Is Bespoke Always Better?

I spotted this jacket on a recent visit to Nino’s. I liked it straight away. Made in Italy it’s pure linen with a floating canvas, working button holes, satin lined and hand finished. I also like the contrasting dark brown piping on the pockets and stitching around the button holes.

When Nino told me the price of £560 I instantly thought, ‘But it’s not bespoke. Is it worth it?” I suspect my reaction would be a common one.  Perhaps the real question is, am I right to think that way?

I once put this issue to Adrian Holdsworth, the owner of luxury menswear shop Volpe in Pimlico. His core business is off the peg and made to measure suits which range from £450 right up to £2000. Revealingly he says his customers want shape and comfort, minus the fussiness of bespoke. He also made the point that, “the internal construction of a [English] bespoke suit can be too heavy. Many tailors aren’t used to working with fewer layers, lighter interlining and lighter horse hair. As such a traditional solid construction doesn’t always lend itself to lighter weight fabrics”. He makes a good point and one I’ve heard before.

There is another angle to consider. Where I would see possibility in choosing lapel widths and shape, linings, cloth types and weights, padding types and more, others may simply see a mine field. These men aren’t lesser beings for not knowing. They just want to look good and have someone remove the head aches for them.

Does everybody need bespoke? If you have a fairly standard body shape then in terms of fit you’re unlikely to notice the difference between one of Nino’s jackets and one you had made. The jacket above has a beautiful silhouette, high arm holes and narrow sleeves. What more could you ask for?

I suppose the real point is that it doesn’t matter whether you have a wardrobe full of bespoke or none at all. Provided what you do buy is well made, fits properly and suits you, you can class yourself a well dressed man.

A Tour Around Milan

As anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit Milan will tell you, the city is not all fashion. There are several old and new stores worth the visit for those interested in classic menswear.

By reputation, the city’s three stand-out establishments for tradition and quality are Bardelli, Neglia and Tincati. However, each offers something quite different – as I discovered recently.

Neglia is the destination for Milanese men looking to the best in English and American imports. So the shoes are Church’s and Edward Green, the umbrellas and the bags from Brigg, the suits in the window from Ralph Lauren, and half of the ties from Drake’s. So while there are also top-class Italian names like Brioni and Kiton, and Neglia’s new and expanded own-label suits, the shop does not offer much to the international visitor that he can’t get elsewhere. The one exception is probably Incotex trousers – their cords pictured below.

M Bardelli is very different. One of the oldest men’s clothing establishments in Milan, it could safely claim to be the definition of Milanese style – classic, formal, with heavy English influences. Particularly prevalent (this season at least) are sports jackets in grey and brown checks and strongly striped shirts. As well as woollen ties in club stripes, which are ubiquitous for Autumn/Winter in Milan. While not necessarily inspirational, it is the base from which Milan can be understood.

Tincati is smaller, more refined and idiosyncractic. Very lightweight raincoats, woven belts and soft thin knitwear, it also has a dedicated area at the back from bespoke orders. Certainly worth a look.

Of more modern, quirky establishments, Al Bazar is the standout. Located outside the centre (a couple of streets from Bardelli), it is a treasure trove of items collected under the aesthetic of one man – Lino Leluzzi. More on Al Bazar on Permanent Style next week.

The greatest joy, however, is discovering less well-known shops. Like Piombo, just off the Golden Triangle, which had the most lovely unlined, washed cashmere green blazer (and one of their colour combinations is below). Or Rivolta, the old Milanese shoemaker that has recently relaunched with a model for making bespoke shoes purely off an electronic scan of your feet (a longer feature, again, is on Permanent Style). Larusmiani is also worth a look. It is an ultra luxurious menswear store on Via Montenapoleone that reminds me of Kiton before it grew. An old name in Milan, it is surrounded by fashion houses but retains a very particular character.

Anything else worth mentioning? The Etro sale store on Via Spartaco (50% of this season, 75% of the last); absolutely gorgeous and well-cut knits at Red and Blue, which looks more like it is called Fedeli (the brand of clothes sold); and Doriani for similar knitwear reasons. Oh, and go have lunch in the café at Corso Como (below), then wander around the shop inside – a great menagerie of brands.

It was also two days, but it feels like there’s so much more to tell.

In Support Of The Independent Retailer

I ought to start my first column by thanking the team of MensFlair for inviting me onboard. I’m looking forward to working with them, and writing for you.

