Reader Question: Taking Pictures To The Tailors

Amrit: Simon,  I am new to your blog but have read your experiences with your Hong Kong tailor with great interest. I really like the double-breated suit by E Tautz in a recent post as well and was wondering to what extent it is advisable to show such pictures of suits you like to tailors

The short answer, Amrit, is that it is very helpful but should be no substitute for personal research.

A picture is useful because it answers questions that the tailor may forget to ask you or you may forget to tell him. It may also help steer him away from a house style. But if you’re not careful, he may take too many cues from that photo – you have to tell him what you don’t want as well!

Let’s start with an example. The E Tautz suit you like (link) is quite shaped, nipped in at the waist with a jacket slightly on the short side. The trousers are also very short and the sleeves are pretty narrow.

If you go to a tailor and give him a long list of requirements – 4×4 fastening, three-inch drop to the lapel from the shoulder seam, 2.5-inch wide lapel, patch pockets (side and chest), working cuffs, half-lined, one rear (buttoned) pocket on the trousers, slanted side pockets on the trousers, roped shoulder, flat-front trousers, uncuffed – you may feel you’ve covered everything he could possibly want to know. It’s such a long list.

But you’ve forgotten to mention the jacket length. He doesn’t know, forgot to ask (perhaps because he has a standard he normally works to) and now can’t ask you. But he has the photo. So he can check that, get an idea of your aesthetic and go for something close.

Having a photo is also useful to avoid that house style or standard that he might work to. Asian suits, for example, tend to be boxy, big in the waist and wide of trouser. If you don’t specify a width to the trousers, he might cut them pretty wide. And even if you’ve specified a width, he might tend towards the more conventional (his conventions) to be on the safe side. Having an image reinforces your point of view and helps convince him that you know what you want.

Give him this photo and you will not get a suit in a typical Asian cut.

However, check carefully for things in the picture you may not want. I commissioned a Norfolk blazer (an invention, really) a while back from my tailor in Hong Kong, and gave him an image to get an idea of the belt I required (link). Unfortunately, he also copied the front corners of the jacket – making them square rather than rounded. That had to be changed at late notice.

Equally with this suit, I doubt you want your trousers quite that short. They’re not even resting on the shoe; they’re a good inch above. Have you thought about whether you want your breast pocket to be patch as well? It’s not a style I like.

So use a picture, yes. But look at it very carefully and make sure you know what you don’t want from that style. There’s no substitute for personal research and knowledge.

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Reader Question: Packing For A Trip

Adam: Can you offer some advice on packing for traveling and extended holidays? I will be on a 10-week holiday in western Europe this late summer-fall. I am at a loss as to how many sport coats, shoes etc I should pack. I know that I will be able to do laundry, which helps with some trousers and shirts. Given your obvious propensity for rigor and depth, the type and degree of information I am looking for would be something like: Can you recommend a shoe that is suitable for traveling and walking through museums etc. a lot? Some days will be touristy, while others are less packed. How does one look cool, wear cool shoes and not wear down shoes or kill one’s feet? Trainers/converse just won’t do. (Other questions: how many shoes? Should I bring my polish kit?)

Wow, that’s a lot of questions Adam. Specific advice on what you should take would require more information though – on your taste, formality of dinners or evening events etc. But I can certainly pass on some advice.

First, once you’re away for more than two weeks it doesn’t matter how long you’re away for. The amount of clothes is the same. You just have to look after them better and wash more.

Next, the key to shoes and jackets is to take a range that is flexible and, together, will fit any situation. So, for jackets I would take something like: navy cashmere blazer, checked sports coat (in perhaps a pale grey ground) and a corduroy or Harrington jacket.

The idea is that the blazer would be smart enough for anything, bar the opera; and the corduroy would be rough enough for anything (walk home across a field from a country pub, perhaps). In between these two extremes, they provide variety. And they can be alternated during the day as well – donning the blazer for a nice dinner out, for example.

Three is also a good number for shoes. You need at least two, so they can be alternated every day, and three means they can also be changed in the evening if they’ve had heavy wear.

Again, you want to cover all your bases. So at one end, perhaps a smart pair of Oxford lace-ups in chocolate calf, at the other a pair of desert boots in biscuit suede, and in between something for variety – monk-straps, perhaps, or slip-ons for easy days at the hotel.

