Stormy weather

Summer has scoffed her deep-fried peanut butter sandwich and left the building.

This morning my foot winced a little as it vacated the warmth of the duvet, leaving me reaching for a weighty double breasted number to brave a slight chill in the air that I'd forgotten existed.

The rain lashed down as I left the car park. Cowering under my umbrella I scuttled off to work, passing non-brollied people pulling epic rain-faces, gurning away like Blake Fielder-Civil after a big weekend in Ibiza.

I've already delivered quite a few overcoats in preparation for the onslaught of Winter. Classic covert coats with velvet collars and bright linings are always popular and I'm currently making a couple of things that are a bit different.

Today I'm doing a first fitting on 'The Swashbuckler.' It's very long and heavily skirted, inspired by the caped character in the Sandeman Port adverts with a pinch of Pirates of the Caribbean and Withnail & I (one of my favourite films) thrown in for good measure.



Something that won't have escaped your sartorial radar is the popularity of Tweed at the moment. I've blogged about it in a previous post and have recently got some bunches in that would knock the balls off a mighty elephant.



Bold over-checks and LSD inspired designs are the name of the game here, vastly removed from the dour browns and greens favoured by damp Scottish gamekeepers as they grumble into their Whiskeys.

That said, you don't need colour to make Tweed look stylish. Check out this little baby we made for a recent customer. It's a very fitted three button coat and I'm loving the patch pockets and flap on the out-breast welt.



I'm also a big fan of the Storm Collar, particularly when it's worn with the collars up, à la Eric Cantona. It's tough, confident, full of swagger and says don't call me names or I'll kick you dans la tête.

But the French man, like myself, would snort in disgust at an 'ooh ahh' collar worn on a lounge suit, like the one I spotted on Peter Jones whilst watching Dragons Den last night.



Utterly, teeth-clenchingly, balls-rising-upwardly grim. A storm-collar was designed to fight the wind and keep out the cold and should only be found on overcoats and garments of substance.

What on earth was he thinking? Maybe the air conditioning gets a bit full on in the back of his Maybach but that is still no excuse for placing what is tantamount to a penis extension above the lapel. It's a veritable carbuncle and ultimately sacrilegious towards a silky Super 150's cloth. Shameful.

Now it's just possible that I'm getting my knickers in a twist over nothing. To paraphrase Withnail, the fact that the best tailoring Peter Jones has ever seen is above his appendix doesn't mean anything.

Perhaps I need to chill out a little, and that, my friends, is the plan for next week.

I will be heading to Croyde Bay with my family to indulge my passion and love for surfing. Yes, if Mother Nature is kind to me, by Saturday lunchtime I'll be top-to-toe in rubber and up to my nipples in the healing waters of the Atlantic ocean.

And later that night, as I flounce into The Thatch Inn and demand the finest wines available to humanity, I will politely inform the landlord, that I'm not from London you know.

The Church of Good Taste

What's the deal with blokes who insist on getting their kit off in the City centre?



I crossed paths with this chap yesterday morning, his nipple rings flashing at me in the glorious sunshine. Brave as ever, my grip tightened on the handle of my Whangee Umbrella as I prepared to defend myself against this unsavoury character.

Luckily, he had no designs on my wallet, nor waistcoat, the latter which I would have gladly provided in a bid get some of that pasty skin off the streets.

One place you can rest assured of no superfluous papillae is the calm, genteel, wood panelled sanctum of English shoe making that is Church's store in the Victoria Quarter, Leeds.

It's just a soda-syphon and secret handshake short of a gentleman's club and here are Paul and Patrick who are it's guardians.



I am of the firm opinion that every man should have at least one pair of Church's in his wardrobe. I've currently got my beady eyes on the pair on the left in the photo below.

Perfect with a pair of straight-leg jeans, open neck shirt, charity bracelet and a glass of Champers, for 'dancing' the night away in Mahiki with Wills and Kate. Yah?



The chaps at Church's are lovely guys, incredibly helpful and very knowledgeable about the craftsmanship that goes into making a pair of Northampton's finest. They truly understand the importance of customer service and that is something to be applauded.

