Sleevehead

Mystery bespoke Los Angeles tailor

2012-02-04T06:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a tip by a contact in the apparel trade, I got in touch with a tailor currently located in Hollywood but who originally had a shop in Beverly Hills. Let's call him Mario. Now he works out of a converted garage behind his home serving as his workshop. He is originally from the Basilicata region in Italy, next to Calabria.

From what I saw he cuts a straight shoulder but also appears to be flexible. For example, he showed a jacket with rounded jacket fronts, which a customer requested and is de rigueur on Styleforum, as well as a more traditional jacket front. Although he doesn't do manica camicia, he showed a soft open seam shoulder jacket.

Most of his clients order from books but he is open to CMT which is priced by removing the estimated fabric cost. Hence a CMT sports jacket is priced very favorably, more comparable to MTM pricing in the US.

To my pleasant surprise, I saw a picture of one of his customers on the wall - a talented, prize winning concert pianist who also happens to be a friend of mine. I was surprised because I did not know he was a customer. When I asked my friend about it later, he said Mario made the best fitting dinner jackets and formal tailcoats (white tie) out of all the tailors he tried.

Mario was expecting a customer when I visited so I didn't have time to clarify my next point, which is that he appeared to be semi-retired or limiting his work to existing clientele and referrals. Hence my caution about publicizing him without his consent.

Hamilton Shirts 1883 spring/summer

2012-01-20T06:39:00.000-05:00

What I love about shirts and shirtings is that they are and should be an easy source of inspiration. In other words, one should feel an extra degree of freedom with which to pick and choose novel patterns and distinctive colors. As a rule I think it's fair to say that men should be experimenting more with colors and patterns in shirts than with suits or jackets.

If you tend to be a "classic" dresser, give this a shot. Experiment with your next shirt or shirting with something sharper, more vibrant than your usual safe choice. In particular, I especially like the new plaids in the upcoming spring/summer delivery of Hamilton Shirts 1883 (see below).

These are not just casual shirts worn with khakis, chinos or jeans. Actually, I would wear the first two plaids with a seersucker or solid cotton suit and pair them with a dark brown tie and black (or navy blue) tie, respectively. In particular, I think solid cotton or silk knit ties work very well here.

Update: Sleevehead's Guide to Sicilian Tailors

2012-01-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

The paperback version of my guide to Sicilian tailors is now available, as well as the original e-book. The guide has been reviewed by noted style author Bruce Boyer and Hugo Jacomet of Parisian Gentleman. Both versions of the book now include additional photos for one of the Messina tailors, a few minor typographic corrections and more information on shopping and restaurants.

At the moment, the paperback edition ($69) can be ordered below through Lulu and will be available through Amazon.com in a few weeks. The e-book ($49) can be ordered through the buy now link on my blog. If you are an iPad user, the e-book is definitely the way to go for reasons I lay out in the FAQ. Otherwise, the paperback works very well too.

In particular, in this new update I provide further editorial commentary and information on one of the cities, Messina. There, within a three block radius, you'll find a fully stocked fabric shop featuring well-known Italian cloths such as Drapers, Vitale Barberis Canonico, Cacciapoli and others, as well as a trimmings/linings shop and a button shop. Once you add a few tailors located nearby, all you need to do is mix and stir and you're all set for a complete tailoring experience. All within a few minutes walking distance of each other.

This miniature, walkable ecosystem of tailors and suppliers used to be commonplace in small towns and cities across Italy but now is very rare. It's actually difficult to find this configuration anywhere else in the world (in the West especially) with the exception of Savile Row. Mentioning Messina and Savile Row in the same breath is certainly not something I would have imagined before I had written this book.

The state of textiles and new cloth ranges

2012-01-06T06:43:00.000-05:00

While in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago, I got a chance to look at several new cloth books for spring/summer for 2012. I came away very impressed with the new offerings by Italian and English mills. To boot, I saw the following:

Halstead Explorer fresco with weights going down to 7.5oz
Halstead bespoke offering. A customer can order a length of suiting cloth from a choice of stripe colors and widths, as well as personalized selvedge if desired.
Drapers bunches for linen/silk/wool blend, "Solaire"(similar to solaro cloth) and cottons. The Solaires come in lightweight reds and nice blues with the extra vibrancy of solaro-style cloth.
Drapers summerweight mohairs. These are terrific mohairs. I saw 7oz striped mohairs that could serve as seersucker substitutes in grey and brown, as well as great solid browns and blues including a dark, inky brown that I call a “midnight brown”.

I also happened to meet the new Gladson representative during a visit with LA tailor Enzo Caruso. Gladson has acquired a couple of storied names in British cloth - John Hardy and JJ Minnis - from Huddersfield Fine Worsteds. I saw the new Minnis fresco and the bunches seemed fine. But anyone taking a look at the Minnis fresco book should compare it with the Halstead Explorer range. The range in the new Minnis fresco book seemed a bit smaller than previous years - fewer blues in particular.

Besides cloth, Gladson distributes buttons (London Badge & Button), socks, ties, custom cufflinks. It is also distributing a new ready-made and MTO luggage from Vitale Barberis Canonico, which I saw. The leather pieces are made in northern Italy. Very nice stuff.

In addition, many bespoke customers already know that Lesser was acquired last year by Harrisons of Edinburgh. Lesser was widely regarded for maintaining superlative quality and oversight of the cloths it sold. Many tailors seem happy with the cloth under the new ownership, others less so. I was fortunate enough to purchase a Lesser 16oz mid-grey suiting (29600 for those who are familiar with the book) produced under the old regime, pre-Harrison. This is discernible by the particular numbering on the piece or lot number associated with the cloth length.

In other news, the December / January issue of Monocle has a small feature on Cotonificio Albini, a family-run weaver. Their new Millennium Star shirting is a three-fold yarn creating both resistance to wrinkling and fineness of hand. Albini acquired British weavers Thomas Mason and David & John Anderson in the 1990s.

Change is afoot in the textile industry and the pressure from globalization is probably accelerating consolidation. The implication for the consumer is clear enough. If you see a great cloth, buy it now because it may not be around next season in the same weave, color or finish.

2012 greetings

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy new year to readers of my blog and e-book and fellow bespoke travelers. Best wishes for a successful and satisfying year ahead.

Last year I plowed through the design, writing, editing and publishing of my first e-book on Sicilian tailors. This year I'm looking to make additional progress on another project, namely, a book I've always wanted to write. It's been simmering for quite some time as I've been researching and writing it off and on the last few years.

It's a book with a completely different take on style than anything else I have seen or read. Well, so much for setting low expectations. But I do think it will provide a fresh, novel approach to men's clothing and style. Perhaps even insightful if I'm lucky. Stay tuned.

Update: Sleevehead's Guide to Sicilian Tailors

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've updated my e-book to include additional photos for one of the Messina tailors, a few minor typographic corrections and more information on shopping and restaurants. The link above also quotes or references a couple of reviews of the guide by author Bruce Boyer and Hugo Jacomet of Parisian Gentleman.

I also provide further editorial commentary and information on one of the cities in particular, Messina. There, within a three block radius, you'll find a fully stocked fabric shop featuring well-known Italian cloths such as Drapers, Vitale Barberis Canonico, Cacciapoli and others, as well as a trimmings/linings shop and a button shop. Once you add a few tailors located nearby, all you need to do is mix and stir and you're all set for a complete tailoring experience. All within a few minutes walking distance of each other.

This miniature, walkable ecosystem of tailors and suppliers used to be commonplace in small towns and cities across Italy but now is very rare. It's actually difficult to find this configuration anywhere else in the world (in the West especially) with the exception of Savile Row. Mentioning Messina and Savile Row in the same breath is certainly not something I would have imagined before I had written this e-book.

I'm also looking into making available a print version of the guide (likely through a print-on-demand service) in the near future.

Holiday shopping and bespoke at Alfred Dunhill NYC

2011-12-18T20:35:00.001-05:00

Building on my recent holiday shopping post, let's continue with the holiday shopping theme but this time for the tycoons and captains of industry among us. I'm no tycoon but democratically ventured into Alfred Dunhill's only store in North America this weekend. Immediately I was drawn to a terrific car coat with a removable beaver fur lining and stand-up collar ($4,750). If the world of beavers is not enough for you, there's a mink version for the 1 percent of the 1 percent among us. I didn't bother checking the price but I can confirm to my readers that mink is indeed softer than beaver.

I also chatted with Frans who heads the MTM/custom department and took me downstairs for a tour of their custom department. Bruno Cosentino is the head tailor and has been with Dunhill since 1986. Jackets start at $3,500 and suits at $5,000, which is very reasonable for the top tier of NYC bespoke (e.g. Nino Corvato, William Fioravanti, Raphael, Nicolosi and Len Logsdail). Bruno hails from Calabria and makes a soft natural shoulder with a light pad. My tailor in Los Angeles is also from Calabria and I certainly saw similarities in the shoulder line.

Although Bruno wasn't working on Saturday, I saw one of his basted jackets in progress and noted the fine handpadding of the lapels. Bruno constructs much of the jacket himself but the buttonholes for example are done by a specialist. I also saw a superb traditional DB overcoat in progress made in a formidable heavyweight wool (easily in excess of 20 oz).

Interestingly, Frans mentioned his challenge is convincing customers to step up to the more leisurely tempo of bespoke. Instant gratification is the norm among male customers. I certainly think men need to be heavily reeducated on this very point. Gentlemen, have you heard of the saying that the good things in life take time?

I happen to wear both RTW and bespoke as well as some MTM. Yet for most men, even those who can easily afford the next step up, the balance in their wardrobe is grossly skewed in favor of RTW. Next time you visit Dunhill, may I suggest picking up the beaver lined car coat and picking out a hale and hearty tweed jacketing for Bruno to make up? Why not have the best of both worlds - instantaneous, card-swiped "luxury" and handsewn "heritage" requiring just a modicum of effort and taste?

The case for rehabilitation: Saving misfits and rejects

2011-12-14T05:47:00.000-05:00

Let's talk about criminal matters for a moment. Perhaps controversially, I happen to believe in rehabilitation for the incarcerated and those who have offended the public good in some form.

I mean of course those pieces of clothing relegated to the darkest corners of the wardrobe - the sartorial misfits guilty of crimes and misdemeanors regarding fit or finish or, alternatively, pieces that have been auctioned, thrifted or abandoned for some reason.

A few resolute individuals have preferred to mete out draconian punishment to such miscreants and outcasts, grimly putting them under the executioner's blade (or scissors in this case). I refer exhibit A to the jury: Manton's medieval drawing and quartering of a suit jacket made by NYC tailor Nicolosi. I've met Manton and he's a nice fellow but these post-quartering pictures of a bespoke jacket are a bit gruesome if you are the sensitive type.

Others, under the aegis of scientific research, have offered up their sartorial orphans, outcasts and donated specimens to established tailors for step-by-step clinical dissection. I refer exhibit B to the jury: Jeffery D's dissection of a jacket by Savile Row tailor Maurice Sedwell. If you believe in the betterment of mankind through basic research, this is an option worth putting on the operating table, so to speak.

On the other hand, I think there is also a third option, namely, progressive rehabilitation of a garment under the hands of an able tailor. The goal is gradual re-introduction into society and one's wardrobe.

I offer up exhibit C: a Brioni single-breasted, two-piece suit in a lovely chalkstripe flannel. It features a straight Roman shoulder but soft canvas in the chest and light padding on top. Unfortunately as seen below, I purchased this RTW suit at the beginning of my sartorial journey and committed the rookie mistake of buying the suit sight unseen. I ended up with a suit whose proportions are excessively elongated for my build.

The photos are a bit blurry but they convey the seriousness of the sartorial infractions - excessive jacket length, seriously oversized chest, shoulder and back dimensions and of course the trouser length which is the only thing that is easily fixable.

Brace yourself. Much like Manton's pictures, the photos of an oversized Brioni hanging off my frame are not for the squeamish.

Original Brioni - front view

Original Brioni - back view

As a result, the suit has been sitting in storage (i.e., the isolation ward) for a number of years now. But this year I felt it was time to seriously consider parole conditioned upon successful corrective surgery or alteration. But which tailor? Most alteration tailors are not capable of re-cutting a suit and many bespoke tailors are not willing to re-cut someone else's work.

But I knew one tailor who might be open to the challenge - Los Angeles tailor Enzo Caruso. So I dropped by one day this summer and casually brought it up. Interestingly, he was up to the task, mainly I think due to the lovely flannel fabric which was languishing away in storage.

Below are the initial fitting photos after the re-cut of the jacket (with the trousers still untouched):

Fitting stage for re-cut Brioni

And below are photos of the end product (sans trouser belt):

Finished Brioni (sleeves lengthened from fitting stage)

Finished Brioni (shortened and trimmed back and shoulders)

So what did Enzo do? He essentially raised the body of the jacket, taking in from the top (i.e. shoulder) to remove the excess fabric, and raising the armholes. In so doing, the patterns on the cloth shifted and in order to rematch the patterns Enzo re-cut and reset the collar, as well as the sleeves.

For your viewing pleasure, I include intermediate, fitting photos of a different MTM sports jacket from a well-known brand which also needed to be re-cut:

Fitting stage for re-cut MTM jacket

If you are interested in the rehabilitation option, you should reserve it only for the most worthy cases. Enzo is not going to spend time re-cutting any and all suits, certainly not a $199 suit from Men's Wearhouse. Nor would it be worthwhile for the customer since the re-cutting charge will easily exceed the cost of a cheap suit.

Finally, from a material standpoint any ill-fitting suits will need to have excess cloth (i.e. be oversized) in order for this to work. So save this option for the most worthy cases. I'm happy I did.

Holiday gifts for him and her

2011-12-09T05:30:00.000-05:00

Let's start with gifts for her. As the saying goes, ladies first.

If your girlfriend or spouse swears by sheepskin boots made by a certain ubiquitous brand, direct her to the better performing option by Australian brand Emu. I had the opportunity to see a live demo of their sheepskin footwear and saw the difference in wet weather performance and water resistance.

Emu also produces womenswear using merino wool and soft leathers. These are sporty, streamlined pieces in mostly earth tones. Think a sportier, more casual Michael Kors channeling an Aussie informality.

For men, the answer is simple. Go with Maxton Men. If you're landing a nice bonus this year, check out Park & Bond. Otherwise, if you made a killing in the market, congratulations and get thee to Mr. Porter.

GQ style editor Glenn O'Brien

2011-12-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

Here's a relaxed O'Brien on Andy Warhol, style tribes, taking risks (i.e. looking different) and his recent advice book for men.

