Michelsberg Debating Competition

Hats off to Yorkshire's legal eagles who yesterday stuck two fingers up at the weather and bravely stomped through the snow to take part in the grand final of the Michelsberg Debating Competition.

Twenty eight trainees from fourteen of the biggest legal firms in Yorkshire took part, with Adam Roney & Pete Mills (Eversheds), Maria Akbani & Victoria McClintock (Pinsent Masons), Adrian Mansbridge & Claire Farrell (DWF) and Emma Deighan & Max Swindley (Cobbetts) winningse their respective qualifying rounds and securing a place in the final, held at the Malmaison Hotel in Leeds.

After canapés and a much needed glass of mulled wine, competitors and their supporters settled down to do battle, the motion for the evening, "This House Believes there must always be the poor."

Judges for the evening's festivities included Andrew Stubbs QC from St Pauls barristers chambers, Khadim Al' Hassan, from No 6 barristers Chambers, Paul Aber from College of Law York (sporting the most magnificent moustache for 'Mo'vember), and myself.

What came next was everything I'd hoped for. People spoke with confidence, humour, passion, intelligence and conviction, vehemently challenging each others arguments throughout the proceedings. I have nothing but respect for people who are willing to stand up in front of an audience with minimal preparation and come under fire from some of the sharpest legal minds in the business.

As a debater you need to be able to think on your feet, roll with the punches, get the crowd on side and shoot down your competitors. After the dust had settled, the deliberations began and it didn't take long for us to unanimously decide that Adam Roney of Eversheds was 'best in show'.

Here he is pictured below, second from the left, with judges Khadim, myself, Paul and Andrew also in the line up. His prize, a Michelsberg bespoke suit for his troubles, well worth a few chillblaines and a increase in blood pressure.



Best team was Adrian Mansbridge and Claire Farrell of DWF, pictured below. They also did exceptionally well in their qualifying round, where teams came under extreme pressure from judge Andrew Haslam of St Pauls Chambers, 'slugger extrordinaire,' who has iron hands, elegantly wrapped in a pair of velvet gloves. :-)



It was agreed by all that the event had been a real success allowing lawyers in different firms to get together, have fun and flex their little grey cells. I will be repeating it on an annual basis and am looking at turning it into a National competition (including 'War of the Roses,' perhaps, North Vs South).

Thanks to all of you in the participating firms who helped to make this happen and here's to the next one.

It's Coming Home

Shears are being sharpened and the knives are out as the young guns of the tailoring trade prepare to do battle in the next "Golden Shears" tournament.

It's a bi-annual competition and I'm proud to say that we made it to the final in 2009. This year I have two young ladies on board who are representing Michelsberg Tailoring.

First up, Miss Louise Winestone who is pictured below adjusting her "toile," derived from the French word for linen cloth, which is basically a mock-up of a garment made in cheap material to test a pattern.



Louise, a graduate from Fashion College, was recently sponsored by us to travel with me to Pitti Uomo in Florence to help source manufacturing partners for forthcoming collections. She's incredibly talented, a true grafter with impressive technical skills and driven to succeed. I'm really pleased with how it's coming on. From a design point of view, there's a nod to the Michelsberg house style, such as a closely fitted silhouette and over-sized peak lapels, but she's stamped her own take on things with very cut away fronts and the length of the coat is shorter than usual.

One thing that I learnt from last years event is that whilst our garment (a tweed number with purple velvet trim) looked flamboyant in the workrooms, it mellowed out under the glare of the spot-lights during the cat-walk show. So, this time, we've selected a cloth with so much attitude, that it will knock the mighty balls off an elephant.

The second waver of the Michelsberg flag is Heather Stockwell, a second year student doing a foundation degree in fashion Design and Manufacture.

She, along with her fellow students, had to pitch design ideas to myself, Bill Macbeth (MD of the Textile Centre of Excellence) and Sam Hudson (Head of Fashion for Kirklees College) as part of a joint collaboration between us all to promote young design talent in Yorkshire.

Bottom line - this girl stood out from the pack and in my opinion is seriously gifted. Pictured below cutting out her paper patterns, her favourite designer is Jil Sander and she aspires to have her own label.



Her garment will be made up in "Yorkshire DNA" cloth woven at the Textile Centre in Huddersfield (see previous blog), and she will also be using their recently introduced manufacturing facilities which have been set-up to help young designers produce sample garments.