Patrick has even treated me to some of his personal stash of shoe polish and is one of the few people on Earth who can actually out-talk me. On my last visit he was kind enough to provide me with a guide on How To Look After You Shoes which includes "Grandma's shoe polish recipe" and how to get rid of shoe odor.

I've also set up a discussion about shoes on our Facebook Page and would love to get your comments on other makers and your favourite styles.

As the humidity and heat ramp up as we move through August, it can be a tough time for men when it comes to dressing correctly. The danger of short-sleeve shirts, cargo shorts and exhibitionists flashing their nipples at all and sundry is never far away.

Shoes are also potentially dangerous ground. Most men's feet are an abomination and Prada sandals can be the kiss of death to an unruly toe-nail. Getting it right isn't easy. Boat shoes - a bit rah? Crocks - god no. Which, I suppose leaves loafers.

I like the suede pair of Church's below. I can just see them dismounting a dusty Vespa Scooter and settling down for an espresso and grappa in a shady cafe in Tuscany.



Or there are these babies from Jefferey West, which you might find tucked under a kingsize day-bed in Ibiza, awash with empty bottles of Grey Goose, Cristal and sleeping super-models.



I can't stress enough how important it is to wear quality footwear. It say's more about you than than any other accessory and is worth the investment in getting it right.

So here's wising you, your feet and yes, even your damn nipples, a thoroughly enjoyable Summer.

Fancy a poke?

Damn that Zuckerberg bloke. I've resisted Facebook for years, but I've had yet another customer extolling the virtues of 'social networking' and how it could benefit my business, so I've decided to take a shaky step towards the dark-side and start a Facebook page for Michelsberg Tailoring.

I'm still not entirely convinced. I've always thought it a virtual slobberfest for American adolescents, techo-geeks and paedos to oggle pictures of Katie Price wannabes, driven to tell the world when they've waxed and what they've just eaten at McDonalds.

As my opening party proved, you can't beat getting together in the flesh with like-minded people, but I do think this Facebook malarkey has legs. My customers come from a variety of backgrounds with very different tastes but we all appreciate the finer things in life, particularly when it comes to fine threads.

That said, I want to use it as a platform not just to discuss matters of dress, although that is it's primary motive, but perhaps to help point each other in the direction of things that might bring us pleasure. Perhaps a great barber you use, or fabulous shoe shop, cloth company, restaurant, art exhibition, gentleman's club, the list is endless..

To get the ball rolling, I've started a number of discussions and will be posting pictures of 'things' and people I come across which I think are worthy of debate.

Take this chap for example:



I was on my way to the office and clocked this guy waiting to cross the road. After introducing myself and commenting on the splendour of his attire, he agreed to strike a pose.

Absolutely loving the leather gloves, cane, pocket hanky and check out the pink feather in his hat! Now that's what I call a character.

Twitter, Myspace, Bebo, Linked-in: it's a Brave New World out there and I only hope we can use it to bring some fun and merriment into our inboxes.

So if you dance with the devil and are on Facebook, here's hoping you'll keep your eyes open for things that might tickle our collective fancy and share it with the rest of us.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu

It's Monday morning and there is a spring in the Michelsberg step. On Thursday night I downed tools and headed off with my family for a long weekend in Runswick Bay on the East Coast.

What a spot. Gobsmackingly beautiful. It's straight out of an Enid Blyton book where kids with beautiful manners eat picnics, take walks and uncover an international smuggling operation run by the lighthouse keeper. I relaxed, ate chips with everything, managed some surfing at Saltburn and even changed a few nappies.

Taking time off to suck the marrow out of life is essential and one person who now has plenty of this ahead of him is Jon Fairweather who retired last Thursday.



A lover of decent brandy, the horses and three piece suits, he is going to be seriously missed by many of us in the tailoring trade throughout the country. He's an incredible coat maker who takes real pride in his work and has taught me a great deal over the last four years. Another tailor at the 'farewell' summed it up when he simply said about his skills, "you won't find one finer."

