Never Fully Dressed Without a Tailor
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Never fully dressed without a tailor Any man worth his sartorial salt must wear a bespoke suit, but that doesn’t have to mean a trip to Savile Row, realises Jonathan Self Photographs by Paul Cooper ’VE made what can only be described as a wardrobe-changing discovery. Having been brought up to believe that, in the words of Tailor & Cutter maga- Izine in about 1866, ‘a man cannot make love with any kind of conviction unless he is wearing a coat cut within half a mile of Piccadilly’, it transpires that there are exceptions to this rule. That is to say, some of the best British bespoke tailors—by which I mean tailors who produce their clients’ clothes themselves, in their own workrooms, using the finest mat- erials and entirely by hand—are to be found outside Savile Row, indeed, outside London. You can never be overdressed or‘ overeducated Oscar Wilde This is not to denigrate the Row. My’ father, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather were all regular patrons. Their clothes were exquisitely made to defy fashion and to last a lifetime. Indeed, when I was in my twenties, I inherited a 50-year-old suit of my grand- father’s that I wore for a further decade. ➢ Measure of a man: the author Jonathan Self with his tailor, Patrick Barker Country Life, January 3, 2018 49 Suited and booted: how to commission a bespoke suit ❍ Have a clear idea what the suit is req- uired for. You probably won’t want to wear a tweed suit in the City (except on a Friday, when it’s acceptable if heading off to your country estate for the weekend) ❍ Choose a suitable cloth: 8oz for summer, 11oz for the rest of the year. A 20oz cloth will, incidentally, virtually stop a bullet. Tailors will talk about fibre width (super 80 to super 240, which is the finest), but fibre length is every bit as important ❍ If you have a ‘powerful build’ (no tailor will ever call you overweight), then choose a plain, dark colour as it will make you look thinner ❍ When choosing a style, it’s impossible not to look amazing in a classic, two- button, single-breasted, two- or three- piece suit with a double vent at the back ❍ Coats (never jackets, which are what potatoes have) ought to have three flapped Off the cuff: Crichton Bespoke in Chester outer pockets, a breast pocket, a bout- Finding a local tailor onniere and four working buttons on each No, the problem is cost. When the late Alan that measures up sleeve. Lapel width should be fixed by Clark was told that American Mafia boss John your tailor according to your body shape. There are bespoke tailors throughout the Gotti wore $2,000 suits, he said: ‘I didn’t Ask for the gorge (where the lapel meets British Isles, but they often need hunting know it was possible to buy one so cheaply.’ the collar) to be set high and for half an out as they tend not to advertise them- Clearly, Clark was used to Savile Row prices. inch of shirt to show at the cuff selves terribly well. I used a combination I recently telephoned my father’s former of online searching and asking around ❍ Avoid a fancy lining. It seems amusing tailor to ask what I should budget for a simple to compile my shortlist. at the time, but, like that holiday tattoo, two-piece lounge suit. The answer, between Many regional tailors will come to you you will come to regret it £5,000 and £6,000, was not unreasonable, or offer appointments in Savile Row (they ❍ Trousers should have steel zips, not but it pushed me to look for an alternative. borrow rooms from the big manufacturers), buttons, side pockets for ease of use and but do insist on visiting their workroom for no back pockets as these spoil the line. the initial discussion and measuring, if not Belt loops are sartorial death—if your If people turn for every fitting—it’s important to see where weight varies, ask for a strap and buckle your suit is being made. or tab and button. If, side on, you look to look at you on the Some tailors try to pass off made-to- even vaguely like an egg, ask for braces street, you are not well measure as bespoke. Make sure you’re buttons. Braces are the only way to ensure ‘ your trousers sit at the perfect height. The being offered the genuine article. dressed, but either crotch should be as high as comfortable, unless you’re a rapper or a clown. Tapered too stiff, too tight, I also wanted someone who managed every trousers never, ever go out of fashion stage of the process in-house. Some so-called ❍ If you’re going to wear a bespoke suit, or too fashionable bespoke tailors are actually little more than you should also wear bespoke shirts Beau Brummel measurement takers, outsourcing the cutting and sewing to commercial workrooms. I wasn’t, I rejected made-to-measure, which is con- on the other hand, interested in a one-man will need to be replaced, I decided I wanted pairs of satin pyjamas (he who sleeps naked there is in clothing.’ I find it deeply satisfying siderably cheaper, out of hand, because’ it band as this can mean interminable delays. a youngish tailor who would see me out. The well-dressed man is, after all, in for a nude awakening). to be attired in clothes that feel as if they’re involves adapting an existing pattern, machine I spoke to a wonderful former Row tailor in I settled on Patrick Crichton Barker (although Much pleasure is to be had in the planning part of me, rather than something I’ve just cutting and machine finishing, making it little Manchester who said that, if I was in a hurry, he’s dropped the Crichton) of Crichton Bespoke is he whose clothes and fitting. There is the initial discussion put on. It’s a great confidence booster, too. better than ready-to-wear. I toyed with the he might manage something for spring 2019. in Chester. The Crichtons and Barkers have ‘you never notice about design and material, at which any extra It isn’t that I’m a snob—nevertheless, don- idea of taking my business overseas, possibly My future tailor’s personal style was, been tailoring in the North-West for gene- measurements must also be taken, and then ning a bespoke suit imparts in the wearer to Italy, where there are some highly regarded naturally, of paramount importance. I was rations and Patrick, who I judged to be about W. Somerset Maugham at least two fittings. I’ve been journeying a sense of superiority. It must also be remem- bespoke tailors. However, any savings would looking for traditional, structured British 30, inherited the firm from his father. Satis- to and from Chester every few weeks for the bered that smart dressers are treated with have been spent on travel and accommodation. tailoring with only the slightest nod to mod- fyingly, it’s located in a superb, Grade I-listed, a complete new wardrobe: morning dress, past six months, meaning to make each visit greater respect in both work and social situ- The best option, I decided, would be to try the ernity. Tailors who allow their clients to medieval town house, where one can barely evening dress, three more lounge suits,’ a tweed short and businesslike, but enjoying the ations. As Ralph Emerson so wisely pointed out: regions. I set myself quite a strict brief. I wanted commission the sort of suits professional move for bolts of cloth, rails of half-completed suit, a blazer and trousers, a dressing gown process so much that I tend to dawdle. ‘Being perfectly well-dressed gives one a tran- a tailor who only offered bespoke, as tailors footballers wear were ruled out as were those garments and leatherbound ledgers. and two dozen shirts. Serious negotiations This might seem excessive, especially for quillity that no religion can bestow.’ who sell other products (made-to-measure, who promote humorous and gaudy linings. A two-piece suit from Crichton starts at are also in train for a short Nehru coat a man who spends most days alone in his study Crichton Bespoke, 26, Watergate Street, ready-to-wear, shoes and/or accessories) As my doctor, dentist, solicitor and account- about £2,000 and I was so pleased with in black silk and—ending four decades or in messy rural pursuits. However, as Isaac Chester (www.crichtonbespoke.com; 01244 can’t possibly be as obsessed with quality. ant are all approaching retirement age and mine that I’m in the process of commissioning of never wearing anything to bed—several Bashevis Singer said: ‘What a strange power 317297) 50 Country Life, January 3, 2018 www.countrylife.co.uk www.countrylife.co.uk Country Life, January 3, 2018 51.