Thanks for all your support

For the first time last month, the numbers of visits to Permanent Style topped 250,000. (That's visits, not visitors - which is less - or impressions - which is more.)

In the past six months our traffic has grown by almost 10%. Thank you all very much for your support, for spreading the word, and for the kind messages about how valuable a resource the site has become. 

Pictured: bespoke dress shirt from Sean O'Flynn, shot by Luke Carby for a piece in The Rake. Marcella front, voile body and two options for the detachable collar - stiff wing and Marcella turn-down. Beautiful links and studs from The Hanger Project.

Christys' hat video

Following yesterday's post on my visit to Christys, to see the making of a fedora, here is a video made last year by Christys showing the same process with a little more movement (and a thumping beat).

How a felt hat is made: Christys’ factory visit

A couple of weeks ago I visited the Christys’ hat factory in Witney, outside Oxford. For more on the company, see previous post here. This is a step-by-step tour of the making process.

There are essentially two stages to making felt hats: felting and blocking. The first, known as the ‘wet’ side of hatting, is done at Christys’ factory in Stockport. It turns sheep wool or rabbit fur strands into felt cones. The cones, known as hoods or blanks, are then sent to Witney to be blocked into various sizes and styles.

You can see a basic hood and one slightly shaped hood above. Old hats were often just hoods with the sides or front turned up – Robin Hood is often pictured wearing one.

The first machine grips the raw hood and stretches it to the desired size, with the aid of steam. The metal grips around the edge can be adjusted depending on the size required.

Then the bladder press, which sets the crown of the hat. A metal mould corresponding to the desired shape is put in the bottom of the press, the hat placed inside, and a rubber ‘bladder’ lowered in. The bladder is filled with air, pushing the crown against the mould.

Now three stages of finishing for the crown. First, fine sandpaper is rubbed all around it to shave the felt down to a consistent length. Second, an identical machine rubs the surface with a waxed paper, giving the crown a silky finish. And third, the hat is spun around and brushed by hand, to remove any excess felt.

On to the brim. In the first of two cutting stages, the brim is cut down to a quarter inch larger than the desired width (here, 3¼ inches, as the Christys fedora I was having made has a 3-inch brim). The brim may shrink or expand during the curling process, but rarely by more than a quarter inch.

The curling of the brim is done in two stages – one mechanical (above), one rather more hands-on. It’s amazing how a quick spin and some steam can curl the edge, reducing its circumference but without any creases. Felt is an impressively versatile material.

After the mechanised stage, the hat is placed on a wooden flange that corresponds to the desired brim shape. Some of the old Christys flanges are beautiful – up to 150 years old and still going strong.

The hat and flange are covered in a white cloth and tied to keep them secure. Water is applied to the cloth and then the brim is ironed with an old-fashioned iron iron – ie, made of iron.

Then a huge sand bag is lowered on top of the hat and left for a few minutes, to finally set the shape of the brim in place.

Back for a final cut of the brim, to get the desired width now no more shrinking or expansion is likely. 

And then the brim has a shave, wax and brush, just like the crown.

Upstairs, the leather sweatband is sewn into the inside of the hat, and the grosgrain hatband onto the outside. The machine used is like a normal flat-bed sewing machine, except it extends out on arm so the hat does not have to be bent in the process.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. Photo here from a recent shoot for The Rake at the Lanesborough Hotel: Richard Anderson, Brian Lishak and myself, left to right.

We are all wearing Richard Anderson black tie. With mine, Sean O'Flynn shirt with stiff collar, Le Noued Papillon tie and Cleverley Oxfords with silk laces.

Christys' hats, Witney

Christys is one of a handful of hat makers left in the UK. It supplies Lock & Co and Bates (neither of whom make their own hats) as well as having its own label. For much of its history Christys was the largest hat maker in the UK, with over 3000 staff at one point. (Today it is 30.)

Some of the Christys flanges are over 150 years old

Christys is also one of around 10 makers in the world that does both its own felting and blocking. Felting is the creation of the raw material. It involves blowing rabbit fur or sheep wool in a machine the size of a small office, to separate out the finest hairs. A second machine then blows the hairs onto a cone mould, while that mould emits steam. The combination of heat and moisture causes the hairs to bind together, forming felt. It’s a little like putting your merino wool sweater into the washing machine – it comes out shrunken, the hairs densely packed together. The felt is then rolled and compressed, to bind it more tightly.