As Jon hangs up his shears and heads to the South of France and the West Country for some well earned R&R, may I introduce to you all Miss Jules Middlebrook who is chomping at the bit to get started in the world of tailoring.



Here she is, sporting a fabulous skirt made by her own fair hands using Dormeuil offcuts and is about to start a degree in Bespoke Tailoring at the London College of Fashion.

It's very rare I come across somebody who is so passionate and enthusiastic about the trade itself and she is determined to become a cutter. Many young gals, understandably attracted by the perceived glamour of the fashion industry, want to become designers and are often less interested in the craft itself.

Not so in her case and I'm going to do everything I can to help and support her. She's heading down South soon, so, if you are on the Row (or do things the 'old school' way) and think you can offer her some experience, please do get in touch.

Yes, as far as Monday's go, I'm in excellent spirits, made even better by a text from a customer of mine who hit the red carpet last Friday for the Harry Potter Film Premiere.



He has just been featured in the 'Most Stylish Men of the Week' by GQ magazine and I think his Michelsberg three piece looks spot on, particularly with the tie-pin and pocket watch. Nice shoes as well, courtesy of my fellow Victoria Quarter tenant, Churches. Good work Mr. Lewis, you've done Leeds proud :-)

Michelsberg Opening Party

Six years ago, I was a headhunter in the technology sector. Fast forward to last Thursday evening and I'm playing the piano at 9.30pm outside my own bespoke tailoring shop in the Victoria Quarter, drinking Champagne and enjoying the adrenalin buzz that came with throwing a truly wonderful opening party.



My family were in attendance and serious respect must go to my friends who made it all the way from London (Flynny), Amsterdam (Pete), Bournemouth (The Parrott) and Huddersfield (Alan). Yes, I know Huddersfield isn't that far but you have to understand that 'The Bainer' doesn't like to leave the village.

I was also really chuffed by the support shown from Yorkshire Textiles plc. All the top brass from Dugdales, John Fosters, Taylor & Lodge, Bateman Ogden, Dormeuil, Scabal, Hainsworths, Premier Worsteds and W.T Johnson (who finish the cloth) attended. Some even came bearing gifts, putting paid to the rumour that Yorkshiremen have short arms and deep pockets..

Members of the press and fellow VQ tenants popped in and of course there were my wonderful customers who had made the effort to put on their Michelsberg finest and make the trip into Leeds on a school night. It was an eclectic mix of senior public figures, barristers, bankers, movers and shakers, a mathematics professor, VAT inspector and a couple of guy's who should probably be locked up!



The butterfly's were fluttering at 5.30pm - 'will anybody come? - and then it kicked off. Take a hundred and twenty people, add fifty bottles of Champagne, two great bartenders (Sophie at Harvey Nichols and Greg from the Malmaison) a pianist (Stewart Garden) and I think it's fair to say that fun was had by all.

I made a speech - any excuse to take centre stage! - and was quite sincere when I raised a glass to my customers and suppliers who ultimately make it possible for me to do something that I truly love for a living.

I suppose you only get one opening night and mine went like a dream. I only hope it goes as well for one of my actor customers, Matthew Lewis, when he struts down the red carpet at the next Harry Potter film premiere. He's just taken delivery of a rather sharp black three piece suit in silky smooth Dormeuil cloth. Nice to think my threads will be alongside those wanabees Tom Ford, Armani and Prada!



So there you have it, we are now officially open for business in the VQ. Our recently introduced bespoke shirts are flying out the door and the cash register is ringing. Good news for me. Good news for my family. Good news for my landlord. See you all again at the the Christmas Party :-)

Grand Designs

We are just one roll of carpet and a corner sofa away from declaring the new Michelsberg showroom open for business.

There's been no room for pashmina-clad designers flouncing about on this job and even Karen, my architect, rolled her sleeves-up and got stuck in despite a broken finger.

Huge thanks must go to my father-in-law, Les, who has done much of the shop-fitting. He's a motorbike riding man's-man, with a garden shed rammed with more tools than B&Q, and I've actually seen him hammer nails into wood with his bare hands and crush a wasp to death with his fingers.

