Nothing wrong with sloping shoulders

Giving myself bigger shoulders has never been a priority in the buying of bespoke suits. Perhaps I’m just lucky, being relatively slim and relatively tall, that sloping shoulders have never been much of a concern. Either way, I think focusing too much on the flattering effects of a suit can distract from its style.

Some colleagues and acquaintances have a very different attitude. For them, the greatest achievement of any suit is to maximize their physical attributes, giving them bigger shoulders, a small waist and a plunging neckline to emphasise the chest. They favour shoulder padding, a one or two-button front and a high gorge.

Such a suit may well make them look sexier, and perhaps that is their main aim. They certainly seem to keep count of the number of compliments they receive from women as opposed to men. I have read critiques of the English drape cut, as practised by those trained at Anderson & Sheppard, expressing disappointment that it did not give the author an Atlas silhouette. Readers on this blog have commented similarly that it is a shame some of my suits don’t do more to pad out my shoulders.

To focus on this exclusively is to miss out on many of the glories of tailoring. A softer shoulder and chest creates a different, more casual look. For me it is more suited to the softness of moleskin trousers, old-favourite slip-ons and a dandyish pocket handkerchief.

It is also simply a different style in itself. My Anderson & Sheppard double-breasted suits do far less than other DBs to strengthen the shoulder, but it makes them distinctive and gives a unique look that no ready-made suit could emulate. There is also an argument that it goes better with the rounded lapels and thick collar, which already suggest a roundness to the chest.

I would wear a navy suit in a structured, one-button style for a job interview. Black tie should be cut to flatter, equally. These events are occasions to impress and the tailoring should be appropriate. But such padding in an unlined, cashmere blazer is out of place.

More importantly, the range of styles available through tailoring is often larger than you think. Limiting yourself through a single, narrow objective is a crying shame.

Pictured: two examples of sloping shoulders, on Mariano Rubinacci and myself

Brooks saddles: Two different sides of construction

Last week saw a visit to the Brooks saddle factory in Smethwick, just outside Birmingham. A full report will appear in the end-of-year issue of The Rake, but in the meantime I thought I would take the opportunity to try posting a couple of videos filmed during the visit.

They show two very different aspects of the Brooks production process. Many parts of the saddles are still made by hand, with the edges skived off, the copper rivets hammered flush with saddle and the holes for those rivets produced with a hammer and pin. Some models require specific handwork - such as the Swallow, on which two flaps from either side of the saddle join up underneath. These need to be carefully cut down, moistened with a brush and slowly bent round if they are not to crack.

In the first video you can see this skiving being done and, later in the background, the copper rivets being rounded off.

The other side of production is the old iron machinery that still produces Brooks springs and steel blanks, later punching out the various parts of the skeleton of the saddle onto those blanks. The video shows one of the two 1940s monsters that produces the springs. One does the right springs, the other the left. They are seven-feet high, ten-feet long and - as you can hear - very noisy. One is German, one English, but they have worked together in harmony for over 60 years.

The beautiful Lotuff & Clegg working tote

I recently received the Lotuff & Clegg working tote bag, ordered a few weeks ago. It’s nice to be able to say that neither the online photography nor Joe’s rhetoric are misleading. It is a beautiful, classic piece of leatherwork.

In my original piece on Lotuff & Clegg, brothers Joe and Rick Lotuff talked about how the handle of a bag just feels better in the hand when it is made their way - in precise proportions, with six layers of leather. They mentioned the importance of using big, vegetable-tanned skins for the effect it gives on the overall matching of the grains. Both of these things are borne out by the tote; but it is hard to put them any better than they did.

The tote is a big, unstuctured bag; it is made of a thick, soft and supple leather; it has no internal construction or pockets. It is therefore, in some ways, an impractical bag. But I would never suggest that the beauty of the leather, its tanning and texture, be sullied with pockets. It would be a sin. You can fit everything in and the sesation of carrying it will be a pleasure.

