Style Tip of the Week - Choosing a Suit - Part 3 Bespoke The Ultimate Suit Bespoke tailoring is clothing traditionally cut from a pattern drafted from scratch for the customer, which is very different from ready-to-wear, which is factory made in finished condition and standardised sizes, and from made to measure, which is produced to order from an adjusted block pattern. A traditional bespoke suit is well built and more expensive due to its high quality of construction. Savile Row tailors describe a true bespoke suit as requiring a full floating canvas, basted fitting and detailed hand finishing. The word bespoke itself is derived from the verb to bespeak, to speak for something, in the specialised meaning to give order for it to be made. The term bespoke in fashion is reserved for individually patterned and crafted mens clothing, analogous to womens haute couture, in contrast with mass-manufactured ready-to-wear (also known as off-the-rack). The term originated from Savile Row, a street in London considered the Golden mile of tailoring. Unfortunately, these days the term ‘bespoke’ has been misused in recent years with the result that we can no longer rely on an advertisement or a company offering ‘bespoke’ as an actual guarantee that we are going to receive the hand-made suit of like the old days. In fact, trying to navigate through the ads, the offerings, the misinformation and, in some cases, the untruths can be like a maze. The term ‘bespoke’ has been in the courts on a few occasions recently. The British Advertising Standards Authority has ruled it is a fair practice to use the term ‘bespoke’ for products which do not fully incorporate the hand-made construction methods as practiced by traditional tailors. This position was opposed by the trade group of tailors, the Savile Row Bespoke Association. Heres a list of details that you should experience if you are purchasing a ‘full bespoke suit’. • You should have your choice of fabrics and linings and any style details that you require – without reservation. If you want a pocket in the sleeve or three vents in the jacket then the words you should hear are ‘no problem’. • The suit should be cut from a pattern created specifically for you in order that it can be corrected after the fittings and an accurate record built up for future use. • You should expect at least 4 fittings, the first a skeleton, usually without pockets followed by 2 or 3 more advanced ones and then a final try on when finished. • The jacket should have a full canvas, hand-made, hand-padded lapels and, at the finishing stages, hand made buttonholes. • In an ideal situation the cutter should also be carrying out the measuring and fitting, so that we he is creating the pattern and carrying out the required adjustments after the fitting he can have your figure in his ‘minds eye’. • The cutter should be in personal contact with the tailor, the satisfactory completion of the suit is a combination of cutting and tailoring skills. • The tailor will work in a workroom where there is a minimum of machinery to be found. A basic sewing machine and an iron is all that is required. Steam presses, pocket making machines, lapel padding machines and mechanical cutting devices have no place in the bespoke workroom. To summarise the experience, your ‘full bespoke’ suit should be cut and fitted by the same person, made by hand either in workroom on the premises or a location situated nearby. Each suit is a one off creation and mass production methods do not have any place in the world of bespoke. Heres a list of some the best bespoke tailors around the world compiled by askmen Some may disagree based on personal experiences and other factors, But there are plenty of tailors that belong on this list...Its just impossible to name them all. Ozwald Boateng Savile Row, London Featured in The House of Boateng, an original series on bespoke tailoring on the Sundance channel, Boatengs many clients include Laurence Fishburne, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Keanu Reeves, and Mick Jagger. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in the 2006 Queens New Years Honours, and was voted one of the 100 Great Black Britons. Make sure to check out the series if you want a better look at Boateng’s unique style and the bewildering world of bespoke. Raja Fashions Cameron Road, Hong Kong, China Raja Daswani is the resident genius and grandson of the original owner. His grandfather emigrated from India to Hong Kong to start up a custom tailoring business, and it has developed such a loyal following that customers stay for life. Raja’s clientele includes members of the House of Lords and Downing Street. J.H. Cutler 23 O’Connell St., Sydney, Australia The fourth generation to head this iconic Australian company, John Cutler graduated with a Diploma First Class from the Tailor & Cutler Academy of London. He has a passion for discreet and personal custom service with Old World craftsmanship, and is able to disguise imperfections while accentuating the positive. In business since 1884, Cutler has outfitted prime ministers and foreign dignitaries. A tailor in Moscow, more European geniuses, and the No. 1 bespoke tailor in the world… Imperial Tailoring Company Gostiniy Dvor, Moscow If you feel the need for some bespoke tailoring when you’re in Moscow, try the Imperial Tailoring Company. Sammy Kotwani earned his degrees in fashion in India and went on to study in London. As masters of true bespoke tailoring, Imperial’s tailors take more than 20 measurements and figuration details from the customer in order to cut a personal pattern from scratch. VIP clients include Nursultan Nazarbaev (president of Kazakhstan) and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (president of Kalmykia). Caraceni Via Fatebenefratelli, Milan, Italy Clients of the original Caraceni included Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, the kings of Greece and Italy, the Prince of Wales, Prince Rainier of Monaco, and Aristotle Onassis. Although there are now several family businesses that use the name Caraceni, those in the know consider A. Caraceni, which is run by Mario Caraceni, to be the best of them all. Henry Poole 15 Savile Row, London, England Another name that is synonymous with Savile Row and the first Savile Row tailor to enter the Japanese market, Henry Poole’s list of famous clients and dignitaries sparkles. Just a few to pique your interest: Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle and the Duke of Windsor. Poole’s talented team of tailors undertakes quarterly journeys to the United States, covering 10 cities between New York and San Francisco. The company’s senior cutters also regularly visit France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Gianni Campagna Via Palestro, Milan, Italy Mr. Campagna apprenticed at an early age at the top tailor shop of the era, Sartoria Domenico Caraceni. His awards include the Golden Needle for Italy’s finest tailor and the Golden Scissors for Italy’s best pattern and fabric cutter. Gianni Campagna’s creations adorn many prestigious names in Hollywood and Wall Street, such as Pierce Brosnan, Jack Nicholson, Charlton Heston, and Revlon’s Ron Perelman. A limited edition of 700 pieces of Gianni Campagna clothing are produced each year, including three suits a week in the $5,000 range. William Fioravanti 45 West 57th St., New York, New York Frequently acknowledged as the “best of the best,” William Fioravanti’s credentials are impressive. President of the Custom Tailors and Designers Association of America, Fioravanti hails from a long line of great Neapolitan tailors and was awarded the Golden Scissors by the Academy of Master Tailors in Italy. Fioravanti charges up to $10,500 for a bespoke suit in Super 220 merino wool, of which $5,000 covers the cost of approximately four yards of cloth; he sells at least 12 suits at that price each year. Ascot Chang Kimberly Road, Hong Kong, China With a list of celebrity clientele that includes former U.S. President George Bush, Ascot Chang obviously has something special. Those in the know flock to one of their locations — Hong Kong, 57th St. in Manhattan or Beverly Hills — for their fine custom-tailored shirts. Gieves & Hawkes 1 Savile Row, London, England Since the late 18th century, the tailors at No. 1 Savile Row have fitted some of the United Kingdoms most famous historical figures — George III and Admiral Lord Nelson among them. Intact Royal Warrants of Appointment to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales will ensure Gieves & Hawkes place in tomorrows history books; approximately $5,000 (to start) will secure your own bespoke legacy. Be on the lookout for my next Style Tip of the Week - Shoes - 5 pairs every man should have in his wardrobe Stay dressed and stay blessed, Yours Truly, Dressed Accordingly
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 23:40:36 +0000
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