Which colour of linen do I want?
At this time of year, I’m often asked what linen suit, jacket or trouser a reader should get. Their eyes are turning to summer, and often an event that will involve summer tailoring. We’ve written about the appeal of linen in general be...
Which colour of linen do I want?
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I actually wear them fairly often - you can see a pair in this outfit for example They can look nice with a tailored jacket, but it's not easy because of the high contrast. They come into their own in the evening, when a...
Why do my flannels keep wearing through?
I was reading a piece in The Times last month which hailed the flannel trouser as the new trend in menswear. It’s funny how the mainstream can sometimes take a long time to catch up - it must be 15 years since the growth of ‘classic mens...
Why do my flannels keep wearing through?
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Looking at mtm or rtw mid grey flannel trousers. Does anyone have existence with both Cavour and Besnard? Besnard gives a ton of options online and seem reputable. If there are other similar shops please let me know....
A guide to pure-silk tailoring
Silk used to be more commonly seen in tailoring than it is today. That’s in large part because quality silk has become so expensive, but also I think because we’re less used to seeing it around – even on bespoke customers, let a...
A guide to pure-silk tailoring
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No problem. Yes I would still recommend the same books, and while you will see quite a lot of variation, there shouldn't be much you'd consider looking like a cheap satin. I would particularly focus on the Zegna offering...
Unmilled Coarser Heavier Worsted Wool Twill Trousers
Not everyone likes flannels . They can bag a bit, at least more than the worsteds guys are used to wearing to the office. That just means a press now and again, but hey some people are very lazy busy. If flannels aren’t an option, and it&rsqu...
Unmilled Coarser Heavier Worsted Wool Twill Trousers
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I've only tried it as trousers David, but I would say it's not as warm as flannel, while being a little warmer than most modern suitings...
Sartoria Ciardi ulster coat: Style Breakdown
This ulster-style overcoat was made for me by Sartoria Ciardi , the Neapolitan tailor, in 2020. Although I’ve had a few pieces of tailoring from Ciardi in the past five years, this is my only coat from them. It has proved to be one of my favou...
Sartoria Ciardi ulster coat: Style Breakdown
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Aha, yes it does make sense, sorry. I don't think that would make a big difference to be honest. It will still be good with those two colours of jeans I think...
The Guide to Tweed: Bunches
In our voluminous Guide to Cloth series , we’ve already done an article on tweed. But that was about the history, the style and a little about the types. There was no mention of bunches. Today’s article takes on that introduction, fleshes...
The Guide to Tweed: Bunches
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No, not really GA...
The guide to hopsack (and mesh, mock leno and bas...
Hopsack and similar materials are a good choice for summer blazers - sharp jackets usually made in smart colours, such as navy. The materials don’t vary that much, even if the weaves themselves are different. A mesh in a classic menswear dark...
The guide to hopsack (and mesh, mock leno and bas...
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Only that it would usually have a drier handle and more matte surface, which might feel less business-y...
A guide to corduroy: Colours, wales, fibres, bunches
I’ve been buying and wearing more corduroy in recent years - including the new dark-brown jacket above, from Sartoria Ciardi . I think the reason is that if you’re not dressing for a formal office, worsted is likely to feel out of place...
A guide to corduroy: Colours, wales, fibres, bunches
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No worries RM, happy to...
Pirozzi dupioni-silk jacket: Review
This jacket from Sartoria Pirozzi doesn’t really need a normal review. The point of it was to cover the tailor again because they are now coming to London frequently, having taken a share of a space in Shepherd Market. And it was to check th...
Pirozzi dupioni-silk jacket: Review
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Yes, they have some of the dupioni in the upholstery range...
An investment dressing gown, made-to-order by Budd
Last winter, I spent a good few weeks looking for a dressing gown that would be worth investing in - something luxurious, to last many years but also enjoy at every stage. My existing gown was a towelling model from Anderson & Sheppard, whi...
An investment dressing gown, made-to-order by Budd
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Ooops, In the first sentence,I meant to write "... present for the man who does not yet have everything." Smoking gown, pipe or cigar not needed...
Introducing: PS Harris Tweed
My favourite Harris Tweed has not been available for a few years now. Originally offered by Holland & Sherry, I was such a fan that I used it for one of my favourite tweed jackets (from Elia Caliendo, below ), a fantastic ulster coat from L...
Introducing: PS Harris Tweed
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Yes, I find it is...
Artisan of the Year 2021: Whitcomb & Shaftesbury
Best artisan 2021: Whitcomb & Shaftesbury I decided to give my Artisan of the Year award this year to Whitcomb & Shaftesbury because, looking back on recent commissions, they have so consistently delivered on quality and value. Thos...
Artisan of the Year 2021: Whitcomb & Shaftesbury
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If that's the starting price, yes I'd still say they are good value. I don't think you can find an English-cut suit at that kind of price and quality elsewhere. You can certainly get good value elsewhere, eg WW Chan in H...
Knitwear and necklines – with Ciardi overco...
My love of bespoke overcoats continues unabated: the thing I was most excited about this Autumn was the prospect of wearing them again. It's annoying that, useful as they are (and arguably today, more useful than a bespoke suit) they are limited to...