Lotuff & Clegg makes more other, perhaps more practical bags. Like the lovely English leather or lawyer's briefcases. But for me, the working tote is the most beautiful. I can't wait for that veggie-tanned grain to develop its own character through daily use.  

Previous, more detailed piece on Lotuff & Clegg here. The company's website here.

Suit, Shirt, Tie 1: Pink and green

One of my favourite colour combinations is pink and green. The pink here is pale, too pale perhaps to be portrayed accurately in the photo, but it provides a subtle field of colour for green to play on.

The green tie, from Neapolitan maker Isaia, is a muted, brownish version of that colour. And it is important to note that a darker and more muted shade of any colour will always be smarter. Hence the Isaia tie here produces a smart effect under the blue suit (double-breasted, from Graham Browne) despite the unusual colour combination.

The point about muted colors is something men often get wrong. A dressing book from the thirties, for example, instructs men that pink is fine in a shirt as long as the shade is pale enough to be manly. Many find that last phrase counter-intuitive.

Over the shoulder is a green knitted tie (Drake's) in a much stronger tone. While this would go as well with the suit, the effect would be bolder, less formal, younger and preppier - in line with the preppy tradition of strong colour. Indeed, the place you are most likely to see a combination like this on the high street is in Ralph Lauren, who is worth studying for his strong colour combinations.

Hemingway, Harvie & Hudson and Alfred Sargent in US

The time is coming around again to book slots for US fall trips. And the tour by Hemingway Tailors and Harvie & Hudson has dates as follows. Separately, Alfred Sargent is also touring in September, dates below.

The Fairmont Hotel, Chicago
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
13th, 14th, 15th October 9am-6pm

The University Club of Washington
Monday and Tuesday
17th and 18th October
9am-6pm

The Intercontinental Barclay Hotel, New York
Thursday to Saturday
20th, 21st and 22nd October
9am-7pm Thurs/Fri, 9am-6pm Saturday

For further information: rh@harvieandhudson.com; info@hemingwaytailors.co.uk

Alfred Sargent:
New York
Thursday 22nd of September at Leffot, 10 Christopher Street. 11am - 7pm

Los Angeles
Sunday 25th September (10am - 7pm) and Monday 26th of September (9am - 4pm) at The Palomar Hotel, Westwood.

San Francisco
Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th of September at The Marriott Marquis Hotel, 55 Fourth Street.

Please email Chay on chayc@alfred-sargent.co.uk to register your interest. 

Two ways to get shirts altered: T&A, Emma Willis

I used to wear bigger watches. Chunky, sporty things with chronometer dials and a leather strap. So when my pattern was first cut at Turnbull & Asser the cuffs were set quite wide – though slightly wider on the left than the right, of course.

That has since changed. My taste has become more reserved in many ways, of which that is just one (a faded love of Etro patterns is another). I now wear one, much slimmer watch. So my cuffs do not need to be so wide; all shirts made since the switch have been ⅝ of an inch smaller. But there were still four shirts in the wardrobe with the old width.

It was a pleasant surprise to be told, therefore, that T&A would add an extra button on the cuff so I could fasten them a little tighter. For free, while I waited. Perhaps this shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, any good bespoke tailor will press your suit reasonably regularly and deal with small aspects of wear and tear. But such is the lack of service anywhere else in retail, that these things often catch one unawares.

And there was another suprise two days later. I have a lovely Sea Island cotton shirt from Emma Willis, made for me a couple of years ago in gratitude for a piece in the Financial Times. But while the cloth is gorgeous, the arms have always been half an inch too short. Which, when you want a half inch of cuff showing at the end of your jacket sleeve, might as well be half a yard.

Laziness, and an assumption that nothing could probably be done, left the problem unaddressed and the shirt neglected in the back of the wardrobe. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that most bespoke shirts leave ½ to ¾ of an inch of inlay within the (double) cuff. Surprise here was probably justified – after all, one of the frustrations of a shirt as compared to a suit is that it can never be let out, only taken in. (You can add panels down the sides, but they look awful.) The shirt has been sent away and will be back in mid-September, when every factory in England and Europe wakes up again after the summer.

