A period piece or a fantasy film. That’s what you need to make if you want to win an Academy award for best costume design these days. 2013’s nominees comprise an 18th century musical, two 19th century dramas and two takes on the legend of Snow White. “Of course” some might be thinking “you’re not going to win any prizes for dressing the cast in hoodies and trainers.” However, it says a considerable amount about the kind of world … [Read more...]
Tailoring aficionados know that one of the most important parts of the made-to-measure or bespoke process is ‘wearing the suit in.’ A tailor who sends a customer off into the world without apprehension or even a simple ‘see how it goes’ isn’t doing their job properly. If something has been made for your frame, it needs to be worn at least four or five times before a full analysis of the product can be delivered. I have now worn the … [Read more...]
The roll neck jumper (or sweater to our American cousins) has become something of a forgotten item in the gentleman’s wardrobe. When I saw my good friend Barima wearing one recently, it reminded me how practical they are. The vogue in knitwear has concentrated so much on the V –neck and crew-neck varieties that the ‘turtle’ has been rather left behind. It cannot be that it is perceived to be fussier, for the V and crew-necks require a … [Read more...]
“Oh wow!” the lady exclaimed. She was looking through a rack of shoes on sale in a quiet and floral-carpeted ‘olde worlde’ shoe shop, with a mezzotint of George V next to the gilt mirror and an incongruous animal head looming over the cash register. But for the smell of new leather, a thick staleness pervaded the air, and the assistant – a man of advanced years – looked on wistfully through gold-chained spectacles as the shoppers, … [Read more...]
The phone call wasn’t expected. I wasn’t looking at the calendar. I had almost forgotten that 30 days had passed since I went into Massimo Dutti to try their Personal Tailoring service, available exclusively at their Regent Street store. Situated towards the back of the first floor menswear section, passers-by could be excused for mistaking the Personal Tailoring area as merely decorative, so quiet and lacking in function it is on a … [Read more...]
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