Wrist Action

There is a pandemic spreading amongst London men. Yet again on the tube the other day I spotted a well dressed, suited and booted, young fellow sporting a load of colourful string and plastic tat around his wrist. This disease seems most contagious among the middle class and privately educated, striking down even the junior sons of House of Windsor.

This wrist tat (WT) is not part of some government scheme to tag parolees, or some ancient symbol of tribal belonging - although in certain cases there is an element of social rehabilitation, by seeking public acknowledgment for the extent of one’s charitable giving.

That said, I can and do understand there is an aesthetic quality brought about by that most useful of sartorial tricks, namely contrast. The combining of the ultra formal and the informal is something all the great dressers have demonstrated at one time or another, whether it be Fred Astaire wearing three piece suiting and button down shirts, or the Duke of Windsor using suede shoes.

I just think if you’re going to introduce a little playful wrist action to your wardrobe there are better ways to do it.

My preference is to go for the military watch and a coloured wrist band. The Forces heritage gives the look anchorage, while adopting coloured bands in obviously synthetic materials provides that devil may care informality. It goes without saying that it works well with casual summer wear, but done with suiting it can work really well.

If authenticity is your thing then England’s Cabot Watch Company (CWC) are the current suppliers of watches to Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, and have been for nearly thirty years. But, they’re not easy to come by outside of the UK. However, a favourite retailer of mine, Smart Turnout do a very reasonable Swiss made watch and have by far and away the best selection of straps, which can be bought individually.

While unlikely to permanently replace your Omega or your vintage Rolex, it is nonetheless another option for playing with contrast.

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Behind Closed Doors

I’ve always thought you can tell a lot about someone’s attitude to dress by what goes on behind closed doors. We can all put on a good display in public, but when no one’s looking that’s when we learn the truth.

As the poet John Keats said; “Whenever I find myself vaporish, I rouse myself, wash and put on a clean shirt, brush my hair and clothes, tie my shoestrings neatly, and in fact Adonisize as if I were going out – then all clean and comfortable I sit back down to write”.

No matter what I’m doing and where I am I always strive to make my best appearance; and like Keats feel better for doing so. For example, I’ve always thought the idea of sleeping naked abhorrent; even boxers and T leave me unenthused. Going to bed in a set of Derek Rose, whatever others may think, I’m content in the knowledge that should I expire in the course of the night I won’t be meeting my maker tackle out.

My other bugbear is having to pad around indoors in socks – and I can’t abide receiving guests as such. This is almost certainly a throwback to my childhood – ours was one of those dreaded shoes off households.

I consider it one of the great joys of running my own house that I can keep my footwear on indoors. Of course this isn’t always the most practical thing, or the most comfortable. For this reason, much to the amusement of all my friends, for the last ten years I’ve sported velvet slippers. Revived recently by Ralph Lauren, I personally won’t dream of wearing them outside of the house in some OTT preppy statement – saying that I have taken to wearing during flights. But for me they’re principally a home comfort.

Often referred to as the Albert (after Queen Victoria’s consort) they are not so much a slipper as house shoe, and are considered acceptable footwear for Black Tie.  Indeed for the English they are the predecessor to the loafer, or rather its acceptability.

Enjoying something of a revival, even the likes of Prada have added them to their collection. Personally, I would stick to Tricker’s (who make their own, with leather lining); Shipton & Heneage (for variety and quilted lining), Heraldic Needlepoint (Regimental Stripes) or Broadlands Slippers (exceptional pricing).

And should you feel that such things might appear effeminate, behind closed doors whose business is it but yours.

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Made-To-Measure Shirts At Diverso

I remember when I first stumbled across London shirtmaker Diverso. It was a few years ago, when my enthusiasm for clothes was still some distance ahead of my knowledge. Shirts with high collars were highly fashionable, but I couldn’t find any at an affordable price. So when I discovered this boutique tucked down one of the alleys of St Christopher’s Place, I was enthralled.

High, two-button cutaway collars, cocktail cuffs and, most mesmerising, a sea of innovations, colours and patterns. My first purchase was a white shirt with a red floral pattern on the collar band, the inside of the cuff and the edge of the placket. My second was a brown-and-white stripe with white collar and cuffs. I have since disposed of both.

But this was the fault of my youthful tastes, rather than the quality of the shirts. The fit was good, nice and slim at a time when that was harder to find. And the quality of the cotton was high. (You! The one singing ‘Summertime’ from Porgy and Bess. Stop it.)

So I was interested when the guys at Diverso, James and Darren, invited me to try their made-to-measure service just before Christmas. This time I went for a more conservative blue Bengal-stripe, with the lowest of their collars (which happens to be exactly the same height as the ‘taller’ collar prescribed to me by Turnbull & Asser bespoke). My only design whim was to opt for a club collar. Because I don’t own one.