As for the design, check out her toile below - it's certainly different! I love the lapel style and layered look that she's got going on. It's a million miles away from classic Michelsberg, but I can imagine the Japanese going mad for it in Harvey Nichs.



And that's important - not sticking with what you know. Keeping an open mind, finding talent and giving it room to breathe. I have no doubt that Heather, with hard work and a little luck, is going to have a glittering future ahead of her.

So the stage is set with Louise and Heather the key players. As narrator, I have a message for the CEO of Gieves & Hawkes: - don't forget to pack the trophy Mr. Henderson, because this year, it's coming home.

It's Cuffing Winter!

The days of grilled fish and a lingering G'n'T after work are gone. Winter is upon us and it's time to pull up the drawbridge, uncork the red, slam a pie in the oven and welcome back the captains of crap TV into out homes. May I propose a toast to Messers Sugar, Forsythe, Michel Roux Jnr, and the modern day Cowley that is Sir Harry Pearce.

It's also a time to sort out the wardrobe. Light grey suits in floaty nine ounce cloths must give way to heavier twelve ounce weights in darker tones, with Flannels, Corduroy, Moleskin and Tweeds getting their turn in the spotlight.

As far as business goes, overcoats and winter jackets are the order of the day, and we are up to our eyes in dinner suits for forthcoming award ceremonies, balls, dinners, and Christmas parties.

But every now and then we get the chance to do something different. Here I am below with Richard, a new customer who shares my taste in Jeffery West shoes and sharply tailored bespoke suits.



He's just taken delivery of a rather dashing three piece to be christened at York races. It's made up in a modern, golden-brown herringbone design incorporating a striking orange over-check with chocolate brown velvet collar and jetted pockets.

It also incorporates those little extras that might be frowned upon by traditionalists but warm the very cockles of my heart. The devil, as they say, is in the detail, and life wold be dull without a little misbehaviour. Like many men, I'm a fan of the 'working cuff,' whereby the button holes are cut and sometimes sewn by hand, allowing the wearer to undo the cuff buttons.

I think they hark back to the days when it was frowned upon if a gentlemen removed his jacket in public. A well healed chap at the opera, could pop into the gents at half-time, undo his cuffs, roll back his sleeves, wash his hands and head back out for a glass of fizz without, heaven forbid, showing his shirt.

Wrongly, it's become a mark of 'bespoke' and I have seen them incorporated in 'off-the-peggers.' Whilst it is never going to be as important as other key areas of construction, I think it's a nice touch like the one pictured below, particularly when combined with a flash of velvet, or lining, under the vent where the buttons sit.

As you can see, it's rather subtle but will catch the eye of a fine filly when you open the car door of your Aston, or wink at the lesser dressed guy in front of you at the boardroom table when you sign that meaty contract.



And then there is the humble 'flower loop' like the one pictured below - it's a small loop of thread that is sewn behind the lapel hole of a coat. It allows the wearer to simply pop a flower through his button hole and neatly tuck the stem away under the loop, rather than fiddle around with pins and clips. Can you spot the "Made in England" label? Something of a rarity these days.



Like with the working cuffs, I've seen them on ready-to-wear garments but it does take time to make one, particularly when, like ours, it is done by hand and can be seen in the following video:



Final touches are the addition of a metallic copper lining and the Michelsberg badge of honour, that enriches the wardrobes of many and strikes fear into the hearts of lesser tailoring companies.



There's no escaping the fact that we've got some tough months ahead. It's going to get cold, damp, with less daylight hours than a Chilean miner, but we've got to stay positive. So here's to cosy nights in front of the box and perhaps something in cashmere to keep the winter chills at bay.

Wedding Bells & Summer Swells

This month I thought we'd kick things off with the meaning of life.

Maslow would have us believe it is to reach 'self-actualisation.' Robin Williams, in the film Dead Poets Society, would probably just say 'Carpe Diem.' I like the phrase 'smile and the world smiles with you' and believe, although a bit schmaltzy, that it is up to us all to find and bring as much joy into this world as possible. Sick bags anyone?

This month the pressure has been on delivering a crazy amount of wedding suits and at times I've felt like I was running on empty. But in amongst the chasing of coat makers, cloth merchants and pressers, there have been some truly lovely moments.

