Made to measure (part three)

Spoken for. I love this handwritten label. Tailored for Mr Salter. That's me!

I know a few of you have enjoyed this series of posts and have been quite eager to see the finished suit. Well...so was I! I have been desperate to post this made-to-measure finale sooner but the recent terrible weather just wasn't playing fair and severely reduced the photographing opportunities. At the weekend, the rain clouds vanished long enough for me to slip in to my tailored, crosshatch voile second skin and I can finally share them with you.

A moustache covered package arrived last Monday and it has to be the best piece of post I've received all year. Christmas has certain come over. The wait is over for both of us. When I left the fitting on the Monday before I returned home to London I did not imagine having the finished suit in my hands the following week. Now that it was I carefully ripped open the package (trying not to rip any of the moustaches) and peeked inside...

Once inside I inspected the craft of the two piece. I have the utmost respect for a true tailor. It is something of a dying art, kept alive by the passionate few. We can only admire and support people like the chaps at j.a. daye. This duo certainly help keep the tailoring ticker in good health. j.a. daye is my idea of what a good twenty first century tailor should be, a bespoke experience for a generation raised on the ease of ready-to-wear shopping, with classic styles made with a distinguishable modern point of view in unexpected fabrics. From the moment I stepped in to the store and met the owners I knew that this was the place for me.

Throughout this whole process I trusted and had full confidence in Ellis and his tailors. He seemed to know exactly what I wanted. After succinctly describing how I wanted the suit to be and how I would wear it, he was soon in tune with my way aesthetic. I take great pleasure in declaring that the finished suit is perfect for me. Whilst there is nothing that I would change, there is plenty for me to wax lyrical about. First off the fabric, the cross hatch voile. It appears both traditionally Japanese and very modern at the same time.

A close up of the cloth.

As mentioned in the previous post on this series, the baste (the blueprint for the finished suit) can be radically altered if necessary. Thankfully, no drastic alterations were required during my first and only fitting, only a few tweaks which have now been made...

After I confessed that I was in the habit of rolling up my suit jacket sleeves during the Summer months, rather than roll his eyes and tell me off he suggested cutting them a little shorter to reveal more cuff. Furthermore, the addition of the polka dot sleeve lining would make for a more interesting reveal when I decided to wear the suit more casually. The end result is even better than I imagined.

After investing so heavily in my shoe collection in recent months it is only right that I wear trousers which show them off. So, I opted to cut them a touch shorter to reveal a little more sock and shoe stock than I normally would. The trousers are my vision of the ideal Sunday Best. On their first outing I decided to pair them with my Lodger's breathtaking Striped Oxford. Inspired by the Duke of Windsor the design is a interesting blend of fine Scabal striped linen and burnished French calf. Perfect for the warmer months making a happy marriage with my cross hatch voile suit.

Showing off the shoes...

Now that I have the extremely well cut suit on my back I am reminded of something Ellis said as we wrapped up the fitting and made our farewells. He warned me that it is quite easy to become addicted to the world of bespoke and made to measure. Even after trying on the suit for the very first time I can see why some people find it difficult to go back to ready to wear tailoring.

"Hi...I'm Steve and I like well tailored suits..."

After experiencing the level of service and viewing such craftsmanship first hand at j.a. daye, I am most keen to save up those pennies so I can get another fix. Ladies and gentleman, you are looking at a potential tailoring junkie...

A little wind swept...suit worn with Striped Oxfords from Lodger, white club collar shirt from Bespoken and polka dot handkerchief from Muji.

EDIT - I have amended the full outfit shot because the windy conditions on my balcony were playing havoc with the fall of my trousers.

Inside the modern gentry

Inside the Modern Gentry

During a moment of madness I decided to venture in to Central London to do a spot of Christmas shopping. I have to confess that rather than buying gifts for loved ones and friends, I had myself in mind but I have been a good boy all year so I deserve the odd treat, right? The scenes on Oxford and Regent Street were as I feared. Busy and chaotic. I escaped the manic scenes and found myself on the sanctuary that is Savile Row. After perusing the well stocked racks at bstore I navigated myself past the mind boggling queue outside of Abercrombie and Fitch and was drawn to the Alma Showroom. I needed to restore my faith in consumerism. I needed to explore the Modern Gentry. So armed with my camera I ventured inside...