This is in stark contrast to myself, someone who releases spiders back into the wild and has more shoes than screwdrivers. It's been quite a journey for both of us and there's no doubt we've bonded.

He took me to Homebase to buy my first power-tool (a Black & Decker Compact Mouse Sander) and I convinced him, over a bottle of 15 year old Glenlivit, to try using some hand-cream ("Unusually Rich-But-Not-Greasy-At-All-Hand Cream") generously provided by my neighbour Abi, who runs Kiehls, just below me.

Having a good relationship with your neighbours in vital and luckily I have that in spades with Jack at Jefferey West. He recently asked me to make him a waistcoat for the Victoria Quarter's Mad Hatter's Tea party last Thursday and I think it turned out rather well.



It's a flamboyant, double breasted number with peak lapels and ribbed silk buttons. The cloth is scarlet doeskin, exactly the same as that worn by Prince William on his wedding to the rather gorgeous Kate Middleton, and was produced by A W Hainsworth & Sons Ltd just down the road in Pudsey.

It's a family run firm, led by Thomas Hainsworth, and is one of the few mills remaining who carry out every stage of the manufacturing process, from raw wool selection to finishing.

It won't be long before my opening party on Thursday 23rd June, and as well as my loyal customers, I've invited friends, family and folk in the textile trade to celebrate what is the start of a new chapter for me and the business.

A great idea of Karen's was to create a montage in the waiting room made up of customer testimonials and when I emailed them to ask for a few words, was overwhelmed with the response.

It's been absolutely thrilling watching Karen's vision come to life and I'm chuffed to bits with the finished space. It's everything I wanted and more besides. My suit's have clearly got a lot to live up to!

On the Move

It's official. Michelsberg Tailoring has finally found a new home for itself and is setting up shop in the Victoria Quarter, Leeds.



Here I am with John Bade, Centre Director of the VQ, after the ink was dry on signing a lease on 24a Queen Victoria Street, literally just round the corner from my favourite shoe shop, Jefferey West.

Hands up, it's a bit of a fancy pants location, with neighbours such as Harvey Nichols, Paul Smith and Louis Vuitton, but as a wee laddie I loved coming here to spank the credit card, drink coffee and watch the pretty gals go by.

More than just a load of posh shops, it's a genuinely beautiful space with stunning frescos and mosaics from the 1900's, a glass ceiling and more marble than a Russian Oligarch could shake his silver-topped stick at, and now I'm a part of it.

It's been quite a journey. Five years ago, the business was born on the kitchen table, and many of my customers have followed me every step of the way, from a series of meeting rooms, serviced offices to even the gym and private dining room at the Malmaison Hotel in Leeds!

I must say I felt rather proud on showing my father round the new gaff and pointing out the family name in gold letters. :-)



Existing customers will be pleased to hear I don't have any plans to increase prices despite the flash address (and even flashier rent) and will continue to stick to my Yorkshire roots and offer outstanding value for money.

Saying that, I'm not standing still for a moment. I will shortly be launching a new Italian style made-to measure line, alongside my British bespoke offering, for customers who prefer a softer construction with a more rounded shoulder.

I'm also working with a new team of tailors to produce a level of construction that will be up there with the finest in the world. In fact that's not entirely true. I want to it to be the best. Aim high and see how far we fall, eh?

Right now, it's a building site with sparkies and shopfitters chucking invoices at me left, right and centre. I have a feeling it's going to be beans on toast for dinner a couple of nights a week but I have no doubt it's going to be worth it, creating a fantastic environment to spoil my customers and give them the hospitality they deserve.

So a new chapter begins. I couldn't have done it without the help, support and patience of Paul Fox, of commercial property agents Fox Lloyd Jones, and David Coleman, of solicitors Lee & Priestley.

Final thanks must go to John Bade and my architect and interior designer, the extremely talented Karen Gill, who recently left behind the security of the pay cheque to set up her own practice.

Team Michelsberg, I salute you. Bring on the opening party!