Glenn O'Brien Closet Interview With StyleLikeU from StyleLikeU on Vimeo.

What I like about O'Brien's approach is his distinctive take on style. He's more open to risk-taking, seated perhaps in his experiences with the creative hothouse of the New York music and art scene in the 1970s and 1980s. But he also sets sensible boundaries for what men should or should not wear such as the dubious proposition of sporting baseball caps at non-sporting events. Agree. Like. +1.

O'Brien also describes his new book How To Be A Man as "a philosophy book disguised as a humor book disguised as an advice book". It's a very interesting approach to a potentially cliche-driven genre. A book on style advice disguised as something else. This maneuver and disguise, I think, separates the most interesting books on style from the rest.

Berlin style: Holiday displays on Kurfürstendamm

2011-12-04T07:49:00.000-05:00

In addition to visiting the prosperous northern German city of Hamburg, I spent some time in Berlin, specifically along Kurfürstendamm, one of the main retail corridors of this historic city. The other primary retail area is along Friedrichstraße in the Mitte district.

Due the width of the sidewalks on the Ku'damm, shoppers are able to walk through two kinds of displays - the actual storefront windows and self-standing kiosks situated closer to the curb.

With a little bit of help from Roetzel's iGentleman app and some random walking, I came across bespoke tailor Volkmar Arnulf (cool name but I digress) and RTW/MTO shoes including Ludwig Reiter, Budapester, Stephan Pöschk and Oliver Gray.

Volkmar Arnulf overcoat

Volkmar Arnulf cuff links, price list and overcoat sketch

Volkmar Arnulf 2x1 button sports jacket

Volkmar Arnulf accessories

Ludwig Reiter

Budapester

Stephan Pöschk details

Stephan Pöschk full brogue

Stephan Pöschk Norwegian front derby

Oliver Gray

Hamburg style: English and Italian threads

2011-12-01T05:07:00.000-05:00

I was also in Hamburg for a day and visited a couple of fine men's haberdasheries. The first is Ladage & Oelke, which I first read about in Flusser's Style and the Man. Below are some photos of their holiday displays:

Ladage & Oelke window display

Ladage & Oelke shearling coat

Ladage & Oelke shearling lined boots & shoes

Ladage & Oelke accessories

L&O is worthy of a pilgrimage for its distinctive take on men's clothing. What it does well is take the English city and country style and assimilate them in northern German terms. Think also American trad (or Ivy League style) meets the Baltic Sea.

Ladage & Oelke outerwear

Ladage & Oelke knickerbockers!

Ladage & Oelke sweaters

My 2 favorite things about the store are its terrific tie selection (ground floor) and shoe department (second floor). The former is an American trad (and Ivy League) dream - knit ties in silk, cotton and wool and 3.25" silk ties in conservative print and knit patterns (including animal motifs) made under the English labels Church's and Atkinson's.

Ladage & Oelke country coat with game pockets

Ladage & Oelke

Ladage & Oelke morning coat

Their shoe selection is extensive, as is their inventory (10,000 pairs in stock for men and women). They carry St. Crispin, Edward Green, Crockett & Jones, Alden, Wolverine, Carmina and Lendvay & Schwarcz (an Austrian sounding brand but actually made in Italy).

If you live near Hamburg, Crockett & Jones is holding a trunk show at the store on December 2 (2-7pm) and December 3 (10-6pm). Prices range from EUR420 to 540 plus EUR50 for any made-to-order variations.

Braun is Hamburg's Italian alternative to L&O, also covered in Flusser's book. Unfortunately I visited after their closing time and leave you with just a couple of window display shots.

Braun quilted jacket

Braun - Fay blue topcoat

I also visited Berlin and will post photos shortly.

Messina style: Elbow patches and quilted coats

2011-11-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

During my recent trip to Sicily, the noteworthy thing was elbow patches. In Messina, I saw them everywhere from sport jackets in window displays to a customer's jacket that a tailor (Epifanio) was working. Below are a few of those photos:

Epifanio working on a tweed jacket

It's also the season for quilted jackets and toggle coats:

Finally, a repost from my Facebook page of Messina tailor Epifanio's beautiful DB 4x2 cashmere overcoat. I especially love the blunted tips of the lapel and collar. It's a subtle vintage-looking touch. The overcoat also has a half-belt or martingala in the back.

Epifanio 4x2 DB overcoat

Bruce Boyer: Reading and writing about men's style

2011-11-04T23:55:00.000-04:00

The Wall Street Journal recently interviewed noted men's style writer Bruce Boyer regarding his forthcoming book, Gary Cooper: Enduring Style, his career as a fashion writer, and his thoughts on the future of menswear.

Photo by Rose Callahan
(http://dandyportraits.blogspot.com/2011/09/g-bruce-boyer-at-len-logsdail.html)

My favorite quote appears when he recounts what the editor at Town & Country found most appealing about his approach to writing about fashion: "We like the way you write about men's fashion because it isn't like other fashion writing. We see you're trying to take an intelligent approach to the subject and we respect that."

An intelligent approach to the subject...Believe it or not, this is exactly the approach I strive for in my own writing. I enjoy perceptive, insightful writing on any subject, but all the more so with a topic as slippery and seemingly insubstantial as fashion. Mr. Boyer is one of the very few writers on fashion who provide true depth of field to a subject that often registers at the retina only with other writers and journalists.

Admittedly, I share these thoughts for somewhat personal reasons. Mr. Boyer recently read my e-book, Sleevehead's Guide to Sicilian Tailors and I'm truly delighted by his response to it: "Very impressive, well written and balanced advice. All in all, this is the definitive guide to the subject, all the information any man will need."

Well, I couldn't ask for a better ending to the week!

Introducing Sleevehead's Guide to Sicilian Tailors

2011-11-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that my guide on Sicilian tailors is now available. Please check out the description of the e-book or click on the navigation button above for more details. To purchase, click on the buy now button above. Payment is accepted via PayPal, Visa and Mastercard.

Below are teaser photos featuring the work of a couple of mystery bespoke Sicilian tailors:

Note the lack of chest darts in the middle photo with the 2 jackets.

New (re)launches: Nedo Bellucci and Maxton Men

2011-10-20T22:34:00.000-04:00

Nedo Bellucci. I wrote about Nedo Bellucci back in 2007 before the Neapolitan tailoring craze began to froth over on the online discussion forums. He's moved into a new space at 4 W 37th St with even more exciting plans for expansion in the future.

Maxton Men. A colleague of mine I met in Los Angeles has soft launched a new men's accessories site. Looks very promising. If Mr. Porter is the men's clothing/accessories site for the well-heeled 1 percent of the male population, you could say Maxton Men is the site for the other 99 percent of us. When you visit, take advantage of the discount code SLEEVEHEAD good for 15% off until November 10th.

M5 press event: Nigel Cabourn, C.P. Company, Boglioli, Duvetica

2011-10-20T22:03:00.001-04:00

Last night I attended a viewing of the 2012 S/S collections for these four RTW brands, all of which are Italian brands with the exception of Cabourn.

Duvetica. I really liked their windbreakers in ultralight technical fabrics lined in chambray. Not an ordinary windbreaker but with extra attention paid to certain detailing such as the zippers and the dyeing process. Available through Saks in the US.

C.P. Company. I looked at their military and nautical lines and saw a terrific moss green 4 pocket barn jacket (the Campionario model). The company is also collaborating with Jaeger-LeCoultre to produce a modified goggle jacket featuring a translucent panel above the wrist area specifically designed for the JLC Reverso watch. I also learned that the owner of CP maintains an archive of 40,000 pieces from their collections since the early 70s and elsewhere. My idea of a mini-vacation would be to spend a day or two perusing that archive.

Boglioli. Very appealing spring/summer jackets with the familiar Neapolitan-inspired construction such as manica camicia shoulders and unlined interiors. They also had a nice line of loose-weave scarves. Available through Barney's in New York.

Nigel Cabourn. I profiled Cabourn in an earlier blogpost. As usual, he has come up with one of a kind pieces. These include: a light green 4 button Tenzing cotton jacket, a dipped wax nylon windbreaker with a "wet" hand (kind of the Super 150s version of the usual waxed cotton variety), a collaboration with German knitted jersey specialists Merz bei Schwanen and their Mackintosh collaboration. Available through Barney's and Opening Ceremony in New York.

I should also mention the featured band - Class Actress. If you love electronic pop and/or 80s music, check them out on iTunes (Terminally Chill and Keep You are my favorite tracks). Thanks to Leslie and Brittany for inviting and walking me through the collections.

Style icon: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

2011-10-17T23:48:00.000-04:00

Belatedly, I learned of the recent auction of the Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. estate. He was the only son of Fairbanks, Sr., who himself was was one of the first Hollywood moguls and founders of the modern film industry. Doyle New York was retained to run the auction on September 13. Below is a selection of Fairbanks, Jr.'s clothing-related items that were sold.

Fairbanks, Jr. owned quite an impressive wardrobe including John Lobb shoes, Maxwell boots, Huntsman jackets and overcoats, Lock hats, Stovel & Mason jackets, among other things.

Lock hats

Maxwell suede derbies

John Lobb semi-brogue

Maxwell riding boots

Huntsman double-breasted overcoat (1970)

Stovel & Mason greatcoat

Huntsman sports coat (1969)

Stovel & Mason sports coat (1973)

I think my favorite piece is the Huntsman overcoat. The auction provided these measurements of the overcoat:

Length of shoulders from seam to seam: 19 inches
Sleeve length: 24 1/2 inches
Shoulder length from seam to collar: 7 inches
Length of back: 42 inches

Also, take a closer look at the Stovel & Mason sports coat. Notice anything familiar on the jacket front construction? It has a front dart starting from the chest extending all the way down to the bottom of the hem. Today this is considered a hallmark of Neapolitan tailoring but apparently Savile Row is (or was) no stranger to this practice.

Wish list: Chukka boot

2011-10-01T05:53:00.000-04:00

I've had my eye on the Paul Stuart Forrest chukka boot in chestnut brown. Rather than featuring the standard lace-up, it is constructed as an interesting monk strap variation.

New cloth acquisitions

2011-09-25T21:48:00.000-04:00

On a recent weekend, I visited Tip-Top Fabrics in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and walked away with a few jacketing lengths. From top to bottom, a lightweight check jacketing (probably an Italian mill), Zegna 15 milmil 15 olive check and Drapers Super 150s gunclub. For mohair fans, I was also shown a 100% kid mohair in olive plaid, which had just arrived.

From the ebay seller British Fabrics, I pulled the trigger on a couple of William Halstead cloths. Halstead is probably the leading maker of classic English mohair cloth. I picked up a 60% summer kid mohair / 40% Escorial black wool in a 7.5oz weight (destined for a summerweight dinner jacket and trousers) and a 100% merino wool flannel finish charcoal chalkstripe in a 13/14oz weight (for a double-breasted or three piece suit).

The Halstead 60/40 mohair/wool has a terrific hand and finish.

I also bought a length of heavyweight (30oz!) Bedford cord in chocolate. It'll probably be made into a pair of winter trousers.

Meet the sports suit: Courtesy of Enzo Caruso

2011-09-09T04:43:00.000-04:00

I've written about Los Angeles tailor Enzo Caruso before. He is not only at a stage in his career where his technical skills are superbly honed, but he also grew up in a milieu of well-dressed men who executed their style with skill and variety. Consequently, he is well-positioned to offer stylistic suggestions that go beyond the technical realm of tailoring.

One of his ideas in particular led to a recent commission. We were perusing some his new cloth books and he pointed out one cloth, a lovely Holland and Sherry brown plaid, and how it exemplified for him the perfect “sports suit”. Or, intriguingly, a "working suit" as he also calls it. The color of the HS cloth is difficult to capture (see below) but the chocolate ground is darker than the photos suggest and the blue windowpane a bit more muted.

So what is a sports suit? The central idea behind the sports suit is the idea of “composito” (or composite). The idea is to “compose” a look by mixing and matching the sports suit's different components with other pieces in your wardrobe. Carefully of course, rather than indiscriminately. Growing up in southern Italy, Enzo remembers in particular a man in his town who did the sports suit very well.

Critically, the most important ingredient of the sports suit is the cloth and its pattern. The sports suit is executed as a three-piece suit and demands a cloth with a tolerant, versatile pattern which can live within an ensemble or independently. Practically, this excludes stripes. But what's left includes a broad range of patterns falling in between a glenplaid and a plain windowpane, as well as flecked, textured patterns such as a Donegal tweed.

Given the right pattern, there are at least 6 different ways to wear the sports suit. They are:

Full suit (matching jacket, vest, trousers)
Matching jacket and vest plus odd trousers
Matching jacket and trousers
Matching vest and trousers plus odd jacket
Trousers only plus odd jacket
Vest only plus odd jacket and trousers

The sports suit is meant to be an everyday suit but certainly not meant to be worn mindlessly or without effort. This bit of effort is very much aligned with a central idea in my planned book – the wardrobe as a cognitive and imaginative exercise. Not simply an exercise in self-absorption, but a genuine appreciation and respect for things in themselves – the autonomy of cloth, colors, and shape - and an ability to let their independence still somehow express the individual wearer of the cloth.

I also asked Enzo to add buttoned turn-ups or cuffs, a nice feature that I found on trousers made by the Neapolitan trousermaker Ambrosi. Enzo has his own theory on the origin of buttoned trouser cuffs. He speculates it was a practical feature of the countrywear of landed gentry. While making the rounds on their estates, they would pick up twigs and leaves in their clothing esp. the inside of their cuffs. The button facilitates the removal of the underbrush from the inside of the cuffs.

I like this theory and it sounds plausible to me. Most of all, it's a very fitting coda to a sports or working suit.

Edward Green: Refurbished monk straps

2011-09-04T11:33:00.000-04:00

My pair of Edward Green monk straps (Camden model) came back recently after I had sent them off for refurbishment back in May.

Instead of the traditional leather sole, I asked for the hard-wearing Medway Dainite sole. Perfect timing for autumn.

The Medway sole is as durable as the regular Dainite sole but offers better traction in wet conditions. The next step up is the rugged Ridgway sole, which offers even better traction, but the Medway has a slimmer profile.

Parisian bespoke: Francesco Smalto

2011-08-25T06:20:00.001-04:00

An example of the Smalto cut with the distinctive "cran necker" notch lapel:

Thanks to Tutto Fatto a Mano for this:

Update: Men of the Cloth documentary

2011-08-18T23:15:00.001-04:00

Last year I wrote about Vicki Vasilopoulos' effort to complete a documentary on three Italian tailors. Recently she launched a crowdfunding initiative on Indiegogo to secure funds to finish editing the film. The goal is to finish in time to submit to upcoming film festivals.

