The Guide to Performance Shirtings
March 1st 2019Performance fabrics are very in. Every retailer seems to be offering travel shirts that resist wrinkling, staining or soaking. Fans of classic clothing are usually sceptical about such fabrics. This is largely because they can seem like a ...
The Guide to Performance Shirtings
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Personally I really don't mind having slightly wrinkled shirts, though I rarely travel with menswear so it never gets all that bad. In the case of linen, I quite like the rumpled and typical look of it. Unfortunately not...
The Joshua Ellis mill: Factory visit
February 15th 2019The Joshua Ellis mill is just outside Batley. That’s not a name many readers will associate with British cloth. They’re more likely to know Huddersfield for suits, or Scotland for tweed and cashmere, and with the recent popularly of Fox,...
The Joshua Ellis mill: Factory visit
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For a scarf? Yes I do think Begg is superior, but it's small and also varies with the materials used - eg Begg scarf in a cashmere/wool mix or in a different weight or weave wouldn't be as soft as one elsewhere. Often th...
Milano Unica: My first visit to the cloth fair
February 11th 2019They said Milano Unica was like Pitti without the peacocks. That was partly true. Certainly, there are no photographers, so even though many of the same people visit Milano Unica (MU), they're not on display. Everyone is noticeably more relaxed: the...
Milano Unica: My first visit to the cloth fair
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Oh good, nice to know thanks George...
Olive-green corduroy suit – from Ettore de ...
December 28th 2018You know when you think you’re not part of a trend, and then see everyone wearing the same thing? As a clothing snob that likes to think he’s different to everyone else, it’s very annoying. I had admired Michael Hill’s green-...
Olive-green corduroy suit – from Ettore de ...
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Okay, I will be looking forward to it....
The guide to overcoating cloths
December 17th 2018When selecting a cloth for an overcoat, what should you look for? This might seem like a pretty easy question: you want warmth. That’s what an overcoat is for. But how much warmth, and where it comes from, are not straightforward. As...
The guide to overcoating cloths
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I think a grey herringbone would be lovely, RSH, and fit the bill on all those counts...
The best cloths of Autumn/Winter 2018
October 19th 2018This is the second post we've done highlighting our favourite cloths from new seasonal bunches. The first, on Spring/Summer 2018, is here. Unfortunately the bunches come in late in the season, but there's still probably time to use these recommendat...
The guide to cashmere and precious fibres
October 1st 2018Luxury fibres like cashmere or vicuna can make lovely, indulgent cloths for sports jackets. Having mostly stuck to linen, tweed or related mixes in recent years, I recently commissioned a jacket in 100% cashmere (from Eduardo de Simone) and it’...
The guide to cashmere and precious fibres
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I guess if it's for trousers, Simon, make sure the material feels as dense as a normal flannel, so it will hold a sharp crease...
Paris: Lafayette Saltiel, Kenjiro Suzuki, Atelier...
September 19th 2018Samuel Gassmann Last week I was in Paris for two days, catching up with old friends and artisans, and seeing a few new ones. One of the most interesting things was an interview with Lyne Cohen Solal, the new head of the Institut National Metiers d&r...
Paris: Lafayette Saltiel, Kenjiro Suzuki, Atelier...
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I think Kenjiro Suzuki has closed his business. His instagram is down, and I came by the shop the other day, it was closed at 11am....
Suit Style 5: Selecting colour and pattern
August 10th 2018This is part of a long-running series of articles known as the Guide to Suit Style, covering everything from the number of buttons on a suit to the difference between made-to-measure and bespoke. It will continue to be added to over the next few ...
Suit Style 5: Selecting colour and pattern
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I think you're pretty covered, but have a look at what's recommended in this article on five business suits. Plus comments of course...
Popular at the pop-up: Hollywood tops, linen shir...
July 25th 2018Given the heat at the moment in London, it shouldn’t be surprising that linen is the most attractive thing in the pop-up up shop, which has been going wonderfully so far. Edward Sexton’s Hollywood-top trousers (above) have been particula...
Popular at the pop-up: Hollywood tops, linen shir...
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For suits really, or trousers. I wouldn't wear any of the high-twists like this (fresco, crispaire, fox air etc) as separate jackets...
A guide to linen bunches – 2018
June 15th 2018This is the second in our series presenting all the cloth bunches currently available for bespoke, summarising what they contain and picking out our favourites. The summaries should help determine which bunches readers need to see, or request. And t...
A guide to linen bunches – 2018
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Even if it's 4 years old, very helpful, this and the "Guide to Cloth" I mean. Thank you, Simon & James, especially for mentioning Dugdale. On their website I saw linen cloth with beautiful colors and patterns, it giv...
The Guide to Linen
May 28th 2018Linen has long been a favourite for tailoring intended for hot weather. Its prime appeal is it’s cool to the touch (a lot more than wool, and a little more than cotton) because the fibre is a good conductor. Metal feels cool for the same re...
The Guide to Linen
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No worries. As you can see from the comments here, there's quite a few questions answered in this area (though not your one). If you have a future query, often worth doing a 'fine in page' search on your browser to see i...
The best cloths of Spring/Summer 2018
April 16th 2018Great as our Guide to Cloth series is, it deliberately doesn’t recommend specific cloths in specific bunches. This is largely because bunches change regularly (sometimes every six months) and if we did, the Guide would quickly be out of date. ...