Knitwear and necklines – with Ciardi overco...
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Matching standard lining as I usually have...
Jean-Manuel Moreau made-to-measure suit: Review
Let’s move the conclusion up to the top of this review, just to get it out of the way. This is a great made-to-measure suit. It’s fitted well, styled well and made well, and for me illustrates the pinnacle of what made-to-measure should...
Jean-Manuel Moreau made-to-measure suit: Review
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Exactly my thinking. Thanks a lot for your expertise!...
The French style of Kenjiro Suzuki (and mute cutt...
How do you make sure your best cutter doesn’t leave, taking customers with him? Simple: never let him meet the customers. I’ve always been aware that Smalto, the Parisian tailor, had an unusual system in its cutting room. Unlike most t...
The French style of Kenjiro Suzuki (and mute cutt...
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Well, best to judge trousers on where they sit standing up I think. Have a look at my various suit reviews and you'll get a better sense of the trouser length I like - eg the review of Suzuki's suit is here I'm not sure ...
The best cloths of Autumn/Winter 2019
This series started as a way to highlight cloths from the hyper-seasonal collections - usually Italian - that came and went within a few months. The impulse was that readers often saw something I had had made, and asked what the cloth was - but by ...
The best cloths of Autumn/Winter 2019
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The suit or tailoring is whether we like it or not on a decline. Many corporate offices no longer require a suit or even a blazer / jacket unless you are meeting clients. On the street suits and blazer / jackets are rare...
Blackhorse Lane, Holland and Sherry, Tusting and ...
Man, I love the pop-up shop. It's being going so long now that I know exactly what it will be like, and I look forward to the atmosphere, the chats, and the conversations with readers. It's exciting putting your products out carefully on display. It...
Blackhorse Lane, Holland and Sherry, Tusting and ...
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They did, yes. It certainly wouldn't be as long lasting as most suits - it would have to be part of a good-size wardrobe to make sense. Though of course it also depends how heavy the cloth is (fine wools don't have to be...
A guide to high-twist bunches
This is a summary and analysis of the high-twist wools available from different mills and merchants. As with the linen one we did last year, the aim is to set out most of the range so that bespoke customers know if their tailor is missing something...
A guide to high-twist bunches
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Thank you for your reply and advice....
The best cloths of Spring/Summer 2019
This is the latest instalment in our series highlighting my favourite new seasonal cloths - providing a heads-up to readers on those that will mostly only be around for six months. It’s interesting to see how the ranges develop. While Cacciopp...
The best cloths of Spring/Summer 2019
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I do understand. No worries. Thanks again Lindsay...
A guide to linen bunches
This is the second in our series presenting all the cloth bunches currently available for bespoke, summarising what they contain and picking out our favourites. The summaries should help determine which bunches readers need to see, or request. And t...
A guide to linen bunches
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Good morning, summer is almost here!! To my taste, Ariston Napoli makes the beautiest delave linen. Both, color and texture. And only 9 to 10 oz, very practical for warmer climates. They also drape fine....
Filling the gaps: Six pairs of odd trousers
If shirts are the items in a man’s wardrobe where he wants most predictability and consistency, then trousers are undoubtedly second. In that spirit, over the past year I have regularly commissioned odd trousers (‘odd’ as in separa...
Filling the gaps: Six pairs of odd trousers
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It's pretty much £1000 today, so it's gone up a lot...
B&Tailor jacket via Robin Pettersson: Review
I had this tweed jacket made by South Korean house B&Tailor over the past 18 months, using Robin Petterson - a Swede who does their fittings in London and at home in Stockholm. Unfortunately, although the end result isn’t too bad (just...
B&Tailor jacket via Robin Pettersson: Review
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This oatmeal tweed with a black roper? I'm not sure to be honest, that would create quite a lot of contrast between shirt and jacket. Is it a combination you've seen work elsewhere?...
Drape and extended shoulders: The Disguisery
Last year I got to know a group called The Disguisery , based in Fitzrovia. (‘Disguisery’ is a collective noun for tailors.) A trouser workshop for many houses on Savile Row, they have been branching out into jackets and suiting, and cre...
Drape and extended shoulders: The Disguisery
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I'd say mid-grey probably - and that goes with absolutely everything! Apart from the same colour maybe. Light grey also goes with almost anything, but the overall effect is a little more showy, a little more summery....
Cavalry twill for trousers
Finding the right material for odd trousers - those worn with sports jackets rather than suits - is not easy. The kind of smooth, worsted cloths you're used to wearing as part of a suit are too sleek and formal. Many cottons, particularly garment-w...
Cavalry twill for trousers
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Hard to tell for sure as I haven't done it, but yes it might make a difference in stopping it seeming like part of a suit...
Harris Tweed waistcoat, Richard James
Although we discussed last week that the fit of a jacket is the most important - and flattering - part of tailoring, a waistcoat is in some ways the most satisfying. Of all the tailored garments, it is the one that sits closest to the body, and the...
Harris Tweed waistcoat, Richard James
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I accidentally bought too much of the PS Shetland Tweed. I'm having a jacket made, as planned, and with the excess I'm having a waistcoat made in a similar style to this one. I hope it will prove a nice standalone and la...
