are underway in theclothclub and new Limited Edition cloths will soon be made. People interested in participating in these projects, should contact thelondonlounge via the website, www.thelondonlounge.net
Posted by tom at 11:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 27, 2005
u.s. visit update
(Me working away with some classic 10-ounce Wool Worsted)
Just a quick note. Thanks to a recent article in the New York Times about English Cut, suddenly my appointment diary for my next U.S. visit is starting to look very full.
If you're thinking of contacting me for an appointment, it's imperative that we schedule it as soon as possible. My contact details are here. Thank you.
[The full itinerary is here. New York, Chicago and San Francisco. October 14th-22nd, 2005]
Posted by tom at 11:13 AM | TrackBack
September 17, 2005
how to recognise anderson & sheppard: check the pockets
(Matched "jetting" on one of my coats: note the stripes on the jetting are perfectly aligned with the rest of the coat. Classic A&S training.)
Ok, it's pretty obvious to all English Cut readers I have a bit of soft spot for Anderson & Sheppard. Why? For one, that is where I was trained. Besides that, they are arguably the most successful firm on Savile Row, and without a doubt the most individual in style. So much so, that they aquire both love and distain in equal amounts for their single-minded approach to how a coat should be cut and made.
As fate would have it, and with my teacher, Dennis Hallbery's instruction I fell in love with this soft, natural approach to tailoring. So I'm always getting asked by people, "What exactly is this A&S style?"
This is something you can't explain so easily. There are a hundred and one things that go into the cutting and making of this type of coat that makes them so special. And even with the best technology at your disposal, no one, however hard they try, has ever truly managed to copy it successfully.
But I'm going to let you into a little secret. I can always spot an A&S coat, or an A&S influence at twenty paces. But here's a little detail that lets me know that the tailor was truly Anderson & Sheppard trained:
Nearly all coat manufactures, ready-made and bespoke alike, cut and make their pocket jettings "along" the piece of cloth. In other words, the opposite way to how the rest of the coat is cut. This makes for a strong pocket, but it's also a far easier job for the tailor, because it isn't matched perfectly with the stripe or check etc.
However, the legend goes that at a Christmas party held in A&S years ago, all the sewing tailors (the actual people who sew the coats together, as opposed to the "cutter", which is my job) turned up in their finery, eager to impress the "governors" with their tailoring skills. And as it was their own clothes, they took the extra time and tricky effort to make sure everything matched perfectly on the stripes or checks. That meant, even down to the tiny strip of cloth that hinges on the pocket flap i.e. the "jetting".
(Unmatched pocket jetting on a competitor's bespoke: note how the grain of the jetting is set ninety degrees from the rest of the coat. Tsk, tsk.)
This extra display of skill certainly impressed their governors, as intended. However it slightly backfired on them, as the cutters were all so impressed with the extra effort, that they decided they wanted all their customers coats to be made that way. Voila, a new piece of the puzzle was created. In those days Anderson's always had their parties in-house, where their secrets could be maintained and alcohol-loosened tonques could be controlled. OK, it would have been nice to mix with other tailors from the other firms, but the plus side was that management supplied all the alcohol gratis, no beer, just wine and whisky. I think the tailors needed it that evening, as they had just impressed their way into having to do even more work for their meagre pay.
It's also interesting that this method of of cutting a jetting also makes a slightly weaker pocket mouth. However, this doesn't mean that the pocket will give way in time, but more that it will eventually loosen and bow down slightly. This inadvertantly adds to the soft, draped look of this type of coat. So yes, like a fine wine, it really does get better with age.
As I've said, there are many things that make a coat, but I promise anyone who's wearing and Anderson & Sheppard coat, or one of mine, look at the pockets and that's what you'll see: properly matched jettings.
Yes, it's a tiny, tiny little detail, one that the vast majority of sartorial afficionados won't know about. But it's these tiny details that make the difference, that make A&S tailors the most respected in the world.
So now you know this litte secret; keep a look out for it. Just don't tell anyone I told you so.
Posted by tom at 1:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 16, 2005
thomas' top ten
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('Rock of Eye': one of my freehand patterns.)
For those new to this site, I thought a small overview of my favourite blog entries would be in order; my "Greatest Hits", as it were:
1. Savile Row Who's Who. A brief introduction to the famous firms on Savile Row, so the first time you walk down it, you won't feel a complete stranger.2. Mr. Sheppard's Shears. The story behind my own pair of cutting shears, and the person who gave them to me: arguably the greatest tailor of the twentieth century- Mr. Dennis Hallbery, Head Cutter at Anderson & Sheppard.