The best cloths of Spring/Summer 2018
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It depends a lot on the trouser. With high-twist wools, no. With flannel or tailoring cottons, yes quite a lot...
The Guide to Tweed
April 2nd 2018In many ways, tweed should be the perfect material for a modern man. It is practical, hard wearing, and can be dressed up or down, from almost-formal to definitely-casual. On the formal side, a navy tweed jacket, grey worsted trousers and button-dow...
The Guide to Tweed
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Hi there, You're best contacting the local government in Donegal, or Donegal Yarns, the spinner in the area. Thanks...
Fox re-weave my ecru cavalry twill
February 12th 2018*Cloth now sold out. Fox are taking pre-orders for the next batch* At our pop-up shop back in April 2017, Fox Brothers brought up some vintage bolts to offer readers, including a rather beautiful ecru cavalry twill. I bought a length myself, and s...
Fox re-weave my ecru cavalry twill
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No, sorry Daniel. I really recommend the Zegna cloth that Pommella sells though - have you seen that?...
The Guide to Flannel
December 18th 2017A couple of years ago, a friend asked me for advice on dressing down his normal suit-and-tie wardrobe. Like many men, he wore suits (in worsted wool) to the office, and jeans or chinos at the weekend. The office was becoming more casual, however, and...
The Guide to Flannel
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Feel free to experiment, just keep in mind that you can't change the pockets later (unlike turn-ups for example) which is one reason I often err on the safe side...
Caccioppoli, cloth merchant of Naples
September 11th 2017Caccioppoli, the Italian cloth merchant, was Jamie’s favourite place to photograph when we visited Naples over the summer. The aesthetic appeal is not immediately obvious. The Caccioppoli building is big, taking up most of the city block and c...
Caccioppoli, cloth merchant of Naples
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Hey, I don't and it's unlikely it would be available anymore, but I think it's very similar to this one?...
The guide to summer jacket cloths
July 24th 2017In some ways, summer trousers are more challenging than jackets in terms of cloth, and therefore more interesting. Trousers present the challenge of having something cool, but with enough body or crispness to hang straight. Jackets are les...
The guide to summer jacket cloths
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I would look at jacketing materials - hopsack or mock leno - not suiting materials like those high twists you mention...
Olive covert-cloth suit, from Sartoria Vergallo
May 31st 2017It's hard not to feel that the future of the suit lies in more practical cloths than the fine worsteds of the past 30 years. We may move towards a situation where these cloths will be reserved for formal wear, while everyday suits and jackets are ma...
Olive covert-cloth suit, from Sartoria Vergallo
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I like Vergallo, particularly for value - they do a great suit. The style isn't one I've taken to particularly over the years though, and budget isn't that much of a factor for me any more...
Japanese craft in Kyoto: Hosoo, Kaikado, Kohchosa...
April 21st 2017When I was in Japan at the end of last year, I was keen to see not just menswear crafts, but traditional crafts in other areas as well. Previous articles on swordmaker Sasuke and kimono maker Motoji attest to some of that, but there were also three ...
Japanese craft in Kyoto: Hosoo, Kaikado, Kohchosa...
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You've always been ahead of the curve, Simon: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/02/t-magazine/tiina-store-sonya-park-arts-science.html...
Superfines: The story of refining wool
March 9th 2017Pop-up shop update: Sartoria Formosa are in the shop today, Friday and Saturday. Gennaro Formosa is on site, together with Gianluca Migliarotti – director of the ‘O Mast’ film among other things There was a ti...
Superfines: The story of refining wool
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I came across this article when looking to understand what a 14 micron wool sports jacket was, and it was exactly what I needed. What an ignorant and foolish comment!...
Fox Brothers vintage cloth – available in t...
March 3rd 2017Shop update: Sartoria Solito and Luca Avitabile shirts will be in the shop today and tomorrow for a trunk show. They're pretty full already, but if you want to try and make an appointment, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Fox Brothers vintage cloth – available in t...
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No, not at all Nick. Often the opposite - vintage clothes were often woven more densely and so are stronger. Not always of course though, and I'm sure there are more delicate cloths that won't age as well...
The ‘Guide to Cloth’ microsite
January 27th 2017Someone asked me the other day when I'm going to run out of things to write about. To be honest I have yet to have that problem - there's usually too much rather than too little. But as one writes more (1612 posts and counting) it's nice to work on...
The ‘Guide to Cloth’ microsite
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Good question. It will appear as a main post as well. The microsite is more a grouping of relevant posts - and an easy place to link to for references...
The guide to cloth: Weaves and designs
January 23rd 2017The next in our series on Cloth is a guide to weaves and to designs. As with the A-Z this is meant as a reference tool, which we will link to as we publish more detailed pieces about trousers, jackets or overcoats. When we describe the benefits of ga...
The guide to cloth: Weaves and designs
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I'm not sure Ahmed, I think so perhaps, like Bedford cord but not cotton. I suspect it wouldn't be great for a jacket though, as it would be quite dense like a cavalry twill or whipcord, but it is hard to say without any...
The A-Z of cloth
November 11th 2016As the next post in our series The Guide to Cloth, we have put together a glossary of cloth-related terms, covering everything from different animal fibres and their properties, to the various stages of spinning and finishing. This took a lot of wor...
The A-Z of cloth
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Hey, nice to hear from you. I don't really ever wear or recommend very stretchy fabrics. You'd really only get that with something that had artificial stretch in it I think...