An old '16 Guinea' - the original sewing machine for hats

The Christys felting (known as the wet side of hatting) is still done in Stockport, while the blocking is done in Witney, just outside Oxford. Christys acquired its Stockport felting facility in 1821. At that point the company was still owned and run by the Christys family, going back to Miller Christy who founded the company in 1773 in London.

With Luton perhaps a close second, Stockport was the traditional centre of the hat industry in England. The football clubs of both towns are still known as The Hatters. The two other big makers, Olney and Failsworth, are headquartered in Luton and Manchester respectively. 

Interestingly, around a third of the Christys business today is making hats for the military and police force. The traditional Metropolitan police helmet has a plastic base but a felted outer layer that is formed on top of it. They also make panama hats and an astounding number of bowlers and toppers – 10,000 this year. That’s a bowler below being steamed before its edge is curled, prior to shipping.

I visited the Christys factory in Witney this week and will do a step-by-step post on the blocking side of the process after Christmas. As with many of the factories I have reported on, the age of the machinery involved makes them unique and fascinating places.  

Graham Browne sale

As per usual, Graham Browne is doing a sale over Christmas - on the days when the guys are still working but most of us are tucked up at home with a glass of mulled wine.

The sale runs on the 27th, 28th and 31st of December. During that period any suit from the bunches comes with a free waistcoat or extra pair of trousers - so a three piece for the price of a two piece. Also, the boys scored a bit of a coup in securing all the remaining H Lesser cloth from their discontinued 80s and 90s bunches. Sale price for those is £795 for a suit.

As if that weren't enough, some vintage W Bill jacketings have been brought over from the Sackville Street archive - see the Graham Browne blog for more details.

Reader question: pleats

 

Ethan's pleats give him plenty of room in his high-waisted trousers

Dear Mr. Crompton,

I am hoping to follow up quickly on a blog post of yours concerning pleats.

I'm having a bespoke suit made up from a Neapolitan tailor, and can't decide on whether to go with pleats.

Do you have any insight about pleats in the context of bespoke suits? I'm concerned the pleats will make the pants look less sharp, but the tailor thinks the pleats will make for a more elegant look.

Thank you very much!

Best regards,

Hugh

- 

Hi Hugh,

The role of pleats is to give extra fullness in the hips and seat of the trouser, so that it is easier to move the legs and use the pockets. When motionless or not using those pockets, the pleats should - if well cut - fall neatly back into place, maintaining a sharp line to the trouser. You can see why it they are an attractive device.

Most of the time, however, they are not necessary unless you wear your trousers high (on the natural waist, around your belly button) or have a rather fuller figure. In those cases, the trousers have rather more to work around - your hip bones or some body fat, respectively. With a regular or slim body shape the effect is reduced. 

I have a relatively large seat and thighs from cycling and various other sports, which might make pleats useful, but I have ever found them necessary. Pleats will always make the trouser line consistently sharper, and I can see how a tailor would say they are therefore more elegant. But you have to balance that against whether you dislike the look from a style point of view, and I do. Given that, my slim figure and preference for wearing trousers on the hip, I go for flat fronts. 

If those same things apply to you, I would go the same way. 

I hope that's helpful

Simon

Photo: The Armoury Tumblr. Note Ethan's fantastic colour combination of purple stripe, charcoal trouser and multi-checked tweed.

How great things age: Bown weekend bag

Three years ago I met Judy Bown, a bag designer who had left her previous career working for companies such as Mulberry, Asprey and Tanner Krolle to set up her own label. The make of her bags was superb. The edges were inked by hand, for example, which she explained could be identified by their smooth, rounded finish: most pieces are inked individually and then stitched together (making them weaker), leaving a line running down the middle of the edge.

Most of all, though, I fell in love with her vegetable-tanned grain leather. This piece is about how well that leather and the bag has aged over those three years.

Scratches across the surface appear harsh to begin with, before mellowing with the natural oils of the leather. Dirt has accumulated at the edges and on the bottom of the bag; but it appears a happy addition to the patina, rather than a tarnishing. None of the edges have been damaged or come apart.

Judy’s design is unusual for a soft weekend bag, in that the structure is created from the outside by the two side panels. It works because of the nature of the leather and its thickly inked edges. As you can see that shape has become distorted slightly, with the edges buckling in places. But the overall structure is not compromised and it functions just as well.

The bag was not cheap, approaching £1000, but it has been used scores of times in the past three years and I look forward to using it for years to come. I even followed it up with a handbag for my wife – the Lizzy Bag, below. 