3. In Manhattan. Every three months, I visit my customers in America. This article explains the nuts and bolts of how Savile Row tailors generally operate on the other side of the pond. [NB: Details of my next U.S. visit are here.]
4. Why Use Thomas? What you're getting if you decide to have me as your tailor, as opposed to the other wonderful firms on the Row.
5. How To Draft A Pattern. Every bespoke Savile Row customer will have his suit cut from a unique individual cutting pattern, hand-drafted by his tailor. This article lists the three main techniques used on Savile Row, including "Rock Of Eye", which is my specialty.
6. The Three Main Fittings. A guide to the Skeletal Baste, the Forward, and the Finish Bar Finish i.e. the 3 main fittings needed for a Savile Row suit.
7. What If You Only Have £200? Classic tailoring on a limited budget: my advice.
8. Worsteds And Super Numbers. An article about the basic cloths used in Savile Row tailoring.
9. Mr. Cameron. A lovely story about one of the greatest characters on Savile Row of all time. Mr. Cameron was the tailor who taught my teacher, Mr. Hallbery, back at Anderson & Sheppard.
10. How To Spot A Drunken Tailor. The pubs around Savile Row that the tailors all frequent.
[Other useful pages:]
My "About" page.[MONTHLY NEWSLETTER:] Please subscribe here.Media Page. English Cut in the media etc.
The Apprentice. Advice for young people wanting to break into the trade.
Fused vs Floating. About the basic technicalities of structuring a coat.
Posted by tom at 11:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
the tweed vault...
(Ray Hammet, the "curator" of the vaults at W. Bill Ltd.)
One of the biggest changes that has occured in Savile Row in the last few years is, sadly, the departure of cloth merchants who actually hold stock either on or around Savile Row.
It's the same old story- rent and rates have got so high that the cloth merchants can't afford to pay for valuable Mayfair office space, to be used for holding bolts of cloth. Although the main players are still doing well, like us tailors they now only stock the pattern bunches from which you can select your fabrics. The bolts (i.e. the hundred metre rolls) are kept elsewhere.
These small shops are all still supplying some of the finest cloths in the world, but gone are the days where you could pop round to Lessers, for example, and drape a full piece of cloth over a customer's shoulder to give an idea of the final outcome.
Happily, Smith Woolens is a super company which still offer this service. They're still local- based in Soho, the next neighborhood over- which is comforting to know. But most firms have relocated their stock to less expensive parts of the city, or even the country. Some cloths are even housed housed in warehouses abroad by some of the merchants, even though the cloths were manufactured in England.
I dont blame these guys, like everyone else they have to adapt to survive.
(A classic, georgeous tweed from W. Bill Ltd., 100% hand-woven.)
But as usual, if you know who to ask and where to look, Savile Row always has a pleasant surprise to defy modern thinking and commercial logic. One lovely example is W. Bill Ltd, established in 1846. Today they're best known in our business as THE tweed and cashmere specialists. They actually have the same owners as Smith Woolens. Any tailor worth knowing, certainly in the UK anyway, should have a relationship with both these establishments.
If you're fortunate enough to have your clothes made on the Savile Row, you may just get the chance to visit. These are not retail outlets, so don't go banging on the door, but if you're looking for a tweed or cashmere at W. Bill's, or quality worsteds at Smith's, they'll let you in, provided your tailor acts as chaperone.
I recently took a customer of mine round the corner in New Burlington Street to visit Mr. Ray Hammett, of W. Bill Ltd. Its always a lovely experience dealing with all of the guys in that basement office. My customer was looking for a Donegal tweed, but couldn't quite make up his mind. So with a two-minute walk to Ray's, a scratch of his head and a knowing "hmmmm", we were able to roll out several full pieces of beautiful hand-woven Donegal tweed to help my customer decide.
Everyone I take there is astonished to find such a cachophony of just about every type of tweed and cashmere ever woven. The way the cloths are piled up on the straining shelves reminds you of the holding vaults of ancient treasures in the British Museum. Apart from the amazing fabrics, there are little glimpses of the company's 150-year history, dotted all over the place.
Ray's not been there that long, but he's not doing badly. As a reckless young lad of 16 he joined the company in 1947. I'm sure if you work out the sums, you can assume he likes his job very much. My customer was delighted with the hand-woven cloth he eventually chose. And so was I, once I first saw the hand-made coat it was turned into:
(The tweed from W Bill Ltd., turned into my customer's coat.)
I always chuckle, as on our departure Ray always asks about the weather. I know this is a famously English obsession, but Ray actually means it. Bearing in mind he's locked in a basement all day with no windows, it's understandable. Maybe that's why he looks so good- he loves his work and dosen't let all that aging sunshine anywhere near his face.