E. Tautz bow ties and handkerchiefs.

I introduced the pop up store on Thursday but I've not had a chance to marvel at the space until this weekend. I missed out on the launch party last week after being struck down with wisdom tooth pain (one day in the New Year, I'll be getting them removed...gulp) and I had no intention of missing out on examing the luxury goods in person. Jewellery designer Hannah Martin, sporting and military tailors E. Tautz and shoe maker Lodger have come together in the wonderful setting of the Alma Showroom on Vigo Street. This pop up store offers Christmas shopping opportunities that I'd only ever dreamed about before now.

A trunk of E. Tautz goodies.

After walking off the busy street and on to the leather flooring (yes, leather flooring!) of the Alma Showroom I felt at home. I'd certainly love to have these designs at my fingertips each morning and who wouldn't want an Electric Angel light installation by Yorgo Lykouria in their hallway!? I only expected to stay long enough to take a few interior shots but in the end I spent over an hour in this snug, welcoming store.

Alpaca mittens.

As mentioned last week, representatives from each brand were on hand to explain the detailed processes involved in creating each of these unique products. I certainly borrowed their ears and learnt so much, including information about the sheep used for E. Tautz's alpaca wool and Hannah Martin's design inspiration.

The Shetland knits are of course handknitted and the felt badges are sewn on by hand.

Ever since I first learned about the resurrection of E. Tautz I have been a strong supporter of Patrick Grant's vision for the historic sporting and military tailors. I need only the smallest excuse to marvel over the quality of the designs and the luxury of the cloths and wools used. E. Tautz is a label which champions the notion of dressing properly and of men taking pride in what they wear.

E. Tautz knitwear by the fire.

After speaking to Patrick back in March I was taken by his belief that provenance is key. On the relaunch of the label for AW09 he had built up a strong network of local supplies. Aside from the sweaters which were knitted in Shetland, everything else could be picked up by bicycle. The British facet of the brand is certainly not a gimmick because Patrick and his team are striving for the best. It is refreshing to hear that brands do not need to scour the earth for the best, sometimes it can be found or even nurtured on ones doorstep.

Hannah Martin sparkles

Out of the three Hannah Martin is the brand I am least familiar with. Of course I have heard so much about this hugely successful CSM graduate but this store visit provided my first opportunity to inspect her designs in person. I was blown away. Her luxurious and decadent collections are described as ‘jewellery for men, that girlfriends will steal’ and if I had a piece in my possession I'd certainly have to sleep with one eye open from fear of Susie removing it from my tight grasp.

Hannah Martin's jewels including Vincent’s Empty Sovereign Ring

In an interview with Elliott earlier this year the fine jewellery designer mentioned her belief that "the craft of Hatton Garden and the traditions it still has, sit perfectly alongside those of say, Savile Row, and the art of tailoring." This space confirms her belief and in the process has redefined my understanding of luxury men's jewellery.

My favourite piece. A bracelet by Hannah Martin

Like E. Tautz, Lodger is a brand that we have vocally supported for some time. Nathan Brown and his team at Lodger have an irrational passion for beautiful shoes and this has been infectious in recent months. In fact, I have seen my shoe collection grow and my bank balance fall all because of this footwear brand. The mix of continuous design, in combination with cutting edge technology and traditional craftsmanship makes it a truly unique shoe company.

Lodger...reminded that I'll soon have a pair of Kudu boots on my feet.

The display of shoes provided further flirtatious galnces and I only just managed to control the temptations because I was reminded of the impending delivery of my Kudu boots. My feet only have a couple of weeks to wait until they find themselves protected from the winter elements by that reformed strong hide.

More temptation from Lodger

Upon first reading about this one off collaboration I was somewhat surprised by the trio of names. However, after seeing their designs side by side it is clear that these are brands united. United by a dedication to luxury in men's attire. Each have core values of exclusivity, attention to detail, and timelessness. Each one is a brand which deserves to be celebrated. To further nail home this point I point you in the direction of Showstudio. Here you will find an exclusive video project which best demonstrates their individual aesthetics and collective role in catering for a Modern Gentry. I will finish off with some good news. In my previous post, I expressed my wish that the store would be around for longer (it was due to close on the 5th December)...well it seems my prayers have been answered. It will be open for an additional week (so until the 12th December).

A selection of Lodger shoes sit by the side of historic E. Tautz in front of a busy street scene.

On the fourth day of Christmas...

Behind the next imaginary door of our advent calendar we have the Whangee umbrella by Swaine Adeney Brigg. While we can't help but giggle at the umbrella's name, we're told that Brigg umbrellas have a Royal Warrant from Prince Charles so they're definitely doing something right. In fact, Brigg umbrellas have served Queen and Country impeccably for two hundred and fifty years. Furthermore, this London based brand also made Indiana Jones' hat, which impresses us no end.