This is part of the How Great Things Age series. For more in this series, click here. 

The tailors I have known: Part 2, Italy, France, HK

Following the post earlier in the week comparing English tailors that I have used, below are those from the rest of the world. As before, links are to blog posts with more details on the various tailors, and pictures. If anyone has questions on specific comparisons, please feel free to ask them in the comments.

Italy

Caliendo

A small, second-generation tailor in Naples. Elia Caliendo is the cutter and his father still does some of the tailoring work. Neapolitan style is fairly consistent, with self-lined jackets in the foreparts, very light construction, shirt shoulders and those curving pockets. The biggest difference between them is quality of finishing and fit, and Elia is superb on both. He visits London every month or so.

I have had a summer jacket and a Permanent Style tweed jacket made by Elia. He is slightly cheaper than his peers and is London often, which is a big advantage. My favourite Neapolitan.

Solito

One of the biggest names in Neapolitan tailoring. Gennaro Solito is a great cutter; he speaks no English but his son, Luigi, does. Their style is typical Neapolitan though they do a large number of regular (not shirt) shoulders too. Beautiful overcoats.

I have yet to receive my Solito jacket after a year, but I was expecting this: Solito is popular and their lead times are very long. I can’t comment on fit or make yet, but you can see the basted jacket here.

Rubinacci

The biggest name in Naples. Many of the greatest tailors, such as Panico, began working for Rubinacci before they set up on their own. They still make more suits than anyone else in Naples by some way. Regular Neapolitan style, though with a big collection of vintage cloth on offer, a penchant for silk-scarf linings and Luca’s other inventions. Stores in Milan and London and regular visits to the US and elsewhere in the world.

Rubinacci’s strength is its styling. Luca is, for me, one of the great menswear stylists of the age. The cashmere Donegal jacket I had made from an old 70s cloth was good, with a great make and ok fit. But it was Luca’s recommendation of the bronze-green lining that made it for me.

Vergallo

A local tailor from the town of Varese, north of Milan, Vergallo has become a bigger name in tailoring since cutter Gianni Cleopazzo began travelling to London. A north Italian style, so softer than English but sharper than the Neapolitans.

Vergallo has made me a navy cashmere suit and just finished a houndstooth jacket. Good make and fit, with an openness to innovation such as a leather undercollar and foreparts that button all the way up when the collar is popped. Probably the best value Italian tailor coming to London, at €1800 for a suit.

Liverano & Liverano

The best-known tailor in Florence, Antonio Liverano cuts a short jacket and slim trousers. It is quite contemporary in that respect, and has been popular with the guys over at The Armoury in Hong Kong. Check out their Tumblr for examples of the work.

Antonio is making me a purple jacket, which is not ready yet but you can see at the basted stage here. He is expensive, but I like his sense of style (he commissioned his own doughnut-patterned scarves) and the cut works well in casual jackets.

  

France

Cifonelli

Although I have written about Parisian tailors many times, Cifonelli is the only one I have used myself. Lorenzo’s cut is characterised by a light construction but a strength of shape achieved by a roped shoulder and narrow waist. Stunning finishing on the buttonholes, trousers and linings.

Cifonelli is my top recommendation for a business suit, given the shape. But then Lorenzo is also great on innovation in cloth and design, as previous posts on them will illustrate. Travels to London regularly too.

Hong Kong

E.Italian

Back in the days when I travelled to Hong Kong a lot, and had less money, I tried three or four different cheap HK tailors. Edward Tam at E.Italian was the best, at around £300 for a suit. The cut can be a little boxy but if you’re insistent, it can be a great choice. Cut by hand and made by hand, with a fitting or two required. Not to anywhere near the same standard as bespoke elsehwere (try WW Chan or similar for that) but not a rip-off 24-hour tailor either.

Photo at top: Tailor at Elia Caliendo, Naples. By Luke Carby

The tailors I have known: Part 1, London

Following a recent request from a reader, here is a breakdown of all the English tailors I have tried. I include a description of the style and then one of my experiences. All the links are to pictures or more details elsewhere on the blog. If you have any questions or want me to compare particular tailors, perhaps on a specific aspect of their work, please comment below the post.

I'll do a post on Italy, France and Hong Kong on Friday.

Anderson & Sheppard

The biggest exponent of the 'drape cut', with soft shoulders and fullness of cloth in the chest and back. Together with a closely cut waist, it gives the illusion of a bigger chest and is very comfortable. Some think that the soft shoulders are unflattering.