A most satisfying week. 

Naples, Kiton: ties

There is one essential to a quality tie: the slip stitch. This is a loose, hand-sewn stitch along the length of the tie, usually finishing in a loop of excess thread at its smaller end. It enables the tie to move along its length, and recover after being tied. It is an easy thing to spot – just look at how long and irregular the stitches are down the back.

After the slip stitch, quality in a tie is about the silk and small aspects of construction. Kiton ties, for example, are made in a very similar way to other handmade ties – such as those at Drake’s in London, which I have covered before in more detail. There are just two differences: the silk is folded over once more on either side, making a five-fold construction, and each silk square is cut individually, rather than 40 at a time at Drake’s. (I am no expert on silk and so can’t speak to quality there.)

Do these things make any difference? Well, many people like the artistry of a multi-fold tie but it has little practical value in how the tie hangs. The cutting of silk pieces individually should make it more accurate, and I saw evidence of particular attention to detail in the way the tips were carefully trimmed by hand, to get the pattern lining up along the bottom. But again, any difference is minor.

The biggest way in which Kiton is different is its innovation and flexibility. London manager Riccardo Renzi, for example, has a series of ties made in just one piece. No front and back parts, no tipping, just one long piece of cloth folded in half – to give itself backing – and then folded in a three-fold construction.

Of course, this couldn’t be done with silk – silk squares don’t come that big. Rather, it is done with Kiton suiting cloth: very fine worsted and some hopsacks in a cashmere mix. The idea might sound horrible, but in a puppy tooth pattern or plain navy it actually has a very subtle matte texture, somewhere between normal wool and jacquard silk ties. Easier to clean, too.

It requires a lot of cloth, as all that folding has to be done on the bias (diagonal) across Kiton’s exclusive suitings. They are therefore very expensive: at least £450. But although they are only available in the London store in small numbers, this does not add to their expense: Kiton’s individual making system means it can be very flexible, making each tie (or suit) different if needs be, and so coping with Riccardo’s odd little experiments.

Ozzie book update!

Apparently the one place you can buy the book (Le Snob: Tailoring) in English now is in Australia. On the bookshelves and online. See comments on yesterday's post for details.

The modern man needs a good blazer

Men wear fewer suits today, as we all know. But they retain the need for a jacket, if only to appear smart or professional.

Two of my friends, a doctor and a teacher, are particular examples. Their jobs do not require them to wear a suit, yet a jacket is very useful to have on the back of the chair (or, better, on a hanger on the door), to be put on for a meeting or consultation.

They do not know what this jacket should be. The materials are unfamiliar and the possible retail locations unknown. Men in their position often end up wearing either a suit jacket (shudder) or a tweed jacket (perhaps not smart enough).

Here is my advice.

The classic solution would be a navy blazer. Without gold buttons (dark blue or dark brown instead) and made out of a soft, pliable cloth like cashmere, lambswool or angora, or in a supple weave like hopsack.

Suit jackets are made from wool that has been treated (worsted) to make it smooth and sharp. It is too smooth and sharp to go with the cotton of your khakis, jeans or moleskin trousers.

Navy is the smartest colour, but it is too formal for some people’s needs. It is also less versatile, not quite making the transition from office to pub. For these men, the colours they should look for are light grey and brown. In the same soft cloths, perhaps with a herringbone pattern or Donegal tweed (the spotty one) to give some surface interest.

So where do you get one? If you can afford it, go to a tailor. After all, as you are only getting a jacket, the price will be about a third less than a suit. At Graham Browne you’d be talking around £600.