The Whangee

Their website tells us: "Whangee comes from the root of a type of Bamboo, which gains its unique appearance from the constant soil erosion on a sharp gradient; exposing it to the elements. When harvested, it is sent to us where it is bleached, boiled and straightened. It is then bent into the handle attached to the unique Brigg shaft and frame".

It's classic but with just the right amount of quirk- and you can customise it by having your initials engraved. Lovely. With the weather forecast predicting heavy rain for much of the weekend we'd quite this as an early Christmas present. If we owned such an umbrella we certainly would not leave it on public transport, in fact we doubt it would leave our tight grasp.

Catering for the Modern Gentry

What started out as started as a conversation between Patrick Grant and Hannah Martin about bringing together different facets of handmade British gentleman’s kit has resulted in a fabulous pop up store. Whilst waving the flag for Great British luxury, jewellery designer Hannah Martin, ready to wear tailor E. Tautz and shoe maker Lodger have come together for a one-off collaboration called The Modern Gentry. The idea is to gather, exclusively under one roof, three brands which encapsulate the true definition of luxury. The result is my idea of retail heaven. This pop up store offers a Christmas shopping experience far removed from the manic scenes on nearby Oxford Street.

Inside the Modern Gentry Lodger shoes sit under E. Tautz tailoring with Hannah Martin's jewellery complimented by a beautiful light sculpture courtesy of Yorgo Lykouria.

The London based trio have set up camp at the Alma Showroom (just a cufflink's throw away from Savile Row) for talks and appointments until the 5th December. Representatives from each brand will be on hand to explain the detailed processes involved in creating each of these unique products. Under the cloak of Dazed Digital I caught up with Hannah Martin, Patrick Grant of E. Tautz and Lodger's very own Nathan Brown to find out more about the project. The Modern Gentry explores the definition of the modern luxury and I asked each of them what British Luxury meant to them. For Patrick, luxury is about 'scarcity... the things that many men want but very few can have." For Nathan Brown it means "beautiful design, thoughtful craftsmanship, impeccable service." Similarly for Hannah Martin it is "about integrity, timelessness and craftsmanship." The interesting thing here is that in all of the responses not one of these ideas touch on the concept of 'modern' because the values of true luxury are timeless. It should be about creating something that will last, both in terms of quality and style. When we discussed the perceived decline of luxury back in March it was clear that many luxury brands had lost sight of these virtues. It should provide pieces which can be handed down to the next generation. We are surrounded by fast fashion and impossibly cheap products. For these three brands, British luxury is the antithesis of this. In short, the Modern Gentry is a wonderful one-off project borne from a shared commitment to the creation of gentleman's requisites... I just wish that it was around for longer.

On the third day of Christmas...

Last month we repeated our shared belief that the real beauty of menswear lies in the details as we celebrated the humble hankie. There are amazing styling perks afforded by a handkerchief which most men simply do not realise; any average or worn out jacket can be instantly livened up with an inexpensive, casually folded pocket handkerchief. So behind the third imaginary door of our advent colour are a selection of hankies from Thornton and Peel available at Liberty.

We really can't decided which hankie we prefer from the selection available from Liberty, the rabbit or the ship... or maybe the pigeon. Our head scratching was multiplied when we subsequently disovered the Thornton and Peel website. We want it all.

Carolyn Massey Loves Tokyo (Part One)

Japan and, in particular, Tokyo has been on our ever expanding list of 'places we have to visit' for some time now. Unfortunately, the opportunity to do so has never quite presented itself... withl lack of funds being the most prevalent factor. So, when we had an email from Carolyn Massey informing us that she had been invited to Japan to showcase her designs at the British Embassy we asked if we could live vicariously through her. Of course the ever lovely designer agreed to keep a picture diary for us. Over the course of the next couple of days we will relive Carolyn's Tokyo experiences. By the looks of it she had a lot of fun with jewellery designer Hannah Martin and Lodger's Nathan Brown. We follow Carolyn's busy few days in Tokyo as she experiences all the delights the city has to offer whilst cramming in interviews, attending press days and of course showcasing her SS10 collection at the Embassy. Here is the first installment of Massey Loves Tokyo!

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Settling in and early exploration of the city...

"Day one and fresh off the eleven hour flight, Hannah and I met up with her friend Tomoko to head to the Onsen. Bathing is so much more part of the culture in Japan, and the Onsens are amazing. We went to Spa La Qua, which I'd really recommend. It happened to be attached to a shopping centre with a rollercoaster. Death screams whist in the hot tub. No photos here - for obvious reasons...Starving, we had a long debate about plastic food. Blonde girl here thought each restaurant had their own plates plasticised... but oh no, apparently there's a shops you can go to buy these... er..."