Once again, it's people like Ray that make me adore this little street they call Savile Row.
Posted by tom at 12:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 7, 2005
u.s. visits: autumn, 2008
[UPDATE: My next American dates have been scheduled tentatively for Sept-Oct, 2008. Similar itinerary to the March, 2008 visit below.]
Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and New York.
Please e-mail me if you wish to make an appointment at my hotel. Thank you.
Chicago:When I'm in the U.S., it's always far easier to reach me via my mobile:
The Indigo Hotel.
Friday 28th March, all day. Saturday 29th March until 1.00pm.
San Francisco:
The Inn at Union Square.
Monday, 31st March till Wednesday, 2nd of April.
Atlanta:
The Doubletree Hotel, Buckhead.
Friday the 4th of April, all day. Saturday, 6th of April until 1.00pm.
New York:
The Hotel Benjamin.
Monday the 7th of April, until 1.00pm on Wednesday the 9th of April.
+44 (0) 7811 388 536[BACKGROUND READING:] More information on Savile Row visiting America.
[BACKGROUND READING:] "Thomas' Top Ten". The most popular and informative English Cut articles.
[NEWSLETTER:] Please subscribe here.
Posted by tom at 7:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 5, 2005
you get what you pay for...
(The view from my office window, courtesy of Warwick Hall)
Well, the Cote D'Azure was wonderful. But it's always nice to come back home, and even to work.
Recently I have had a huge amount of people asking my opinion about various tailoring companies, offering what appear to be very good deals on made-to-measure, and even "bespoke".
I hope people are not too disappointed with my usual reply, which is I really have no more idea of the product than they do.
This is because, as I said earlier, I really only know the abilities of people closest to me i.e. on Savile Row. Many of the tailors I'm asked about are in Hong Kong or elsewhere abroad. All I can do is recommend you look out for what I've told you already, and best of luck.
When I was 19 and an apprentice at Redmayne, a good friend of mine who I worked with bounced into the workroom one Monday morning with an advertisment from one of the Sunday papers. At that age we were all sports-crazy and also convinced that we led tough and exciting lives. So when we saw what appeared to be a rugged, black waterproof diving watch for £1.99 + 50p for postage and handling, we went wild with excitement. To have a watch that looked as good as James Bond's, for about £5.00 in today's money, seemed like the deal of a lifetime.
My teenage colleagues scrutinised the advert. It was totally clear; it was definitely a "diver's style" watch with dual display. Press the button and it even showed the date. It also had an action-black-moulded-plastic wriststrap, even better to resist the salt water on all those deep sea dives we would doubtlessly be taking.
Our excitement somehow bubbled through to our elders, who also got excited at the thought of cheap presents for their husbands and their young nephews' sixteenth birthdays. In the end the apprentices ordered, as did the cutters, trouser makers and the finishers. Even the office secretary had to have a piece of the action. Voila, seven "diver's style" watches please, as quick as you can. And things got even better, because as we had ordered more than five, we only had to pay the postage for one. Gosh, why can't all Mondays be as good as this?
After 28 days of mounting excitement the watches finally arrived, Hurray! You see, it wasn't a con after all, they delivered as promised etc.
What was so great about this watch was that it had a dual display, very cool, digital and analogue. However, the hands only told the correct time twice a day.
Why, was the mechanism faulty? No, it was just that the hands wouldn't turn. Oh, so the hands were faulty? Wrong again, the hands were just "painted" on. With real paint. The digital bits worked fine, but it was still so thin and cheap, I think you could've found heavier tatoos to wear if you'd wanted.
It had looked the part, and technically it was a "divers' style". But the key word in this company's marketing was "style". They hadn't lied to us per se, they just cleverly compared it visually to the product that we actually wanted to own. Not a "diver's style" watch, but a real "diver's watch". Big difference.
(NB: yardsticks hurt)
After my pal and I had been beaten with various yardsticks, scalded with irons and stabbed with needles by our hapless colleagues, we all laughed and realized how dopey we'd all been.
The moral of the story is that you get what you pay for. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. I know there are companies who offer "bespoke" for under £300.00. I'm sorry, but to offer a product for a for a tenth of the competition? Well, it's your decision, but don't be surprised if you find some of the buttons have been painted on.
And on a different note, you can tune into "Shoptalk" on BBC Radio Four tomorrow (Tuesday, 6 Sept.) at 4pm. My pal Johnny and I gave an interview to Richard Fenton-Smith, a super chap who was great fun to talk to. You can listen on the web here. Hope you enjoy.
Posted by tom at 3:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack