by Mansel Fletcher | Jul 20, 2016 | Bespoke Suit, Bespoke Tailor
At the start of June the number of men across the world required to wear tailored clothes to work shrank considerably when the investment bank JP Morgan revealed its new “business casual” dress code. The rationale is that because JP Morgan’s clients don’t tend to wear suits neither should its 237,000 workers. Whether or not one applauds the bank’s move, and I suspect that even casually dressed clients like to see their bankers dressed formally, it provokes an obvious question: What the hell is “business casual”?
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by Mansel Fletcher | Jun 22, 2016 | Bespoke Suit, Bespoke Tailor, Spring/Summer
When the temperature rises the prospect of wearing a suit can be forbidding. However, whether you’re going to wear it in the office or at a wedding, in Tooting or in the tropics, there are ways to sport a suit and still beat the heat.
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by Ross Furlong | Apr 7, 2016 | Bespoke Tailor, Fabric, North by Northwest suit
Part 4 – Picking up the suit
It’s rare in life that anything you might buy is created just for you and so it’s a special moment when you pick up a bespoke suit – especially so when you’re a bit of a film buff and it’s a replica of the ‘most iconic suit in cinema’ worn by Cary Grant in the film North By Northwest. (more…)
by Ross Furlong | Mar 18, 2016 | Film & TV, North by Northwest suit, Style Icons
Part 3 – The fitting
A couple of weeks ago I returned for a fitting at Chris Kerr. Chris’s cut was pretty much spot on first time, taking elements from the original 1959 cut, e.g., a wider trouser, longer jacket and looser fit, whilst retaining a modern, sharper silhouette.
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by Ross Furlong | Feb 4, 2016 | Bespoke Suit, Bespoke Tailor, North by Northwest suit, Suit Making
Part 2 – lapels, cuff buttons, pockets & the cut
Now we had the cloth confirmed, there’s just the small matter of trying to match the various components that make up a suit – lapels, cuff buttons, pockets, along with deciding on the cut.
While I was committed to remain faithful to the original suit as much as possible – and the jacket looks surprisingly modern for something cut 50 years ago, the high waisted, wide legged, four pleated trousers would have made the suit look a little too old fashioned for everyday wear in 2016.
Chris suggested we go for a modern interpretation of the cut, still with pleated trousers, but slightly narrower in the leg and lower waisted with a marginally more fitted jacket than the original. This will mean I can wear the suit day to day, without looking like I’m auditioning for a period drama. (more…)