These will cover all eventualities unless you want to go running, hiking, to the beach or to a business meeting. Unless there are any formal evening events, you won’t need black shoes. And the desert boots will be rough and ready enough for that walk back from the pub.

As to your more specific questions, a good pair of well-fitting leather shoes should be the best thing to walk around in all day. Lace-ups support you better than slip-ons or boots. And you probably won’t need your shoe-polish kit. Just brush the shoes down every day after you’ve worn them and take at least one pair of travel shoe trees, to put in after you’ve brushed them.

Make good use of good dry cleaners and cobblers where you are staying, and give all of your clothes some love when you get back home.

Any more specific questions, let me know. And enjoy your trip!

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Autumn Tactics

Readers south of the equator will have to excuse the ‘timing’ of this article; it is biased. Even readers north of the equator might consider it a little premature. After all, we are yet to see the end of summer; the yachts are still bobbing, the barbecues still smoking, and yet I am already writing of the autumn. However, I believe in preparation. Although it might be a little depressing to flick through the new season’s wools and cashmere the sooner it is confronted, the sooner the shock will pass. Some time needs to be given to wardrobe changes, additions and subtractions need to be made, and in some cases, our rib n’ burger fatted bodies will need a re-evaluation with the tape measure.

I have compiled a list of four items I have considered - paying a little attention to the upcoming trends, much more attention to the overall aesthetic - as good investments for the coming season.

The suit: Three Piece Suit

While I am definitely a fan of odd waistcoats, nothing quite beats the majesty and impact of a waistcoat worn as part of a suit. Enough has been written of the flattering effect of waistcoats, and of the practical, but the thing that should be reiterated is that a three piece suit will upgrade almost anything you wear with it; it makes one look ‘tailored’ and refreshingly ‘buttoned-up’ in an increasingly casual world. It is important to remember to break up the fabric monotony with a pocket square and the more eccentric may wish to add a rather dandy silver-chained pocket-watch although you should remember not to wear a wristwatch when you do so.

The occasion: The Velvet Jacket

Evening jackets are very different to day jackets. And as the days turn darker, there’s even more of a division. Texture is a useful quality when we begin to layer our clothing a little more and velvet is the perfect foil for dreary grey evenings. Even with a plain shirt and trousers, the VJ will make you look like you have made a decent effort for that after-work cocktail party. Look out for the rakish shawl collared versions that are slowly appearing in the shops. Traditionally made in burgundy, deep blue or black, the VJ can easily be worn with denim.

The everyday: The Corduroy Jacket

If you think wearing a tweed jacket shouts ‘I know stats!’ you might wish to opt for a corduroy jacket. Both are perfect for the bookish, Ivy Leaguey autumn casual looks but corduroy is definitely the ‘younger’ jacket. When it begins to look battered, like a Barbour, it simply looks better. The matt texture allows for great contrasting with, for example, a paisley bow tie or a silk polka dot pocket square. It’s a robust old thing so it will be hard-wearing as well as warm. Dark brown is common, if not a little boring. Try navy blue, mustard or slate grey.

The versatile shoe: The Monkstrap

I love my lace up Oxfords but my ‘friend’ shoes – the ones I always rely on at times of indecision – are generally slip-ons. The monkstrap is not officially a slip-on but the more it gets used, the more likely it is that the strap will remain fastened when the shoe horn is put into action. My uncle has a battered pair of Church’s monkstraps that, he claims, haven’t been unfastened in 10 years. However, these shoes are of interest to more than the purely lazy – they have a character that makes them ‘jump out’ like no lace up; a shiny buckle will attract admiring glances. My particular favourite is the double monkstrap – of which I own a lovely Bordeaux pair; as fabulous with cords and jeans as cashmere and tweed.

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The Coat Project

I used to buy overcoats too small. Because I didn’t wear a jacket all the time, I picked the size that fitted over a sweater, which was too small with a jacket. Now if anything I buy overcoats too big: to make sure they fit over anything, including double-breasted, highly structured flannel suits.

I need an overcoat that can do both. So, together with the good men at Graham Browne (who made my rather excellent bespoke suit recently) I am designing one that will have a full pleat all the way down its back, beginning just below the neck. That pleat will be covered with a half-belt (just covering the back) which can be tightened to three settings – T-shirt, bulky sweater and suit jacket. At its largest setting, the pleat will be fully open and able to accommodate a heavy suit underneath. At its smallest setting, it will be fitted at the waist even if I’m wearing nothing.

