A swellegant, elegant party.

At my wedding, my best man and college friend Paul said in his speech, "over the years we've shared many highs together, some legal..."

Whilst this might be true, I doubt many were better than the one I got from hosting my customer party last Thursday evening.

After a last minute flood of "sorry we can't make it" texts, the clock struck six. Within minutes I was surrounded by friends, family, suppliers and grinning customers, adrenalin and alcohol pumping through my arteries.





The sound of popping champagne corks and laughter filled the air, melding perfectly with the smooth, sexy tones of Matt Anderson on saxophone, Aubin Vanns on guitar and Stewart Garden (who played at my opening party) on keyboard.





Ever the show-off, I decided to take centre stage and make a speech.



The key thing I wanted to get across was the fact that the evening was not about Michelsberg tailoring, but a thank you to everyone who makes it possible for me to do a job that I love.

People like the weavers from the mills of Yorkshire who provide me with beautiful cloth, and those in the workrooms who make it up into something truly special.

I expressed my gratitude to other tenants in the Victoria Quarter who have referred customers my way, with a special thanks to Patrick of Church's shoes who generously provided a dozen bottles of Church's Champagne for the bash.



The final doff of my cap was, of course, to my fabulous customers. Many of them have become good friends over the years and, as ambassadors of my brand, had made the effort to come and support me on a school night, their continued patronage enabling the Michelsberg tailoring show to go on.

What a buzz to see all those "Michelsbergs" under one roof - a glorious cacophony of tweed three piece suits, jackets with velvet and moleskin top collars, flashy waistcoats, double-breasted numbers with uber-peak lapels, sharp Mohair specials with creases like razors and man-about-town covert-coats.

As the clock struck eleven, my driver (and long suffering wife Nikki) called time at the bar, and on the way back home, I wallowed in the passenger seat, a smile on my face, looking forward to a cunningly planned day off.

Here's to the Christmas bash!

Wilde Times Ahead

"I find that alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, may produce all the effects of drunkenness.” (Oscar Wilde)

Sprawled on my Chesterfield, a glass of tawny port in hand, I couldn't agree more. For those of you who haven't seen his biography, "Wilde" is a decent film. Whilst my wife, and no doubt Stephen Fry, enjoyed extensive footage of Bosie's (Jude Law's) bottom, I was captivated by the wardrobe.

In a recent article I declared "The Dandy is back," but compared to the Victorians, we're lightweights.

Velvet smoking jackets, silk brocaded dressing gowns with quilted shawl lapels, gold pocket-watches, jewel-encrusted tie pins, cravats, double breasted vests and top hats and straw boaters were paraded before me.

I particularly liked this blazer with matching vest.



Checks are everywhere at the moment. I recently made this jacket in a Super 130's Merino wool blended with Mongolian cashmere. With its purple velvet collar and flashes of purple silk behind the working cuffs, I think it gives the former a run for its money.



It's been a great month here at Michelsberg HQ.

This Saturday, a friend and customer (Paul Dunphy) dropped me a line to say he had just been voted Best Dressed Man at York Races and here he is pictured below with Jeff Banks (remember The Clothes Show?:-).



As my Facebook Page shows, I've been very busy delivering lot's of new threads to happy customers including a few "Uber Levels."

The 'Uber' is our very top-level of construction. I've gone into the nitty-gritty in a previous blog but basically it's as good as tailoring gets.



The button hole above has been sewn by hand in silk twist - it's slightly longer than a machined button hole and has that rather charming hand-made look about it.

If you look at the picture below, you can see small dints in the fabric where the canvas in the lapels has been pad stitched onto the cloth by hand to achieve a wonderful roll.

And check out the chain-stitch which makes up the flower-loop. Sweet.



Best of all, it's got my name in it, beautifully cross stitched by hand.



These are the hallmarks of a truly artisan workshop, craftsmanship at its finest and it gives me a huge buzz to be able to offer it to my customers.

The dream has always been to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best tailoring houses in the world and with 'The Uber' in my armoury, I've got one hell of a pair of Cuban heels to raise me up to their lofty heights.

There's much for me to look forward to - at the end of this week I'm heading off to Devon for a holiday in search of cider, surf and sunshine. Can't wait!

Then, when I get back, I'm throwing a party for friends, customers and suppliers here in the Victoria Quarter, on Thursday 20th September from 6pm.

If it's anything like my opening bash, things could get a bit messy and as Friday morning rears its throbbing head, let's remember Oscar when he said, "Work is the curse of the drinking classes."

First is first, second is nowhere.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin (the founder of the Olympics) said, "It's not the winning but the taking part that counts."