"It is interesting how cities are different colours, you cant really see it in the above shot. Tokyo is really blue and grey. It seems a completely different colour to London to me. Later we are dazzled by the amazing Christmas lights over Tokyo Dome..."

Festive spectacle.

"Coffee as jet lag sets in in the swanky hotel garden. Amazingly we stumble upon a wedding in the grounds, with people wearing traditional kimono..."

The wedding in the hotel grounds. What a scene!

"We then stumbled a store which could quite possibly be Michael Jackson's favourite shop..."

Sha'mon!

A long day at the Embassy...

"It was a long one and hard work, there seems to be so much going on this week... Here is the lovely Miss Hannah Martin at her stand and her amazing jewels. Please note I'd like the cuff thanks... oh, and that ring."

Hannah Martin and her jewels.

"Dinner and on to Gonpachi, more famous for being used as a location for Kill Bill. Shoes off! And who's a size 14? Nathan from Lodger. I bet Nathan he couldn't eat a lump of Wasabi (the sake had set in by this point). This is Nathan after necking the wasabi. No problem, clearly."

"Back home, here I am watching Hello Kitty TV. The news is Hello Kitty speaks and she has a boyfriend! What a lush!"

Hello Kitty Aerobics... yes, I did have a go!

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Tomorrow's diary will reveal the designers new found love for deep fried pork sandwiches along with some exciting news for SS10!

On the second day of Christmas...

As you should all know by now Steve has become something of a shoe buying fiend in recent months... so why stop now? Can you have too many fine shoes to choose from? After all they (whoever they are) often recite the old adage "You can't judge a book by its cover but you can judge a man by his shoes." So, expect the odd selection of fine footwear during our advent series. Behind the second imaginary door is Mr. Hare's Jerry Lee Saddle Shoe...

Ever the enthusiast, Mr Hare informed us that "the saddle shoe was developed as an active shoe way back before trainers were even invented" and for us they offer a relaxed but more dandified alternative to what we are currently wearing. Perfect for when the sunshine returns in the New Year. Mr. Hare's offering is made from vegetable tanned vachetta with a beautiful leather slipper sole construction. Here they have been shot by Jenny van Sommers and Tatiana Black. We get the feeling that this won't be the last time we'll be seeing things in triple vision this December.

On the first day of Christmas...

If we've learnt anything about Christmas, it's that it's all about rampant consumerism, so this year our advent calendar will be a list of our wildest commercial desires. Expect to see the ridiculous, the sublime and the exclusive... we're hoping that Father Christmas subscribes to our RSS feed. You never know.

Behind our imaginary first door is Ally Capellino's 'Michael' bag. This leather satchel is the right mix of public school boy and chic Italian graphic designer (we're aware that that's a very specific mix). We can't decide whether we prefer it in brown or in red so one of each would be handy.

Bonus Christmassy feelings: Ally Capellino will be donating 5% of all takings in their shop and website during December to the Children with Aids charity. Aww.

Made to measure (part two)

Ever more ready for made for measure.

Following on seamlessly from yesterday’s introduction, I invite you to continue to accompany me through my virgin journey in to the tailored unknown. Thanks to Susie my experiences inside the tailoring studio have been visually documented. Here I describe my first fitting and in this post it is clear that my talented tailor has been busy. I have the utmost respect for a true tailor. It is something of a dying art, kept alive by the passionate few. People like the chaps at j.a. daye certainly help keep the tailoring ticker in good health.

The baste stage. My suit is beginning to take shape...and what an agreeable shape it is to as it proudly stands on the clothes rail.

A few days after our initial meeting I returned to the studio for my first fitting. As I entered the room I had no idea what to expect but excitedly looked for the first sight of my baste. A baste is a half-made suit that is not properly finished and only temporarily held together with white baste stitching. This allows it to be easily taken apart and remade. It is is the blueprint for the finished suit and can be radically altered if necessary. Thankfully, no drastic alterations were required, only a few tweaks.

A close up of the baste and my choice of sleeve lining.

From the above shots you might have noticed that only one arm is attached at this stage. The reason for this is that only one arm is needed to judge the length and pitch of the sleeve at this stage (unless the initial measuring established that the client had one arm significantly different to the other...). Why the left? Well, just because it is easier for a right handed tailor to make amends where required.

Finding the right pitch...