If you can’t afford a tailor, Ralph Lauren is the default choice. I have a beautiful, pale-grey camelhair model from there that has only got better with age. Then try Brooks Brothers, Brioni or Kiton. Trunk Clothiers stocks the best range of casual jackets from brands like Piombo, Aspesi and Caruso. And designers like Gucci and YSl do good unlined versions. Among the best of British are Paul Smith and Dunhill.

Go to a tailor if you can though. Take a look through Harrisons’ Moonbeam bunch and have something made with patch pockets, a half lining and variegated horn buttons.

Combination at top courtesy of Brunello Cucinelli

My book: Update, Amazon are useless

Someone has to come up with a realistic competitor to Amazon. You can't help feeling this is incompetence born of market domination.

Le Snob: Tailoring, my first book, is available for pre-order on Amazon now. Apparently nothing actually changed on August 1, despite Amazon saying it was available and the publishers telling me the same. It is now officially released on October 1, but the first people will start receiving their copies from mid-September.

The German version is, however, available now. Usefully, Amazon does not mention which is the German version. The only way to tell is by the retail price (£10.64 rather than £8.99) or by using the Look Inside feature to see the pages.

Amazon regularly makes this kind of mistake. Apparently the emails sent to those who have already bought the book apologised for the error. Whatever that's worth.

I thank you for your patience.

Five tips on shirts

Shirts are often underrated. Lying beneath tailored jacket and silken tie, they can seem less important than both. But in an age when men usually take off their jacket during the day, indeed often don’t even wear a jacket to the office, the shirt has assumed new importance. So read.

1 Fit is quite easy

A bespoke shirt is not easy to fit well. There’s the amount of give at chest, waist and hips, the width through the arm and balance. But it’s not as complex as a bespoke jacket. In fact, three aspects of fit are by far the most important: neck, wrist and waist.

Shirts come in neck sizes and often sleeve lengths as well, so as long as you know how these should fit (two fingers just about fit under the collar, sleeve stops at the base of your thumb) you’re most of the way there. Then, unless you can find a cut that’s exactly right, take the shirt to your tailor and get darts put in. Most do it and they can get the fit just right.

2 Spend time on washing

Put some extra detergent on the armpits, collar and double cuffs of a white shirt before you wash it. At least do the armpits on every other colour. Sweat stains are a poor excuse to rid of a shirt.

3 An open neck requires a strong collar

There’s nothing wrong with wearing a shirt without a tie. Just make sure the lack of a tie’s silk is made up with colour or pattern elsewhere. And that your collar doesn’t collapse.

Many things determine the ‘stand’ of a collar, which prevents it from folding up meekly below the lapel of your jacket and negating the point of wearing one. These things include the collar’s height, construction and spread. You know which of your shirts have it; only wear those ones without a tie. And if in doubt, get a button-down.

4 White versus blue

White is clean, crisp and smart; it should always be the default at a formal event, indeed traditionally would always have been changed into for the evening. Blue is more versatile and flatters more skin types. It can handle dark, pale and bright colours where some can make a white shirt look cheap. You will probably end up with more blue than anything else. Nothing wrong with that: experiment instead with cloth, weight and weave.

5 Nothing wrong with wear either

The first thing that will go with shirts (if you’re washing them properly) is fraying at the corners of the collar and the edges of the cuffs. If it is bespoke, the maker might be able to replace them, probably with white equivalents, at less than half the cost of a new shirt. But you don’t have to; fraying isn’t necessarily bad. Like distressed jeans, it’s something some designers even add to shirts to make them seem more personal. As long as the shirt isn’t a formal, double-cuffed and spread-collared affair, then continue to wear it but with jeans and tweed at the weekend.

Pictured here: Budd bespoke shirts being made. The refurb of Budd is coming along nicely and sounds like it will be a more welcoming place to buy and have shirts fitted. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Naples, E Marinella, made to measure tie result

The making of my Marinella tie hasn’t quite gone according to plan. When I received it – admittedly very quickly, after little more than a week – the length was correct but it was the standard width at the bottleneck. As I explained in the previous post, I wanted the neck wider in order to create a longer knot.

