The (55) bespoke tailors I have known
This post was originally written in 2012: a breakdown of all the tailors I have tried personally (rather than just written about), split into different countries. It was updated in 2016, and I have updated it again now in 2020, adding a fu...
The (55) bespoke tailors I have known
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I've been meaning to do a full post on this comparison for a while, sorry I haven't yet. In brief though, bespoke will usually fit better, yes. Not always, but usually, and have more of a bespoke shape. However, when you...
Clothing Resources: Places to clean, alter and re...
One of the most frequent questions I get asked on the site is where I would recommend for getting suits altered - or knitwear repaired, or shoes resoled. I’ve been meaning to create a single page with all these recommendations for a while, so ...
Clothing Resources: Places to clean, alter and re...
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Just used The Valet for a sponge and press, and they did a wonderful job. Very pleasant to deal with too. Highly recommended to those looking for somewhere in London...
Bespoke commissions – What I should and sho...
Thank you everyone that responded to my ‘You are the interviewer’ post a couple of weeks ago. The number of variety of questions was staggering, and I will try to answer as many as I can over the coming weeks. It may take time, but I wou...
Bespoke commissions – What I should and sho...
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I don't know the exact history, but I think it came from English tweed jackets which themselves were derived from those made for riding...
Graham Browne Christmas sale 2016
As is traditional, Graham Browne are having a sale between Christmas and New Year - and just as traditional is my writing to tell readers about it. The sale will run on the 28th, 29th and 30th of December, and offer suits from various cloths includ...
Graham Browne Christmas sale 2016
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I had a few pieces made there and wasn't that happy with the fit or communication. I'm curious if you have any updates since the new ownership....
Suit style 1: The difference between bespoke, mad...
This is the first article in our Guide to Suit Style. You can see the full contents so far, and browse between them, on the right-hand side of this post. Bespoke suit, Anderson & Sheppard What’s the difference between bespoke, MT...
Suit style 1: The difference between bespoke, mad...
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The short answer is no, Jack. I've tried many systems over the years and none do much, even full body scanners...
Wearing a jacket and jeans
If there is one question men ask more than any other, it is how to wear a jacket with jeans. Behind this usually lies a desire to dress up an outfit without appearing too up-tight. Friends in the creative or digital industries often have this prob...
Wearing a jacket and jeans
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In your opinion, does that French linen jacket look great with jeans?...
The casual waistcoat: preppy herringbone
Over the years I’ve had a few casual waistcoats made. What makes them casual? Well primarily cloth, ideally something with a pronounced texture and perhaps a chunky pattern – in this case, a tan/black herringbone woven from a w...
The casual waistcoat: preppy herringbone
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Basically, under the jacket collar, you don't also want a waistcoat collar that is just as thick, as this then means a lot of material in one place. A dress waistcoat will often be cut a little lower, or not have a colla...
A newcomer to quality
It’s been so long since I experienced bespoke clothing for the first time, or indeed most of the luxury, craft-based things I write about, that I find it interesting when friends do so for the first time. Each finds pleasure, or value, in...
A newcomer to quality
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I agree totally with good shoes and jeans. I also found upgrading from RTW suits to a cheap tailor was a significant improvement since I'm a bit harder to fit. Haven't tried something as expensive as GB. I've also had a ...
Why most tailors don’t like clothes
Quite a lot of tailors and cutters don’t wear jackets, even waistcoats during the day. Certainly if they are hidden away from the eyes of customers, they quickly dress down. Partly this is because such work is difficult to perform all day in an...
Why most tailors don’t like clothes
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Does your definition of gentleman have everything to do with the circumstances of one's birth, I wonder?...
Send in your Permanent Style Tweed pics!
I’ve seen quite a few Permanent Style Tweed pieces going through Graham Browne in recent weeks. As my Caliendo jacket gets ready for completion, this is a call out to readers to send in pictures of their tweed made up. The pictures will be ...
Send in your Permanent Style Tweed pics!
I’ve seen quite a few Permanent Style Tweed pieces going through Graham Browne in recent weeks. As my Caliendo jacket gets ready for completion, this is a call out to readers to send in pictures of their tweed made up....
Reader question: Side straps and chinos
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 424 2417 Euromoney PLC 20 4 2968 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Incotex trousers Dear Simon, I have a couple of questions on trousers which I haven’t seen you address. First, you said in a post a while ago that...
Reader question: Side straps and chinos
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Thanks Simon....
Reader question: What should I buy in London?
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 479 2735 Euromoney PLC 22 5 3358 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false A typical ensemble at Trunk Clothiers Dear Simon, My name is David and I have been a fan of your work for quite a while now. As an undergraduate busines...
Reader question: What should I buy in London?
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I hope it's enjoyable and fruitful Paul...
Panta clothing: new trousers and site
Trousers are easier to tailor than a jacket. They’re not straightforward, as everyone’s waist to seat ratio varies, but the problems are at least largely in two dimensions. Because trousers are simpler, you can spend less money on them. Y...
