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.

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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.

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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.

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Stingy Always Pays Twice

Still gleaming over my recent Lardini find, I decided to order more clothes from Yoox’s Final Sale. I settled on three jackets and a pair of jeans, all by makers unknown to me. The prices were cheap, however, so I decided to proceed with the purchases, against my better judgment, and entered my credit card information.

When the items arrived, my excitement turned to sadness. First jacket by a company called Tonello, while in my size, was at least a size too small; no alterations would allow it to fit properly. The second jacket by a company called Deuxieme, suffered from the same problem. I am no body builder, but these Italian fashion designer labels are not meant to fit grown men. The third jacket by Messagerie was too roomy and will require at least $50 worth of alterations (sides taken in, extra fabric taken from the back, faux buttons opened), where the original price of $55 is no longer enticing. As a result, I decided to sell the jackets. I will keep the jeans by Patrizia Pepe, but this is the first and last time I will buy fashion jeans. It will take a while for me to be able to comfortably wear them in public without thinking of Bruno, but my fiancée likes them, so the worst I can do is to make her happy.

What made the matters worse is that the sale of my merchandise was final.  I am out $312, no big deal, but I could have spent the money in a wiser manner. The “likes” of Messagerie, Tonello, and Deuxieme are not exactly household names, and I should have been much more discerning as a buyer rather than rely on cheap prices, especially when there is a perfectly fitting mainline Zegna jacket available at my local Saks for $299.

Overall, this experience taught me a valuable lesson: don’t buy clothes because they are on sale but buy them because you like them and they will fit you well. Hence the saying my great grandmother always used to say resonated in my brain: the stingy always pays twice.

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The Coat Project 4

I had the first fitting last week for my bespoke overcoat – a traditional polo coat in camel hair, with the addition of a full-length pleat in the back that can be adjusted depending on what is worn underneath. (See previous instalment here.)

Earlier in the week I had seen a very similar model in Larusmiani of Milan. But though that had a full-length pleat, it was sewn together underneath the belt, which was not adjustable. Full marks for style, not so much on the practicality.

In an English September still enjoying 23-degree heat, the coat felt like a duvet (even with one arm missing). While the camel hair is very soft and has a lovely handle, it is also spongier than cashmere and can more easily resemble a tough (though luxurious) blanket.

Normally, tailors would make the coat one-and-a-half sizes bigger than a customer’s suit. My tailor Russell at Graham Browne had gone for just one size bigger, yet it was still a little large around the waist even on the smallest setting. I put this down to the extra material of the pleat; we took quite a few tucks in the cloth and it will be ripped down and recut for a second basted fitting.

The coat was also slightly longer than I expected, but I think this was an optical illusion created by the slight flare Russell had included, to make sure it was comfortable to walk in when fastened on the smallest setting. We took that in a bit too.

The split sleeve is a tailoring skill that is nice to show off, with the shoulder seam joining the sleeve seam to form one continuous line. But I think it also complements the style of the coat overall, something that will be particularly shown by the raised seams once the coat reaches its next stage.

I was interested to see that the canvas extends down the whole length of the coat, from chest to bottom seam. Apparently that not only adds shape but is essential for the lining and front seam to affix to. Most ready-to-wear coats will not include a full-length canvas, but rather a fused cotton layer from the bottom of the chest downwards.

Next basted fitting at the beginning of next week, though there is likely to be little to report except our struggles to get the fit right with the pleat. Perhaps just some nice photos.

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