This may have been partially my fault, as I changed the order – to 9cm at the tip rather than 10cm – while talking to shop manager Dani on the plane back from Naples. Nonetheless, there were only three things to remember (length, width at tip, width at neck).

The tie went back and was remade, again in just over a week. Impressive, particularly given the rush to get things done before Italy closes down for August.

The neck has been corrected, though I’m not sure entirely by the half centimetre I requested. If not, the difference is marginal – millimetres that can easily be added or subtracted depending on how you press the tie when measuring.

And the tie itself – texture, weight, colour and knotting – is lovely. The construction I would call a 10-fold, given that there are that many of folds in the silk and that system corresponds to a three-fold conventional tie. But then everyone calls something different a seven-fold. Kiton’s are five-fold, as are the multifolds from Hermès, while Bulgari is six-fold.

A lovely cloth, and a great reflection of local, traditional tie-making in Naples. Even if it took a while to get there.

Note: The London store is now stocking vintage Marinella ties, going back to the forties and fifties, made then but unworn since. Each has the date hand-written on the back. Three folds, around £130.

Fare well Michael Drake

Nice, isn’t it? That’s the view from the pool on the roof of Shoreditch House, where Michael Drake and I had lunch earlier today. The club and its sister outfit, Soho House, were of course in the news a couple of weeks ago for banning ties. The idea was to bar yuppy City types, but it was rather a silly way to go about it. Nothing wrong with a good tie, as many op-ed pieces pointed out, with some also highlighting the counterpoint of both Drake’s and E Marinella launching in recent weeks.

I, of course, wore a tie. Knitted, but nonetheless a proper handmade necktie. Behind the receptionist was a big piece of artwork proclaiming “no suits!” I wasn’t in a suit (Rubinacci jacket, grey fresco trousers and green cardigan) and neither was Michael (striped Oxford button-down, brown linen safari jacket, sky-blue socks). But up on the roof several businessmen sat around in suit trousers and shirts, chatting happily away. They would have looked better in a tie.

Michael hasn’t been running Drake’s for the past year, but only officially left the business last week. Since then he’s apparently spent most of his time writing nice letters to the entirety of his Rolodex. Which sounds very tiring.

"Just because I have sold the company doesn't mean I have retired," though, says Michael. So what’s next? Probably not a whole new launch (too much work) but perhaps a niche project online and there’s always the possibility of a book if long-time collaborator Bruce Boyer gets his way. Some of the possibilities online sound mouth-watering. It’s great to know that Michael’s inimitable taste will find new ways to express itself.

Among other views expressed were the pleasure in seeing craft being more valued by men the world over – something we’ve both benefited from – and the complementary nature of both deep red and burnt orange accessories with brown shoes.

Good luck to Michael, his many Apple computers and suede shoes.

Rubinacci cashmere jacket 6: Finished article

The Rubinacci jacket is back, and feeling pretty good. Having been worn once, all day today, I don’t feel it’s too early to say that this is the most comfortable bespoke jacket I’ve ever worn. That might not be surprising, given that it’s a loose-weave cashmere, quarter lined, with a half canvas, minimal shoulder padding and no sleeve lining. But the voluminous sleevehead and small armhole have got something to do with it as well.

The fit is very good. My only question is a little excess cloth on the back, where the shoulders might be collapsing slightly. Initially when trying it on I thought the collar was standing away a little as well, but it is has stuck thoroughly all day. If the excess on the back looks the same in a couple of weeks when Mariano is back in London, I may ask for it to be taken out.

The unlined sleeves certainly make the jacket more comfortable. Your arms do catch on the inside, but far more in taking off the jacket than in putting it on. And of course, if you rarely take it off because it’s so comfortable, neither is much of a problem.