If you love men's clothing, now is your chance to bring an important documentary closer to the finish line.

NYC Chelsea style: Behavior

2011-08-07T15:02:00.003-04:00

Last Friday, I dropped by the opening reception for Behavior, a new New York City menswear store in Chelsea focused on emerging designers.

Much of the store featured the autumn collection of Woo Young Mi, a Korean designer. In particular, I liked her outerwear which are contemporary takes on familiar standbys like the pea coat and trench coat.

The coats appear to be well-constructed RTW and, interestingly, made in Korea, which has now developed a high-end clothing industry for export.

Roman style: Jaja Camiceria

2011-08-07T03:11:00.005-04:00

When I visited Rome a couple of months ago, I spent a couple of hours wandering in the neighborhood in front of the Spanish Steps along via Babuino, Margutta, Frattina and Condotti.

On via Belsiana, I noticed a small shirtmaking shop called Jaja Shirts and stepped inside. There I chatted with the proprietor Giuseppe Rossi, who described their workshop, history and offering. Bespoke shirts start at 180 euros. The first shirt requires one fitting (which is possible to do the following day) and is then finished in 20 days.

They carry shirtings by Riva (Rossi showed some very nice voiles and softer lighter Oxford shirtings), Reiser and Bonfanti. His Roman clients order plenty of voile, which he noted should be hand washed. The shirts feature hand sewn buttonholes and, as an option, extremely fine hand embroidery of the owner's initials (monogramming).

They also make custom pajamas for 160 euros. Rossi said he took over the business from his parents and that they've been in the same location for 40 years.

Jaja Camiceria
Via Belsiana 7a
Tel +39 06 679 2160

Made in America: Leather goods and accessories

2011-08-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

Being in the market for a new briefcase, I did a bit of research and came across eight leather goods makers based in the US, ranging from individual artisan to small factories. A couple have recently launched, reflecting continuing interest in heritage brands and made in America. I might be missing a few. If so, let me know.

Custom Hide

Narragansett Leathers - custom briefcases and made-to-measure leather belts

Lotuff & Clegg

J.W. Hulme

Billykirk

M&W Traveler

Glaser Designs

Walden Bags

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on Narragansett Leathers
- Styleforum briefcase thread

Summer looks: Maison Kitsune

2011-07-15T05:46:00.012-04:00

I like these looks from this RTW brand: the summer monochromatic look (whites paired with light colors - "lights on whites"), turned up cuffs on shorts, and high contrast cool colors against light warm pastels.

Roman style: RTW stores

2011-07-10T06:21:00.001-04:00

Last month, I passed through Rome and spent a couple of hours strolling through via Margutta, via dei Condotti and the area near the Spanish Steps.

Window display, Kiton store, Rome

Window display, Rome

Anglo-American style: Shell cordovan penny loafer

2011-07-09T22:21:00.001-04:00

Below are photos of Crockett & Jones penny loafers in dark brown shell cordovan (Harvard model, 314 last). I purchased them a couple of years ago but they have not yet made it into my shoe rotation. This will be remedied soon enough!

British style: Tommy Nutter

2011-06-26T20:40:00.002-04:00

When I visited Maurice Sedwell on Savile Row in May, I had a very pleasant chat with Mr. Ramroop and senior cutter Davide Taub (whom I had met earlier when he was working at Edward Sexton).

One of the things Davide recommended was checking out the Tommy Nutter exhibition at the Fashion & Textile Museum in London. I certainly intend to do that the next time I'm in London.

Additional links
- SF thread on Nutter
- Fashion & Textile Museum link to exhibition
- Londonist preview of Nutter exhibition

More Neapolitan tailoring in the news

2011-06-15T05:44:00.006-04:00

This is an overdue roundup of things Neapolitan I've come across on the web:

A Styleforum thread on a recent visit to Naples and sampling of the city's tailoring scene:
A Styleforum thread on visiting Hong Kong tailor WW Chan's version of the Neapolitan shoulder
A Styleforum thread on Neapolitan RTW suits and jackets by Morigi Milano

And thanks to fellow blogger Hugo of Parisian Gentleman for this find:

O'MAST from Kid Dandy on Vimeo.

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on Neapolitan documentary

A time-lapse view of the bespoke cutting process

2011-06-12T12:50:00.003-04:00

London bespoke tailor Thom Sweeney has a neat time-lapse view of the pattern tracing and cutting process on its website.

Note there is background music, which can be turned off after the sequence starts (the music button is on the left of the screen).

Style icon: Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915-2011)

2011-06-11T10:45:00.001-04:00

As far as I know, Mr. Fermor has never been nominated as a "style icon" although he has been described as "a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Graham Greene." But Fermor's passing away makes clear, to me at any rate, why this superb, idiosyncratic writer of travels and journeys should rank highly in the the world of men's style.

Fermor led a fascinating life in the midst of a raging world war and trekking across continents, a perfect embodiment of Paul Claudel's assertion that “Intelligence is nothing without delight.” He was a wonderfully lyrical writer, a prodigy with languages, a free spirit abounding with “leventeia”. As Artemis Cooper of The Independent describes, “A quality prized in Greece, leventeia indicates high spirits, humour, quickness of mind and action, charm, generosity, the love of living dangerously and a readiness for anything.”

Fermor's sense of style was refreshingly organic to his person, and, quite likely, simply inseparable from the life he lived. A fitting lesson on style.

Additional links
- New York Times obituary
- The Telegraph's 2008 essay and interview of Fermor
- An admirer's blog dedicated to Fermor

London visit

2011-06-10T05:26:00.005-04:00

I passed through London a couple of weeks ago and took some shots below of Savile Row, St. George Street and Jermyn Street.

While in London, I dropped off a pair of Ralph Lauren Purple Label monkstraps for refurbishment at Edward Green. As I noted in my Twitter/Facebook feed, refurbishment is now 165 GBP plus 80 GBP shipping to the US.

I also stopped by the Crockett & Jones shoe shop in Burlington Arcade and learned C&J offer a made-to-measure belt service for 165 GBP. The process takes 8 weeks and belts are available in 3 widths (32, 35, 40mm), with a selection of 5-6 nickel and brass buckles as well as leather swatches.

Stowers Bespoke

Denman & Goddard

Benson & Clegg

Bates Hats

New & Lingwood

Casual shorts: Orlebar Brown

2011-06-06T05:04:00.005-04:00

For the past six months I've been looking for a thoughtfully designed pair of casual shorts suitable for both dry and wet sports and indoor and outdoor activities. In particular, a pair of casual shorts with a zipper, side and back pockets, trim fitting, available in multiple waist sizes and colors. In other words, something more versatile than the typical athletic shorts, which functions for one purpose only, usually lacks a few of the features described above, and often comes in just one color (i.e. black).

My search for this casual sport short had not been very successful until recently when I was notified of a new line of 'bridge' shorts by Orlebar Brown, a British sportswear brand. They offer both swim shorts and sport shorts which hit all of the features described above.

I have not yet had a chance to test drive the Orlebar Brown shorts but they certainly appear to be a significant cut above the average sports or athletic shorts in terms of construction and material quality (check the video below). Instead of just one or two colors, the Setter swim shorts come in an array of 19 different colors (6 for the Affen sport shorts). In terms of fit, shorts are made in specific sizes (i.e. 28, 30, 32, etc) and 3 different inseam lengths.

I also like the engraved zippers and side fasteners, which speak to an extra level of attention to detail.

Additional links
- An amusing New York Times piece on swim shorts that appeared after I wrote my entry above

Bespoke shoemaker in Los Angeles: Raul Ojeda, Willie's Shoe Service

2011-06-05T22:23:00.000-04:00

This is a nice find from the AskAndy forum, a bespoke shoemaker in Los Angeles named Raul Ojeda who runs Willie's Shoe Service. Bespoke shoes start at $1,600. Here's the original thread with photos.

1920s style: Sartorial lessons from The Broadway Melody

2011-05-19T06:57:00.003-04:00

The Broadway Musical (1929) was the first talking musical for MGM as well as for Hollywood.

The men's suits were almost assuredly bespoke and you will see superb examples of formalwear (below, Charles King and Anita Page) and "lounge suits" (i.e. business suits in modern nomenclature) across a variety of physiques.

Take double-breasted suits for the smaller or trimmer frame, which one rarely sees today. At 50 seconds in the Youtube clip below, you'll see a character with such a figure arms akimbo, wearing a nice DB.

You will also see suits with unusual details, at least by contemporary standards, such as a single-breasted peak lapel, three piece suit with patch pockets and no vents (worn by the lead actor Charles King at 1:19).

Additional links
- Songbook blog entry on The Broadway Melody

Foster & Son NYC visit

2011-05-13T19:18:00.000-04:00

A couple of photos from the London shoemaker's NYC visit this week. The austerity brogue sample (center, see below) was made by Emiko and features a lovely burgundy finish and more dramatically rounded edges of the facings than is typically seen.

Below is a photo of Jon Spencer, who is working with principal lastmaker Terry Moore, and Emma Lakin.

A well-dressed past: Jil Sander on Hamburg

2011-05-09T08:34:00.004-04:00

Designer Jil Sander on growing up in Hamburg:

I was born in Hamburg, a trading city with a big port. It's very English because it's close to London. The saying is that when it's raining in London, they put up their umbrellas in Hamburg. And so the men are very gentlemanly, with proper tailored clothes. Even in my young age, I saw very nicely dressed men. (GQ Feb 2011)

Napoli su misura: First fitting

2011-05-07T19:51:00.003-04:00

Earlier this year, I joined the steady stream of Styleforum members in trying out the visiting tailor Napoli su misura comprised of Mina and Dino. I had a length of silk/linen (10.5oz) jacketing fabric that I dropped off for NSM to make up for me as spring/summer sportcoat.

My first fitting in midtown Manhattan occurred this week and I must say I was impressed (having gone through first fittings with different tailors in North America, Europe and Asia). The fit of my try-on jacket was pretty close to final - balance, length, collar and shoulder all looked good. Although I'll reserve judgment on pattern matching until the final jacket arrives, I could probably live with how the pattern lined up on the try-on.

Spring wardrobe

2011-05-01T08:33:00.069-04:00

The other week, as temperatures have finally risen, I dropped by the Brooks Bros flagship store on Madison Ave and also the Paul Stuart store nearby.

At BB, the second floor is being redone while the third floor houses the new spring collection for men's sportswear. I thought the merchandising and display were nicely done, grounded in warm spring/summer colors, and organized into a nautical and St. Andrews links theme (complete with a virtual driving range).

For sports shirts and accessories, I liked the emphasis on lively colors and patterns and a nice of selection of fits (from extra slim to regular in shirts to slim to regular widths in knit and woven ties).

If you adhere to the Ivy League look (or some version of it), it's worth a look. A few highlights:

St. Andrews Supima cotton v-neck argyle in marina blue or geranium pink (a slim fit with nice high armholes)
Linen/silk striped tie in coral

At Paul Stuart, I saw these navy suede chukka boots with crepe soles (Bosley model):

The contrast stitching is a dandified touch of course. Also available in a loden suede.

Christian Louboutin and men's shoes

2011-04-24T20:29:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago I wrote about women's shoe designer Christian Louboutin and whether we should welcome his entry into the world of men's shoes. The question is now moot as the brand is scheduled to open its first store for men's shoes in Paris. And there are a few RTW sneakers and men's shoes available on the CL website.

The New Yorker recently did a profile of Mr. Louboutin and I've excerpted a few quotes which express his design aesthetic:

"I really, really hate incredibly long shoes, where the last is very pointy, almost like Aladdin."
"I hate the whole concept of comfort! ... You're abandoning a lot of ideas when you are too into comfort."
"The shoe is a very much an X-ray of social comportment."

It'll be interesting to see what kind of footwear he produces for men and the construction techniques (Goodyear welted v. Blake stitched). Apparently, all of his women's shoes are made in a factory outside of Milan.

Well-dressed musicians: Riccardo Muti

2011-04-17T23:17:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending the Chicago Symphony concerts this weekend at Carnegie Hall. The Saturday concert featuring Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique and Lelio was simply superb. Riccardo Muti, who is originally from Naples, directs the CSO.

Obviously I was there principally for the music-making but I was curious to see what Muti would wear and how well it would fit him. He wore white tie at both concerts and I would venture to say his white tie rig is likely bespoke, perhaps even by a tailor from his hometown of Naples. His tailcoat featured a pagoda shoulder, a nicely shaped waist and full sleeves. The collar stayed admirably put throughout his often vigorous conducting.

O'Connells Clothes Call newsletter

2011-04-10T05:28:00.054-04:00

If you are interested in American trad menswear, do yourself a favor and sign up for the O'Connell's "Clothes Call" newsletter. I enjoy reading the occasional interview with one of their suppliers.

Recently, they featured an interviews with Chris and Annette Blackmore, the founders of Chrysalis Clothes, a manufacturer of English RTW outerwear (field coats, sports/shooting coats, town and country outerwear). One learns for instance that the export markets makes up 50 percent of sales, with the largest markets in the US, Germany, Benelux and Scandinavia. The photo above shows their Beaufort coat.

In another issue, O'Connells interviewed Jules Hertling of Hertling Trouser located in Brooklyn, NY. Founded in 1925, the company employs 40 workers (cutters, sewers, pressers) and produces 200 pairs of trousers per day. Turnaround time for a pair of trousers is 10 days. Their production is split 50/50 between pleat v. plain front trousers. A Hertling trouser features a split waist, one or two-piece curtain, pockets attached to the trouser interior, 8 belt loops (instead of the usual 6 or 7). The photo above shows a Prunelle doeskin-finish Hertling trouser in medium grey.

Collaboration as the new normal

2011-04-03T06:37:00.001-04:00

Compared to just five years ago, RTW menswear has seen a renaissance in terms of selection of different "silhouettes" and more frequent product refresh cycles. A key ingredient of this renaissance is industry collaboration.

There are two types of collaboration - brand and production. The first type gets most of the press. This often means the pairing of a contemporary designer with a retailer. Witness this partial list of such menswear collaborations:

Jil Sander and Uniqlo
Gant by Michael Bastian
J.Press for Urban Outfitters
APC and Carhartt
Bespoken and Turnbull & Asser
Rag & Bone and Timberland
Steven Alan and Dockers

Gant's campus store in New Haven, CT is a mash-up of a defunct American trad retail storefront (Langrock's) with all three Gant lines - Gant, Gant Rugger and Gant by Michael Bastian.

