Maison Bonnet bespoke glasses: The craft in London

Read MoreApr 22nd 2019

Maison Bonnet was one of the few world-renowned menswear makers I hadn’t tried until recently. So it has been great to get to know Franck and the team, since they opened a shop in Mayfair last year. Having been short-sighted from a young age, I’...

Maison Bonnet bespoke glasses: The craft in London

Maison Bonnet was one of the few world-renowned menswear makers I hadn’t tried until recently. So it has been great to get to know Franck and the team, since they opened a shop in Mayfair last year. Having been short-sighted from a young age, I’...

Apr 22nd 2019

Dobrik & Lawton: Dramatic, unique bespoke tailoring

Read MoreSep 18th 2020

*Note: Joshua and Kimberley are now running their own, separate operations. Kimberly, at 'Lawton', can be found here* Dobrik & Lawton is two young tailors, Joshua Dobrik and Kimberley Lawton, that have set up on their own in their house in Waltha...

Dobrik & Lawton: Dramatic, unique bespoke tailoring

*Note: Joshua and Kimberley are now running their own, separate operations. Kimberly, at 'Lawton', can be found here* Dobrik & Lawton is two young tailors, Joshua Dobrik and Kimberley Lawton, that have set up on their own in their house in Waltha...

Sep 18th 2020

Foster & Son bespoke shoe samples

Read MoreMay 21st 2014

Foster & Son is one of the great names of British bespoke shoemaking. In recent years, that reputation was largely founded on master lastmaker Terry Moore. I only got to know Foster’s relatively recently, after Terry retired. Changes of owners...

Foster & Son bespoke shoe samples

Foster & Son is one of the great names of British bespoke shoemaking. In recent years, that reputation was largely founded on master lastmaker Terry Moore. I only got to know Foster’s relatively recently, after Terry retired. Changes of owners...

May 21st 2014

Kiton's Lasa - bespoke or made-to-measure?

Read MoreOct 10th 2014

 The Lasa service from Kiton is being offered as part of the Made-to-Measure service at Harrod’s (the last event was this past weekend), but may actually be closer to bespoke. Indeed, the question highlights the few points of ambiguity in that dis...

Kiton's Lasa - bespoke or made-to-measure?

 The Lasa service from Kiton is being offered as part of the Made-to-Measure service at Harrod’s (the last event was this past weekend), but may actually be closer to bespoke. Indeed, the question highlights the few points of ambiguity in that dis...

Oct 10th 2014

Bespoke suede jacket - Cifonelli

Read MoreMar 14th 2016

  This finished suede jacket from Cifonelli shows the beautiful breadth of what bespoke tailoring can do. Bespoke is not just for business suits; it is not just for casual jackets; it is for anything that benefits from hand-cut line and structure...

Bespoke suede jacket - Cifonelli

  This finished suede jacket from Cifonelli shows the beautiful breadth of what bespoke tailoring can do. Bespoke is not just for business suits; it is not just for casual jackets; it is for anything that benefits from hand-cut line and structure...

Mar 14th 2016

Cifonelli bespoke suede jacket

Read MoreOct 23rd 2015

  One area that fascinates me – perhaps more than any other – in my writing is the overlap between formal tailoring and more casual dress.If it is possible to retain the beautiful craft aspects of bespoke tailoring in casual clothing, as well a...

Cifonelli bespoke suede jacket

  One area that fascinates me – perhaps more than any other – in my writing is the overlap between formal tailoring and more casual dress.If it is possible to retain the beautiful craft aspects of bespoke tailoring in casual clothing, as well a...

Oct 23rd 2015

Foster & Son bespoke shoes: Last-making

Read MoreJun 13th 2014

 This is Jon Spencer, last maker at Foster & Son, making up the last for my first pair of bespoke shoes from the team. The black, Oxford whole-cuts will have the classic ‘West End’ Foster’s toe shape, slightly elongated and chiseled at th...

Foster & Son bespoke shoes: Last-making

 This is Jon Spencer, last maker at Foster & Son, making up the last for my first pair of bespoke shoes from the team. The black, Oxford whole-cuts will have the classic ‘West End’ Foster’s toe shape, slightly elongated and chiseled at th...

Jun 13th 2014

Ayres Goncalo: bespoke tailor, Porto

Read MoreSep 3rd 2016

The next young tailor I wanted to highlight on Permanent Style is Ayres Goncalo, a Portuguese who worked at Gieves & Hawkes in London for four years, before returning to Porto to set up his own shop in 2011. I met Ayres over the summer while in ...

Ayres Goncalo: bespoke tailor, Porto

The next young tailor I wanted to highlight on Permanent Style is Ayres Goncalo, a Portuguese who worked at Gieves & Hawkes in London for four years, before returning to Porto to set up his own shop in 2011. I met Ayres over the summer while in ...