I like the curved hip pockets and longer flaps, as well as their tacking to the inside, which suggests the shape of the pocket without being a patch. Interestingly, Rubinacci runs the frontmost dart in the waist down to the bottom seam (along the front of the pocket), where most English tailors run the back one down instead (through the middle of the pocket). And while at Kiton last month I was told their new Lasa line will switch to the front dart as well.

On the inside, the cloth is used to form the pocket bag, where normally it would be the silk lining. I like this detail, which restricts the lining to the area of the inbreast pocket and a curve, up to the armhole and then across the yoke.

The buttonholes are not as fine as some (Cifonelli being a good example). Obviously a cashmere Donegal like this is very loose and requires a light hand, but then so did the Cifonelli Harris tweed jacket. Still, you can’t fault the handwork elsewhere, such as the finishing on the back seam inside and the edging on the lining.

As a casual jacket this style works well. It is very versatile and soft enough to work with any kind of trouser. As a suit or in a more formal cloth it would make more of a statement.

My book: Update

Le Snob: Tailoring is now the bestselling book on Amazon in the health and beauty category, and number 126 in all books.

Thank you all for your support.

Naples, Kiton: shoes

In the UK, good shoes split into two very clean categories: benchmade and bespoke.

With the former, workers use a series of hulking Victorian machines to make the shoes. Each applies force in a different way, whether stretching the upper over the last or punching the thread through the welt. They are quicker and require less human strength, so more can be made in the same period, but still require careful manipulation of the shoe by hand. Better benchmade shoes use more machines (such as a bedlaster for the toe), hand clicking of the leather or simply better materials.

With bespoke shoes, all this is done by hand. From the sculpture required for last-making to the hand sewing of both welt to shoe and sole to welt. No iron-and-grease monsters are required.

Most manufacturing in Italy, France and the US is similar. But while at Kiton in Naples recently, I found that they have an odd halfway house.

Of course, they say that the shoes are 100% handmade. Obviously that depends what you mean by handmade – benchmade shoes are still handmade in a way (it’s like the difference between hand-sewing a shirt, hand-guiding a sewing machine and using an industrial manufacturing process).

But the claim is not pure marketing either. All the leather is cut by hand, at a single small table surrounded by multi-coloured skins. The parts are then closed (stitched together) by an iron machine very similar to those in Northampton.

Plastic lasts are used, but the stretching of the upper over them is done by hand (on most lines – some of the younger lines like Sartorio or Cipa are not). The welt is then sewn on by hand, but the welt is sewn to the sole by machine. Kiton trainers are stitched by the same machine, where most luxury-label sneakers are just glued.

Finally, the shoe is painted by hand. Many Italian manufacturers do this, and sometimes the results aren’t to English tastes, but the work involved is impressively time-consuming and painterly. Some of the new trainers are also painted by hand.

A good portion of the work done is bespoke, and several shoeboxes of lasts sit outside the shoe-making part of the factory bearing the names of politicians, sportsmen and opera stars. They cut down standard plastic lasts and add leather to them in a similar way to an English bespoke shoemaker does with wood.

It’s an interesting compromise. Being Kiton, the shoes are of course expensive, but they deserve comparison with the new top lines like Gaziano & Girling’s Deco and Edward Green’s Top Drawer on the basis of construction, rather than the standard benchmade lines.

If you want to look at the styles, Kiton Shoes also has an app where you can browse the models. If you have a smartphone you know how to search for it.

Photography: Andy Barnham

My book is out

My first book, Le Snob: Tailoring, is released this week on Amazon. The German version, released last month, has already sold out from UK stockists.

Despite the name, it is a guide to tailoring that would suit even the most naive beginner. It covers everything from buying a suit off the peg that fits you, to summer cloth options for bespoke.

I'm pleased with how it has turned out - the hard cover in particular and Moleskin-like elasticated band are smart. The only thing I might change is the watercolour illustrations, which although highly decorative are not always the best medium to illustrate the nuances of tailoring.

It seems odd that this is just out, given that it was begun two years ago, but then the next book is on course for Spring 2012 (luxury factories around the world) and we're in discussions for number three.