As many of you know, I'm not shy about complimenting our own work but it is a real rush when a customer grins in the mirror at final fitting, we shake hands and they say thank you. I've had some really touching emails and notes, and one such ray of sunshine in my inbox went as follows:

"It has been an absolute joy to know and work with you and the whole experience has been fantastic from start to finish. The finished article is something I shall wear with pride and I couldn't have asked for a more amazing wedding suit.

You're a top bloke and Lisa and I wish you all the very best with the business and your growing family."

Just what you need on a Monday morning.

And last week I received this picture from the recently married Mr & Mrs Arkle.



James is a rugby player with the shoulders and legs of an ox and the waist of a beaver. He wanted something seriously fitted along the lines of Tom Ford but was struggling to find something that fit.

I think we did rather well. The cut is a classic one button, with a shawl lapel in the finest silk. The cloth, a wonderfully traditional black Barathea, is set off with a silver silk lining and a few Michelsberg touches to provide the proverbial cherry on top. In short, a veritable Bobby Dazzler. And don't they look happy! :-)

I am lucky in the fact that my working life does provide me with a great deal of satisfaction, but like all businesses there are still problems and hassles to be dealt with and at times you just need a break to re-charge.

So, last week, it was my turn to shut up shop and go away in search of some joyful moments of my own, and my god, I found them. The destination, Croyde Bay in North Devon and this was the view from my bedroom window.



If you don't know already, one of the biggest loves in my life is surfing and is one of the rare moments when I actually stop talking. That first wave at Saunton Sands washed off six months of hard graft and was food for the soul.

As I slid along a perfectly peeling right-hander on my ten foot noserider, time stood still. I felt weightless and totally connected to nature. After what felt like hours, I kicked out, dropped under the water, and returned to the surface, grinning like a madman. I screamed out in sheer bloody happiness, the hiss and smell of salt water all around me, the sun sparkling down on the crashing surf.

If the meaning of life is finding joy, then that moment was it and I'd trade in all the bespoke suits in the world to have it again.

Other highlights included early - and I do mean early - morning walks with my little girl Avy (pictured below), and dinner with my wife Nikki, whilst the baby-sitters did their duty. Thanks Rosemary & Colin!



Yes, I return to the wicked world of work with my batteries full, in search of future smiles and Maslow's finest.

Man versus Machine

"Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more."

I feel like everyone has been getting their rocks off in Ibizia, sailing in Greece, or, canoeing down the Dordogne, whilst I've been working my fingers to the bone, delivering suits for weddings, the races, and well dressed fun in the sun.

Saying that, I did recently spend a few days in Portugal visiting a garment maker I met at Pitti Uomo in Florence, who is a contender to manufacture my forthcoming ready-to-wear collection.

I can't tell you how good it was to briefly feel that wonderful embrace of 37 degrees heat as I stepped out of Lisbon airport. My eyes closed and shoulders dropped. Every bone, tendon, muscle and joint threw it's head back and sighed in unison, only to be jolted back into reality as I plopped into the back of an air-conditioned taxi and headed off to their factory inland.

As a business, they can manufacture over ten thousand jackets a month and with over four hundred employees it was going to be fascinating for me to see how such a production line is set-up and the level of quality that can be achieved using modern methods and machinery.

After a warm welcome and serious caffeine hit, the tour began and kicked off by meeting their tailors.



Here, designs are discussed and then broken down and transformed into patterns drafted onto card which are then scanned onto a computer loaded with complex CAD / CAM (Computer Aided Design / Manufacturing) software.



This then controls a rotating blade which shoots around on top of a table (with the cloth laid out underneath) and cuts out the various components which when sewn together, make-up a suit.

They are then checked for accuracy, placed into bundles with work-tickets attached and move down a line of machinists who each perform one of the two hundred operations required to build a coat, each often involving several sub-procedures.



The speed and accuracy with which they worked was jaw-dropping. I was equally impressed by Mario the Production Director, whose enthusiasm for quality control was matched only by his desire to produce garments that he and his team can genuinely be proud of.

Charming, honest and a straight talker, he was quick to point out areas where he believes technology has brought down costs and taken quality to new levels, whilst admitting there are things that a machine can never do as well as a skilled pair of hands.

