Men of the Cloth

A business is only as good as the suppliers and people behind it and as far as my business goes, having a good relationship with the right cloth merchants is vital.

When I was first starting out in the trade, some companies were reluctant to provide me with their bunches (swatches of cloth bound in a holder) as they are expensive to produce and I was an unknown entity.

So, I have a soft spot for Carole Hannaford (see below), Sales Director of Lear Brown and Dunsford, who was the first to decide to take the plunge and send me a box of all their clobber. My first order included a length of "Millionaire's Cashmere" and a length of "Havana" Super 120's with Cashmere for a suit for myself, so it was worth her while. She's a charming girl and an absolute pleasure to deal with.



Then, through family contacts, I met with Jonathan Spencer, Sales Director of Edwin Woodhouse, one of the oldest mills in England and based five minutes from my home. Until recently, it was run by John and William Gaunt and produced cloth using it's own looms but last year they sold the business to John Fosters.

Fosters is known in the trade as a "manufacturer without looms" and many years ago, decided to shut down their own weaving facilities and outsource the manufacture of their cloth to what are known as 'commission weavers.' Two of the biggest in Yorkshire are Pennine Weavers and C & J Antich, with whom I met with last week. Chris Antich, their Managing Director, is pictured below and he very kindly gave me a tour of their state-of-the-art facility which has over 40 looms.



His enthusiasm for manufacturing is infectious. He's very entrepreneurial, bursting with energy, educated me on the benefits of using two ply yarn on both the warp and weft and gave me a nice overview of why some cloths are more expensive to weave than others.

Lot's of other companies such as Cavendish, Charles Clayton and Clissolds , have followed this business model, and in a way, I suppose it makes economic sense. They focus on the design of the cloth, finance the raw materials (yarn) and leave the production (and fixed costs of running a factory) to the experts, who can then achieve economies of scale.

Mills weave cloth in 'pieces' which have a length of sixty running metres (with a width of one and half metres) and usually only deal with people who are prepared to buy in bulk. Tailors, however, only require about three meters of cloth to make a suit, often called a 'length,' which is why they deal with merchants who are set up to hold stock and provide a 'cut length service.'

Fewer companies in the UK are actually weaving cloth today and those that do include the likes of Bower Roebuck, Minova, Abraham Moons, Hainsworth, Reid & Taylor, Johnstons of Elgin, Bulmer & Lumb (Taylor & Lodge)

The industry is consolidating with a few firms having a near vertical operation whereby they own yarn companies, mills, merchanting businesses and even their own garment factories and retail outlets.

A good example is Scabal who owns the mill Bower Roebuck in Huddersfield and sells cloth and made-to-measure suits from shops all over Europe with it's flagship store on Savile Row. The gang on Savile Row are pictured below - the lady is Hazel, a veritable rose between the two thorns that are Terry and John (now retired) and Ricky is the youngster. Have you noticed all their top buttons are pulling a little? I'd recommend less pie and eels, or, letting the side seams out half an inch on the double. :-)



Dormeuil is another good example. They have a large shareholding in the mill Minova in Wakefield, have a shop on Sackville Street, just around the corner from Savile Row, and below is Chris Juett who is my contact on the cloth side of things. He's a lovely guy and a true gentleman.



When it comes to cloth made in the UK, Dormeuil and Scabal produce some of the finest, rarest and most expensive cloth in the world. Wonderful designs, beautiful colours, noble fibres and marketing savy is their strongpoint. If a customer has deep pockets and wants something different, these two firms will deliver.

If the customer is looking for slightly more traditional cloths with more subtle designs then I will use my network of local merchants such as Robert Charnock of Dugdale Brothers of Huddersfield pictured below . Their cloth is often woven by the same mills, is incredibly good quality but is often cheaper as their overheads are smaller.



Other great local suppliers are Bateman Ogden, Brook Taverner, Hunt & Winterbottom and Premier Worsteds. Then there are other merchants such as Holland & Sherry, Lessers, HE Box, W. Bill, the list goes on.