Utter tosh. These are the words of the loser, the also-ran, the dud, the deadbeat, the defeated.

In battle there is no prize for runner-up. Coming first is everything.

One day, like Brian Clough, I hope I can look back on my career and declare: "I wouldn't say I was the best tailor in the business. But I was in the top one."

"Firsts" are truly special. Your first car. Your first kiss. Your first suit. All a rite of passage into the engine revving, tongue tussling, thread wearing world of Manhood.

Mine - a VW Beetle, a Spanish lass called Candice and a two piece that lit the touchpaper to what is now the bonfire of vanities that dominates the wardrobe space at Casa Michelsberg.

I remember it like it was yesterday. The night before my first 'ball', standing in front of my parent's full length mirror. Patent leather loafers, black leather tie and silver grey double-breasted jacket with padded shoulders to rival those of Krystle Carrington in Dynasty. With the sleeves rolled up and lemon yellow socks, I was Yorkshire's answer to Don Johnson.



All the big moments in my life have a suit memory attached. My first job as a Marketing Assistant - the get-up, a navy blue three piece, bought from Reiss on the Kings road. With my slicked back hair and Marketing degree I was ready to take on the world and ended up making the tea.

Fast forward five years and I was earning decent wedge in London thanks to the telecoms boom. I was on business in Rome and walked into Valentino on the Via Condotti and left with a black two piece. As I skipped up the Spanish steps and jumped into a taxi back to the Cavalieri Hilton, I thought I'd made it.

And then the suit that changed my life. My first Bespoke, fitted by the legendary Graham Rigby, a lovely man who is sadly no longer with us. I popped my cherry with a blue pinstripe cloth from LBD with a bright purple lining and every bell and whistle known to man. It was then that I realized I had a drop shoulder and sway stance. Not perfect? Me?? Never!

There are many others. The morning suit at my wedding. The tweed at my first daughters christening. The John Steed special at my first Pitti-Uomo in Florence. They all have their place but that Miami Vice number was my true first and will always be 'The One.'

As far as the Olympics go, I'm no sports fan and couldn't really give a monkey's. But to see someone who has dedicated their lives to being the best win gold and achieve their dreams is chicken soup for the soul.

Whilst getting onto the Podium is truly something, being the last to get off is everything.

The Best of the Vest

The days of the Dandy are back and that's a fact.

Last week I clocked four young lads in Leeds on a Saturday night out, suited and booted-up to the max. Sharp threads breed confidence and like giants they swaggered past a group of shouty, red-faced Wetherspooners, wobbling into The Leopard Lounge for early-doors titillation.

Whilst the wheel of fashion continues to spin, dapper remains very much the done thing and that's been great for bespoke tailoring. Cool young things with Frodo haircuts have all jumped on to the good ship slick and for good reason. The Suit brings gravitas, sex appeal. It's got history. It's got soul.

There's been a shift from the skinny lapelled Mod look, towards a more 70's 'Boogie Nights vibe', with wide lapels and bold checks. One thing I'm doing more of is the "Horse-shoe" waistcoat as worn by Steve McQueen in the original "Thomas Crown Affair."



Isn't it a beauty? I've worn waistcoats all my life. When I was nine, my brother Edward and I had matching gold three piece suits bought for us by my mother on a business trip to Rome with my father.

As a student in London, I wore bright silk numbers from the Kings Road to go with my ripped jeans and statutory Dr. Martens.

Now, as your tailor, I am rarely without a trusty 'vest.' I think it takes the suit to another level. It gives the body a reassuring hug and provides the scaramoosh factor when the jacket comes off.

One of my earliest memories of the horse-shoe waistcoat was that worn by Alex "Hurricane" Higgins, the bad boy of British snooker.



Who can forget the immortal words of legendary commentator Ted Lowe, when he declared in his hushed tones, "Here's Alex, lining up the white." Classic.

Many designers look to the past (and other designers) for inspiration for their collections and so do my customers. Nigel recently came to me with the following picture he'd found on the Anderson & Sheppard website.



I've made him several work suits and this was to be the basis for his wedding tux. Pretty damn gorgeous eh?. Anderson & Sheppard have got to be one of my favourite tailoring firms and the vest with its low opening adds some real oomph to what is already a beautiful coat.

Here's what we came up with.



I'm a huge fan of the one button on a tux. Two is the work of the devil, as is a notch lapel. We used Midnight blue mohair and proper silk facings for the peak lapels and pocket jets. Expensive, yes, but worth every penny.

One of the most flamboyant suits we've made in a while is for Daniel, a photographer, who also wanted to go down the horse-shoe route.



