Friends Reunited

It's two fingers up to the world of work and hello Christmas holidays. Yesterday was my last day in the office for 2009 which culminated in the delivery of this rather divine overcoat to one of my best customers.



Isn't she a beauty? It's possibly one of the most dapper and dashing coats we've ever made and would bring a tear to the eye of Arthur Daley himself.

That chocolate brown velvet collar and trim just ooze style and sophistication against a backdrop of cashmere and wool loveliness. The cloth is so soft, you could line your underpants with it. Indulgent? Most certainly, and that is what Christmas is all about.

It's a time to say sod it to living sensibly and tuck into all the things that we shouldn't. You can almost smell the excitement in the air as people take to the streets, abuse their credit cards and load their shopping trolleys with booze and rich food.

So with this in mind it was straight to Ha Ha's bar for a sharpener with old friends to get the festivities underway. And that's another thing I love about Christmas. It brings people together and is the perfect time to say thanks to people who have helped and supported me throughout the year.

After that, it was back to my family home for canapes, fine wine (thanks to my brother Edward who is over from Oz), a roaring log fire and then out to dinner.

Pete was over from Amsterdam and 'The Bainer' even made an appearance. We were the last to leave and as the girls jumped into a taxi and headed home, we drank beers in the street and had a snowball fight. Perfect. A truly wonderful evening.



In fact, it's been a truly wonderful year. I've become a daddy for the first time, business has been great and there are some seriously exciting plans for 2010.

In January, I'm launching a line of Michelsberg Accessories (available 'online'), my own 'House Cloth' (can't wait to tell you more) and a level of construction that is second to none. Then we're going international. Oh yes, I've got a good feeling about 2010 but now it's time to switch off and relax.

Here's wishing you all a fabulous Christmas and a smashing new year.

Enjoy!

Dare to be different..

One of the great things about my job is getting to know people from all walks of life.

From the great and the good, to the bad and the downright dodgy, a passion for bespoke tailoring can be found. This means that I often get to deal with some of the more colourful members of society which is often fun and very illuminating.

It's particularly enjoyable if they like to do things a bit differently and that was certainly the case with one of my customers whose wedding was based on the elegant and glamorous 'Art Deco' period which peaked in the Roaring Twenties.

Introducing Steve - one of the most enthusiastic and eccentric characters I've had the pleasure to make a suit for.



He's a psychiatric nurse, part time DJ, drives a V12 6 litre Daimler and wanted some threads that would cut a dash on his big day. I think we did rather well and I love the pocket watch. It's a look somewhere between Lord of The Manor, Bugsy Malone and Ming The Merciless.

Many of the suits I make are timeless classics and there's nothing wrong with that at all, but it's great when you get to sit down with a client, get on a level, throw ideas around and come up with something unique.

It's a team approach to getting it right and in this case it ended with a happy customer. In fact, he's just informed me he now wants something making-up for a forthcoming trip to Dubai which illustrates an important point.

One suit is never enough.

Consider yourself warned - bespoke tailoring is highly addictive, rather expensive and in extreme cases, such as myself, can even change your life.

It's all about me...

I was recently asked by the Editor of "Twist" magazine to pen some words for their regular "My Day" feature, which provides an insight into the daily grind of those of us who toil in the rag-trade.

If you're interested, you can read the article here.

Wardrobe Wonderland

If the eyes are the window to the soul, then a gents wardrobe, and its condition, are the window to his character and aspirations.

Who can forget Ray Liotta's wardrobe in Goodfella's? - row after row of neatly hung suits, or, the evenly spaced crisp white shirts of Mickey Rourke's in nine and a half weeks?



Not all of us have the money, or space, for such indulgences but it amazes me that some guys sartorial armoury resides on six wire coat-hangers rammed in a broom cupboard, with everything else stuffed into the bottom drawer of a bedside cabinet.

I'm not going to launch into a diatribe about the importance of dress and how "clothes maketh the man" but will simply say that clothes are a part of our lives and should be used to make it easier, both at work and play.

Whilst there are those like myself who are self-confessed clothes addicts with closet space to rival Imelda Marcos, a man should aim at building a wardrobe that is efficient and will get him through any situation or emergency.

In my opinion, 'The Cornerstone' of a gent's armoire is a single-breasted suit in a mid-weight navy blue worsted cloth. Blue is the most elegant of colours and is most complimentary to the pale skin that we Brits have to put up with thanks to our crappy weather. It is worth noting here that you need to think about Season (Summer / Spring vs Autumn / Winter) and get your tailor to select appropriately weighted cloth.

A blue suit is perfect for more formal occasions, it can be dressed-up with a waistcoat, tie and black lace-ups and will look the part in the boardroom, at a funeral, wedding, conference, christening, or, court appearance. On the other hand, when worn as a two piece, with a colourful open-necked shirt and slick brown loafers, will work just a well for a night on the town, dinner party, or other 'smart casual' event.

If you wear a suit to work every day, then a charcoal grey suit of the same ilk is an excellent 'Number Two.' It's a good idea to order an extra pair of trousers with each as they tend to wear out quicker than the jacket and can then be rotated. The good thing with plain blue and grey cloth is that they will work with a vast range of shirt and ties in various colours and patterns so there's no hunting about for 'the right shirt' in the morning when you could be chilling with a cuppa over breakfast.