Sep 3rd 2016

Maison Bourgeat - finished bespoke glasses

Read MoreMay 6th 2016

*Since this article was written, Maison Bourgeat closed and Guillaume left the business. It has now re-opened under new management*  A few weeks ago I received my finished bespoke glasses from Maison Bourgeat in Paris. The results are superb - thoug...

Maison Bourgeat - finished bespoke glasses

*Since this article was written, Maison Bourgeat closed and Guillaume left the business. It has now re-opened under new management*  A few weeks ago I received my finished bespoke glasses from Maison Bourgeat in Paris. The results are superb - thoug...

May 6th 2016

Benson & Clegg bespoke - and George VI's monkey jacket

Read MoreApr 27th 2020

Benson & Clegg is not a button shop.  I didn’t realise until I went in, earlier this year, quite how much it has gained that reputation. It's partly a result of their own good promotion over the years, but perhaps more significantly because o...

Benson & Clegg bespoke - and George VI's monkey jacket

Benson & Clegg is not a button shop.  I didn’t realise until I went in, earlier this year, quite how much it has gained that reputation. It's partly a result of their own good promotion over the years, but perhaps more significantly because o...

Apr 27th 2020

Buying buttons for bespoke

Read MoreJan 6th 2010

Buttons are a subtle way to add personality to a suit, odd jacket or even overcoat. But it pays to keep them subtle. It’s easy enough to sew on a suit button, though I recommend experimenting with something inexpensive first. Just make sure you sec...

Buying buttons for bespoke

Buttons are a subtle way to add personality to a suit, odd jacket or even overcoat. But it pays to keep them subtle. It’s easy enough to sew on a suit button, though I recommend experimenting with something inexpensive first. Just make sure you sec...

Jan 6th 2010

A bespoke tour of Paris - Corthay, Cifonelli, Charvet, Camps

Read MoreMar 4th 2014

Read my one-day guide to bespoke operators in Paris in the latest article for Essence Lifestyle. Pictured, Pierre Corthay in typically playful mood.

A bespoke tour of Paris - Corthay, Cifonelli, Charvet, Camps

Read my one-day guide to bespoke operators in Paris in the latest article for Essence Lifestyle. Pictured, Pierre Corthay in typically playful mood.

Mar 4th 2014

Savile Row Bespoke at London Collections: Men

Read MoreJun 18th 2013

Anda and Savile Row Bespoke outdid themselves yesterday, at the second The English Gentleman event. Held in the pavilion of Lord’s, there were dozens of suits on display from 19 different Savile Row houses. Most importantly, many of them had spent ...

Savile Row Bespoke at London Collections: Men

Anda and Savile Row Bespoke outdid themselves yesterday, at the second The English Gentleman event. Held in the pavilion of Lord’s, there were dozens of suits on display from 19 different Savile Row houses. Most importantly, many of them had spent ...

Jun 18th 2013

Book review: Bespoke by Richard Anderson

Read MoreFeb 19th 2010

Richard Anderson can write. This quickly becomes apparent as the reader embarks on the story of his time on Savile Row – from dishevelled apprentice to Huntsman’s youngest-ever head cutter. The realisation that a book is to be chronological, and ...

Book review: Bespoke by Richard Anderson

Richard Anderson can write. This quickly becomes apparent as the reader embarks on the story of his time on Savile Row – from dishevelled apprentice to Huntsman’s youngest-ever head cutter. The realisation that a book is to be chronological, and ...

Feb 19th 2010

Saint Crispin's shoes: Reflections two years later

Read MoreMar 23rd 2018

I now have three pairs of Saint Crispin’s shoes: the alligator/calf wing-tips pictured here; brown-suede chukka boots; and most recently a pair of very-dark-brown suede cap-toes. I have ordered steadily and regularly, each time gaining in confide...

Saint Crispin's shoes: Reflections two years later

I now have three pairs of Saint Crispin’s shoes: the alligator/calf wing-tips pictured here; brown-suede chukka boots; and most recently a pair of very-dark-brown suede cap-toes. I have ordered steadily and regularly, each time gaining in confide...

Mar 23rd 2018

Reflections on Pitti Uomo

Read MoreJan 13th 2012

Pitti is a beautifully set-out trade fair full of brands I love, exhibiting on often lovely stands. But it is still a trade fair.This is a place for sales and negotiation. Friends such as Mats at Trunk Clothiers, Will at A Suitable Wardrobe or Kirby ...

Reflections on Pitti Uomo

Pitti is a beautifully set-out trade fair full of brands I love, exhibiting on often lovely stands. But it is still a trade fair.This is a place for sales and negotiation. Friends such as Mats at Trunk Clothiers, Will at A Suitable Wardrobe or Kirby ...

Jan 13th 2012

Designing bespoke glasses - General Eyewear, London

Read MoreApr 19th 2017

Note: General Eyewear now has a store in Soho as well as the Camden HQ - details here. Choosing a block of acetate is not something I’d bet most people have done in their lives. And it’s tricky. Looking at a slab of coloured plastic, and imagin...