The other type of collaboration is more behind the scenes and takes advantage of "Made in USA" to reinforce a heritage and/or authenticity branding message. Hence, the tapping of Brooklyn-based suitmaker Martin Greensfield by the likes of Band of Outsiders, Rag & Bone and Freemans Sporting Club.

Being a modern gentleman

2011-03-23T20:30:00.009-04:00

Designer Tom Ford recently posted five guidelines on being a modern gentleman. I have to say that he pretty much is spot on in my view.

Depending on the circumstances, I might bend rule no. 5 (no shorts in the city), esp. if one is in the city and going to the gym or playing a game of tennis. But everything else I wholeheartedly agree with - the emphasis on manners, self-application (i.e. work) and, perhaps most importantly, presenting oneself well as a sign of respect (not as self-indulgence).

A grand tour of British heritage menswear and makes

2011-03-13T06:14:00.021-04:00

Trends do exist. Among those is the center stage positioning of British heritage menswear and manufacture in the last 18 months or so. Last year I wrote an entry on UK heritage menswear and designing an English sartorial vacation.

Likewise, the observant folks at Esquire felt it was time to put the spotlight back on British heritage and went about capturing the look and feel in the summer of 2010. Below is the first of a series of visits to English and Scottish mills and makers including William Lockie (cashmere), textile mill Reid & Taylor, outerwear brand Mackintosh, Sunspel (men's underwear), Ettinger (leather goods), John Smedley (knitwear).

William Lockie, Reid & Taylor

Todd & Duncan, Johnston's of Elgin

Garynahine Harris Tweed, Breanish Tweed, Luskentyre Harris Tweed

Corgi, Fox Brothers

Enjoy the fantastic stories and individuals featured.

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on Esquire videos

Bespoke updates: Vienna and NYC

2011-03-07T09:34:00.005-05:00

Viennese bespoke has hit the mainstream press. Thanks to an alert Styleforum reader, I came across this New York Times article on bespoke tailor Knize, shoemaker Scheer and milliner Mühlbauer. In 2005, I began writing about Knize and have updated with additional posts (see below).

I also recently visited Jon Green's bespoke shop on the Upper East Side in NYC and looked at some of the suits and jackets he's made for clients. Mr. Green was gracious enough to take me through the studio and workshop, walking through the tailoring details and finished garments. He now has a tailor on the premise, who can modify the key elements like shoulder and chest construction. Very nice looking jackets in the classic Anglo-American silhouette.

Additional links
- Sleevehead posts on Knize, Niedersuesz, Scheer and Viennese bespoke

A time and place for leather jackets

2011-02-28T21:23:00.003-05:00

At some point in one's life, wearing a leather jacket just makes sense. For some, it's the need for speed that calls. For others, it is the look, weight, feel and smell of a leather jacket that has no substitute.

Indeed, some men have made the leather jacket an indispensable part of pop culture, appealing to young and old. If you think a leather jacket makes sense for you, find a jacket that looks fitted and clean on your frame, rather than boxy or loose.

The Schott Perfecto is the original leather motorcycle jacket, introduced in 1928, and worn subsequently by Marlon Brando, James Dean and members of the punk band, the Ramones.

The Perfecto leather jacket is among the archival styles being updated by Schott NYC for its special Perfecto Brand collection ($400 to $1,000).

Aero Leathers is a UK company based in Scotland that also makes leather jackets using traditional leatherworkers. Below are a couple of their models that can be worn on the street even if you don't race motorcycles:

Aero Cafe Racer

Aero summer half-belt in "deerskin"

Vanson Leathers is a Massachusetts-based company making leather motorcycle jackets and racing suits. Their version of the classic 1950s biker style jacket below comes in an amazing chest size range from 32 to 62.

Vanson Comet

Additional links
- Himel Brothers reproduction leather jackets
- Good Wear reproduction leather jackets

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Everyguyed artist Barbara Pala, the two e-cards below should cover whether you are a single gent or happily paired off already:

1960s style: The Graduate

2011-02-12T14:37:00.002-05:00

The Graduate (1967) is one of my favorite movies and possibly my favorite film of the 1960s.

In the last 20 minutes of the film, the protagonist, Benjamin Braddock, wears an eggshell white hooded windbreaker (see above) as he races up and down California to win over Elaine, the daughter of the wife (Mrs. Robinson) with whom he's had an affair. Above is a still from the final scene where both Ben and Elaine sit on the back of a bus as a lifetime of emotions pass through them in a matter of seconds (watch their faces).

The film offers phenomenal acting, brilliant camera work and atmospheric music (by Simon & Garfunkel) and of course an abundance of period-specific sartorial details on both the men and women. Check out the 1960s shorter jackets, trim shoulders and slim ties on the men in the film.

Additional links
- Vanity Fair article on the making of The Graduate

Central European style: A brown suede Budapester

2011-02-09T00:02:00.001-05:00

A very nice Budapester featuring a goiser (aka goyser or "goiserer") welt by shoemaker Koronya.

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on Budapester model above
- Styleforum thread on split v. reverse welt

1960s style: JFK inauguration

2011-01-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

Fifty years after the event, Life recently released previously unpublished photos of John F. Kennedy's 1961 inauguration.

While JFK may not liked wearing hats, he did wear the traditional top hat on the day of his inauguration.

JFK wearing top hat

JFK in morning dress w/cashmere stripes trousers

JFK standing in morning coat

JFK in black tie, dress shirt without studs

Sicilian tailors: What's next after the Neapolitans?

2011-01-17T08:17:00.054-05:00

I came across this September 2010 Irish Times article on Sicilian tailors. The article makes an astonishing claim, which, if true, speaks to a wonderful sartorial state of affairs in existence half a century ago. In postwar Italy, the author of the article estimates there were approximately 100,000 tailors serving about 85 per cent of the adult male population. Even if those numbers are off by 20, 30 or even 40 percent, those are still remarkable numbers both in absolute and relative terms.

The article also references Sartoria Modica Ragusa Concetto, based in Modica, Sicily. Above is a photo of tailor Concetto with a customer. Concetto's cut is described as a "comfortable Neapolitan" style.

Neapolitan is a style that divides partisans and critics on the men's clothing forums into often silly bouts of factionalism. Whatever the moniker used to describe this Sicilian cut, it's clearly a soft-shoulder construction. At 1,000 euros for a suit and four days from start to finish, this might be a trip worthy of exploration for Sleevehead this year. We'll see if I can resist the temptation!

Additional links
- Irenebrination article on the history of Sicilian tailors

Style icons: Cary Grant on TCM

2011-01-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

This Tuesday, January 18th, at 6:30am Eastern US, cable channel Turner Classic Movies will be celebrating the birthday of men's style icon Cary Grant. Six of his early movies will be aired: Sylvia Scarlett, The Toast of New York, Bringing up Baby, Gunga Din, Only Angels Have Wings and Night and Day. This will be followed by the documentary Cary Grant: A Class Apart.

A great opportunity to view one of the most well-known paragons of masculine style.

The well-dressed past: A sporting event in 1925

2011-01-09T12:18:00.004-05:00

The occasion: US President Calvin Coolidge congratulating Washington Senator ace pitcher Walter Johnson on winning the 1924 American League baseball championship. At a distance, the first thing to notice is the sea of straw boater hats. If you click on the image for the hi-res version (and click again to magnify), you'll notice a few more details on individuals such as the prevalence of natural shoulder suit jackets and one or two button cuffs.

President Coolidge (center, wearing straw boater) is wearing a single-breasted jacket in a light colored wool featuring what I call a rounded peak lapel (or 'clover peak lapel'), in which the tips of the lapel and collar are rounded. It looks very close to being a Tautz lapel but it's difficult to say whether the top of the lapel is horizontal.

The man standing in profile behind Johnson's left arm also appears to be wearing a light-colored wool jacket with a one-button cuff and what looks to be a lapped seam on the sleeve. Or is it another type of seam? Tailors and other folks in the trade feel free to weigh in.

Finally, behind him is another man who is wearing a boater hat and bow-tie. What's unusual is the lapel on his jacket where the notch opens wider and lower than modern notch lapels - somewhat similar to a cran necker style lapel though not quite.

All in all, despite the apparent similarity of appearances at an initial glance, we see in closer detail some interesting divergence in the details.

A little holiday cheer

2010-12-25T09:21:00.000-05:00

Best holiday wishes to everyone! Enjoy the gifts you've given and received and, most of all, the company you keep.

In the meantime, if you know (or are) a gadget geek, you might enjoy the sly, dry British humor of this BBC One skit on the BlackBerry.

Style as evolution v. static equilibrium

2010-12-23T06:25:00.078-05:00

Despite the efforts of provocative designers such as Thom Browne and Kris van Assche, the contemporary Western male is largely conservative regarding color, pattern and cut. We are perhaps the logical culmination of the Great Austerity in men's clothing that began with Beau Brummell's simplification of gentlemanly dress in the early 1800s. Of course there have been periodic wavelets of experimentation around proportion or color - Oxford bags in the 1920s, zoot suits in the 1940s. But the long arc of men's dress in the modern era has been riveted around the principle of sobriety.

At least it seems that way to me. When I began regularly visiting New York City a few years ago, I couldn't help but notice the prevalence of black in the clothing of both men and women. Apart from summertime wear, the logic of dark, monochrome clothing seems firmly entrenched here and in other major American and European cities.

Based on this current trajectory, the sartorial endgame for men is a tightly bound view of clothing and style. Many of us refuse to wear a garment that stands out in some way - the double-breasted suit (too formal, unusual) or even peak lapels on single-breasted jackets. Many of us seem comfortable - perhaps too comfortable - with a wardrobe consisting almost entirely of single breasted jackets with notch lapels in two or three buttons. We tend to shun experimentation, remain allergic to changing our wardrobe and fixate instead on finetuning rules and formulae on a narrow set of issues - proportion, shoulder line and fit.

Against this backdrop, it's difficult to imagine how a man today would ever contemplate wearing this large-scale tartan lounge suit (circa 1875):

Or this silk/velvet coat and breeches (circa 1780-85):

But wear these men did, apparently with pleasure and ease, and absent our modern anxieties. These photos were taken from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) exhibit called "Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915". It's an excellent overview of two centuries of European men's and women's dress. While you're there, you might as well visit the new wing featuring works by Serra, Warhol and Eggleston.

Not that I'm advocating wholesale adoption of such historical artifacts. But I suspect most of us could benefit from a dose of experimentation, taking a peek every now and then over the sartorial horizon we've constructed for ourselves. Perhaps the rules we follow are just a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

Leather Soul, Beverly Hills: Alden and Cleverley trunk shows

2010-12-19T17:47:00.011-05:00

A couple of years ago I wrote about my visit to high end men's shoe store Leather Soul in Hawaii. The owner has since expanded to Beverly Hills in Los Angeles and I stopped by the new expansion store earlier this month during the Alden and Cleverly trunk shows.

Nate Humble of Alden was on the main floor covering Alden and George Glasgow, Jr. was upstairs taking care of Cleverley customers.

Cleverley offers three lines: RTW ($500), Anthony Cleverley ($1600) and bespoke ($3450). Each step up the line reflects greater range of options, higher level of craftmanship and personalization in fit and shoe features.

The Anthony Cleverley line was named after a nephew in the Cleverley family and based on his shoe designs for clients such as Winston Churchill and Douglas Fairbanks. If you visit, be sure to peruse the black and white spiral bound book containing photos of those original designs. At the bespoke level, the customer can choose from calfskin to exotic skins such as alligator or even frogskin. Cleverley also has an Asia trip planned next year to Japan, Korea and China (their first visit to the latter two countries).

I also spoke with Nate Humble of Alden and we chatted a bit about the unrelenting demand for Alden shoes worldwide. The Leather Soul store has an impressive lineup of Alden shoes (see below).

The Alden factory is still backlogged and shell cordovan in lighter finishes (like whiskey) continues to remain in short supply. In fact, when we spoke, they had just delivered a 2008 order to a Japanese customer. So patience is certainly a virtue when placing special make orders with this unique American shoemaker.

Below is the store's lineup of Edward Green shoes, which were temporarily relocated to the stairs.

Profile of a modern hatmaker: Stephen Temkin

2010-12-10T07:13:00.003-05:00

I recently had a great chat with newly minted hatmaker Stephen Temkin who launched his initial collection of hats under the Leon Drexler brand. Stephen is based in Toronto and launched his RTW and bespoke hat business earlier this year. If you're serious about hats, be sure to check his guide to measuring your head to get your correct hat size. It's probably the best one page description I've read anywhere of measuring your hat size.

Below is an excerpt from our interview:

What triggered you to start making your own hats?

People used to say that you go mad after making hats. Now I say you have to be mad to make hats. I started wearing hats 10-15 years ago purely from a functional reason - to protect my head. About 4 years I was looking for a birthday present for my wife. I saw a vintage fedora made by James Lock and was looking to refurbish it and put on a different ribbon. I took it to a milliner friend but she was too busy. Then I went to a place called the Hatter - one of the last places to clean your hat in Toronto and they weren't able to do the ribboning. So I did the ribboning myself and my wife suggested that I be a hat designer. I got online and started looking and coming across guys like Art Fawcett making hats. I deliberated over several weeks, talked to other guys and got referrals. Over two years I put it all together.

It was frustrating since there is no manual. There is one book you can buy - a plastic bound reprint of a 1919 book called Scientific Hat Finishing and Renovating. Pretty much the only book written by a hatter. There are illustrations of tools down to the brand of the stuff I actually bought. I'm the only person in Toronto doing this - possibly in eastern Canada. Biltmore of course is the commercial hatter an hour east of Toronto and there are a couple of guys in Alberta who do cowboy hats.

What was the most challenging aspect of going into this business?

It was the learning curve. I used to be in winemaking and every winemaker has his own theory of making wine. Hatmakers are similar and each has his own theory. One guy says to pounce a hat for 5 hours, another guy says 5 minutes. It's trial and error.

Would you recommend a person to get into hatmaking?

You can still do it. Some equipment might be difficult to get but a lot of things can be made for you. I went searching for hat blocks and two sets I bought in Germany. What's hard to find is whole sets with similar styles in various sizes. There are a couple of block makers around and you can get new blocks made. At this point I may have blocks made for me. There is a guy named Mark DeCou in the US - a woodmaker who specializes in hatmaking tools such as brim cutters. Antique curling shackles can be hard to find.