An approximate size (‘medium’) was put on me and adjusted in several places. The collar was made smaller, the cuff size reduced and the arms shortened. The last two had been such a problem with my previous purchases that I had ended up shifting the position of the cuff buttons myself to try and tighten them.

Most importantly, the tails were lengthened. Because the problem with fashion shirts is that some men wear them untucked, some tucked. The length is therefore usually a compromise between the two.

Diverso shirts are made at a factory in Italy whose main customer is Dolce & Gabbana main line. James and Darren convinced it to make shirts for them when they travelled to Italy (fresh from leaving university and a job respectively) and pretended to have financial backing. A successful, cult shop in Fulham later, they moved to St Christopher’s Place and are now contemplating expansion. Wholesale carries Diverso shirts in the south-east, Birmingham and Nigeria, amongst others.

When the shirt came back two weeks later I have to say I was impressed. The collar, body and arms fit well. I was pleased that I opted for just one button on the collar, as this makes its height less noticeable. If I was to niggle, I’d probably have the cuffs a little bit tighter. But overall it was a good first job.

Worth a look, particularly if your tastes in shirts (or ties, or polos) are more adventurous than mine.

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A Week Of Extremes: Salvatore Ambrosi And Weadmire.net

Last week was a bit of mixed bag.

I was hoping to provide a post on Salvatore Ambrois. If you’re one of those fellows who frequents the London Lounge Salvatore will need little introduction. However, until a few months ago I hadn’t heard of him, but he joined BespokeMe’s Facebook Group and a little research later I soon discovered that Salvatore was something of a legend. He and his father are regarded as amongst the finest bespoke trouser makers in the world, if not the finest.

Based in Naples, like most tailors Salvatore travels to Europe and America to meet clients. Last week he was due in London, and having received notice via Facebook I thought I’d go and interview him. Unfortunately Facebook is the primary means of dealing with Salvatore and for all it’s benefits it’s not the best way to organise a rendezvous. But, I went with the flow. You guessed it; I got the right hotel but no Salvatore. So, until I can catch up with him on his next visit this video will have to suffice by way of introduction.

Last week I took delivery of a T-shirt from Weadmire.net, a company based in the East End of London I mentioned before Christmas. Not exactly high end bespoke tailoring, nonetheless if you wear T-shirts I reckon these guys provide some of the most innovative designs going. This stems from Theo Stegers desire to provide T-shirts that mean something to the people that wear them. As the name suggests, this means things and people we admire.

I needed a gift for an Aussie mate who lives in T-shirts. Theo and his chaps did a one off design featuring cricketer David Boon. The design even features Boons legendary 1989 Ashes series record for drinking 52 cans of beer on one flight from Oz to London. My mate was over the moon with the design, and so it seems was Theo and his team. The T-shirt, inspired by my idea, is now available to the public. I suspect this is the closest I’ll ever come to being an influence upon the fashion industry.

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Cifonelli: Bespoke In The 21st Century

The last issue of the Big Black Book  (Fall 2009) featured a very interesting  illustrated article called The Revisionists, in which a thoroughly relevant question is asked: Is it possible to rethink or reinvent the suit without ruining it?

This article outlines the views of four very different key figures of masculine fashion on the subject.

Dries Van Noten believes that the evolution of classic menswear occurs through unlikely juxtapositions of fabrics, patterns and colors. Kim Jones (Dunhill) emphasizes the importance of using modern fabrics created with new technologies developed by fabric factories (e.g. traditional fabric blended with, for instance, non-crease mohair from Cambedoo, in South Africa).

For Morenzo Ferrari (Avenza) evolving means questioning the traditional construction process (goodbye lining and padding). Patrick Grant (Norton & Sons and E. Tautz) is adamant about the importance of new accessories to revamp masculine outfits - shirt collars, new tie knots, stylish pocket squares -and encouraging gents to express themselves with a seamless mastery of the basics of classic elegance, and not just suits.

Lorenzo and Massimo Cifonelli obviously have a say in the matter with the recent creation of an entire line of sports jackets that is particularly bold and innovative in terms of cuts and finish.

It is paramount to mention that the magnificent creations below are strictly Bespoke at Cifonelli and that they were designed for inspiration only. Sources tell us that this exceptional collection has reached its goal and brought Cifonelli to new clients who responded to both their classic construction and visual originality (“classic with a twist”).

Here they are, for your viewing pleasure. I trust that you style aficionados will enjoy these classic sports jackets, as they were revamped by the noble Rue Marbeuf label.

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