It is among the cheaper houses on the Row, and I particularly like the double-breasted style as it has a relatively broad lapel with plenty of belly. Most of my suits are from A&S, cut by John Hitchcock.

Huntsman

The opposite of Anderson & Sheppard in style, with strong, padded shoulders and a closely cut chest. Relatively slim through the waist and with little skirt, it is known for a one-button fastening. Most other English tailors cut this traditional style, with slight variations.

I liked the hunting suit I had made by David Ward. We had some problems with the bi-swing back, as the vents stayed open and elastic was added inside to fix that.

Henry Poole

The other one of the big three names on the Row, it is more flexible in house style than either A&S or Huntsman. The basic cut is strong and English, however, with slightly less padding and structure in the shoulder and chest than Huntsman.

I had a double-breasted Prince of Wales suit made, which has been quietly superb. It gets more compliments that almost anything else, yet it is conservative in everything by the cloth. Cut by Craig Featherstone.

Richard Anderson

Richard used to be the head cutter at Huntsman and his cut is similar, though with less padding in the shoulder. One difference is perhaps a more adventurous style; he has recently been making some for customers in wool jersey, for example.

Richard made me a tuxedo, single breasted with a shawl-collared waistcoat. It was slim and perfectly fitting, though my favourite part was the superb trousers.

Steven Hitchcock

Son of A&S head cutter John Hitchcock, Steven was trained there and his style is very similar. As he works in shared premises on the Row, he is of course cheaper.

Steven made me a tweed jacket and moleskin trousers. If anything I found his style to be softer and drapier than his father.

John Kent and Terry Haste

John and Terry work with Stephen Lachter (shirt cutter) on Sackville Street. Terry was head cutter at Huntsman and his style is very similar; John tends to cut a slightly smaller back and slimmer leg - sharper, in that way.

John made my pattern and I have two suits from it, the second cut and fitted by Terry - hence the difference in styles noted above. The make was superb and I would say they are the best value on the Row.

Gieves & Hawkes

Gieves style is, like Poole and others, a traditional English military cut. They are often ignored in discussions of Row tailors but have a large tailoring department and a strong foreign and military client list.

My travel blazer and trousers were cut by Kathryn Sargent, who has now set up on her own and shares premises on Sackville Street. They were both very well done. Davide Taub, of whose style I am a big fan, is now cutting at Gieves instead.

Timothy Everest

Tim is a wonderful stylist and designer. His cutter in the Elder Street bespoke operation in east London is Lloyd Forester. Lloyd's style is traditionally English though with less structure; Tim adds a dash of innovation to the mix during the commissioning and fittings.

The suit and velvet jacket I had made were both well done. The strength is in Tim's consultation, and the rack of unusual things that are guaranteed to be hanging around.

Graham Browne

A traditional English cut but with willingness to experiment. Currently making some of the best non-Italian soft jackets I've seen in terms of cut.

Although not the same standard of make as Savile Row, Graham Browne is by far the best value tailoring in London. I have had many things made over the years, I have all my alterations done there, and my first bespoke suit in London, which was made by them, is still one of my favourites.

Choppin & Lodge is the travelling side of Graham Browne.

Thom Sweeney

A much more contemporary cut than anyone else on this list - a short jacket, narrow sleeve and fitted waist. Famous for their horseshoe waistcoats.

Thom Whiddett and Luke Sweeney are great stylists, with Thom the cutter. Their strength is style, youth and innovation. Checked jacket and cord trousers here.

Hemingway Tailors

Run by Toby Luper, who is based in Leeds but visits clients in London, and has the suits made at Cheshire Bespoke. The style is English but with a particularly large and extended shoulder.

Toby is not a cutter, and normally I would avoid being fitted by anyone who is not a cutter. But the trousers Toby cut me are probably the best fitting I have.

North Sea Clothing

I’m always interested in clothing that is different. Other than the fancies of fashion, very little changes in menswear. So if a piece is cut, woven or treated differently, I want to know why.

North Sea Clothing sweaters are different. They are itchy. They smell funny. And they have extremely long ribbing on the waist and cuffs.

These are all deliberate ways to try and recreate knitwear from the 1920s and 1930s that was used by seamen, explorers and general outdoorsy types. The founder of North Sea, Neil Starr, used to deal in vintage clothing and loved the old naval sweaters that came in. But eventually the supply dried up. Several years later, he decided to recreate them.