I use a very heavy old electric tailor's iron which weighs 17 lbs. I found mine at Canada Steam Iron. They had just two lying around and I picked up one of them. Nowadays everyone uses pressurized steam. Another thing is the old sewing machines for sewing sweatbands into hats, doing bindings around the edge of brims.

Let's talk about ribbons. Is there a story behind how you acquired your old-stock French hatband?

Any hatmaker will tell you ribbons are an issue. They pretty much vanished in the late 50s into 60s. Ribbon manufacture went with it. There is a specific kind of grosgrain for men's hat, which is a blend of cotton and rayon that imitates the look of silk. I found a guy in Germany who sold hat bodies to milliners and old stock hatband. He purchased his ribbon from a German hatter who closed a decade ago and wanted to sell his whole inventory.

So I bought it all. It's great stuff and you can really use the colors designed for men's hats, which are neither overly bright or garish - subtle blues, greens and ivory-tawny colors. The other great thing about this ribbon is the level of sheen, which is subtle. Modern ribbon is too shiny.

The old stock hatband come in a little over 60 colors. In addition, I use a modern ribbon - a very fine pure silk (almost taffeta) made by Mokuba of Japan. For a black hat with black ribbon I suggest using this stuff because it is blacker. Black ribbon tends to look grey against black felt.

Where do you get your felt?

We're all buying pure beaver felt from the same source - Winchester Company in Tennessee. They're the only one in North America you can buy this stuff from. Even from Europe the choices are limited and they only come in 2 colors, brown or black.

Let's talk about designing hats for women. How are they different than the male customer?

Because I don't do millinery, it's the same felt and basic shape. Where it changes for women is relative proportion. A woman would be open to a wider brim and you can think about trimmings in a slightly more flamboyant way. For me that would be a brightly colored silk ribbon or a slightly more conspicuous bow or an addition of a peacock feather.

Why did hatwearing decline?

I think the main reason was automobiles. It wasn't until 60s that the automobile was something that everyone had. The development of suburbs also promoted the auto. People stopped spending time outside.Toronto has one of the biggest underground mall networks around. You could live in downtown Toronto in a condo and literally never go outside.

What sort of people wear hats these days?

Most of my customers are middle-aged men who wear hats, like hats and have trouble finding good quality hats. Some guys it's their first hat.

What makes a hat charming is a certain amount of irregularity. Men used to bash their own hats, breaking it in. Only a good hat can stand up to the breaking in.

Who and what are your style and design inspirations?

Style begins with functionality. I'm really not into gratuitous fashion - I can't even stand cargo pants. My approach to fashion is rooted in functionality and quality. I would say there is a certain amount of visual discretion. I approach hatmaking as an element of contemporary fashion. I don't look at hats as nostalgic or ironic or celebrity imitation. I think about hats as a functional and good looking part of my wardrobe in a contemporary sense.

I talk about the style of my hats. Part of my idea is to help men to think about the language of hats. They should be thinking about hats in the same way they think about shoes or suits. Men's style is a bunch of discrete decisions - 2 or 3 buttons, this or that collar. A lot of the look of the men's fashion is the sum of small decisions. Hats are really a game of millimeters - small changes will really change the attitude of the hat.

A lot of men are shy about hats and think they don't look good in them. Hats are close to your identity. So the thing to do is wear a hat that implies you and not something else. How discreet it looks is up to you.

If hats are ever going to come back, then they have to be viewed as a kind of an authentic contemporary fashion rather than indicate something else, a bygone era. Rather they should indicate something I enjoy wearing. Once you start wearing hats it gets addictive.

For women it's different - more ornamentation. Men don't like the idea of wearing something as ornament.

What are your plans for 2011?

I recently got a sewing machine to do bindings on brims for next fall, and some new blocks. I just made a new prototype hat for me. Some hatmakers make everything. I love the idea of being more niche.

English tailoring: Jasper Littman

2010-12-05T06:17:00.014-05:00

Here's a short video documentary of English tailor Jasper Littman at work with a new client on a semi-bespoke or made-to-measure suit. I'm not a customer of Littman but I enjoyed watching the video for some of the commentary and footage of tailors and workshops.

Journalist Mads Qvortup and Littman chat about the proprieties of buttoning a one-button suit, flip through a Richard James Weldon linings book (I'm sure I'm not the only who recognized that book), discuss the gentlemanly preference to bypass belted loops on trousers in favor of side adjusters, and make note of the shaped waist of a classic Savile Row suit.

The suit that is produced seems decently well-fitting for 750 GBP. The shoulders and waist come out well if you like structured suits. I suspect perhaps the collar might be a touch loose though it's difficult to tell with certainty in the video.

More shopping apps: Rightcliq

2010-12-01T07:46:00.014-05:00

The marketing folks at Visa contacted me recently about their online shopping tool Rightcliq. I haven't had a chance to test drive the tool (which currently supports Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer) but it looks interesting. The tool allows a user to clip and aggregate different products from different online sources and manage them in a single repository.

Amazon has a similar tool called the Wish List browser add-on that sits in the toolbar of your browser and allows you to add any product from any website to your Amazon wish list. Consolidation equals convenience. Also Alan Flusser's BeSpeak iPhone app has a wardrobe management function to manage different combinations of men's clothing.

Rightcliq builds on these ideas by creating a more general and flexible version of the wish list called "wishspaces". The tool also adds a crowdsourcing aspect by allowing you to share your wishspace with friends via email or Facebook for their input into your buying decision.

I see two early adopter segments for this tool:

Avid online consumers, esp. women who browse through dozens of blogs, e-commerce websites and fashion websites to collect and build ideas for new looks, accessories and pieces
Professional style consultants who manage outfits, looks and wardrobes for their clients (or anyone who needs to manage the wardrobe of friends, relatives, children, etc).

Pop-up store for the dapper gent: Fine and Dandy Shop

2010-11-27T08:03:00.021-05:00

Matt Fox of Fine and Dandy Shop kindly invited me to attend their pop-up store event at The Blind Barber on the Lower East Side in NYC on December 4th and 5th. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the event.

The pop-up store will feature men's accessories (ties, bow ties, pocket squares, tie bars, collar bars, cufflinks, money clips, and more).

Winter accessories: Scores of scarves

2010-11-26T05:24:00.014-05:00

Autumn has been fairly mild in New York City but it's about that time of year (read black Friday) to stock up on winter accessories. Below are three scarf options depending on your preferred modus operandi: made to order, traditional / vintage or updated classic.

Made to order / custom

A custom scarf is perhaps strictly for those who have everything else squared away in their wardrobe. A very civilized option that will never feel out of place around your neck. Made-to-order by Holland & Sherry, these come in a "ripple finish" cashmere, two sizes (12 x 54 or 14 x 72 inches) and 36 different colors from parchment to pistachio. Also available in shawl or throw sizes.

Check out the swatches (see above) and order from your favorite bespoke tailor who works with H&S cloths. Special thanks to tailor Enzo Caruso for educating me on this custom winter accessory (and he lives in un-wintery Los Angeles!).

Traditional / vintage

Traditional scarves tend to feature established patterns and motifs (from collegiate stripes to Mughal patterns - see the Drakes vintage-inspired wool/silk scarf below).

Also check out Four in Hand's selection of Begg cashmere scarves, including this one below.

For those serious about the vintage look, there's always the option of rummaging vintage stores or ebay for Sulka scarves.

Updated classic

These scarves are recognizably traditional but updated with slightly irregular pattern scales, different pattern designs or unusual colorways. In keeping with this category, I came across Free/man's recent blog entry on Begg's new lambswool / angora scarves for Unionmade.

A couple of standouts above. Top row, far right would go superbly with a camelhair polo coat and the bottom row, far right pairs nicely with the beige Martin Margiela safari jacket I wrote about earlier.

Another standout is Drakes tartan scarf, in a vibrant palette of red, khaki and sky blue with a gold and antique white overcheck:

For maximum color impact (aka the Ivy League go-to-hell look), check out O'Connell's selection of Begg lambswool / angora scarves. These are a couple of the more sedate ones:

Last but not least, for my female and/or DIY readers, below is a skillfully knitted infinity scarf made by blogger Knitted Bliss:

A profile in (life)style: Luciano Barbera

2010-11-21T06:19:00.008-05:00

An interesting life spans diverse boundaries and embraces the sense of having done things - veni, vedi, vici. This is perhaps what the most interesting man in the world would look like in the flesh.

Whether at home, on the slopes, behind the wheel, taking a leisurely swing on the greens or briskly trotting one of his many thoroughbreds, Luciano Barbera is a contender for best dressed man in the world. Need we say more?

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on above video (Not surprisingly, Styleforumites do indeed have more to say!)
- Luciano Barbera's blog

2010 Cravats Award nomination: Best classic style blog

2010-11-18T09:01:00.004-05:00

Daniel Eckler at Everyguyed.com contacted me recently and let me know that Sleevehead has been nominated for a 2010 Cravats Award in the category of "best classic style blog". We're in distinguished company along with A Suitable Wardrobe and the English Cut.

If you enjoy reading my blog, feel free to vote for Sleevehead as well as the other fine blogs and websites up for nomination. Voting ends on December 24th.

Thanks again to my readers for your continued interest!

Hooman Majd: Being interesting v. being correct

2010-11-17T05:59:00.024-05:00

Mr. Majd is an Iranian-American writer and journalist and has also worked in the music industry. GQ's Glenn O'Brien thinks he is the best-dressed man in the world.

Below you can see Majd sporting a 20 year old Hermes sports jacket with patches added later by the author himself.

In the embedded video below, notice the interesting button-down contrast collar, which usually comes in point or spread versions. The buttondown contrast collar is different to be sure and visually catching. Overall, I like the rendering of the blue elements against the grey - the teal striped tie, Oxford blue striped shirt, the momentary pop provided by the white collar and then muted all around by the grey suit and parka.

Jake Davis Test Shots: Hooman Majd from Jake Davis on Vimeo.

The internet style cognoscenti will undoubtedly nitpick at the billowing trousers, the choice of a fur-linked parka with a suit and perhaps the low button stance of his jacket.

However, faced with a choice of being interesting v. absolutely correct, I think I would prefer to err on the side of being interesting.

And, really, billowing trousers are not the end of the world. In fact, the world's most interesting man (Mr. Majd's older brother perhaps) agrees that a man's trousers should not be too tight (at 6:15 in the Youtube clip). Treat those coins in your pocket with respect and give 'em room to jingle, my friends!

Calibrating your personal style: Who is your trusted advisor?

2010-11-14T07:44:00.152-05:00

In terms of developing a sense of style, most of us do not have it all figured out so a second opinion from a trusted source is at times helpful. But then the question becomes who is that trusted source?

Online discussion forums like Styleforum and Ask Andy have their place. The "what are you wearing today" threads on these forums offer a quick and dirty way to get feedback from a fairly large number of individuals. This is a way to shape your style via anonymous crowdsourcing (or groupthink depending on your viewpoint).

But other options come to mind - friends, colleagues, even significant others (though that could be hit or miss). There is another alternative, the style consultant. Perhaps not the first choice for many men I imagine. However, keeping an open mind and being sartorially curious, I contacted New York City based Natalie Decleve and signed up for an initial consult and wardrobe review. Natalie is a stylist and image consultant with a background in women's fashion (Diane von Furstenberg, Kiki de Montparnasse) and PR. Having worked and/or lived in California, New York City and Europe, she has a feel for the lifestyles, clothing and attitudes of those different environments.

During our initial phone consult, I asked her what she thought the most common style mistake men made. Her response was perfectly sensible and free of the usual platitudes about style expressing a form of innate elegance or a timeless sense of taste. In her estimation, fit is the critical issue since unfortunately many men do not wear clothes that fit well. I agree entirely.

In my case, I was interested in a fresh opinion on how my wardrobe cohered as a whole, how I mixed and matched individual pieces and whether I was overlooking specific combinations or looks. Natalie has a good feel for what works for you and will readily point out the gems in your wardrobe. She also suggested several great color and/or clothing combinations that I had not thought of. For instance, pairing my favorite sports coat with denim instead of traditional wool trousers (which had not occurred to me oddly enough), or wearing certain shirts/colors with specific jackets.

Conversely, she has an eye for what looks contemporary, and can point out the pieces in your wardrobe that may be perceived differently than you had imagined or intended. If you have a tendency to follow the same routine and would like to mix things up, she will be an effective antidote against looking predictable. Moreover, Natalie is refreshingly direct and straightforward in her guidance and suggestions. So if you are in need of a style intervention or just looking for a fresh perspective, consider having a chat and an initial consult with her. And if you don't have a trusted style advisor or muse, perhaps it's time to cultivate one.

Additional links
- Valetmag / DonQ's survey of the female perspective on men's style
- Menswear/WWD essay on what women notice

Look of the week: An urbanized safari jacket

2010-11-12T06:28:00.000-05:00

Below is a beige Martin Margiela goatskin suede jacket, which caught my eye on Yoox.com. Essentially, Margiela has taken the cotton safari jacket, an iconic, perhaps even kitschy piece, and urbanized it by changing out the fabric and streamlining a few of the details. The result is a more flexible item of clothing since it seems a little out of place to wear an authentically detailed safari jacket in a large city, even if you are a NYC hipster lounging on a stoop in Williamsburg or the Lower East Side.

But assuming Margiela's de-stylized and citified version of the safari jacket works for you and your surroundings, the next question is - what do you wear with it? Below are a couple of suggested variations, depending on the use case: downtown (East End) v. uptown (West End).

The jacket would go well with textured or denser cottons (i.e. finewale corduroy, moleskin or denim) or subtly patterned wool or flannel trousers in grey, brown or melange colors (like steel loden). These fabrics have a texture, weight and/or nap that naturally complements suede. Then wear a pair of sporty monk straps or loafers in a dark finish/color to complete the look.

Downtown or 'East End' variation

In the downtown variation, we're talking about weekend brunch at a quiet spot in NYC's West Village (or maybe London's Shoreditch or East End area), in the spring or autumn, when the weather is a bit cooler.

JW Brine corduroy trousers

3sixteen slim straight denim in raw grey

Uptown or 'West End' variation

The uptown scenario is a bit dressier in certain elements as the context might be daytime workwear (hence the wool trousers). I'm thinking more of the 'creative' professions like visual arts, design or media. For footwear, monk straps or perhaps a pair of calfskin leather slip-ons in black or dark oak.

Epaulet Walt grey birdseye

Epaulet Walt chocolate flannel

More double-breasted jackets

2010-11-09T06:00:00.011-05:00

A few double-breasted examples from the Japanese RTW brand Ring Jacket. The Armoury, a new store in Hong Kong, has a nice profile of Ring in English.