Designing bespoke glasses - General Eyewear, London

Note: General Eyewear now has a store in Soho as well as the Camden HQ - details here. Choosing a block of acetate is not something I’d bet most people have done in their lives. And it’s tricky. Looking at a slab of coloured plastic, and imagin...

Apr 19th 2017

Cleverley bespoke sample sale - one day only

Read MoreNov 14th 2015

  Cleverley's sale of sample bespoke shoes was my first introduction to them - way back in 2009.There have been precious few such sales since, but there will be another on Thursday November 19th, for one day only - 9am to 7pm.It's two years since...

Cleverley bespoke sample sale - one day only

  Cleverley's sale of sample bespoke shoes was my first introduction to them - way back in 2009.There have been precious few such sales since, but there will be another on Thursday November 19th, for one day only - 9am to 7pm.It's two years since...

Nov 14th 2015

Rivolta: A brave innovation in bespoke

Read MoreOct 2nd 2009

Milan can easily be underrated by men who love classic style. Given the choice of Italian cities to visit, they would always pick Naples – the home of soft tailoring, that very distinctive shoulder and companies like E Marinella and Kiton (not to m...

Rivolta: A brave innovation in bespoke

Milan can easily be underrated by men who love classic style. Given the choice of Italian cities to visit, they would always pick Naples – the home of soft tailoring, that very distinctive shoulder and companies like E Marinella and Kiton (not to m...

Oct 2nd 2009

Nicholas Templeman bespoke shoes: Introduction and fitting

Read MoreJul 8th 2020

Nicholas Templeman is a bespoke shoemaker, an ex-John Lobb lastmaker who now works out of his home in North London. We've been working on a pair of derby shoes for the past year, and they're near completion. So I thought it would be good time to writ...

Nicholas Templeman bespoke shoes: Introduction and fitting

Nicholas Templeman is a bespoke shoemaker, an ex-John Lobb lastmaker who now works out of his home in North London. We've been working on a pair of derby shoes for the past year, and they're near completion. So I thought it would be good time to writ...

Jul 8th 2020

Five tips on bespoke shoes

Read MoreJul 7th 2014

 I do like it when readers suggest posts. You feel you’re fulfilling a need. Two weeks ago, on Five Tips on Bespoke Suits, a reader requested a similar post on bespoke shoes, so here it is.1 Be conservativeI know it’s the same as the first suits...

Five tips on bespoke shoes

 I do like it when readers suggest posts. You feel you’re fulfilling a need. Two weeks ago, on Five Tips on Bespoke Suits, a reader requested a similar post on bespoke shoes, so here it is.1 Be conservativeI know it’s the same as the first suits...

Jul 7th 2014

Cromford: Leather jacket alterations and bespoke

Read MoreFeb 13th 2017

At the end of last year I got to know the new owners of the General Leather Company on Chiltern Street - now renamed Cromford Leather. This was exciting because they not only make leather and suede jackets on the premises, but undertake alterations f...

Cromford: Leather jacket alterations and bespoke

At the end of last year I got to know the new owners of the General Leather Company on Chiltern Street - now renamed Cromford Leather. This was exciting because they not only make leather and suede jackets on the premises, but undertake alterations f...

Feb 13th 2017

Signor Francesco: bespoke tailor, Toronto

Read MoreFeb 8th 2017

I have visited LeatherFoot in Toronto, Canada twice in the past year, and each time the aspect I have liked most is the on-site tailoring workshop. So few shops have crafts on-site, even though it gives them a direct connection to the artisan. Indeed...

Signor Francesco: bespoke tailor, Toronto

I have visited LeatherFoot in Toronto, Canada twice in the past year, and each time the aspect I have liked most is the on-site tailoring workshop. So few shops have crafts on-site, even though it gives them a direct connection to the artisan. Indeed...

Feb 8th 2017

Improving on the bespoke shirt

Read MoreApr 12th 2010

At the end of last year I had my first bespoke shirt made in this country, by Turnbull & Asser. You can see the various stages of the process, including a factory visit, in one of the new categories created on the right-hand side of this site. Th...

Improving on the bespoke shirt

At the end of last year I had my first bespoke shirt made in this country, by Turnbull & Asser. You can see the various stages of the process, including a factory visit, in one of the new categories created on the right-hand side of this site. Th...

Apr 12th 2010

Reillo, Madrid: Bespoke cotton suit

Read MoreJan 5th 2015

 This suit is from Jose Maria Reilo, the second of the three Spanish tailors I commissioned from in 2014. The make is good, although there are one or two issues with the fit that I’ll come to in a moment.The suit is green cotton gabardine – an i...

Reillo, Madrid: Bespoke cotton suit

 This suit is from Jose Maria Reilo, the second of the three Spanish tailors I commissioned from in 2014. The make is good, although there are one or two issues with the fit that I’ll come to in a moment.The suit is green cotton gabardine – an i...

Jan 5th 2015