His suit is in a blue and white striped seersucker cloth from Italy with a duck-egg blue spotted lining. Seersucker is an all-cotton fabric, perfect for spring and summer. It's woven so that the threads bunch together, which creates 'space' between the body and the coat, promoting air circulation which helps keep you cool. Simples.

And here's Chris, a recent victim of our service in a horse-shoe vest made-up in a silky cloth from Barberis.



Waistcoats, velvet collars and dressing-up to the nines will always be the heart and soul of Michelsberg tailoring. I thank my lucky stars that for the moment, 'The Suit' is in Vogue but acknowledge that the party can't last forever.

Perhaps I should start planning a range of slouchy knitwear and sports-clobber now before the wheel turns too far?

Sod that. I'd rather go bust.

Time Out!

"The Laziest Tailor in Leeds" has been at it again folks.

Last week I hung my tape-measure over my dummy and left the showroom for a week's holiday in Portugal.

In truth, I do put the hours in, and whilst bespoke tailoring and running my own business is something I love, six day weeks, tight deadlines, and the energy required to keep driving things forward all take their toll.

I wouldn't change things for the world. I believe you get out of life what you put into it.

Hard work provides me with the means to put bread (and perhaps a bottle of red) on the Michelsberg Table and more importantly to be able to live La Dolce Vita from time to time.

I'm sure many of my customers would agree. After all, it's their hard graft and the success that goes with it that enables them the self-indulgent treat of commissioning a bespoke suit.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of my break as I'm guessing you read my blog to get a monthly dose of unadulterated suit-porn. Not my chosen brand of sun-cream.

That said, as the proud father of two little ladies, please let me leave you with this picture of family Michelsberg.

We're waiting to be shown to our table at 'As Dunas' restaurant overlooking the sea. On the menu is grilled Dorade and garlic potatoes smothered in butter, washed down with an ice cold bottle of Defesa white wine.

Next month I'll redeem myself and it will be threads all the way.

Obrigado!

Surf, Sushi and Saxon Sheep

This month, I've been on it like Wallace and Gromit. The showroom lights of Michelsberg HQ have been burning long into the night and like Scotty in Star Trek, "I've giv'n her all she's got captain, an' I canna give her no more."

There's been many an evening when I've shut up shop, my cheeks a deep red, the vein on my temple throbbing like an electric eel on steroids. It's been a mental month and for that I'm extremely grateful.

That said, all work and no play....so last week my wife and I (sans kids) headed down to Devon for some 'us' time. We set off at the crack of dawn and by midday I was sporting my favourite threads, a "C Skins" 5/3mm wetsuit.

Surfing is, and will always be, a huge part of my life. Just sitting in the ocean, I can feel the negative energy seeping out of my system, washed away by the cleansing waters of the Atlantic. After just a few waves, I'm giggling and grinning like a five year old. Mother Nature can be a cruel mistress but this time I got lucky. Blue skies, a clean two foot swell and the smell of salt in my nose. Heavenly. Utterly wonderful.

The picture below is of Saunton Sands, the spiritual home of Michelsberg Tailoring. To quote William Wordsworth, "Earth has nothing to show more fair. Dull would he be of soul who could pass by a sight so touching in its majesty."

I returned fully refuelled and ready to rock and since then it's been full steam ahead. We've delivered some absolute belters, many of which can been seen on my Facebook Page, and in amongst the fittings and day to day running of the business there's been some tasty treats along the way.

Last week Matthew Simpson, Sales Director of John Fosters, took me out for lunch and here we are at Yo! Sushi in Harvey Nichols.

He doesn't look happy because I'd just told him he was paying the bill! Matthew is the consummate Sales Professional - he's proactive, efficient, a man of discretion and over the years we've built up an excellent working relationship. I love their cloth and my last four work suits have been made-up in their Super 120's with Cashmere quality.

When it comes to Yorkshire mills, you'll find none finer and my links to them are particularly close. One of my best friend's father, used to run the business and a very close friend of my parents was a past Director. Now owned by the SIL Group they've been going since 1819 and have legendary status in Japan.

Matthew and David Gallimore (Managing Director), pictured above, are very much the driving force behind the brand and spend much of their time travelling and promoting their wares in the Middle East, Asia, and US.

As far as textile businesses go, I think they are incredibly progressive and have recently launched their 'Escorial' Bunch. I've blogged about Escorial Sheep in a previous post, a very rare, blue-blooded animal, that given half the chance, would summer in Mustique and dance badly in Chelsea nightclubs.

Their fibres are particularly 'curly' which provides a natural stretch and crease resistance to the cloth they produce. It feels divine and is, in Matthew's words, 'unapologetically expensive.'