Over the years, I have built up excellent relationships with many of the above and have learnt much in the process. I think it is wonderful that Yorkshire remains the heart of Textile Manufacturing in the UK and our weavers continue to provide Savile Row and brands like Ralph Lauren, Kiton and Lanvin with their threads. Long may it continue.

Sheep Thrills

Take the finest tailor in the world and give him a piece of polyester and it will probably end in tears. When it comes to making a bespoke suit, using the right cloth is vital.

In my opinion, there is one animal whose fleece stands shank and shoulders above the rest and here's one I spotted whilst fly-fishing in the Yorkshire Dales.



It's unlikely this chap was born to be worn, as the only cloth that is made from a British sheep today is Tweed. This is because their coats have evolved 'thicker' to survive our crappy weather and so are not suitable for the production of cooler cloths.

So, in our search for fine threads, some bright spark in 1797 shipped thirteen sheep to Australia. Not as you might guess to improve the IQ 'down under,' but to start what is now called the Merino sheep industry.

The processing of wool involves shearing, sorting and grading the fibres, making these into yarn (thread) and lastly, weaving it into fabric. The best wool comes from the shoulders and sides of the sheep and wool fibers are judged on their strength, length, crimp (waviness), colour and most importantly fineness (diameter),

Merino wool is typically 3-5 inches in length and is very fine, between 12-24 microns - one human hair is about 40-120 microns thick. The finer the wool, the softer it will be, while coarser grades are more durable.

You may have seen 'Super Numbers' on cloth labels - 'Super100's,' 'Super 150's' -which is basically a classification system, whereby the higher the Super number, the finer the fibres from which the fabric was made.

However, just because a cloth is made of very fine fibres doesn't mean it is going to perform or 'make-up' (tailor) well. Longer fibres are also important as they allow stronger yarn to be produced which can then be twisted together (two yarns twisted together is called two-ply, three yarns three-ply etc) to produce tightly woven cloth which will be more durable and reduce creasing.

The weight of a cloth (measured in ounces or grammes per running metre), the way it is woven - such as a plain weave (panama), satin weave (venetian), fancy weave (crepe) or as a twill (prunelle, gabadine, herringbone, serge) - and how it is 'finished' (by companies such as TW Johnson of Huddersfield) will also have a major influence on how the cloth feels to the touch, known in the trade as how it 'handles,' and how cool it is to wear.

Helping my customers choose the right cloth is the most important part of the process and one where I believe I really add value. I don't claim to be an expert, but I'm always trying to improve my knowledge. My father ran the family textile business for thirty years, so perhaps it's in in my blood. I love to visit working mills like Taylor & Lodge, read trade magazines such as "Twist" and speak to the more knowledgeable cloth merchants, which I'll discuss in a later blog.

A lot of it is common sense. The first questions I ask a customer are what is the suit for, how often will it be worn, what is your budget? If the chap in front of me is an eighteen stone hedge-fund manager and his backside is going to be rubbing on an office chair all day, even if he can afford a light-weight Super 200's with cashmere and vicuna, I know that within six months there's going to be a hole under his nether-regions and the jacket is going to look like a rag. Far better off to go for a mid weight worsted cloth with a bit of meat to it.

If it's a work suit for the Managing Partner of a law firm, then less is usually more, so it's out with the chalk stripes and we'll put the pimp-daddy linings to one side. If wedding bells are imminent, or you want to win 'best in show' at the races, then perhaps we'll check out sexy Miss Mohair, or a design that is so funky, it deserves it's own Afro and flashing dance-floor.

Yes, when I sit down with a new customer, choosing the right cloth is where it all begins, and isn't it nice to think that chances are, the threads on your back started out sun-bathing in Australia, before coming to England to be expertly crafted into Huddersfield's finest.

Putting on the Ritz

If there is one item of dress that I must wear before I die, it is white tie and tails.

A velvet smoking jacket for that Cohiba moment after Sunday lunch comes a close second but full evening dress is the ultimate. Just check out the picture below by Slim Aarons which has become known as "The Kings of Hollywood."