This 4x2 DB I like:

Below is a single breasted jacket. I suppose the case can be made that SBs can take boldly shaped peaks. Even so, I'm not so keen on the exaggerated sweep, angle and height of the peak lapel:

Having said that, I know there are fellows who can make this look work.

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on Armoury opening (including visits by Ring Jacket and Drakes of London)
- Styleforum thread on DB jackets

Menswear stores in New York City: current picks and destinations of yesteryear

2010-11-06T06:10:00.009-04:00

This 2004 StyleForum thread takes a nostalgic walk down memory lane and recounts the top New York City menswear shops of yesteryear, which have long since closed for business. The line-up included American trad / Ivy League stalwarts (Chipp, Tripler), tailors (Dunhill Tailors), shirts and accessories (Sulka), and Manhattan outposts of Continental European haberdashers (Knize).

So what would today's list of great men's RTW stores in NYC look like? Blogger Por Homme has compiled a nice list of NYC shops. If you tend to shop at the usual department store suspects and men's retailers like Paul Stuart, J. Press and Brooks Bros, the list may not fully register or resonate.

However, if you are in a different demographic or skew toward a more contemporary look, I think it's worthwhile to take a few weekends and explore the shops listed by Por Homme. These stores offer clothing ranging from very affordable (Uniqlo) to premium RTW pricing (Rag & Bone). I've visited Alden, APC, Billy Reid, Brooklyn Industries, J. Crew Men's Shop, Odin, Rag & Bone and Uniqlo.

I would also add the following to the list of men's stores worth visiting: Black Fleece (West Village), Gant Rugger (West Village), Epaulet (Brooklyn), Freemans Sporting Club in the Lower East Side, Memes in Noho and the newly opened NYC branch of Nepenthes, a Japanese brand collective including Engineered Garments. On a related note, this fall/winter season Brooks Bros introduced a new slimmer fitting University line of dress and sports shirts, jackets and knitwear.

Compared to traditional sizing, many of these stores/brands offer a slimmer cut and fit in suits, jackets, trousers, denim, outerwear. So if you're not quite ready to step up to full bespoke or MTM clothing, these stores can get you closer to wearing better fitting clothes and assembling a great-looking wardrobe at a relatively affordable cost compared to full bespoke.

Additional links
- Esquire article on Nepenthes

Enzo Caruso: An experiment in informality

2010-11-02T07:32:00.158-04:00

This past summer I visited Santa Monica bespoke tailor Enzo Caruso and laid out my idea for my next commission – a relaxed double-breasted (DB) suit inspired by the drape cut. I have certainly appreciated the DB in a Platonic way (i.e. the idea and form of the DB). However, I have never really taken a liking to many DB suits I've seen. A few of the DB's distinctive details, such as the shape of the collar and lapels, sometimes appear a bit too aggressively angular, peaked or exaggerated for my taste. This I find even on historical style icons such as the Duke of Windsor and certainly more contemporary examples.

I was interested in a relaxed, "quieter" version of the DB - something that could be worn at a purely social occasion with nary a comment. As a rough start, I printed out a few still frames of Dick Powell's DB in The Gold Diggers of 1933. The idea, as Enzo put it, is a DB that comes across as “easy” (i.e. full of ease both literally and figuratively) or dégagé.

He said that in southern Italy, where he grew up, that it was not unusual to see a drape cut with an extended shoulder and front chest drape. The last time he saw one of these in Italy was back in the 1960s. Enzo added that the shoulders on my DB will not be as extended as Powell's nor the chest drape as pronounced. However, there would be additional fullness in the front chest and in the back. After some deliberation, we chose a Drapers San Felice mid-grey flannel (11oz) for the fabric.

After two fittings this past summer, the suit was recently shipped to me. I am pleased to say that I'm delighted by the end result. In particular, I find the collar and lapel shape very relaxed, conveying the ease I was seeking, especially in the subtly rounded corners and edges of the lapel and collar. The minimally padded shoulder is slightly extended, more so than my other jackets from Enzo.

There is a slight, but noticeable fold in the back, next to each armhole. At rest, the front chest features more of a swell rather than a distinct fold. But if I shrug or put a hand in my pocket the chest gathers up in a fold. This is neither the drape cut of Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard (in its contemporary or historical incarnation), nor the drape of its Neapolitan brethren seen on Styleforum. This is more of a hybrid cut, resulting from a few historical antecedents, a tailor's lifetime of experience and a willingness to experiment by said tailor and his customer.

Additional links
- London Lounge thread on Enzo Caruso

Barcelona revisited: Bel y Cia & Santa Eulalia

2010-10-19T05:56:00.089-04:00

I was in Barcelona recently and visited a couple of shops that offer RTW and MTM/bespoke: Bel y Cia and Santa Eulalia.

Bel y Cia

At Bel, I met with Sebastian, the salesman I met three years ago during my last visit, for another order of their classic Teba jacket. As I described in earlier entries, the Teba jacket is a made-to-measure order. Over the last three years this has become one of my favorite go-to jackets for weekend or casual occasions.

They do have an updated set of fabrics for the Teba jacket: classic knitted jersey (a material which has a nice, easy give and stretch), more traditional worsted fabrics (cashmere and wool) and summer fabrics. The summer book contains just a couple of linens in brown and tan, tropical weight wools and wool/silk/linen blends (43% / 37% / 23% respectively). For some reason, linen is not as popular as the other summer fabrics.

My new order will be in one of the summer fabrics and will look a little bit differently than the traditional Teba. Recently, in the past winter season, Bel added a new option of rounded fronts (or quarters) like a regular sportscoat or suit jacket. The rounded front Teba will come with a normal chest dart whereas the classic Teba has squared fronts and no dart.

As before, I'm happy to report the excellent service and attention to detail by Sebastian. The current price for a Teba jacket is 745 euros (18% VAT included). For export of course, VAT is taken out and shipping added.

One more note on footwear. Bel still carry an extensive collection of Edward Green shoes. They also recently started to sell casual slip-ons with Bologna sole construction in suede (blue, camel, black) at 350 euros. The store worked with a small workshop near Rome and developed four shoe prototypes before selecting their final design. If you like casual slip-ons like driver-style moccasins, you may want to check these out.

Santa Eulalia

After my visit to Bel, I walked a few blocks north up Passeig de Gracia to Santa (or Saint) Eulalia. The store is outfitted in cool, blond woods and whose rectilinear edges and shapes provide a small antidote to a city steeped in the curves of Catalan modernism. Santa Eulalia sells both men's and women's RTW as well as bespoke clothing. In men's RTW, they carry a nice selection of soft tailored suits and jackets by Boglioli, Cantarelli and Etro and Zegna KEI. Ironically, the jackets of these brands were all softer than Kiton's offering.

I also had an extended chat with Angel in the men's bespoke department. Like Liverano in Florence, Santa Eulalia makes all manner of bespoke garments including suits, shirts, ties and even boxer shorts. As of October 2010, suits start at 2,600 euros, shirts at 400 euros, ties at 100 euros and boxers at 80 euros. At the high end, a vicuna overcoat will cost 14-16,000 euros. Suiting and jacketing fabrics are sourced by the likes of Dormeuil, Scabal, Holland & Sherry and Harrisons.

Angel made the point that 3 fittings is the norm, even for repeat orders. In terms of construction, everything is handsewn except long straight seams. Annual suit production is about 800 suits per year and all garments are made on premise or through outworkers who work at home.

What do Santa Eulalia suits and jackets look like? Above is a photo of one of their bespoke morning coats. They do a natural shoulder, slight roping of the shoulders and cut a close fitting jacket and trousers. I'd also recommend going to their website, click on the bespoke section to see samples of their suits and view the bespoke video clip, featuring their head tailor Marc Munill and short interviews of their clients wearing the shop's creations. One of the clients offers up a quote on the ritual of bespoke - "The suit is like a child. You grow fond of it over time." The clip gives a glimpse of the workrooms in the basement of the store as well as the bespoke client area of the shop.

The website also has an informative text section on wedding dress options for men covering the differences between English and Catalan customs in this area.

Ambrosi in Asia: Neapolitan trousers travel East

2010-10-13T08:36:00.000-04:00

A public service announcement for my Asian readers. The friends of Neapolitan trousermaker Ambrosi have let slip that he will be visiting Asia this month. In particular, Seoul, Korea from October 18 to 20 and Singapore on October 22.

Kilgour update: Luxe Savile Row and rethinking cottons

2010-10-11T20:55:00.001-04:00

As you may have heard, the classic Savile Row tailoring house Kilgour was recently acquired by new owners and new management often brings changes. One of them is a deliberate effort to go even more upscale in their bespoke and RTW offering. This has meant a couple of things. One is that Kilgour's off-the-rack or RTW clothing is priced at a premium - a RTW suit starts at 2,500 GBP which is already in bespoke pricing territory.

The other is that Kilgour's popular entry-level bespoke offering has been discontinued. This is a pity since it apparently did quite well in the American market given the superb value for money it represented. A few years ago an entry-level two-piece suit in a top-notch English fabric could be had for 1,600 GBP. If you ordered entry-level suits before their discontinuation as I have, consider yourself lucky since entry level pricing is not coming back anytime soon. There are now 4 price points based on the type of fabric with prices starting at about 6,000 USD.

I scheduled an appointment this week in New York City with the visiting cutters of Kilgour and chatted with Will, who was a cutter under the previous owners as well. I was there for some simple waist adjustments on some trousers.

While I was there, Will showed me some brilliant new cotton suitings and jacketings by an Italian mill called Michele Solbiati, which specializes in linen production (claiming to be the first to produce linen crepe) and cottons, mostly for large luxury houses until very recently. This is the first time I've run into this mill. The Solbiati 200g cottons are distinctive because they are finished so that they look and feel more like a wool fabric. In particular, the Solbiati cotton has a more heathered look than traditional cotton (e.g. I saw a cotton sample that looked like a Donegal tweed). My impression is that they also seem to hold up a touch better against wrinkling than typical cotton suitings.

At the highest end of the pricing spectrum were the two books of Lumbs Golden Bale by Lesser. If you can afford it, I think every fellow should have at least one suit in this special worsted fabric.

For those who are interested, you can schedule a time to chat with Will and his colleague Paul who are in NYC through October 12, then in Chicago (13-14) and Los Angeles (15-16). Their USA mobile number 646 785 0592.

Additional links
- Sleevehead entries on Kilgour

Mitteleuropa style: The new Budapester

2010-10-10T19:20:00.000-04:00

Below is Hungarian shoemaker Koronya's reinterpretation of the sturdy Central European shoe style known as the Budapester.

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on the new Budapester

One size does not fit all: Even and odd size ranges in RTW

2010-10-04T06:57:00.038-04:00

The New York Times recently featured an article on the original Filene's Basement store built in 1909, which showed a photograph taken of two men's suit racks. The date is uncertain but my best guess is that it dates back at least as early as the 1940s or 1950s.

Today it appears most mainstream American men's stores carry a jacket size range of 38 to 48 in even numbers (European equivalent is 48 to 58). A handful of specialty stores cater to smaller and larger sizes. What I found interesting is the photo shows jacket sizes starting at 33 and going sequentially to 34, 35 and 36 (and presumably increasing through the larger sizes as well). In other words, RTW jackets were offered in more precise sizing some fifty or sixty years ago.

I think I've only seen an odd-sized jacket in mainstream retail stores a handful of times. So it appears that a full range of even and odd sizes in RTW went out decades ago. If it exists today, I would guess the only retailers and makers who might go for this level of precision are the Japanese.

Additional links
- New York Times article on Filene's Basement
- Men's clothing size converter between US, UK, Europe and Japan

Review: The Hanger Project clothes hangers

2010-09-28T07:54:00.049-04:00

I recently received several clothes hangers from Kirby Allison of The Hanger Project and have had the opportunity to test drive them. My testing regimen was simple. I set my bespoke suits, jackets and trousers on their new hangers and observed how they fared.

With jackets, the most obvious difference is that the collar and back neck of each hugs the hanger more closely than before. I also was pleased to see quality construction (solid maple, wide shoulder flare) and multiple sizing options. Based on my observations over the past few weeks, my experience has been very positive and I would recommend the hangers, esp. for those who wear bespoke, MTM or high end RTW.

In particular, I think the sizing options are critical. It's remarkable how few tailors, large or small, supply different sized wooden hangers for their bespoke creations. This creates at least three potential problems which I have experienced:

If the hanger is too wide, the blades push out underneath the sleevehead.
If the hanger is too narrow, the shoulders sag over the ends of the hanger.
If the hanger is too straight (i.e. insufficient shoulder flare), the back of the jacket will ripple while "resting" on the hanger.

Fortunately, The Hanger Project supplies 4 sizes for suit jackets (15.5", 17.0”, 18.5”, and 20.0”) and 3 for sports jackets (17.0”, 18.5”, and 20.0”). Compared to standard wooden hangers, they are certainly pricier. But considering your suits spend most of their lives hanging in your closet, it's well worth the investment to pair them with hangers that most closely mimic your actual shoulders.

The Hanger Project also offers shirt, trousers and sweater hangers, as well as options for women. The other detail I liked is that each hanger is meticulously wrapped and packaged for shipping.

Ozwald Boateng: Who shapes your style?

2010-09-22T05:26:00.097-04:00

The team at Ozwald Boateng kindly invited me to attend their September 22nd show in London. Due to other commitments, I am unfortunately unable to attend and report back to my readers.

However, there is an iTunes audio interview (15 min) of Mr. Boateng as he strolls along Savile Row. I don't own any of his suits but he's certainly an articulate spokesperson for his firm and brand. I found this quote striking and provocative - "Once you have something well cut you can change proportions. So let's say you have a 38 inch waist, if you have a really well cut suit, you can knock two inches off your waist".

It's interesting because it highlights two profoundly different views of the suit or jacket. Should the jacket take the leading role in shaping how you look? Or should your natural form (chest, shoulder, etc) do more of the job in informing your look? In other words, should you change what you have or use what you have?

You will undoubtedly find individuals who believe adamantly in one or the other. I, for one, believe we're all better off in having both options available, experimenting and making an informed decision (or decisions), and adapting over time.

Boateng is getting at the construction of "style" and proposing the tailor play an active role in shaping it. I would add that the ability to project style depends on a few ingredients: one part material reality (i.e. I have a size 38 waist), one part self-perception and one part perception by others.

The blue and the gray: The suit as universal currency

2010-09-12T08:29:00.003-04:00

Take a second or two and look at the suits. Where do you think this photo was taken? Perhaps you're thinking downtown Los Angeles in the Fashion District or maybe the Garment District in NYC.