For example, constructing the lapels. One of the charms of a bespoke garment is the gentle 'roll' of a lapel.

This is achieved by a tailor placing a layer of canvas behind the cloth that makes up the lapel, loosely basting (sewing) it together, and then gently folding it over his hand so it curves slightly. This shape is then held in place by making row upon row of hundreds of 'pad stitches,' as seen in the picture below, which permanently give the lapel a pleasing roll and also helps the lapel hug the chest.



As you can imagine, this takes tremendous skill and many hours of work.

That is unless, like Mario, you have sixty grand to play with, in which case you can buy a pair of machines (one for the left lapel, one for the right!) which completes the task as well, if not even better, in a matter of minutes. Incredible.

When it comes to sewing on the sleeves, he agrees that it is here that man can triumph over machine, as touch and feel can never really be hardwired into a micro-chip. The eyes and the fingers can see and feel when a stitch is too tight, whilst a machine will just carry on working to the settings it has been given.

Even the cutting machine has its downside. Whilst it will maximise every square inch of the cloth and cut with unbelievable accuracy, there is a real art in laying out the patterns so that the checks and stripes will match perfectly when put together. Obviously, this is done to a large degree by the machine, but it's just not the same.

As the tour continued, there were further oohs and ahhs, in particular watching the Eric Cantona of pressing lines, as garment after garment emerged crisp and clean as a whistle.

When it comes to tailoring, I have promised myself that whilst maintaining tradition is truly wonderful, I must always be open minded to modern methods.

There were days when truly beautiful cars were built by hand, indeed I believe the Morgan still is, but as technology has leaped forward, there are now gorgeous looking automobiles with breath-taking performance rolling off production lines.

Man versus machine will always lead to an interesting debate and perhaps I'll mull it over more next month when I finally take a few days off and head for some surf and sun.

Hasta la vista, baby.

Sins of Summer

When it comes to the most inhospitable place on Earth, El Azizia in Libya, or, Death Valley in California are up there. Yesterday, I found a serious contender. The Northern Line, London.

I was down South visiting the agent of an Italian manufacturing business. Riding the tube, or as I call it, 'the land of a thousand farts,' on a hot day in Summer is not for the faint hearted.

Wanting to create the right impression, I was kitted out in a three piece suit made-up in LBD's 'Havana' cloth. It's a very lightweight super 120's with cashmere (about 7 to 8oz in weight) and even though it's as light as a feather and cool to wear, was still no match for the humidity and general foistiness that enveloped our little carriage.

As my core body temperature reached dangerous levels, it got me thinking. What should a well-dressed man wear in the height of summer?

Perhaps I should begin with what not to wear. I've discussed short-sleeve shirts for work-wear in a previous blog and the bottom line is just don't, or you'll look like a school kid, or, worse, a traffic warden.

Then there are shorts. If you've got legs like Brad Pitt in 'Troy,' then maybe, just maybe you can get away with them, but for most of us, that isn't the case. Personally speaking, I have the legs of an anorexic ballerina and like to keep them under wraps. I can't tell you the number of pale, bruised, skinny, hairy, specimens that were poking out of voluminous cargo shorts. It's enough to put a fellow off his lunch.

And then there are those mid-calf ones - fine if you are a fisherman in Bali, but absolutely ridiculous in town.

Next, down to the feet and perhaps the uber-sin of footwear. Crocs. I salute the marketing genius that actually managed to convince people over the age of four that it is ok to wear fluorescent orange rubber clogs. Maybe it was just some guy having a crap footwear competition with the joker at Birkenstock who decided to produce a range for blokes.

Fact - most men's feet are the work of the devil. They spend fifty weeks of the year festering away in socks and shoes and then the first sniff of sunshine and bang. It's lights! camera! action! Out with the Prada flip flops and centre stage for all that pasty skin, yellow toe nails and cracked heels.

When it comes to dressing well for Summer, the Europeans are streets ahead of us Brits. Just look at one of the ray-ban wearing, Marlboro-smoking, sun-soaked signores, sipping his grappa in a square in Rome. You'll probably spot an open neck shirt with the sleeves rolled back, a pair of well cut lightweight trousers, a half-lined jacket slung over the back of the chair, and feet encased in a pair of Todd's loafers, sans socks.