It's Clark Gable and friends exchanging banter and getting stuck into the champagne. They've probably just finished a nine course banquet and left a table of stunning young fillies to indulge in a spot of boys-talk, no doubt with a healthy dose of mum gags thrown in for good measure.

Throwing on your jeans and popping into the local with friends for a few pints is all very well but there is something about having to dress-up for an occasion that changes the chemistry of your brain and spurs you on to turn the night into an absolute blinder.

But let's face it, not all of us are invited to 'White tie' State dinners or the Lord Mayor of London's Mansion House Banquet, however, one person who needs no excuse to wear the full Monty is a new customer of mine who is a leading opera singer. He will shortly be travelling to Australia to perform at the Sydney Opera House and has commissioned me to make him a bespoke set of tails.

I am ready to give him his first fitting which as you can see below is literally just the component parts of the jacket loosely basted (sewn) together, with very little construction / scaffolding to hold it up - just some temporary shoulder pads and a little canvas in the chest so I can see how it is falling on him and what needs to be tweaked / re-cut.



Deciding style was easy because formal evening dress is strictly regulated and comprises of the following:

A tailcoat squarely cut away at the front, long enough so it reaches the waist with the tails no longer than the back of the knees. The lapels, usually peaked, are covered in silk or grosgrain.

The waistcoat is made of white cotton pique known as 'Marcella' and most importantly should cover the waistband of the trousers and NOT come below the front of the tailcoat. If single-breasted, it should have three mother-of-pearl buttons, all to be fastened.

The bow tie is made of the same Marcella cotton and must be hand tied. If you don't know how to tie one yourself, then I'll show you, otherwise, here is a good video.

The trousers are cut to be worn Simon Cowell style - high on the waist with a fishtail back so they can be worn with evening braces. A stripe in the same material as the lapels (silk, satin or braid) runs down the sides - some people say it should have two stripes for white tie, one for black tie, but that is debatable.

The shirt should be made in white cotton with a Marcella front and wing-tip collar. There should be no buttons down the front with a single cuff (not to be confused with double cuffs) all to be fastened with studs.

When it gets to shoes, there comes a dilemma. To wear the correct footwear, takes balls (or arguably a lack of them!)- they are called 'opera pumps' and are made of very fine leather which have a silk, or, grosgrain bow on the front.



If you are uncomfortable in these dainty little numbers, then go for some quality calf skin dancing shoes. I have read that patent leather shoes are unacceptable but I think they look great.

Final parts of this get-up from the gods include knee high black silk socks, a white linen handkerchief, white gloves, white silk scarf, top hat, cape and cane. How cool is that! Chic, elegant, indulgent, dapper as hell and wonderfully extravagant.

David Niven, Tom Ford, Gary Cooper, Fred Astaire and even Marlene Dietrich have all worn white tie and tails to much acclaim, and one day, I too will join these Kings of Hollywood, old and new, in wearing such a truly magnificent outfit.

An audience with Sir Paul Smith

Whether it's porn, art, narcotics, or, high finance, every industry has it's heroes.

Whilst I have no admiration for hedge-fund managers, Pablo Escabar, or, the teeth gritting antics of Ron Jeremy, they have all made it to the top of the tree in their respective 'professions' and are no doubt idolized by those who are just starting out in the businesses of greed, weed and rumpy-pumpy.

Well my chosen field is menswear and for me when it comes to heroes, the chap flying around in a red cape and underpants would be none other than our very own Sir Paul Smith. And I've just spent an hour in his company.



My business is three years old next month and I'm delighted to say it's cooking on gas. Bespoke suit orders continue to roll in but with a baby girl on the way, I need to identify other ways to earn a few more shekels.

Can you believe the price of buggies? It's outrageous. Seven hundred quid for some steel tubes and a bit of canvas and padding. Where's the bloody engine and CD player? I don't care that it can transform itself into a car seat, baby bouncer or carry cot. At that price it should feed the child, change it's nappy and then rock it to sleep. Buggaboo? Bugga-off.

Feel better now I've got that off my chest. Anyway, I turned to Paul as a sounding board and source of inspiration and he didn't disappoint.