After that, you need something special, a real 'Bobby Dazzler' that will only be showcased on the most important of functions and will make you the best dressed man in the room - perhaps a one button, or even, double breasted, in mid grey with a pink pinstripe, or lilac over-check. It goes without saying you will also have the perfect shirt, tie, cuff links, socks, pocket hanky, waiting in the wings to produce a killer outfit of legendary proportions.

The only other formal garment that you must have is a decent tux - if there is a shiny one from Moss Bross lurking in the wardrobe, chuck it out and invest in something special. How often do we get the chance to tread in the steps of 007 and wear such a divine creation? - invest in your 'Dark Knight,' and you'll feel two inches taller at that black-tie dinner, particularly useful when all the ladies will be strutting about in their Louboutins and Jimmy Choo's.

Final nice-to-have formal garments include a morning suit, white dinner jacket, smoking jacket, and if you're an opera singer, or regular on 'Strictly' a tail-coat.

And so to something for the weekend.

After wearing my three piece all week it's out with the battered jeans and t-shirts but I still like to keep up appearances and introduce a structured garment of some kind. A 'Casual Jacket' might take the form of a fitted blue blazer with a single gold (or cream) button, something in grey herringbone with a black velvet collar, or even, a tweed jacket with a modern twist. A covert coat will also add a touch of class to an otherwise scruffy ensemble.

For those whose social calender extends to the vicars tea-party, Grand Stand at Lords, or the Royal Box at Wimbledon, a pair of mid to light grey flannels is also useful to have and will compliment the above.

And apart from all the usual t-shirts, polo shirts, long sleevers, and cashmere delights, you'll also need something 'razor sharp' for attending weddings, the races, or a good old night on the lash. I love a simple black suit, anything in Mohair, lighter coloured worsteds with vibrant stripes, a Price of Wales Check, or, again funky mid-weight tweeds, not the kind worn by gamekeepers.

And last but not least, accoutrement's. Money invested in quality shoes (and shoe tree's), shirts, socks, accessories is never wasted. They say more about you than anything else in your wardrobe and these will be discussed further in the not too distant future.

So your shopping list - you need a "Cornerstone," "Number Two," "Bobby Dazzler," "Dark Knight," "Casual jacket," "Grey Flannels," and something "Razor Sharp" for partying your head off.

And once you've spanked your credit card acquiring the above, look after them with a further purchase of plenty of broad wooden coat-hangars, a trousers press, clothes brush, and boot polish.

As Gordon Ramsey would say, "The Perfect Wardrobe by Michelsberg. Done."

The Daddy of Tailoring

Friends - on Wednesday 26th August at 11.54am I became a father for the first time. Introducing the next Coco Chanel, Miss Avy Rose Michelsberg :-)

A Cohiba Moment

Yesterday was officially the last day of summer and to make up for this rather miserable fact, mother nature provided us with one of those rare, truly beautiful evenings.

After returning home from an enjoyable dinner with my wife, it was wonderfully warm outside, the air perfectly still. The sky, a riot of pinks and blues, set the stage perfectly to wallow in the garden and indulge in a brandy and cigar.

Cigars are one of my favourite vices and my humidor is usually well stocked thanks to Dubai airport's duty free. Without a doubt, Cohibas are my favourite brand and that night, with its thicker ring gauge, I felt a Robusto was called for.

I love the ceremony of smoking. Snipping the tip off with a cutter, charring the end with a long match. Gently drawing-on and rotating that smooth brown stick of loveliness, before releasing a plume of smoke towards the stars. Savouring the notes of pepper and wood, before resting it down in a large, beautiful, Prometheus ashtray.

Aahhh, as I sat there in my shirt-sleeves, the world seemed a better place and then it dawned on me. The one item of clothing that was missing from my wardrobe. A smoking-jacket.



If there is one garment that screams self-indulgence, luxury, extravagance, time to chill-out, kick back and relax, this is it. Whilst the star of my favourite advert wears something similar above, it is more akin to a dressing gown and a more typical example is featured below.



Worn by the likes of Cary Grant, Sinatra and more recently Hugh Hefner, it's primary purpose was to absorb the smoke and protect the wearer from falling ash. Typically made of velvet, it has a shawl collar of embroidered silk, a brightly coloured quilted satin lining and 'frogging' (which is ornamental looped braid) with a button or knot for fastening the front.

Tailoring and pressing a garment in velvet is notoriously tricky and then there is the added challenge of finding the right velvet. Silk viscose mixes are very soft and usually drape well but are 'slippery' and so tough to work with, whilst cotton velvets are more forgiving and harder wearing. I've got samples on the way and have found a tailor who is going to work with my cutter to produce one.

Whilst I do love much about the one above, I feel it is perhaps a little stuffy, and needs the Michelsberg Treatment. Perhaps a little more fitted with less braiding and sharper lines.

Yes, we are about to go on a journey together, and by Winter, rather than getting home from the office and pulling out the cashmere jumpers, I'll have a nice little 'robe de chambre' to keep me warm. I might even treat myself to a smoking hat and a pair of these fellas.

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.