So what might you expect from me? Well, my passion is independent menswear retailers, and I spend much of my time trying to track them down. You might be thinking I’m just another scribbler advocating bespoke. Not true.

There are basically three types of independent retailer:

-The Craftsman;

-The Designer/Enthusiast; and

-The Collector

Seeking out a few of each will vastly improve your wardrobe and better help you find your own look –a key requirement to achieving that classification of ‘a well dressed man’.

Craftsman are your bespoke tailors, made to measure shirt makers, bespoke shoe makers, hatters and jewellers etc. Their virtue is obvious, you get garments perfectly suited to your taste and physiology. Handwork, purity of material, tradition, skill and love of job are the craftsman’s hallmarks –and the characteristics of a beautiful wardrobe.

If you do some research craftsmen aren’t ruinously expensive. Thomas Pink will sell you an off the peg mass produced shirt for £69. For the same price Stephan Haroutunian – a second generation shirt maker – will make you a shirt (no minimum order), with the finest, softest collar I’ve yet found.

The designer/enthusiast is perhaps my favourite category of independent. These are men on a mission. They love clothes and despair of high street offerings. They want something better. Putting inspirations to paper they go out and find manufacturers to make it happen. Above all they produce clothes they themselves want to own, which often means a high standard of quality.

A fine example of this is Albam founded by James Shaw and Alistair Rae. Their motto is ‘Modern Crafted Clothing’ and they go to inordinate lengths to find British manufacturers. But the agenda of the designer/enthusiast can be anything from recreating a particular look, as in the case of Adam Shener and his perfectly tailored mod suits, to providing Italian inspired luxury menswear for a reasonable price like Adrian Holdsworth at Volpe (in Pimlico). What they all have in common is their clothes are original, limited edition, of a better quality and at a farer price than the high street.

Last is the collector. These guys don’t design, nor do they make their own clothes. Instead they stock other people’s and with them define a look. Neil Crowe at Palmers simply tries to stock a simple core wardrobe of well made clothes: RM Williams jeans and boots, Sebago deck shoes, Eton shirts and a host of lesser known continental brands. At the opposite end of the scale is John Simons who is a legend for his soft shoulder suits, Bill’s Khakis, Pendletons, everything to enable an authentic Ivy League look.

If you worry about putting clothes together then shops like these are a godsend; if you like the look the more you buy the more complete and harmonious will your wardrobe be.

The final point to consider is that success in the mass market means working towards the lowest common denominator. This is never so apparent than in the case of customer service and the shopping experience. The owner of an independent isn’t some sixteen year old on minimum wage itching to knock off; he’s proud of his shop, his kit and wants you to enjoy your experience –and come back. Every independent shop bears the imprint of the owner’s character upon it. This can mean Frank Sinatra singing in the background or being asked if you like a cup of coffee when you enter the shop. Shopping can become a real pleasure.

Taking the time to find half a dozen independent retailers will vastly improve your wardrobe, and may actually result in you enjoying the act of shopping.

Halloween Costumes

A couple of years ago, I made some suggestions to readers on the subject of Halloween fancy dress. A friend who had read the article told me that he agreed with me on the characters I had suggested but warned me that I was being rather too traditional, and perhaps a little naïve in my suggestions. Apparently, as Halloween parties are now so popular, and passé, in the western world, particularly in the United States of America, the old fashioned practice of appearing as classic gothic or horror associated ‘characters’ is on the wane.

An American friend recently told me that almost anything passes as a Halloween outfit these days, as long as it is recognisable. Characters from generic television dramas, grinning sports personalities and rather harmless looking stars from stage and screen. A favourite outfit for young women; the Playboy bunny. As much fun as joining a room full of unconnected and attractive characters from popular culture is, it’s not really in the interest of the gentleman of style to part completely with custom. Though dressing up as Clark Gable may sound enticing, the style man needs to stand firm with his flag of tradition.

Phantom of the Opera

Gothic horror stories are the bread and butter of Halloween. Gaston Leroux’s tale, a judgment on the cruel superficiality of humankind, bombed as a text but it has become one of the most famous stories of all time thanks to the many film and stage adaptations. Appearing as the Phantom is an excellent choice for a stylish gentleman. It involves little investment beyond a facial mask and perhaps a cape – everything else, he is likely to possess in his own wardrobe. The ideal way to do it is to wear an evening tailcoat, with matching trousers and a wing collar shirt. The waistcoat could be white or black, but should be of a low break and the neckwear could be simple – a white bow tie – or it could be more dramatic; try tying a black silk scarf into a large floppy bow around your neck.