The sweaters are itchy because they are made with untreated British wool. No merino, no cashmere and, for the cream sweaters, no dye. The ‘Explorer’ that I got a while ago was unpleasantly itchy to start with. Neil recommended washing it (on a gentle, cool wash) and the it was much improved. I’d still recommend wearing a shirt or long-sleeve T-shirt underneath it though. m

The lack of treatment also means the sweaters smell of sheep. The lanolin, the natural oil sheep have in their wool to keep the water out, is left in. This makes the sweaters highly water resistant. Apparently some people love it, others don’t. I like it, in the same way I like the dirty patina on a waxed jacket. The lanolin will come out with washing though, so that smell doesn’t last forever.

The cut comes from those old naval sweaters. Extended ribbing on the cuffs and at the waist meant that when you stretched to pull on a rope, or climbed a ladder, the sleeve or body didn’t ride up and let in the cold sea air.

The design has been modified slightly in other ways. Those old submariners had very big, open necks, so they were easy to pull on over overalls (slightly contradictory, that) and short arms so there was no risk of anything getting stuck in machinery. The body has been slimmed down as well, which together with the long ribbing makes for a very flattering cut.

North Sea Clothing sweaters are all knitted in England. And for between £125 and £165, they are good value. But most importantly, they do what they're meant to: they are very warm. The Explorer is my default cold-day sweater, with a bespoke tweed overcoat and a pair of Wolverine boots. Nice.

The Explorer

Louis Vuitton Alzer, hand painted

This is a shot from a feature coming up in The Rake next year - on the VIP painting service at Louis Vuitton.

I love my Alzer case. Hard-sided cases are one of the few things made by hand by Vuitton, at the old Asnieres facility in France. The skill is in making the wooden frame and the tacking along the leather edges, rather than hand sewing as you would have at Hermes or Dunhill (London range). But the handle is beautifully hand sewn and inked - and made in the signature Vuitton leather that is untreated so it ages very quickly.

The hand painting on the Alzer mimics a design used for Sacha Guitry on a set of luggage he had made in 1927, which was deliberately different in its diagonal stripe.

Everything else: brown Asquith shoes from Edward Green, wine-red socks by Bresciani, grey fresco trousers by Kathryn Sargent and tan corduroy DB jacket by Anderson & Sheppard.

The first half of this video shows the making of the hard-sided cases:



Photography: Luke Carby

Davide Taub: Style and the tailor

I love Davide because he opens up a whole world of possibilities in tailoring for me. He regularly works with bespoke raw denim; bespoke leather jackets; other things developed while he was at Maurice Sedwell. He is the kind of guy who has designed, cut and sewn his own pigskin wallet, based on a random idea. And talking to him about the structure of the new Gieves bespoke silhouette is a revelation in how closely associated tailoring and architecture are...

Where do you work?

Gieves & Hawkes, cutter, 11 months. I started working as a tailor 12 years ago, making coats at Kashket the military and ceremonial tailors.

How did you get into bespoke?

I had studied architecture, but wanted to be more hands-on in my work. Bespoke tailoring offered that and then I grew to love the challenge of exceeding customers’ expectations of their clothing. To try to be uncompromising in the fit, making and developing their own personal style.

What do you like about Savile Row?

I guess it’s the atmosphere with its mixture of characters, ages, backgrounds, nationalities and politics in the warren of workshops. Also, being handed down a skill from a line of craftsmen that enables me to create something so unique from so little.

Describe your style

I don't like to take anything for granted, I like challenging preconceived notions of what is correct, especially when the origins are totally obscure anyway. I am open to many influences, feminine and sculptural, that add a bit of darkness, fragility and edginess to an otherwise classical look.

  

What's your favourite style aspect of a suit?

The chest, armhole, shoulders and sleeves... this is where I can feel I'm a sculptor. Cutting, moulding and manipulating the shapes to create real character into the garment for elegance and comfort.

What's your favourite cloth and why?

Any flannel because they tailor so beautifully, look and feel special and have a good longevity. I also like Cacciopolli's winter cottons for waistcoats and making skinny jeans. Twill covert cloth makes great rugged and versatile suits that can be mixed and matched with other cloths to create different looks. Super heavy hopsack linens (Cacciopolli or Loro Piana), because of its ability to confound people’s expectations, the contrast of a cloth that crumples but still has a weight and weave that can be tailored with real boldness.

What's your favourite piece of tailoring you own?

