Sartoria Pirozzi at E Marinella, and the ‘t...
The amount of good soft-tailoring in London seems to increase by the month. And not just because people decide to start travelling: sometimes I just miss them. Nunzio Pirozzi has been travelling to the E Marinella store on Maddox Street for several ...
Sartoria Pirozzi at E Marinella, and the ‘t...
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Thanks again, Simon....
The basics of selecting cloth
Selecting cloth may be the hardest part of the bespoke (or made-to-measure) process. You pick the style of a suit every time you buy one off the rack, but you’re unlikely to have ever looked at a tiny square of cloth and tried to imagine what i...
The basics of selecting cloth
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That sounds great Stefan. I'd only say on mohair, you need to like the crispness and sheen. But on everything else you're bang on...
Introducing: The Guide to Cloth
This week we are launching another big project for Permanent Style: The Guide to Cloth. This has been a long time in the works, but we wanted to do it right. There is a lot of piecemeal information out there about cloths, yarns and weaves, but (for m...
Introducing: The Guide to Cloth
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I will have to check the suit. Will get back to you....
The corduroy suit
I have a friend who wears what he calls ‘knockabout’ suits. How exactly he knocks about in them I don’t know, but the meaning is clear: these are casual suits, that don’t belong in a formal environment like an office. Most no...
The corduroy suit
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Great, thanks, Simon....
A lapis-blue linen jacket for summer
Summer clothing, particularly from Italian brands, often includes a lot of light, bright colours. These can be difficult to wear, particularly in northern European countries where the sun might not be that consistent. I'd suggest that of those brig...
A lapis-blue linen jacket for summer
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For that light Blue Jacket a Nantucket red trouser would Look also very Fine...
Coarse vs fine cottons in tailoring
We covered the appeal of cotton as a tailoring material generally last week, but didn't talk about the different types of cottons. There are corduroys and moleskins of course, gabardines and seersucker. But a difference I find particularly interesti...
Coarse vs fine cottons in tailoring
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I prefer not to have it, as elastane just pulls at you all the time, and doesn't drape in the same way. 2% is different to 5%, but still all other things being equal I'd always rather not have it...
The appeal of the cotton suit – bespoke fro...
I've always found cotton very appealing for summer suits, but historically haven't had much luck with them. I had a navy one made by Choppin & Lodge, but the make was really too English and structured for the material (my fault, not theirs)....
The appeal of the cotton suit – bespoke fro...
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With something that sounds pretty minor like that, yes I will usually. It's just the character of the piece...
Interview: Gregor Thissen, Scabal
A couple of months ago I sat down with Gregor Thissen, Executive Chairman of cloth merchant Scabal, in Brussels after a tour of the factory. You can read more about Scabal and that factory on my first post here. Permanent Style: I’ve always fo...
Interview: Gregor Thissen, Scabal
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I would not go for the DB waistcoat, but I do have a SB waistcoat that I wear with a navy blazer and grey trousers. White or cream flannel SB waistcoat for winter, linen for summer. Anthony Eden would approve....
The Holland & Sherry cloths I have known
At the Young Tailors Symposium in a couple of weeks, we will have one floor of the Stefano Bemer atelier dedicated to my favourite Holland & Sherry cloths. Holland & Sherry have generously supported the event, and I thought the best...
The Holland & Sherry cloths I have known
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Very similar. You can make an argument for Smith's or Lesser's perhaps, but most of the time these worsteds are essentially the same quality...
Scabal: Why make your own swatch books?
Last week I was in Brussels visiting the headquarters of cloth merchant Scabal. They moved buildings two years ago and now have an attractive, open-plan space on top of their warehouse. That warehouse stores a lot of cloth. Most of the people are ...
Scabal: Why make your own swatch books?
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Not usually, no. Partly because the books have some cost, and partly because they don't usually have capacity to take on private customers...
A green cotton suit?
In my review of Spanish tailor Reillo’s cotton suit last week, there proved to be only room to analyse the fit and make. Yet a reader rightly pointed out that green cotton-gabardine is hardly an everyday cloth option. I’ll expla...
A green cotton suit?
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It would have both those advantages, yes. And I'd imagine it would be suited to the kind of person that liked the look and line of hopsack, but didn't live somewhere particularly hot...
The Button Queen
Last week I discovered The Button Queen, on Marylebone Lane in London. It’s hard to believe I’ve never been in before; I don’t think I will ever select buttons for tailoring from anywhere else. The Button Queen has been around sin...
The Button Queen
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i believe they have moved now.they are based in west wales but have an online purchase https://www.thebuttonqueen.co.uk/...
W Bill and Smith’s sold: Mark Dunsford inte...
Last week the sale was finalised of the W Bill and Smith’s cloth brands to LBD Harrison‘s. The company, run by Mark Dunsford, has been built on acquisitions, starting with Pedersen & Becker over 20 years ago and more recen...