User design expert Jan Chipchase took this photo of a makeshift suit display in a local marketplace in the city of Kashi (Kaxgar). Kashi is located in the western province of Xinjiang, China. As a practitioner of user design and user experience, Chipchase is interested in the context of things and the conspicuousness of small, local differences. Hence he points out the use of bags which not only protect the suits but provide advertising.

But from our perspective what's interesting is the utter universality of the modern, Western two-piece suit, particularly in solid blue and gray. There's nothing more recognizably standard than a three or three button business suit in those two colors, whether you are in far western China or in midtown Manhattan.

Oxxford Clothes: The "quiet American" suit

2010-09-03T05:20:00.017-04:00

Oxxford Clothes is a Chicago-based RTW, MTM and "modified" bespoke manufacturer of men's clothing. It is arguably the last remaining large-scale manufacturer of hand-tailored menswear based in the US (I look forward to being corrected on this point!).

Below is a recently released video of their history and production philosophy.

Oxxford Clothes - Chicago, IL from Oxxford Suits on Vimeo.

Oxxford is well known for their stable of traditional, natural shoulder suit models that have not changed for years - the Onwentsia "sack" suit (see photo below), the Gibbon and the Radcliffe. These traditional models feature the highest level of handwork and start at $4000 retail. Recently, the company has ventured into slimmer updated silhouettes such as their 1220 Collection, which starts at $2500 and features less handwork.

Below is a Crain's Chicago video feature on the state of suitmaking between local brands Oxxford and Hart Schaffner Marx, now known as Hartmarx (which owns Hickey Freeman):

The video cites some interesting developments - an attempt to reinvigorate the Hickey Freeman brand by hiring Joseph Abboud - as well as the business results of these two Chicago-area brands. Oxxford sales have increased 10% in recent months and total sales should reach $20 million this year (compared to $50M in the 1950s when Oxxford suit production presumably reached its peak). Total suit sales in the US hovers around $2.4 billion.

Additional links
- Styleforum thread on Oxxford video
- Oxxford Fall 2010 catalog

Designing a sartorial vacation: "Wool is our hope"

2010-09-01T05:52:00.004-04:00

Inhabit, for a moment, the mind of a sartorial enthusiast or nerd and imagine you had a week or two where you could visit anyone, any place and any step in the supply chain of men's apparel. What would you do and where would you go?

Clearly, this would require several vacation trips given the different locations around the world we could choose from. But for starters, I would spend a week or two exploring the world of cloth and textiles: an itinerary dedicated to the fundamentals in textiles (fibers and yarn), shearing, weaving, dyeing and finishing in Huddersfield and Yorkshire, England.

Day 1-2: Introduction to wool and textile production

- Attend a lecture on “Wool, Past, Present and Future” presented by Elizabeth Peacock, Master of The Worshipful Company of Woolmen. Originating as a medieval craft guild dating back at least to the 1180s, TWCW used to regulate wool practices and standards but is now principally operating as a charity. The company's motto is, appropriately, Lana spes nostra, or "Wool is our hope."

- Tour W.T. Johnson, specialist textile finishers based in Huddersfield. An essential part of this tour is understanding the microclimate and soft Pennine water of West Yorkshire and their role in the finishing (washing and scouring) of wool. Remarkably, so important is the role of the Huddersfield water that the company secured its own private deep-ground water source.

- Attend the Royal Bath and West Show at Shepton Mallet (in Somerset) to view the annual sheep shearing competition, as well as spinning and weaving demonstrations

Day 3: History of English textiles

- Attend a private viewing of the Sunny Bank Mills Textile Archive, reputedly one of the most complete textile archives in Yorkshire going back 150 years.

- Visit the Bradford Textile Archive to view old pattern books and cards

- Visit a private-led tour of the former sites of Salt's Mill or Dalton's Mill, both of which were once the largest textile mills in the area

Day 4-5: A tour of Yorkshire Textiles member companies

- Attend 3-4 textile mills in Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Textiles consists of about a dozen mills including: Alfred Brown, Arthur Harrison, Bower Roebuck, Edwin Woodhouse, Hainsworth (oldest of the bunch), John Cavendish, John Foster, Joseph H Clissold, Abraham Moon, Savile Clifford and Taylor & Lodge. They are the go-to mills for the likes of Aquascutum, Burberry, Gucci and Prada, as well as bespoke tailors around the world.

I would suggest a visit to Alfred Brown, which produces very traditional British fabrics of the "fuller and more rounded" variety. Note they do not play the Super 150s, 160s, etc game. Their "Luxury" cloth is Super 100 and 110s.

- Attend a special joint textile symposium organized by the Bradford Textile Society and the Huddersfield Textile Society

Day 6: Looking ahead at the future of textiles

- Tour the Huddersfield Textile Centre of Excellence, a research and training facility, to understand the workforce and skills requirements of a 21st century textile industry. In 1960, Yorkshire mills employed roughly 140,000 workers. Now that number is down to just 2,000.

Of course, this is just the tip of iceberg. A London vacation is certainly in order - how about attending as a honorary guest of the Master Tailors' Benevolent Association (MTBA) annual Festival Dinner and the Merchant Taylor's Golden Shears contest? And why not a tour of Biella, Italy for its superb silk production?

Additional links
- Yorkshire Post article on Alfred Brown
- Yorkshire Post article on textile industry

Real men knit...and tie Windsor knots

2010-08-28T07:44:00.013-04:00

So do real men eat quiche, knit and ask for directions? Good question. Cary Grant struggled with the mechanics of knitting in the 1943 film Mr. Lucky. He comes out of it, err, frayed but largely intact.

Grant also receives a lesson in tying a Windsor knot by his romantic protagonist in the film. She prefers the fuller Windsor knot, he prefers the four in hand. A serious matter of course.

Oddly enough, more than a few long-haul truck drivers have apparently taken up quilting and sewing according to a March 2010 Wall Street Journal article.

Trimming the sails: How to alter an oversized shirt

2010-08-24T06:29:00.002-04:00

If you have a RTW dress or sports shirt that you like but is large across the chest and waist, here's a Threadbanger (what a name!) DIY video on altering a shirt by taking in the sides:

Remember pinch and pin, pinch and pin and sew. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend this for your $600 Anna Matuozzo shirt. But as the video suggests, if you are serious about making shirts, there is a very good book called Shirtmaking by David Page Coffin, which my own shirtmaker Freddy Vandescasteele recommends.

The video also features Bodymetrics, a body measurement company. Bodymetrics is focused on using its bodyscan for fitting jeans (apparently 25-30% of all garments are returned due to wrong size).

A cheaper alternative to Bodymetrics is creating a bodyform using three tools - a duct tape, a t-shirt and a friend. Seems much more commonplace in constructing women's clothes. It would be interesting to know of any men's tailors or shirtmakers who take this approach.

Additional links
- Threadbanger thread on trimming shirts

British style heritage menswear: Nigel Cabourn, Grenson & Gloverall

2010-08-19T06:37:00.001-04:00

Por Homme came up with a nice find - the July issue of Journal de Nimes which is dedicated to British handcrafts. The issue features articles on Nigel Cabourn, a factory visit to Grenson and Gloverall's relationship to the duffle coat. You can view the issue or download a pdf version of it.

Open publication - Free publishing - More tenue de nimes

Nigel Cabourn is well-known in Japan but less so in the US. His label focuses on vintage and military-inspired outerwear and has amassed an impressive collection of 4,000 vintage (mostly British military and expedition) pieces. Cabourn's workshop and sample pieces can be viewed here.

Additional links
- Heritage Research
- Styleforum thread on Nigel Cabourn

Updated Dec 2010

Roman tailoring: Ripense

2010-08-16T06:44:00.000-04:00

My fellow blogger Hugo of Parisian Gentleman forwarded me a recent article submitted by one of his readers featuring the Roman tailor Ripense. They offer bespoke suits, shirts and (unusually) shoes under one roof. Although based in Rome, the tailors in the workshop are apparently Neapolitan.

I like the double-breasted blazer they made for Paul:

The name of the tailor rings a bell and given the location I probably walked by it in my last visit to Rome.

Designing fabrics: A mill to consumer direct model?

2010-08-15T09:26:00.006-04:00

Cloth mills rarely, if ever, work directly with individual consumers. They typically work with distributors or large customers. Less frequently, individual tailors may commission special designs and weaves just for their shop. The cloth is probably produced in a length of 20-30 meters and will likely go to several of the tailor's customers for their suits or jackets.

Taking the logic of customization even further, one can imagine a true one-for-one cloth commission from mill to consumer. We are getting closer to that reality - mill to tailor to consumer.

Cooper & Cooper is a bespoke tailor based in Huddersfield, the home of fine English textiles, and are now offering a single cut-length bespoke cloth commission individualized to the customer. They call this their Bespoke Cloth Designer.

I suspect it is just a matter of time before cloth mills find it worthwhile to go direct.

William Halstead: Traditional English mohairs

2010-08-06T05:59:00.013-04:00

When I was in Los Angeles recently, I also spent some time with a knowledgeable contact in the cloth trade and learned about a couple of fantastic new books by William Halstead, a weaver and mill based in Bradford, Yorkshire. Operating since 1875, they are perhaps most well-known for their classic English mohairs.

Mohairs are sheared from the Angora goat and have a higher luster than typically found in other worsted fabrics (see the wool-mohair jacket below). The younger the goat, the finer the diameter of the individual hairs (kid mohair). When woven into cloth, mohair provides a nice firmness and memory (or recovery) for retaining shape. Mohair blends make fine cloths for dinner jackets and what I would call "evening suits" (or evening jackets) for events which are not quite black tie and where a business suit may be acceptable but a bit predictable.

I looked through a couple of new Halstead books of English mohairs and Super 120s worsteds. The former contains wool mohair blends but also contains one cloth of 100% mohair. It's an unusual fabric to be sure, as I don't recall ever seeing a 100% mohair before.

Along with the summer formal shirt idea described below, the English mohairs book would be at the top of my short list for a summerweight dinner jacket cloth. The second Halstead book has lighter weight worsteds in classic solids and terrific patterns, ideal for leisure or business summer suits. These have a softer finish than the Lesser tropicalweight worsteds for instance.

Freddy Vandecasteele: The cool, unsung virtues of voile

2010-07-29T22:15:00.004-04:00

I spent a few days in Los Angeles recently, which was well-timed given the recent heat wave on the East Coast and much of the eastern US. My intent was to visit my shirtmaker Freddy Vandecasteele and order a few more cool, lightweight summer casual shirts. In particular, my purpose was to look at his stock of voile shirtings (not to be confused with toile or tulle!).

In Freddy's view, voile is the coolest, lightest cotton shirting around. It used to be a very popular fabric and Freddy made quite a few voile shirts in years past. At first, I thought the shirting seemed a bit delicate for men's shirts. But as a test run I ordered a couple of voile short sleeve shirts last year. Freddy probably has about 15-20 different voiles from solids to stripes in stock in his workshop.

Having put the voiles to good use this steamy summer in NYC, I would have to agree with Freddy about their coolness factor. In terms of durability, I haven't had any issues. The only disadvantage to voile is that, depending on the color and pattern, the cloth can be somewhat translucent.

Looking ahead, I'm thinking voile will be my choice for a summer evening formal shirt for black tie.

Mad Men style: Brooks Bros, Finchley or J. Press?

2010-07-25T11:02:00.023-04:00

Season four of the award-winning AMC series Mad Men picks up again tonight. As part of the ramp-up to the season premiere, the New York Times has assembled a 1964 menswear report and asked Ed McCabe, a former advertising exec, to answer reader questions about being an ad man in the heyday. Enjoy the episode and the photos.

Notably, one reader inquired, "Did you dress in Brooks Brothers suits, wear Hamilton wristwatches, write with Parker 51’s?" McCabe's responded that the 1950s were very traditional and buttoned down and back then "I was trying to one-up the Brooks Brothers look by buying my suits from Finchley or J Press."

Additional links
- New York Times review of season four

Hamilton Shirts 1883: Spring/summer 2011 line

2010-07-25T09:34:00.002-04:00

American heritage is continuing to steamroll into the hearts and minds of American men after a long hiatus. The folks at Hamilton Shirts, founded in 1883, kindly sent me an invite to the launch of the S/S 2011 line last week in NYC but I was unable to attend.

The photo above of a lightweight summer madras shirt caught my eye because I used to have a vintage Brooks Bros shirt in almost exactly the same pattern and color palette.

Additional links
- More photos of the S/S 1883 line

Take Ivy: An American style bible reissued

2010-07-25T06:55:00.004-04:00

As I noted in my piece on Japanese repro-authenticity, the Japanese are experts in spotting a good thing and refining it again and again.

And they've done it again. Take Ivy, the 1965 photo essay of Ivy League style, is being republished again after years of being out of print. But this time the book is riding on a tidal wave of mainstream interest in American heritage and style.

The new reissued edition will cost just $24.95. I'm glad I held off on purchasing an original edition on eBay!

Additional links
- New York Times Take Ivy slide show
- New York Times article on the Ivy League look

MRketNY 2010: The business of menswear

2010-07-24T00:22:00.005-04:00

MRketNY is a US menswear tradeshow featuring leading makers and suppliers of men's clothing selling to independent stores and larger accounts. From my perspective it was a very well-organized show and bustling with appointments and foot traffic the day I visited. I enjoyed visiting many of the booths and chatting with owners, sales reps and other staff. It's certainly a must-attend for higher end retailers and clothing manufacturers. Many thanks to Maggie and her colleagues for organizing access to the show.

The show can be grouped in several primary categories: American makers (including "heritage brands" and American trad), Italian suppliers, UK makers and men's accessories. Below is a snapshot of some of my conversations.

American trad / heritage: Rufus, Alden, Allen-Edmonds

At the show I thought some of the busiest booths were found in the American trad and heritage brands such as Vineyard Vines and Bill's Khakis.

Rufus is an American brand whose shirts are supplied by the New England Shirt Company (aka the Fall River Shirt Company and before that the Shelburne Shirt Company). The shirt factory is located in Fall River, MA. In a sense, Rufus was offering heritage before the current swell of heritage brands. Their target audience is an "updated traditionalist" who is interested in versatile sports shirts that can transition into dress shirts. Sizings run from S-XXXL.

