Postcards from Madrid
These past few days I’ve been in Madrid, speaking at the Aristocrata club meeting and seeing a few of the tailors and shoemakers I know (Langa, Reillo, Calvo de Mora, Norman Vilalta). I invited Elia...
View ArticleHow to buy a watch, part 3: Style
Following my recent posts on how to assess value in watches, and my own collection, here is my advice on style. Metals As a general rule of thumb, it is good to be consistent with metals on your...
View ArticleThe Asprey workrooms, London
While there are many workrooms in central London dedicated to menswear, most of them are given over to tailoring, or occasionally shoemaking. There are a handful of leather factories in east and north...
View ArticleDeakin & Francis – England’s oldest family jeweller
Here’s an exploration of a different craft. Deakin & Francis is England’s oldest jewellery maker – specialising in cufflinks, using silver, vitreous enamel and gemstones. It is a variant on a...
View ArticleA newcomer to quality
It’s been so long since I experienced bespoke clothing for the first time, or indeed most of the luxury, craft-based things I write about, that I find it interesting when friends do so for the first...
View ArticleBrands that weren’t quite right
Every week, around a dozen small companies contact me about their product. Each one has a great idea. It may be glasses made to measure, luxury socks or mystery gift boxes, but each is convinced he has...
View ArticleAnderson & Sheppard online store opens
As regular readers will know, the Anderson & Sheppard haberdashery launched by Anda Rowland and Audie Charles on Clifford Street is one of my favourite shops in London. Possibly the best single...
View ArticleWilliam Abraham socks in HTSI
My latest column for How to Spend It is on the innovative Bram Frankel, creator of sock brand William Abraham. I continue to be impressed by Bram ever since I first helped launch the brand back in...
View ArticlePostcard from Scotland – crocodile suitcase
Up in Scotland for the next few days, visiting Begg, Mackintosh and Robert Noble. Driving rain for the drive yesterday, but a beautifully cold and sunny morning today. My favourite weather. Vintage...
View ArticlePostcard from Begg – teasels and cream cashmere
One of the interesting tensions in a factory visit is the way machinery is portrayed. Some manufacturers will boast of their old, traditional methods, when in fact the same thing could be done,...
View ArticleHow to dress for winter
I’m so excited the weather in London has finally turned cold. Summer clothing is great, but there’s just so much more of it in winter: hats, scarves, gloves, overcoats, plus heavy-gauge knitwear and...
View ArticleRussian reindeer box by Cleverley/Balvenie
Readers will be familiar with the points about Cleverley and Russian reindeer in the above, but there is some nice footage of the closing on Cleverleys, and the technique of making a wood-framed box....
View ArticleThe Perfect Socks – Permanent Style x William Abraham
About 50% of Permanent Style collaborations never come to fruition. The quality’s not right, or the cut, or some other aspect just can’t be perfected. Often the lead time proves to be too long. It...
View ArticleMy Christmas list
At this time of year I normally do a list of Christmas gift suggestions. Apparently last year a reader took the initiative and left a print-out of the list sitting on a coffee table at home. It did...
View ArticleBegg’s milling machine
This is a milling machine. An old one. Part of the finishing process for woven cloth, milling involves pummelling the material in order to break up the fibres and pull them together.The cloth shrinks...
View ArticleBegg & Co: luxury scarves, Ayr
Begg & Co is not in the most prepossessing location. Ayr is far from a glamorous location anyway, but the factory itself is down a side street, opposite several blocks of council flats.Still,...
View ArticleCoats, gloves, shirts and jeans: Reflections on bespoke
Last year a reader commented – quite rightly – that there is a tendency here to cover freshly received suits/shirts/shoes, but not follow up on them later, when they have bedded in.He was right also...
View ArticleNew colours of the Perfect Socks
We had such a lovely response to the Perfect Socks collaboration with William Abraham that launched in December. Of the 100 pairs, only a few are left, and those in the more extreme sizes. Thank you...
View ArticleQuality, embroidery and mechanisation – at Begg
The video above shows the key aspect of quality control at most weaving houses. Workers quickly scan the cloth for faults, then either snip off the stray end or – much more laboriously – manually...
View ArticleFilson bags
I’ve known Filson bags for quite a few years now, but only got to know the management back in January when I met the President, Gray Madden (above). The aesthetic of Filson bags has a lot to recommend...
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