The very fact that he was willing to take the time out of his day in running a £330 million pound business to offer me some help and advice speaks volumes about who he is and his kindness is probably one of the many reasons why he has been so successful.

His own story is inspiring in itself. From a small shop in Nottingham he now has a global business selling twelve different collections in hundreds of stores throughout thirty five countries.

It may be a big business but the wonderful thing is that there is a real family feel to the place.

The offices reminded me of Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory.



Within these walls is a hive of activity, smiling faces and quirky design features. I particularly liked the sea of bare light bulbs hanging down from the ceiling in reception, and couldn't help smiling at the thank you letters and drawings stuck on the walls from five year olds who had been sent a PS t-shirt as a treat.

The boardroom where we met was the antithesis of Sir Alan Sugars - no smoked glass screens and raised leather thrones here. It's crammed with books, gizmos, gadgets, toys, bizarre trinkets from his travels to Japan and even an executive briefcase that opens to reveal a train set.

Meeting Paul has reinforced all the good things that I have read about him and his values, which are so very different from the orange-faced, over-inflated egos in the fashion industry.

There are no fawning fashionistas, or trips in private jets to opulent residencies in the South of France, dripping in gold leaf with a posse of models in swarovski-encrusted micro-bikinis lounging by the pool.

A sense of divine importance, ostentatious wealth and glamour are replaced by humour, mischief, warmth, approachability and good fun. Saying that, I'm damn sure he is no mad professor - his eyes sparkle with intelligence and I'm sure he's had to make some tough, hard-headed business decisions whilst building up his empire.

He's a grafter, leads from the front, is hands-on and attributes much of his success to his 'wife, friend, lover' Pauline. I too subscribe to the view that behind every successful man is a strong (and some say surprised) woman and also discovered we have a few other things in common including a love of swimming and the film "Withnail and I."

The only thing we would cross swords on is his passion for Cycling. He wanted to be a professional cyclist but was injured in a terrible accident when he was 17. I can see the draw - it's a healthy activity, the wind in your hair, pedalling through beautiful countryside, or, even the Alps. I always rent a bike when I'm visiting friends in Amsterdam and it's all very civilised and works because the city is designed for it. Ours is not.

Over here, the car is king and our highways are NOT set up for gangs of Lycra clad gibbons pedalling three abreast along our pot-holed and traffic swamped roads. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Jeremy Clarkson, but as I'm crawling behind them with their bulging calves and Oakley sunglasses, oh how I'd love to plough through the lot of em' brandishing an evil grin and a super-soaker.

Rant over. Sir Paul Smith is somebody who I respect, admire and is an example of an incredible achiever with his heart in the right place. His flair for design is no doubt key to what he has built up, but I'd wager it's his people skills and passion for the trade that have helped him charm customers and suppliers and build up an incredible team behind him.

My dream would be to build up a business just like his with perhaps one exception. Those jewel encrusted honeys by that pool on the Cote d'Azur.

Shear Heaven

I'm happy. So bloody happy I just can't stop grinning. Spring is in the air, I'm off surfing in three weeks time and I've just had one of the best Mondays of my life:

Woke up. Sunny. Bacon Sandwich. Put on a new suit - three piece, very fitted, peak lapel, velvet collar, love it. Train to Kings Cross. Tube to Green Park. Stroll past the Ritz, through the Burlington Arcade, a right, two lefts and onto my spiritual home, my muse, my raison d'etre - Savile Row.



I was down South for the final of the Golden Shears Tailoring Competition and my first port of call was with Henry Poole, 'the founder of Savile Row,' who had said it was fine to pop in and they'd show me around.

Emperors, Kings, Dukes, Lords, Maharajah's and moguls, magnates and stars have walked these floorboards and here I was, about to enter the inner sanctum where their clobber was put together.



Friends, it was like I'd entered a cake shop and been given a little slice of heaven with a cherry on top. The chap in the picture above is Alex Cooke, Director, senior cutter, all round decent bloke and originally from Barnsley!