I hope you like it.

Feedback on the A Suitable Wardrobe store

I wrote almost a year ago how impressed I was with Will at A Suitable Wardrobe setting up a store, to sell his taste and knowledge of European manufacturers to the blog’s readership. Since then the store has grown and I have purchased many things from it. Given how hard it is to buy clothes satisfactorily online, I thought readers might appreciate a few personal experiences.

My favourite piece of clothing to buy from ASW is socks. The sizing is easy, the styles simple and the range impressive. Although mostly made by Bresciani, that manufacturer’s range is difficult to identify in the UK and besides mostly relies on retailers’ individual requests. Good long cotton socks and particularly cotton/silk mixes are difficult to find, as are those with clocks or delicate pinstripes; so those would be my top recommendations.

Drake’s ties are made round the corner from me, and their shop isn’t much further; the Neapolitan styles, especially the six-fold, are too narrow for my taste; but I applaud the ASW offering of longer ties, something few European manufacturers offer, for both being the right length for me and my preferred width – 3.5 inches.

The horn products are beautiful, if easier to acquire than some of the items here; I particularly recommend the horn-backed clothing brushes. The same applies to the perfumes, which though I know are wonderful can be found on the high street in London – L’Artisan Perfumeur is sold alongside Ormonde Jayne, Les Senteurs, Byredo, Lorenzo Villoresi, Bois. We’re spoiled really.

Simonnot-Godard, however, gets a standing ovation. Both the cotton and linen handkerchiefs are wonderfully fashioned and I’m a particular fan of the voile shirt cloth, which I’ve had made up at Turnbull & Asser (cost £120, a good saving on full price £200).

Equal plaudits go to the knitwear, which there is necessarily less of at the moment but has that lovely fluidity of hand knitting that is instantly recognisable. Some of the sizes are perhaps a little too boxy for my tastes, but I know I’m at one end of a spectrum.

I highly recommend all the Saphir products, and have just got my first pair of the shoes (Belgian slippers in green) so it’s too early to tell on those.

Quite a range, isn’t it? I hope some of that feedback is useful, both to you and to Will.

Choppin & Lodge cotton suit

I've learnt two things about cotton suits - or gabardine, to be more precise.

First, it is an achingly comfortable cloth. The trousers, in particular, are soft and forgiving yet have a smooth finish that makes them smarter than corduroy or moleskin. I plan to have more casual trousers made in gabardine for next summer. It is more comfortable and versatile than linen (though perhaps less formal).

Second, cotton has no give. You don't realise how much stretch worsted wool has until until you wear cotton. The jacket is made to the same pattern as my other suits from Graham Browne, yet it feels tight whenever I'm moving or have a hand in the trouser pocket. James, the new front of house at Anderson & Sheppard, told me he dislikes cotton because you constantly feel like you're fighting against it. I know what he means now.

While this is not an insignificant disadvantage, I love this suit; I feel grateful to Richard of Choppin & Lodge for encouraging me to try it. It has been worn four of five times and already feels like an old friend. It goes well with knitwear, even just a polo-collared sweater, and received more notice from my wife than any suit I have got in years. I would actually wear this at the weekend, where I wouldn't wear a flannel or tweed suit (a jacket at most). It feels like a knock-around suit worthy of the name. 

The shirt lining to the inside works well - it is a nice little touch of flair. But lining the arms in it was a silly idea. Shirt sleeves stick worse to that than they would have done if it was unlined. So the lining will be replaced.

Finally, the photo. I can only apologise for the photo. One of these days I'll stop looking like a numpty, my arms stapled to my side. Thanks Richard, by the way, for finding just enough glare to remove all the hair on the top of my head.

Previous post on the making of the suit here.

Contact Choppin & Lodge from their website. Suit cost £875. Oh, and if anyone's interested: white shirt from Turnbull & Asser, grey one-piece tie from Kiton, white linen handkerchief from Simonnot Goddard.