Friday was the Bespoke Tailors’ Benevolent Association (BTBA, new version of MTBA) summer ball. As per usual there was an eclectic range of outfits, from sober business dress to top hats, cream linen to sequins.
Three Anderson & Sheppard employees were among those receiving certificates: Jennie, Ollie and Sunna, who readers will know from the A&S blog The Notebook.
Michael Skinner doing the honours
Sunna (Johnson) and Ollie (Trenchard) with their SRB diplomas for coatmaking and cutting respectively
Steven Hitchcock and Tom Baker
Fred Nieddu, who joined Timothy Everest as cutter from Meyer & Mortimer last Monday, to work alongside Lloyd
Kathryn Sargent and Albert Nelson, one of the best coatmakers on the Row (works for Huntsman and Dege)
John Hitchcock and Sunna
I wore a cream linen suit from Terry Haste (above), with white long-sleeved polo from Al Bazar, linen handkerchief from Simonot-Goddard and buttonhole from the garden. A few other combinations below, my favourite being Davide Taub from Gieves & Hawkes (third below). Such great muted colours.
like your polo shirt, is it long or short sleeve ? Where is it from ?
Hi Simon,
This time around, it all looks a little bit relaxed. The good whether seems to have played a role.
John
Simon, it would be interesting if you did a contrast to a similar even in Italian tailoring (if there is one).
The styles, cut and cloth on display here seem quite dull and old man-ish. (with the exception of the deep blue C&M DB and your Linen number of course)
Its just that English tailoring can sometimes appear quite boring and 2 dimensional where as Italian tailoring looks more alive. Its a total generalisation of course but the above pics do give that impression
I’m not sure I agree. When people talk about Italian tailoring being more alive, they often mean it’s a little shorter, tighter and more flamboyant. Certainly the ready-to-wear. That is often attractive to non-Italians and to the young, but you realise over time that it is less flattering.
As hopefully I, Michael Browne and others have proven on this blog, English tailoring can be more flattering and just as stylish.
Do you tuck your Al Bazar polo in your trousers or wear it untucked?
Usually tucked in with a jacket and untucked without. It is a touch square and short to tuck in well, but that matters less with a jacket
Hi Simon,
It is somehow striking the number of Blacks envolved in British high-end-menswear world! Here is Albert Nelson next to Kathryn Sargent, and in your previous posts I have discovered Michael Brown among others.
I say striking, because I’m not at all sure whether one could find in France or Italy Blacks at this level of craftsmanship. This is perhaps the main reason why an African heir could dare go to Paris and benightedly pay 250 000 euro for an Astrakhan coat at F. Smalto in the first place!
John
I don’t think that’s the reason – there has always been a big French colonial clientele at Parisian tailors. And on Savile Row, the dominant factor is the sheer number of nationalities. Coatmakers used to be primarily Greek and Eastern European, but with dozens of other nationalities included.
Hi Simon,
I forgot to ask you in my previous comment how your jacket is constructed.
Thanks for your reply.
John
It’s half lined John
Your ensembles are looking more and more effortless, I love it.
Perhaps a post on how to achieve this effortlessness and nonchalance with one’s dress?
Good idea, I’ll have a think
Hi Simon,
I was interested by your Al Bazar top. Is there anyway to buy their clothes in the UK and if not would you consider a Permanent Style collaboration?
Ed
No there isn’t. But don’t worry, I have another collaboration in mind for a polo shirt like that that will be much better.
Dear Simon,
The mid blue double breasted above (white shirt – spectacles in pocket).
Do you know who cut it and anything about the cloth?
Regards,
David
No, I’m afraid not. It looks very similar to my W Bill linen though:
http://www.permanentstyle.com/2014/07/spanish-tailors.html