Underneath the cutting room and shop floor is a labyrinth of tunnels, passages and workrooms where master coat makers, trouser makers and apprentices practice their craft. Whilst some are employed directly by Poole, many, in effect, 'rent a board' and are free to work for whom they choose, although priority is given to their Landlord. This is true for nearly every establishment on the Row and seems to work well for all concerned.

What a lovely atmosphere. Whilst no one is earning a fortune down here, these guys and girls, like myself, are doing it for the sheer love of it. Practising their craft, honed to perfection over decades of graft, with passion, pride and a healthy dose of banter thrown in for good measure. Many of them are from the East-end and enthusiastically responded to my welcoming cry of 'oi oi saveloy!' with the suggestion I go forth and fornicate back to Yorkshire. Bless them.



The chap above is Paul Frearson who is acknowledged as one of the best coat makes on the Row. Recently tempted back from working at home, he is passing his knowledge on to the next generation of tailoring legends including Craig Holloway and Cassie who are pictured below.



What a truly wonderful experience and one that I will never forget. I called into Richard James, Maurice Sedwell, Davies and Sons and everyone was warm and welcoming.

And then it was off to the Merchant Taylors Company on Threadneedle Street, the venue for the cat-walk show and final of the Golden Shears.

But first a quick pint in a nearby pub. Rude not to. The head on my Guiness had only just settled when I spotted Patrick Bunting, a director for the cloth company Dormeuil. He had also wisely decided to have a sharpener before the big event and called me over and introduced me to his drinking buddies.

They were only the top boys of Huntsman. Peter Smith, general manager, and Patrick Murphy, their Head Cutter and from what I hear, one of the most respected (and liked) people on Savile Row. I can see why - top bloke, even offered to buy me a pint.

So there I am, having a supp before the biggest tailoring competition in the world with the great and the good of Savile Row. Awesome. Mental.

And then it was time for the games to begin.





What a venue. British, old school, understated elegance at its finest. Very much in keeping with the style of the Gentleman's clubs of St, James's. The perfect place to tuck yourself away in a high backed leather chair with a bottle of Malt and a soda syphon. You could even stroll out into the beautiful courtyard for a cigar.

The catwalk show was amazing. Professionally produced, great soundtrack and a veritable smorgasbord of attractive female models. My grandmother would have said that they were 'putting their feet down like ready money.' I had a seat right at the front. Happy days.

Judges for design, cutting, tailoring and style included Patrick Murphy, Richard Anderson, Alan Bennett, Martin Plews and Brigita Steputtis. It was these guys that made the genius decision to put our garment into the final.

The Fashion judges included David Furnish (Producer, AKA Elton John's partner), Patrick Grant (MD of Norton & Sons), Markek Reichman (Director of Design for Aston Martin), Caryn Franklin (the bird that was on the Clothes Show) and James Sherwood (Author).

To cut it short....first prize went to an apprentice at Henry Poole, and second prize to an apprentice at Anderson and Sheppard. We wuz robbed!! In all seriousness they deserved to win and I was chuffed that Poole took the Shears after such a fantastic day with their troops.

I drowned my sorrows with a few glasses of red and jumped in a cab back to a friend's place, where I then fitted him for two new suits. God I'm a slave to my trade!

So there you have it. A day on Savile Row and an evening at the Church of tailoring. I felt like I belonged and this little trip has added fuel to the fires that burn within, and re-affirmed my determination to one day, have a little place on this golden mile.

Back to School

Throw in some clouds, angels and an immaculately dressed bearded chap in bespoke vicuna robes and I'd be in tailoring heaven.

Why? Because Michelsberg Tailoring is through to the final of the Golden Shears tailoring competition - come on!!



As mentioned in my blog in December, it's run by the Merchant Taylors Company and is basically the Oscars of the Tailoring trade.

All the young guns of Savile Row and students at fashion colleges throughout the world submit garments in the hope of making it through to a professional catwalk show which takes place on March 16 in London.

The fact that we are in the final is truly incredible and testament to the hard work of Sara and the tailors and seamstresses who have supported her.

A huge thank-you in particular must go to June Waterhouse who has mentored her as well as playing a huge part in my development as a tailor.