At the Alden booth, I had a friendly chat with one of the regional sales reps. Alden has held up extremely well despite the economic downturn in the past couple of years. In particular, customers are still snapping up their Indiana Jones boots. In aggregate, demand is exceeding supply - witness the six month backlog at the Alden factory. Incidentally, during my visit, I spotted the owner of Leffot examining his special make-up models for his store. On the table were six or seven bluchers and oxfords in a natural finish.

Allen-Edmonds had a large booth centrally situated on the floor, befitting their prominence in American men's shoes. They were displaying their Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 lineups. The Spring 2011 collection features 19 new models including the combination linen (or mesh) and leather Strawfut, the Winnetka loafer and the Montecito classic penny loafer. Interesting factoid: Their recrafting business is on track to process 60,000 pairs of shoes this year.

UK : Drakes of London

The Brits have long played a standard bearer role in menswear and men's style. Think Savile Row, the Duke of Windsor, mods, Carnaby Street, etc. So it is not surprising at all that the Brits were well represented at MRketNY: Corgi (socks), Dents (gloves), Drakes (ties), Edward Green (shoes), Hilditch & Key (shirts) and leaders in the high-end knitwear market (Johnstons of Elgin).

Drakes of London, the English tiemaker, was in attendance and I enjoyed having an excellent chat with the owner Michael Drake. Shedding modesty for a second, I'm happy to report that he is a regular reader of Sleevehead. Mr. Drake works with the leading retailers and tailors around the world, some of whom I have written about in my blog.

Don't miss his excellent, miniature essay on the details of style at Permanent Style. He provides informed "advice" hewing closely to the original Latin sense of the word, that is, providing a certain way of looking at something. With style, it does matter who is doing the looking and in this case Michael Drake knows of what he speaks. What I like best is that he allows some permeability around his rules, making room for a modicum of personal eccentricity in style.

The other reason why you ought to read the essay is his ability to draw from the dual history of menswear. Women's fashion has largely had a singular historical path grounded in Parisian haute couture. In contrast, men's clothing branched off in the early 20th century when Savile Row tailoring traditions and the British high society look were "ripped and smoothed" (to borrow a tailoring phrase from Richard Anderson's autobiography) by Italian consumers and tailors up and down the peninsula. Perhaps more ripped than smoothed actually (esp. in the south). The best dressers today are well aware of this dual history and generally proceed to pitch their tent in one of these two traditions. Even rarer, there are a handful who comfortably traverse between the traditions of Savile Row and the inventiveness and experimentation of the Italians in equal measure. Drake is one of the few who are uniquely steeped in the stylistic forces at play in Italy and the UK.

Italy: Giudice, Perofil

Along with the Brits, the Italians came as an organized group under the auspices of the Italian Trade Commission. Impressively, an entire aisle of the tradeshow floor was taken up by RTW and MTM Italian manufacturers and suppliers, including Borsalino (hats), Allegri (outerwear), Valstar (outerwear), Lorenzini (shirts), Luciano Moresco (shirts), Maremma and Marcoliani (socks).

I was walking by the Marcello Tarantino booth when I saw two lovely Neapolitan style jackets with manica camicia (shirt style) shoulders, as well as more traditional set-in shoulder models. Tarantino is the brand name for the suits and jackets on display and Giuduce is the trade name for the manufacturing operations in Sicily where the suits are made. I chatted with Giovanni, the gentleman who apparently runs the factory in Sicily, and learned the factory employs 200 workers and tailors. They can also work with retailers to offer MTM and RTW. Interestingly enough, they have very active accounts in Japan and South Korea.

However, I was very surprised to hear that Tarantino / Giuduce do not have retail representation in New York City. None! In my opinion, there is an excellent, greenfield retail opportunity for affordable, RTW Neapolitan style jackets and suits in NYC. If I were in retail, I would probably explore this opportunity myself. After having virtually zero presence in the American market, bespoke tailors from Naples have begun to travel to the US in the past couple of years to meet growing demand for this distinctive and soft silhouette. But no one seems to have cracked the RTW market. Granted, there are some who think Neapolitan RTW is not an easy sell, perhaps due to higher construction and fitting requirements. However, I think the creation of block patterns for RTW is eminently feasible. We need only to look at the success of Japanese RTW labels that offer trim cuts and shirt shoulder construction (e.g. Engineered Garments). Indeed, I saw other booths featuring shirt-style shoulder jackets that were certainly designed for the RTW market (such as Daniel Hechter).

For gents seeking fitted crewneck or V-neck t-shirts, you may want to ask your local retailer to stock Perofil, an Italian maker of undergarments since 1910. I prefer to wear t-shirts under my dress and sports shirts to absorb any perspiration. The dilemma then becomes trying to fit a loosely cut RTW t-shirt under a fitted, bespoke dress shirt. Oftentimes I find the armhole and chest of the t-shirt is larger than that of the dress shirt. However, Perofil's display shirts looked quite trim with higher armholes than I've seen in the US market and a potential solution for the slim, athletic or lean gent. They appear to use quality materials (long staple cotton that is combed, twisted and mercerized) and modern RTW production processes.

Accessories: Baade II, Dorfman-Pacific, Blick, Jack Georges

Baade II is an American men's jewelry and accessories maker. I chatted with Traci, one of the owners, simply because I noticed three shorter-length tie bars in the display case as I walked by. They were shorter than the standard 2.5 or 3+ inch length of most tie bars. As I learned, magazine editors often call her requesting shorter tie bars for use in photo shoots because they are difficult to find. I agree. Until recently, you could only find shorter length tie bars (i.e. 2 inches or less) in vintage shops. But now they've become the natural companion to slim ties. Baade II uses single specialized workers in Providence, RI for specific tasks in the jewelry and metalworking process such as finishing. Providence used to be the center for such work in the US. They also work with the leading enamelers in Birmingham, England, for cloisonne enamel work. Traci started the business by making double-paneled cuff links but today there is not much interest in them (except for the occasional account like NYC retailer Barney's).

At Dorfman-Pacific, I spoke with John Callanan about the booming business of hats these days, right in in the middle of a slow men's retail market. In his view, the hat resurgence seemed to start a couple of years ago. I caught a whiff of this fedora frenzy in my travels and wrote about the 4 reasons to wear a hat last year. For trendspotters, John thinks stingy brim is on the wane (i.e. less than one inch brim) with fuller brims (circa two inch) taking their stead. Among the Williamsburg and Lower East Side hipster set, straw boater hats are catching on. John received his first request for a boater two years ago from a Gen Y Williamsburg hipster. A couple of other interesting factoids. The majority of fedora wearers today seem to be women. Anyone walking around the streets of Manhattan in the past few months would agree. In addition, John mentioned that four new hat shops in NYC have opened up in Nolita just in the past few months.

I also spent a few minutes at Blick, which sells slim and narrow ties from widths of 7 cm (2.75 inches) and a standard length of 146 cm (58 inches). The blade linings are purposefully irreverent and colorful. The ties are manufactured in Vietnam and the materials sourced from Liberty of London and Italian mills. They are selling well in Europe and looking to expand into the US market. With brands like Band of Outsiders filling in a niche for younger customers buying slimmer ties to match trimmer jackets with narrower lapels, I suspect (and hope) slimmer ties are here to stay. I think the look works very well for certain men.

For readers interested in leather accessories, I dropped by New Jersey-based leather accessories maker Jack Georges and chatted with the owner about exotic leathers and pricing of accessories like alligator briefcases (about $7,000). The price is high due in large part to the additional challenges of procuring larger skins. A 7 year old alligator produces skins barely a foot wide - not large enough for a briefcase. A briefcase needs the hide of a larger and older (15 year old) alligator with all the requisite costs of raising a farmed alligator for that length of time. But very few suppliers are willing to do that.

Portraits of and by an artist: Otto Dix and artistic license

2010-07-17T13:02:00.017-04:00

The Neue Galerie, a museum in New York specializing in modern German and Austrian fine arts, is currently showing an exhibition on the 20th century German artist Otto Dix. Dix is associated with the Secessionist as well as the Neue Sachlichkeit (or New Objectivity) movement.

When one thinks of art one thinks of artistic license, the freedom to embellish, simplify or remove what is seen or perceived. But in the case of Dix his portraits of individuals capture closely the clothing they actually wore.

For example, below the 1923 painting entitled "To Beauty" features a self-portrait of Otto Dix himself. Notice the close positioning of the jacket buttons on this two button peak lapel suit with slanted pockets. The closeness of the buttons on the jacket front is a bit unusual. But if you go to the exhibition, you will see a black and white photo of Otto Dix at the exhibition entryway wearing a similar jacket with compressed button spacing but in notch lapels and flapped pockets.

Below is another example of a sitter (c. 1922) wearing a jacket with closely spaced buttons. Perhaps it was a sartorial regionalism in Germany at the time or a carryover from formal frock coats.

American & feeling patriotic? Wear a pair

2010-07-04T07:33:00.049-04:00

A Continuous Lean's "American List" has a list of American-made clothing and footwear brands that still manufacture in the US. ACL's list includes Alden, Allen Edmonds, Arrow Moccasin, Quoddy, Red Wing, Wesco, White's Boots, Wesco and Wolverine. It's a very good list but not exhaustive. Here's another list of shoes made in the USA.

If country of make is important to you, perhaps an Allegiance Footwear work boot might fit the bill.

This may not be traditionally welted construction but it does look comfortable and durable.

Or a US military grade chukka boot by Capps?

Patriotic dressing: Who's the most patriotic?

2010-07-04T06:32:00.047-04:00

Happy Fourth of July to my readers! One might think Americans are the most unswervingly patriotic of dressers. But according to a 2009 survey by luxury market analysts Ledbury Research, you might be surprised.

Below is a list of consumers, ranked by percentage who prefer to buy goods from their own country:

French: 92%
Americans: 64%
Germans: 61%
British: 50%

The research firm dubs this sartorial nationalism "fashionalism". Given the historical byproducts of excessive nationalism in Europe and elsewhere, one hopes the energy and tenor of so-called fashionalism will be light and none too serious.

I think behind the numbers is a closely coupled relationship between a particular notion of "quality" and certain, historically prominent crafts and industries that happened to develop in specific countries. In France, think women's fashion, leather goods and silk (Lyon was a major center of production). In Germany, think automobiles, precision tools and machinery, photographic equipment and watchmaking.

Men of the Cloth documentary: Preserving the heritage of tailoring

2010-06-30T20:20:00.004-04:00

Men of the Cloth is a documentary in post-production and conceived by director/producer Vicki Vasilopoulos. It shines a spotlight on three tailors at the peak of their craft and pays homage to the old world concept and practice of artisanal craftsmanship. The tailors featured are NYC tailor Nino Corvato, Philadelphia-based tailor Joe Centofanti and former Brioni head tailor Checchino Fonticoli.

The film has not been released yet but you can check out video excerpts of the film on their website.

If you have the means and inclination, consider contributing to the completion of this rare, sartorially minded film. Mine will be in the mail soon enough!

Bespoke in Montreal: Russell's Tailor

2010-06-13T17:14:00.010-04:00

Thanks to fellow blogger Jeffery of Made by Hand, I made a point recently of visiting Russell's Tailor in Montreal. The shop is on Rue de la Montagne, close to the department store Holt Renfrew on Rue Sherbrooke.

I stopped by and chatted with Henri, who works the front of the house. Their bespoke garments are all made on the premises by their staff, which includes a head cutter, a separate trousermaker and a dedicated shirtmaker. They also have a relationship with a Canadian outerwear manufacturer for customers interested in made-to-measure casual outerwear (e.g. a suede leather jacket). Although Russell's do not have a set schedule, they do travel to NYC, Philadelphia and Toronto depending on customer demand. Henri in particular travels to NYC to take care of customers. They carry fabrics from Scabal, Dormeuil, Holland & Sherry, Zegna and Vitale Barberis Canonico (through Canadian distributor United Silks).

What does the Russell's house cut look like? Henri describes it as a "pretty firm shoulder". I would call it a slightly relaxed, "de-roped" English shoulder, featuring a firm shoulder and a deliberate absence of roping at the top of the sleevecap. The starting cost for a two-piece suit in Super 120s cloth (as of June 2010) is around $3500, which is very favorable compared to NYC bespoke prices (or retail Kiton prices for that matter). That price advantage appears to be a significant draw for them commercially. Most of their customers are located outside of Montreal, in the rest of Canada and the US. I should also note they do CMT (cut make trim) of customer-supplied fabric. For those with longtime tailors, this could be an attractive option for odd jackets or occasional suits.

For a first-time customer, the fitting process takes three appointments and up to several weeks (and as a little as one to two weeks depending on the customer's availability). The first appointment takes care of measurement. The second is what Henri describes as a "slip-on" stage with the jacket body, one attached sleeve and an unfinished collar. The last appointment is essentially the pickup of the final garment.

I also inquired about the level of handwork (on behalf of my OCD bespoke readers!). They do use sewing machines to sew up straight seams (such as the center back seam of a jacket) but reserve handwork for areas such as lining attachment and buttonholes. However, some customers specifically request handsewing or handstitching for all aspects of the garment. They'll accommodate this but charge an extra amount for the labor involved. I think it is a nice option to have for those who care about the level of handwork.

iPhone clothing apps: Still early days

2010-06-01T07:16:00.016-04:00

We live in an environment of increasingly mobile, pervasive computing and connectivity through smartphones, netbooks and internet devices like the iPad. Thousands of interesting, functional and even ingenious apps have been developed for smart, mobile devices. With the larger format iPad, one might think even more opportunities would exist for great apps.

But as far as I can tell, a "killer" iPhone or iPad app for men's clothing has yet to emerge though a few promising ones have been released just in the past few weeks. Here are some contenders:

Alan Flusser has released an intelligent style assistant app called BeSpeak. As his website describes, the app provides the ability to:

Create a personal profile based on hair color, skin tone, eye color, face shape, body shape and size
Generate profile driven outfit recommendations
Coordinate clothes from your wardrobe

Bernhard Roetzel has released an app called iGentleman (not to be confused with the term iGent!)

This content-driven app contains four sections on business wear, casual wear, formal wear and shoes as well as a list of bespoke tailors and shops (currently only in German).

There is also an app called Uniformity that is both informative and functional for Navy personnel. It is a virtual assistant that helps Navy servicemen and women assemble the correct elements of their uniform in terms of ribbons, insignia and dress garments.

What might a killer clothing app look like? Good question. I think it depends on the specific audience segment. For the retro-minded, how about an abridged digital version of the canonic Esquire Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions, complete with gorgeous hi-res scans of Laurence Fellows' classic illustrations for the iPad?

What would be the killer clothing app for you?

Additional links
- AskAndy thread on Flusser's BeSpeak app