W Bill and Smith’s sold: Mark Dunsford inte...
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Not really a football fan I'm afraid. Cycling, cricket and rugby, in that order...
Italy’s mills and merchants explained
This is a follow-up to my popular post on English mills and cloth merchants: how to tell them apart, how they are related and how to select between them (basically, don’t; there is little difference). Italian mills are a lot simpler, as there...
Italy’s mills and merchants explained
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What is the background and make up of Marzoni ? Thanks...
Vitale Barberis Canonico
This past week I’ve been in Biella, visiting the lovely people at Vitale Barberis Canonico and researching a piece on Italian mills and bunches – a follow-up to the popular post on English mills. Barberis is going through something of a t...
Vitale Barberis Canonico
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Raw materials as in merino, cashmere, silk and linen mixes, and of course Super 120s etc which tell you how fine the wool is. Then there's the weave and the set. All objective facts. Does that make sense?...
Dugdale Towers
The Dugdale Brothers building in the centre of Huddersfield (scale model, above) is exactly what you’d hope the headquarters of an old cloth merchant would be like. Four and a half floors of old furniture, worn wooden floorboards and the occasi...
Dugdale Towers
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I want to go there! LM...
WT Johnsons – finishers, Huddersfield
When suiting cloth comes off the looms and is washed, it feels surprisingly rough, like thin cotton khakis. It is the finishing of the cloth that gives it the touch and the handle we expect. It reveals the potential of the cloth, first, and can the...
WT Johnsons – finishers, Huddersfield
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On green tweed, I had a suit made at A Suit That Fits ages ago, but I wouldn't really recommend that. There was also a pale green jacket from Cifonelli and a green jacket my wife was having made at Kathryn Sargent. I'll ...
Reader question: Cashmere suits
Dear Simon, Hello and congratulations on your blog’s recent milestone! I have a question regarding cashmere suits. I am thinking of buying a suit that is 100% cashmere. Now I have come across many suits that are wool/cashmere blends, but...
Reader question: Cashmere suits
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That cashmere is a tiny proportion Chris, it will make no difference to the feel of the suit. Better to go for a nice merino. And it's not a good sign that they include polyester as well... no good suit cloth will...
Pennine Weavers, Yorkshire
As I mentioned in my previous post on Yorkshire mills and merchants, Pennine is one of the best independent mills left in the area. It is also the largest worsted weaver in the UK, with 32 Dornier looms, and weaves 30,000-35,000 metres a week (most f...
Pennine Weavers, Yorkshire
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excellent well presented thank you...
Huddersfield’s mills and merchants explained
I was up in Yorkshire last week, based in Huddersfield and seeing a few of the mills and merchants, including Pennine, Johnsons and Dugdale. What struck me hardest when I got back was the lack of understanding among bespoke customers, and even Sa...
Huddersfield’s mills and merchants explained
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I don't know I'm afraid John...
Como silk museum and Le Noued Papillon
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 347 1982 Euromoney PLC 16 3 2434 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false I love learning how things are made. That was what first got me into tailoring, and it has remained a passion over the years. I was grateful to Nicholas...
Como silk museum and Le Noued Papillon
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 347 1982 Euromoney PLC 16 3 2434 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false I love learning how things are made. That was what first got me into tailoring, and it has remained a passion over the yea...
Breanish Tweed: Unique luxury
Breanish Tweed has all the hallmarks of a Harris tweed weaver: old single-width looms stored in draughty sheds; decades of experience in hand weaving; a stunning but hostile location that constantly reminds one of tweed’s insulating properties....
Breanish Tweed: Unique luxury
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Was Breanish started on the idea of getting luxury fibers (cashmere, vicuña) into tweed?...
Cloth offer at J&J Minnis
Those that order their cloth themselves might be interested to know that J&J Minnis has a special offer on its website for the Crown Classic bunch, as it is being phased out. This is a lovely selection, weighing 320-350 grammes in a Super 100...
Cloth offer at J&J Minnis
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How much of this would I need to make a jacket? A pair of pants?...
The reputation of Smith & Co
Following on from my note last week on the history of W Bill, here’s some information gleaned on the history of Smith Woollens. For many, including my tailor, Smith’s is a brand they swear by. Worsteds that are often a little bit pricier ...
The reputation of Smith & Co
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I have a cream lambswool twinset size 42" bearing the label in both pieces 'W BILL, Old Bond Street - pure cashmere', in perfect condition. I would be interested to know if it was produced before W Gibb was taken over an...
The history of W Bill
Dealing with representatives of one or two of the cloth manufacturers in England in the past few weeks, we got to chatting about the history of the various brands. Talking with guys at Graham Browne and Anderson & Sheppard furthered that inte...
The history of W Bill
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My grandmother { more properly Lena} didn't have a sister called Laura but her mother was also Selina Bill. Perhaps she was the sister?Here is my email [email protected]'d love to know any info about the Bill...
