This AskAndy thread contains some excellent analysis and brainstorming on the economics of tailoring today. Essentially there are two options: demand stimulation (e.g. better marketing and branding) and supply chain efficiencies (e.g. outsourcing or automation). An example of both would be Kilgour, which has rebranded itself as a luxury apparel brand and introduced a more […]
The future of tailors Read More »
Kilgour has launched a new website. The Savile Row Bespoke, their traditional bespoke offering, entails: 80 hours of work 4,000 baste stitches through the chest Cut, sewn and finished in Savile Row It appears this conforms to the Savile Row Bespoke Code described in an earlier entry.
Kilgour’s new website Read More »
For those considering the bespoke option, this is an excellent AskAndy thread to mull over on the tradeoffs involved between going local (principally New York) v. Savile Row visiting tailors. I enjoyed especially the discussion of Dege & Skinner v. Raphael.
Independent NY tailors v. Savile Row Read More »
Today I came across a couple of links showing photos of Mr. Taylor and a customer going through an initial appointment. Another blogger met with the Taylors earlier this year and took photos of the couple and finished garments lined up on a rack (scroll to the February 1, 2006 entry). On The Fedora Lounge,
More on Jack Taylor Read More »
Almost exactly a year ago I wrote about what one should do on a hypothetical trip to London. Now for a brief report on my actual trip last month. I stayed in Mayfair and did quite a bit of walking along Conduit, Regent, Piccadilly, Burlington Arcade and Jermyn Streets. Here’s a list of shops I
I’ve recently wondered about the rather haphazard legacy of bespoke garments (suits, shoes and the like) and the unfortunate manner of their disposal, often in auctions to the highest bidder. The garments live on in the private collections of aficionados but their power to inspire and enlighten remain hidden to the public eye. Then a
A modest proposal: the archives of men’s tailoring Read More »
Cottage industries have an economic stickiness in the factors of production, particularly in the supply of trained artisans. As a result, they tend to form organically and are difficult replicate (e.g. Savile Row for bespoke suits, Northampton for welted shoes). However, there is an interesting case study of shoemaking excellence in one area (Northampton, England)
Artisanal excellence: UK and Japan Read More »
Recently I started an AskAndy thread on the likelihood of getting things right at the very first fitting of a bespoke suit or jacket. Apparently near perfection does happen occasionally. But the more important discovery is that there are at least two different philosophies on the fitting process. The Savile Row method generally hews to
The philosophy of the ‘first fitting’ and Kilgour’s approach Read More »
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