Jack the Ripper

One of the most famous criminals of all time, Jack was the original Ripper. His serial killings mystified Victorian society but it is his status as the greatest murderer who was never caught that has given rise to the conspiracies, the theories, the horror and the legend. Modern thinkers are convinced that the Ripper was an anonymous nutcase of feeble education. More significant to the man of style are the popular representations of the Ripper as a Victorian gentleman like Sir William Gull, the royal physician, or even the heir to the throne himself, Prince Albert Victor, who have ensured that the dark shadow that looms over Whitechapel wears a top hat and an Inverness cape. In addition to these items, white tie with a smattering of wash-off fake blood could be worn (pour the fake blood into a water pistol and squirt from a distance to get the ‘genuine jugular’ look). Carrying a surgeons knife is going a little too far so spook the outfit further by wearing some absinthe-coloured round spectacles.

Dorian Gray

Nothing much needs to be written of Gray. He is everywhere. He is the perfect representation of the vanity of humankind. About him, no words are more apt than these; “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Wilde’s character, as beautiful as he appears, is the embodiment of evil and as such has some of the highest Halloween credentials. The man of style would also be relieved to learn that to appear as Gray requires very little in the way of expensive costume addition. The goal should be to appear as a late Victorian fop; a cravat, wing collar, waistcoat, pocket watch and perhaps a velvet jacket. Placing a rather ancient looking key on a chain and wearing it as a necklace adds a vital prop, aside from that there is very little else to do except to beautify yourself and attempt to look as young and attractive as possible. Another option, to make your character choice more obvious, is to paint one half of your face in rather gruesome decay, leaving the other half quite pure. To make this work properly, you will need a make-up assistant of considerable skill.

Observations From Milan

Milan has the most consistently, classicly elegant men in the world.

This is not necessarily a good thing. Many, in the fashion industry in particular, criticise Milanese men for a conservatism that is dull and impersonal. They all dress the same; they all dress like their fathers; they all wear the same goddamn blue tie.

A more balanced view comes from Michael Drake, of Drake’s ties in London: “Italy has a bigger, more consistent conservative establishment than most other places in the world. That is why our ties sell well there – men have similar views about classic style and investing in quality. It is an international style, that can go anywhere in the world and be recognised.”

Britain, for all its history, does not have this. The establishment is less conservative, less cohesive and less interested in clothes. Advocates praise British eccentricity and creativity – perhaps demonstrated by Paul Smith. And to a young man growing up in Milan it’s easy to see how that would be a breath of fresh air.

But to those of us outside Milan, and passionate about classic men’s style, the gentlemen of that city are an inspiration. Here are some observations from a few days spent there last week.

The strength of colours stands out immediately. Brighter light and darker skin make them easier to wear – but it is the strong dark colours that particularly inspire. An attendant in one store described their new range as containing “jackets with a Neapolitan shoulder in the classic colours – blue, brown, green”. Green as a standard jacket colour? But there it was, in several stores – as an odd jacket, unlined, in a deep forest green (sometimes with white buttons).

The combinations of colours were also strong. Every jacket displayed has a pocket handkerchief, with the pairings including brown/lilac, navy/mint and brown/sky blue. The handkerchief coming second in that list, of course.

As reflected in my previous observation The Italian Background, there are more navy ties in Milan than any other colour. They are silk, wool and linen, plain, striped and spotted; but they are all navy. This allows greater adventure in jackets and suits – several men wore great tan-gabardine suits; I saw two purple-cashmere odd jackets; linen was often navy but surprisingly common. Equally, the pocket handkerchief was probably more likely to be bright and patterned than the tie.

Other observations include fitted sweaters – even in old, conservative establishments the sweaters were short and slim at the waist (I recommend Red & Blue in particular). And the length of the rear blade of a tie is almost irrelevant compared to the length of the front, which must always finish at the top of the trousers – the back can be longer, tuck into the trousers or hang at the same length on its own.

There are, of course, many badly dressed men in Milan. If the proportion of British men that I consider well-dressed (in my very personal, subjective taste) is one in fifty, in Milan it is one in ten. But that’s still a lot more inspiration.

Look out for the next post, on recommended shops.