Now of course the biggest effect will be at the waist – it will not help adjust the width of the shoulders (to cope with a suit’s shoulder pads) and the cinching will decrease the further up the drape you go. But the overcoat’s waist is really the biggest problem with fit as it has less structure than the shoulders.

Military capes used to have a similar pleat to this. And the effect can still be seen on some coats today that have a small pleat above the waist (an ‘action back’) and a pleat or vent below. But I haven’t seen one yet that has a pleat all the way down, together with a half belt.

Having the coat made bespoke will also help, as it can be constructed to fit very snugly over my biggest jacket, allowing just enough room at the shoulder and armhole. Off the peg it is often hard to get this and the waist right in any particular size.

To match some of the structure and complication of the back, I also plan to have turn-back cuffs and a split seam down the arm (that is an extension of the shoulder seam, rather than running down the back of the arm). Both can be seen in the picture above of the gentleman wearing a polo coat in cream. I think they are nice and slightly old-fashioned details.

However, one thing I am unsure of is whether to also include the other details of the traditional polo – raised seam, patch pockets, double breast. Should I keep it simple and single-breasted, as on the man in the centre-right below (though without the covert coat seams, obviously)? One factor is that both my other coats are double-breasted; the other is that I am afraid a full polo coat with the pleat in the back will be too cluttered.

Any opinions are welcome.

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Interview: Developing A Love For Clothes 2

The second part of an interview with Olly Watkins, adventurer on the choppy seas of style. (First part here.)

What’s your favourite accessory right now?

It’s a toss up between the shoes I am wearing, a new pair of brown Derbys from Barker, and my purple knit-silk tie.

Probably the tie, because I am discovering combinations to wear it with all the time. It can be quite formal, as a smart colour, but also informal, in its construction. As a member of the golf club, where gentlemen have to wear ties in the bar, it is not always easy to find something you want to wear that isn’t a suit. Or a tie that’s too dressy. Most men don’t own the country attire, odd jackets and casual ties, that suit that atmosphere. I don’t own much tweed or that many separates, but this tie is one thing that bridges work and play.

What’s top of your wish list?

I’m always on the look out for the ultimate navy suit. I don’t know why but I always am. I could own hundreds of navy suits and be happy. I love its versatility with other colours, I love the way it flatters a man’s silhouette. It’s quite high-contrast with a white shirt, and I think that suits my complexion [Caucasian, black hair].

I have two navy suits already yet I carry on looking. I even ordered my last one with pinstripes just because I couldn’t bring myself to order another plain navy one. I don’t even want it pinstriped.

Your wardrobe is a mix of ready-to-wear and made-to-measure from A Suit That Fits. Do you aspire to bespoke and would you ever go back to ready-to-wear?

The main advantage of going to A Suit That Fits was that I got precisely that.

The ready-to-wear I have from Aquascutum is arguably made better with better cloth, but I’m not sure. Time will tell. The last one I bought from there isn’t wearing particularly well and it doesn’t fit, even after alterations. So no, I don’t think I’d ever buy ready-to-wear again.

Do you find the process hard though?

Absolutely. I am very much an impulse buyer, like a lot of men, and I find it hard to sit and wait for a suit to come. I need to learn to make that part of the fun. I would think that were I to go for full bespoke, the fittings would make it easier, more like little shopping trips.

Which of the ‘rules’ did you find the most useful when you discovered it?

That your shoes should be darker than your trousers. I had never really considered that before. For me it had always been about colours that look nice together. So if tan shoes look nice with dark jeans, why don’t they go with a navy suit? I learnt that it was about matching formality.

Which rule do you like breaking the most?

No brown in town. It’s the one I grew up with and the one that makes my father most angry when I meet him for lunch in the City.

What websites do you read?

Permanent Style, and perhaps A Suitable Wardrobe in the US.

What frustrates you most?

When are manufacturers going to realise that rugby players make up a big portion of their customers, and they are just shaped differently? Look at the rugby-inspired clothing out there, and then the lack of suits for men of that shape.

What brands do you aspire to?

Lodger shoes. Though I have to say that if I were to pay a lot of money for shoes I would probably take the big leap and get proper bespoke.

And anything that James Bond is wearing – Brioni, Tom Ford, Turnbull & Asser.

What words of wisdom would you have for someone just starting out on a sartorial journey?

Fit is everything.

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