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 […]
New cloth acquisitions Read More »
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
A grand tour of British heritage menswear and makes Read More »
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
Winter accessories: Scores of scarves Read More »
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
Kilgour update: Luxe Savile Row and rethinking cottons 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 »
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 »
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
Freddy Vandecasteele: The cool, unsung virtues of voile Read More »
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