Over the past 4 years my tailors and cutters have been trying to teach me as much as possible regarding their craft but sadly there are no short-cuts. On Savile Row, an apprenticeship involves at least 4 years training as a tailor and then, if you have a flair for it, a further three to become a cutter.

I'd got to the stage whereby once I had done the first fitting and chalked and pinned the garment to reflect any adjustments that needed to be made, it would then be ripped down (taken to bits) and I would do the re-cuts myself (under supervision) to reflect these changes - such as reducing the width of the shoulders, shaping the coat more into the chest, allowing for a drop right shoulder etc

But like Charles Dickins' Oliver, I wanted more. But not gruel. That's not my style. I wanted the full-on degustation menu. With wine. And a cigar for afters.

So I enrolled on the Tailoring and Manufacturing module of a four year Fashion BA at Batley School of Art & Fashion with the express purpose of learning to make a garment from scratch...by myself.

It was a big commitment in terms of time, and despite the fact that I was miles behind all the other students who had used industrial flat-bed sewing machines before, I passed the course and loved every minute.

Here I am cutting out the pattern I drafted for a 'button two, show three', double breasted jacket with slanted pockets.



And despite many hours spent unpicking seams that resembled a dog's hind leg, I am delighted to say that the coat is now finished and ready for button-holing.



Doing the course has made me realise just how much work is involved in making a jacket - drafting and cutting out all the patterns for the back, front, facings, side-panels, collar, sleeves, linings and interlinings. Then the incredible number of processes and hand-sewing involved in putting it all together.

Mind boggling stuff and I can now appreciate why people who have been doing it all their life still say they are learning. I am definitely going to continue improving my tailoring skills but the thing I love most is time spent with my customers, choosing cloth, talking about the style of the garment, doing the fittings and running the business.

So yes folks, the year has got off to a rocking start - plenty of orders, new customers, the final of the shears to look forward to and even better...it's started snowing!

Thumbs up for Down Under

At the risk of coming across as rather crude, I have to say I feel simply bloody marvellous.

I've just returned from three wonderful weeks in Australia visiting my brother Edward and his growing family in Melbourne.

It's been an orgy of sunshine, three course lunches and dinners, poker nights, Bas Armagnac, Cohiba cigars, surfing, sleeping and bonding with my little nephew, Harrison.



The picture above was taken on the balcony of the Stoke House in St.Kilda, one of my favourite restaurants. If you love food then Melbourne is the place to be.

British restauranteurs could seriously learn a thing or two from our Antipodean cousins. Incredibly good service and great coffee aside, every waiter can tell you not just how each dish is cooked and every ingredient, but the name of the animal, it's age, religion, mood before visiting the butcher and what wine to quaff it with.

Whilst having dinner at Di Stasio on Fitzroy Street, my Father declared "it isn't necessary to eat this well." Rather philosophical I thought. I might even nick that line for my own business - "Michelsberg Tailoring...it's not necessary to dress this well..."

Final recommendations would be Cicciolina's on Acland Street and cafe A Taglio.

Whilst I do love my trade, it really was great to switch off for a while and leave the world of bespoke tailoring behind me, however, my trip wouldn't have been complete without a visit to Marino & Scott in the very smart suburb of Toorak.



The diminutive dandy on my right is Frank Marino. He began his tailoring career in Calabria, Southern Italy, when he was seven and has lived in Australia since 1967. He sells Brioni off-the-peggers at just over three thousand pounds a pop and the price of one of his bespoke numbers is closer to four grand.

He does everything himself, by hand. The try-on on the dummy was incredibly soft, using very light canvases, thin shoulder pads and made-up in a devine Super 160's cloth from England. Hand on my heart he told me that he believes English cloth is the best in the world. Serious praise from an Italian!

And sadly, although my liver would disagree, all good things must come to an end.

I'm chuffed to say that the year has got off to a great start - sunshine and blue sky with frost on the ground when we hit Manchester airport, plenty of appointments in the diary and a few plans up my sleeve that will help my customers continue to out-slick lesser mortals.

Here's wishing you all a fantastic start to 2009 - let's make it a belter!