Us Brits don't do Summer clothes well, but to be fair, we hardly have a Summer in which to do anything well. Just because it's hot, doesn't mean we can let our standards drop, get over-excited and dress like we are heading to the beach. It just means we have to find and wear the right fabrics, and that's where a good tailor comes into his own.

Personally, I don't like using pure linen as it takes ages for the whole garment to look equally dishevelled and much prefer using a light-weight wool, (around 9 oz'z in weight), perhaps blended with a little silk, linen, or, mohair.

I also like the yarn to be twisted, so it sheds creases more easily, which is better for travel suits. Useful, as we usually have to travel to find decent weather in the first place!

I mentioned earlier about a 'half-lined jacket, and an example of one is pictured below.



The beauty of a half-lined jacket is that they are cooler to wear. From a tailoring point of view, there is more work and cost involved because all the seams, and general gubbins inside, have to be meticulously finished, rather than 'hid' behind a lining.

The picture of the centre-back seam below clearly shows how it has been pressed flat and each edge of the seam stitched down quite beautifully.



A well dressed Englishman in sunnier climes is a bit of a rarity. As far as I'm concerned, a beautifully tailored half-lined jacket made up in a cool, lightweight fabric in cream, stone, pale grey, or Italian blue, worn over a crisp cotton shirt is a good start.

If you insist on getting your legs and feet out, then for heavens sake, hit the tanning booth and cut those toe-nails.

Finishing touches, a decent pair of sunnies and if you dare, a Panama Hat. David Niven and Jude Law, eat your sun-kissed hearts out.

Italian Stallions at Pitti Uomo

Last week I died and went to sartorial heaven. The angels spoke in Italian, sipped espressos and strutted around like peacocks, showcasing some of the finest tailoring on the planet.

I'd decided to make the pilgrimage to Florence to take part in the biggest menswear show in Europe - 'Pitti Uomo.'

For lovers of divine threads this truly is the land of milk and honey. It's here where the big boys like Kiton, Brioni, Belvest, and D'Avenza come to oil up and flex their garment making muscles in front of an international audience of buyers, agents and the media.

When it comes to looking good, the Italians rule the roost. It's in their blood. I remember watching two guys in front of a shop in Rome talking about a pair of shoes as if they were discussing a beautiful woman.

That passion, that confidence to go forth and show the world whose your daddy is the engine behind a tailoring and textile industry that few other countries can match.

So, not wanting to let the side down, I popped on my three piece and panama bowler hat and threw myself into the baying throng of air kissing Giuseppes in search of new contacts.



Also along for the ride was a young lady who is now working with me to design our first ready-to-wear collection. Introducing Miss Louise Winestone.



One of the key differences between Italian and English tailoring is the construction and silhouette. Italian tailors tends to use much lighter canvases, with garments having a much softer, more natural shoulder line, with more drape, using very little wadding in the shoulders and the chest. An example is shown below.



Whereas, English tailors tend to prefer a more 'constructed garment', with heavier canvas, a more imposing shoulder line and clearly defined chest, nipped into the waist such as this little number below.



As far as I'm concerned, they both have their merits.

Personally, when I wear a suit, I like to feel it on me and so like the heavier construction.

Put on an English jacket and it says, "Right fella. We're ready to rock. Let the games begin." With an Italian suit, it's like you are having a massage. It puts it's arm round you and says, "Buona sera. Let's sit down in the sun, drink limoncello and watch the pretty girls go by."

Different schools of thought. Both worth attending.

I tried suits on by Kiton which can retail at well over five grand and met with the most highly regarded names in Italian Menswear. Most are still run as family businesses and nearly all of them have ladies who are charming and rather attractive, such as Barbara from Ravazzolo in Vicenza.



I met with guys from Savile Row such as Richard Anderson and his partner Brian Lishak, ate the best veal I've ever tasted, and ogled at some of the most beautiful garments I've ever seen. Inspiring, exhilarating and utterly knackering.

As I left the exhibition for the last time, I stumbled across Mr. Yukio Akamini outside the main hall. He's a legend in Japan and known throughout the world for his knowledge of textiles, tailoring and ability to open doors.



As I collapsed into my seat on Ryan Airs finest, the land of 'sogni d'oro' fell upon me. Graze Firenze. I'll be back.