Panta clothing: new trousers and site
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Hi Simon, Wondering what RTW trousers you recommend - particularly for a 28 waist? I typically wear Incotex trousers but wanted to find something new. Thanks...
Graham Browne in New York: fittings
Three fittings awaiting a customer Last week in New York it was a real pleasure to meet the five men who came for appointments with Graham Browne. They varied from the established customer (there to try on a tweed jacket and two suits) to the complet...
Graham Browne in New York: fittings
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Hi David Sounds like you've thought this through well. To be honest I would avoid trying to find a jacket that works as part of the suit and separately. Too easy to end up with something that isn't perfect as either. Per...
Graham Browne: Neapolitan lining
As mentioned in a previous post on this jacket, Graham Browne used the inspiration of my Rubinacci jacket to work on an alternative construction to the half-lined jacket. The same cloth (Harrison’s Moonbeam) is used in the internal lining o...
Graham Browne: Neapolitan lining
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Hi Sunney, My short answer would be that if you want a soft Neapolitan jacket, you need to go to a tailor from there. English tailors like this can do something that is less structured, and you might like that, but it's ...
Graham Browne: Brown cashmere and tan cotton
An autumnal outfit this, commissioned a little too late in the summer and then delayed by various factors so that it was ready just before Christmas. Still, on a clear winter’s day with an overcoat it serves very well and it will also do well i...
Graham Browne: Brown cashmere and tan cotton
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You're right, that is a good rule of thumb. Like most rules I'd consider it for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of… less wise men....
Suit, Shirt, Tie 1: Pink and green
One of my favourite colour combinations is pink and green. The pink here is pale, too pale perhaps to be portrayed accurately in the photo, but it provides a subtle field of colour for green to play on. The green tie, from Neapolitan maker Isaia, is ...
Suit, Shirt, Tie 1: Pink and green
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Thanks, yes love those pale pink Oxford cloths...
The modern man needs a good blazer
Men wear fewer suits today, as we all know. But they retain the need for a jacket, if only to appear smart or professional. Two of my friends, a doctor and a teacher, are particular examples. Their jobs do not require them to wear a suit, yet a jacke...
The modern man needs a good blazer
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They could certainly work with trousers like that, and a full range of them, just as versatile as a normal navy. The question really is about the boldness of the buttons and the various associations. Personally, I think ...
Different ways to pad the chest of a suit
A reader commented that the way he spots a good bespoke suit is to look under the lapel and look for the little pinpricks that betray hand padding. This does indeed show where the tailor has come through the suit cloth as he sews the parts of the che...
Different ways to pad the chest of a suit
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There is no particular tailor that does a 'drape cut' but you can get more room in the chest from the likes of Dalcuore or Ciardi...
Choppin & Lodge cotton suit
A cotton suit, or at least jacket, should be a staple of casual summer wear. Cotton is often derided by fans of bespoke because it has no drape and wears out quicker than other fabrics. But the issue of drape – how the cloth falls across your b...
Choppin & Lodge cotton suit
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Yes Robert, no thread on PS ever dies, it only matures! I would press them at home, yes...
Altering the neck of a suit
This is an alteration to an old flannel suit, pinching in and raising the neck of the jacket slightly to correct a collar that currently stands a half inch away from my neck. This, of course, is one of the last alterations you should have done. It ca...
Altering the neck of a suit
This is an alteration to an old flannel suit, pinching in and raising the neck of the jacket slightly to correct a collar that currently stands a half inch away from my neck. This, of course, is one of the last alteratio...
It’s time for overcoats 2
The overcoat commission from Graham Browne – a grey herringbone DB, Bateman & Ogden 600g – was ready this week. Russell returned it initially to the coatmaker because he wasn’t happy with the finishing of the pleats, but the...
It’s time for overcoats 2
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Hi Ebi, Unfortunately a lot of this is down to your physical proportions, and is subjective and depends on the style you like. To be honest, I think it's safest to look at what your tailor suggests, given their ideas of ...
It’s time for overcoats
Right, it’s definitely overcoat weather now. It’s dropped below 10 degrees in London during the day and a scarf and hat just won’t cut it. Of course, this is entirely the wrong time of the year to start thinking about a bespoke coat...
It’s time for overcoats
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It's possible. Try Graham Browne for an English structured look, or Whitcomb & Shaftesbury for a slightly drapier one and higher quality...
Wine-red socks with a grey suit
This series is a progression in socks, from the most conservative to the most flamboyant colour combinations. It is important to start slowly and build to greater sophistication. Colour is tricky; so much can go wrong in a shade. Buy one or two pairs...
Wine-red socks with a grey suit
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Thanks, The Armoury has their own collection of Bresciani OTC wool socks which have all the essential colors. Asking them to see how they compare to the Mazarin equivalent in terms of thickness as I am looking for a thin...
Green socks with a blue suit
A man has come a long way when he shifts to proper socks – calf length and in navy, grey and charcoal to match the day’s suit. Too many remain stuck in the teenage mindset that short, black socks go with everything. They don’t; they...
Green socks with a blue suit
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Thanks a lot Simon - much appreciated!...