Next month looks set to be just as full-on. It's wedding season, suits for the races, blazers for summer parties, evening wear for cruises and that means more graft for yours truly. That said, there is a week’s holiday in Portugal coming up with my family and you'll never guess what? There just happens to be a couple of cracking surfing beaches round the corner... ;-)

Mohair Magic

Ahhhh, the sun. It's food for the soul. A big Greg Wallace cuddle of warmth and positive energy.

No matter what the weather I always try and remain optimistic and my attitude to business has always been along the lines of Del Boy's, "He who dares, wins."

I love to do something different, and my chance to push the tailoring envelope further came when a customer set his heart on wearing a purple mohair suit for his wedding.

I had a cloth that was close, but ultimately, no cigar. So, in the hunt for something of Cohiba proportions, I opened my little black book and went to the beginning of the supply chain. The mills.

One of the luckiest things for my business is having the UK textile trade here on my doorstep in Yorkshire.

Whilst Rick Stein is plucking crabs from his own backyard, I can take a fifteen minute drive from HQ and come face to face with some of the finest cloth producers in the world.

Names like Bower Roebuck, Taylor & Lodge and John Fosters bring tears to the eyes of cloth connoisseurs throughout the world, and when it comes to Mohair, the Brits are without doubt the best.

My mill of choice for this mission was William Halstead & Co in Bradford. Founded in 1875, it's owned by SIL Holdings ltd and employs seventy staff at its Stanley Mills site.

After a quick chat on the blower with Philip Seal (Sales Manager) and Karen Whittaker (Designer) I jumped into the motor, put the roof down (Flash Git) and headed on over.



I love manufacturing businesses. There's something I find incredibly exciting about the smell and clatter of machinery. That sense of industry, people working together to produce something tangible.

I then sat down with Iain Milligan (pictured below), their Sales & marketing Director, who gave me an overview of the company.



Here is a man who is the master of understatement. His passion for textiles oozes out of every pore. In a lilting Scottish brogue he quietly showed me the work they are doing with Prada, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Dunhill, some of the younger tailors on Savile Row like Spencer Hart and Simon Spurr in the US.

How cool is that? Certainly cooler than a call centre. Seventy lads and lasses from Bradford providing the top of the global fashion industry with the finest threads on the planet. At the risk of sounding like David Cameron, that truly makes me feel proud and the fact that it's putting bread on the table for lots of Yorkshire families is even better.

Anyway, Mohair in the shade we wanted didn't exist, so we hatched a plan...

1) It started with piece of cloth, hot off the loom in its 'Greige state' (pictured below). This means it's unwashed and totally unfinished.



2) The loom had been set up with a black warp (black threads running North to South) and a white weft (white threads running West to East). This means that when the cloth was sent to Roberts the Dyers (also owned by the SIL group), only the white threads would pick up the purple coloured dye, producing a fabulous two-tone effect.

3) Once it had been dyed, it was returned to the 'menders' at William Halstead who after working their magic, put it on the 'perch' where it was inspected a final time for faults.

4) The final stage was for the cloth to be sent to the most exciting, progressive, tailoring company in the Northern Hemisphere (moi), and two fittings later the results can be seen below.



Here's Steven in his Michelsberg bespoke three piece suit. I particularly like the mother-of-pearl buttons we've used which add a touch of bling and compliment the characteristics of the cloth.

Mohair is a stiff fibre from a goat originating in Ankara and tailors very sharply. It's got a wonderful natural sheen or 'lustre,' is cool to wear and is very 'elastic' so it sheds creases quickly.

William Halstead sells 'Summer Kid' Mohair. This means the fibres are from the first and second shearing of the baby goat which goes on to produce the softest and finest yarn. It comes from the Camdeboo region of South Africa which is arguably the best in the world.

As a cloth, it was hugely popular in the 1960's. Here's a suit in Dormeuil tonik mohair as worn by Michael Caine in the film 'Get Carter.'



There's no doubt it's a firm Michelsberg favourite. I love its texture, the way it behaves under different lights and of course, the clean lines it produces when tailored properly.

I recently delivered my first 'Uber-level' fully hand sewn bespoke suit (from £2000) to Barry (pictured below) and the cloth of choice was a midnight blue Summer Kid Mohair cloth from Taylor & Lodge in Huddersfield.



My experience with Halsteads was utterly fantastic. I learnt a great deal about different designs, weaves, cloth in general and it's truly inspired me to keep pushing the boundaries.

I'm sure chefs get a buzz when they're making fabulous food using local ingredients and it's much the same for me. As far as I'm concerned, the larder of Leeds is looking good and that first Michelin star can't be very far away. Ca marche!