After reading Simon Crompton's recent bespoke suit fitting experiences I recalled that one of the most important things to discern in the sleeve at this stage is its correct pitch. By this I mean how it hangs in relation to the body. If there is more material in the back of the sleeve, it hangs forward, more in the front and it will hang further back. Unlike Simon it seems that my arm hangs a little forward. Ellis soon made the required adjustments by inserting a few pins where necessary.

Opting for a shorter sleeve...this shot captures the appearance of the cross hatch fabric extremely well.

Throughout this whole process I trusted and had full confidence in Ellis. He seemed to know exactly what I wanted. After succinctly describing exactly what I wanted the suit to be and how I would wear it, he was soon in tune with my way aesthetic. After I confessed that I was in the habit of rolling up my suit jacket sleeves during the Summer he suggested cutting them a little shorter to reveal more cuff. Furthermore, the addition of the polka dot sleeve lining would make for a more interesting reveal in the warmer months. As he expertly attacked the baste with pins my confidence and excitement continued to grow.

The re-pinning of the shoulder.

At one stage the eager eyed Ellis was not one hundred percent happy with how the shoulder was lying so re-cut it and re-pinned it to make it much tighter. We were soon both happy with the shoulder and sleeve and moved our attentions to the lapel and collar.

Showing off a little cuff and collar.

The obsessively observant amongst you might have noticed that I have changed shirts in this series of images. The reason I had to change out of my recently acquired Raf Simons x Fred Perry Polo and in to a white shirt is simply to ensure the suit is correctly fitted. The white shirt enabled Ellis and I to work out exactly how much cuff and collar we wanted the suit jacket to reveal. As we've declared time and time again on the blog, the real beauty of menswear lies in the details. I spent a great deal of time with Ellis ensuring that the details were well thought out, as the finished suit (should) ultimately demonstrates.

Working out the lapel

Following the good work on the front of the jacket, Ellis soon turned his attentions to the back of the jacket. I have to confess to possessing a highly curved back...a 'girlie' back if you will. The result is that most of the suit jackets I own do not sit well and there is a collection of cloth below my shoulders. Ellis attacked the cloth with pins once again and after a few insertions, I was soon left with a template which fitted me like a glove.

Hiding the flaws whilst accentuating the positives.

The real beauty of a well measured, well made suit is that it will hide any flaws and accentuate the positives. Rather than look a little odd, this suit jacket was sure to accentuate my silhouette in the most positive manner possible.

The sit down test.

When we were both pleased with the result in the mirror, Ellis asked me to perform a quick seated test to ensure I could sit comfortably in my new tailored second skin. Having passed with flying colours, the suit jacket was put to one side and the focus was on my lower half.

Making light work of the trousers...

I've always had trouble with trousers. Just ask my family. They will recall with much laughter how they used to buy school trousers which were aimed at children twice my age just so they could fit my expanded waist. These of course were far too long for me and I was something of a squat child and so my Nan had to amend them before I was able to wear them to school. I kid you not, even at a young age my trousers were wider than they were high. I can only laugh about it now. Thankfully, most of the puppy fat has gone but I'm rarely happy with how a pair of trousers fit me off the rack. However, as soon as I tried on this work in progress I knew these would become my new favourite trousers.

Showing off my Mr. Hare's...it would be rude not to.

The initial cut was near perfect. The odd little tweak on the length and fit were the only required amends. As I wanted this suit to be my ideal relaxed Sunday Best I opted to go a little higher and reveal a little more sock and shoe than I normally would. After investing so heavily in my shoe options in recent months it is only right that I wear trousers which show them off.

My final lining choices

As Ellis made light work of marking out my ideal pair of trousers we put the fast evolving baste to one side. This blueprint would soon be passed on to one of j.a. daye's expert local tailors to make my suit. Before it left the studio there were still a few finishing details to discuss. Most interestingly, for me at least, were the lining options. As mentioned yesterday, I had fallen for the idea of having a polka dot lined sleeve and contrasting striped body but I still had to choose which particular fabrics I wanted. To help me make my choice, Ellis brought out an array of different fabrics that he had collected on various trips to Japan and beyond. The array of options actually made my decision more difficult especially as I was enamoured with the traditional Japanese prints. Sensing my confusion, Ellis put forward the idea of adding a strip of my favourite print to the trim. It was an inspired idea. Decision made, I just had to play the waiting game.

The final sketched vision (below) combined with my re-cut and amended baste would soon make my sartorial dreams a reality. Tune in later this week for the final post on this series which will showcase the end result!

The final sketch...