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 is well known for […]
Oxxford Clothes: The “quiet American” suit Read More »
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
Designing a sartorial vacation: “Wool is our hope” Read More »
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
Real men knit…and tie Windsor knots Read More »
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
Trimming the sails: How to alter an oversized shirt Read More »
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. [Video no
British style heritage menswear: Nigel Cabourn, Grenson & Gloverall Read More »
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:
Roman tailoring: Ripense Read More »
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
Designing fabrics: A mill to consumer direct model? Read More »
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
William Halstead: Traditional English mohairs Read More »
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