Nothing gets more of a buzz from a customer than swooping into the fitting room wearing a super close fitted double-breasted suit; bold lapels, shaped shoulders, high roped-sleeveheads and slim trousers. My two favourites are a black Hhopsack and a brown/light grey blockstripe flannel. Next year I’ll try find time to make myself a black/dark grey one...

(From a cutting point of view, for me, there's almost nothing more satisfying than fitting a beautiful double-breasted dinner suit)

What tailoring are you going to make yourself next?

A slightly oversized barrel-shaped DB overcoat. I cut it purposefully with a short balance at the back so it sticks out, enabling me to scoop it in at the bottom even more to accentuate the bell shape. I was influenced by the Dior/Balenciaga 'new look' silhouette, but took some of the styling from a Great Coat with a dramatic rolling collar and lapel and deep inverted box-pleat (closed at the bottom).

Davide second from left.
His girlfriend Jennie, with the brown hair, is wearing a silk pleated bomber jacket that Davide made

What's your favourite accessory?

Not sure, but I get pissed off with myself if I leave home and forget to put one if my vintage Tie-Tacks on, so I guess it must be that. I also always carry my own designed handmade pig suede cardholder.

What do you wear at the weekend?

Mostly stuff that I've made myself: a patch tweed curved-seam sports jacket, quilted 'winter cotton' zipped bib, vintage silk scarf, buttoned down micro-collar shirt, skinny curved-seamed jeans, bashed up white brogues (NDC). If it's cold I wear my military-inspired Top Coat with an over-sized stand collar and deep inverted box pleat. If it's wet I have a grey parka and my trusty German military para-boots.

What designer brands do you like?

A few years back Rick Owen's 'tailored' pieces were interesting in the way that they show it is possible to play around with conventional proportions but still be very wearable. I loved the extremely close-figured body, very narrow structured shoulders and over long, tight sleeves... paired with low slung, baggy seated trousers.

Japanese designers like Rei Kawakubo are amazing, the way they can take traditional techniques but deconstruct them in a critical way to make you see beauty in the unconventional. Also The Non, produces stunning clothing with lots of great tailoring and cutting techniques that I wish I knew!

What high street brands do you like?

I like checking out Present in Shoreditch, Stone Island in Soho, Oi Polloi in the Northern Quarter. I like the functionality, detailing and hard thought that's put into the clothes that have not forgotten their working-class roots. Otherwise, All Saints sorts me out for chunky hand-knits and cigarette cords. American Apparel make the only t-shirts that don't ride up at the front and choke me...

What's top of your clothing wish list?

Things that there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that I could make for myself. I wouldn’t mind one of Nigel Cabourn’s limited designs like the sleeping bag coat. I’m also always on the look out for a cool leather jacket; I'd probably go vintage, but I like the gear Lewis Leathers produce.

What blogs or websites do you read?

Jocks and Nerds (Style magazine)

Another Nickel in the Machine (London history)

Upset the Rhythm (Gig guide)

Davide, right, with Dan from Graham Browne. 

Photos: Luke Carby

A Cleverley Christmas

'Tis the time for Christmas parties, and last week was one of the nicest: drinks at Cleverley. Small shop, good whisky, plenty of us spilling out into the Royal Arcade.

Video by Mike Saunders

Czeslaw Jamrozinski gloves

A reader asked me recently what happened to these gloves. I mentioned in the first post on their maker, Warsaw artisan Czeslaw Jamrozinski, that they take around two weeks to make. He wasn't late, but I was: a queue of posts kept on pushing this back.

So here they are, unlined calf leather gloves made bespoke in Czeslaw's Warsaw workshop, commissioned two months ago during a visit there. The fit is very good, as I hope the pictures illustrate, as is the make. I've always had a hard time finding gloves that fit, so I was always likely to be happy with the result. But then I've also had two other pairs made bespoke and the fit was far worse than this.

I shouldn't have had such a long gauntlet (the wrist section). I thought this would make them stay on the hand better, but in fact the opposite is true - this wants to slide up the hand whenever it can, creating a little looseness in the palm.

The fit is also not perfect. I would add a millimetre or two to the length of the index finger and the thumb. But that's all. And when you're having something made that fits so closely - rather like a waistcoat - you tend to focus on these tiny imperfections.

Overall, a very impressive fit and an extremely good value at about £30. You just need to get to Warsaw to be measured.

Original post with details of Czeslaw Jamrozinski here.