BLOG
High-twist cloth is as it sounds. A cloth that has yarns that have been twisted more tightly than normal, and often with more yarns that normal. As standard worsted cloth has 2 yarns, commonly referred to as 2-ply. High-twist cloth normally comes in 2-ply, 4-ply, and even 6-ply.
The 6-ply I found was even accompanied by a picture of some biceps alluding to its inherent strength. Made me smile.
I have a soft spot for linen jackets. I adore the way linen breathes and its natural tendency to rumpling is something that has grown on me over the years. And I get hot….
Initially I shied away from linen summer jackets and all their casual connotations. But certainly, since covid there has been a shift to ever more casual styles and more easy-going fabrics and I feel this is a good thing. It allows for more expression and more playfulness, and clothes should be enjoyed.
Bespoke linen jackets can be a blessing and a curse. On one hand, linen is a tough and pliab
Oh, I love the feeling of impending summer. When the last days of spring start giving way to more consistent sunlight and the days feel never ending.
As I write this the mercury is expected to hit 24deg today and sun is beaming through the windows. No wonder I feel in such a good mood.
Feelings like this make it no surprise that people get married more in the summer and often decide to do so abroad with its more reliable sunshine.
It’s no surprise then that one of our more consistent requests is for a lightweight stone summer wedding suit. Stone colours remind me of beaches and summer sun and if paired with blue have perfect colour ways of the waves breaking on the shore.
Happy 10th Birthday to us! Colmore Tailors is 10 this year.
Where has the time gone? It’s seriously flown by and i’m immensely grateful for each and every one of you for helping to make this happen. We are nothing without all the people that make Colmore Tailors what it is and we (and I) will be forever indebted to you all.
It’s crazy thinking back at the whole ride, starting from a back bedroom at home in Lichfield to sitting in the suite in Birmingham today.
Dugdale Bros have recently launched 3 new collections. Spring Jacketing, Summer Cascade and Tropical Breeze.
All are now available in our Birmingham Suite to view.
Christmas tends to quieten down for us as smidge so it is the perfect time for us to get some much-needed rest in. We are not your typical retail set-up and don’t indulge in sales and turning over of old stock so it makes sense to align our holidays with the majority of the UK.
We will break up this Saturday the 21st and return to work on Tuesday the 7th of January.
Drago have been introducing some new and interesting collections recently. Previously their collections have centred on suiting cloth but lately we are starting to see more variance.
Our production team in Portugal are on their summer holidays until the beginning of Sept. So are Cacciopoli and Drapers and Barberis….the list goes on. If I’m ever going to take a holiday now feels like the best time.
So, this year I’m going to try something new and take a couple of weeks off when the bulk of our partners are also off. My last day will be Saturday 17th August. If there is anything urgent please let me know before this. I’ll be back on Tuesday 3rd September
Every season we introduce new bunches from our favourite merchants and continually we seek new and exciting fabrics to bolster our already extensive offering. Within the last few weeks, we have received a lot of exquisite cloth from Dugdale Bros, Loro Piana, Drago and others.
Some are updates on classic collections, such as Holland and Sherry’s perennial suiting “Crispaire”, Dugdale Bros tropical wool “New Fine Worsted” and Loro Piana’s timeless classic “Jackets and Trousers.”
When I see a new cloth, or a new merchant I like to make a garment up and experience it before I recommend it to people. With tailoring it’s not always a wild deviation from the norm but often a subtle change which can give new and exciting results. And sometimes it’s a cloth I know and love, but in a shade or style that feels somewhat different. This jacket fell into the latter. It’s a wool, silk and linen blend that the Italians are so good at producing but in a shade of green that felt just right.
Meet Ruben, the new face in our Birmingham Suite. Ruben joined us around 4 weeks ago and will be in the suite on Fridays and Saturdays. He’s a ball of energy and passion for tailoring and I’m sure you’re all going to love him to death.
Our brand new summer seasonal fabrics have arrived. A collection of summer tailoring and a collection of summer shirting. As always, they are available from stock and in limited amounts.
Each season our partners in Portugal select a range of fabrics from our wonderful fabric merchants and procure bigger amounts than normal to secure some great cloth at utterly wonderful price points. They don’t hang about, and nor should you. As always., they are worth leaping on and the stronger fabrics go quickly.
As most people will be aware, myself and the better half are expecting twin girls very soon. As they are twins we get to choose an elected cesarian and therefore the due date, which does help plan somewhat.
This is something I’m keen to fully enjoy (or endure, i’m not sure which)
We recently were commissioned to make this wonderful ivory bespoke jacket for a client’s wedding day. Ivory cloth can be a little tricky to put with black silk due to the contrast in colours, but this wonderful pure bamboo from Huddersfield Fine Worsteds worked a treat. As we knew it would.
I’m a big believer in asking pertinent questions to really get under someone’s skin and find out if what they are asking for is really what they want. That’s not to say people don’t know what they want, they often do, but it’s not always communicated directly…more so indirectly.
The new Raglan Overcoat is here and ready to order. The “raglan” refers specifically to the shoulder which is very distinct and much more rounded than the “set in” sleeve normally used (see picture below).
My advice always seeks to focus on what the wearer gets out of it and how to use it. The main takeaway should be that it significantly rounds the shoulder line, therefore casualizing the coat as a result. As such this style of coat is very adept at crossing the weekday and weekend divide but always erring towards the casual.
Thursday 8th December we welcomed some of our clients and friends all dressed up in Colmore Tailors.
The perfect occasion to network, taste good bottles, discuss viticulture and garments and introduce our latest novelty: The field coat.
You’ve probably started to think about Christmas gifts or just having a new bespoke piece in your wardrobe, to make sure to receive your order before Christmas, book an appointment and place your order between Tuesday 22nd November and Saturday 26th November at the latest.
I get asked a lot to explain outfits and to help people put them together. I don’t always feel like i’m best placed to do this, which is silly as i work with clothing and bespoke menswear everyday. But my confidence with clothing is one thing, my lack of confidence in writing is another. But it’s something i do feel can be useful to people who are interested in bespoke tailoring so im willing to put myself out there and try to learn! If there is a writer out there who wants to help then im all ears, but for now you will have to make do with my attempts and ramblings.
Here is my first draft…..all feedback, good and bad, welcomed. Please be gentle.
Across our network of cloth merchants, logistic partners and production teams we are experiencing slight delays.
This is in part due to increased demand, brexit issues (border software went down last week) and covid restrictions in Europe. We also have 3 bank holidays approaching (yay)
Please note that we will be closed from May 10th to 17th Inclusive for Holidays
Our last day will be Saturday the 7th. We will return to normal hours on Wednesday 18th
We are now stocking Dragos excellent summer seasonal collections. They will be available in limited amounts as with all seasonal fabrics so we recommend early ordering.
Drago are a pretty new (2 years) merchant for us but have impressed us with their style and eye for creating modern yet classic styles. They certainly have a grip on the direction of style and their seasonal collection for summer is a beauty!
We have a selection of CityChore styles on show in our suite on Temple Street, Birmingham - book a visit and discover your CityChore.
We opened the doors of Colmore Tailors to a discerning bunch of sartorial gents and treated them to a festive evening of networking, tailoring, and wine tasting.
It turns out that Colmore Tailors is not alone in its love of Wool & Wine. It seemed only natural for us to bring the two together...
The Classic Blouson is the classic jacket style that every man with a finely tuned sartorial sense should own.
By all means, the blouson is a reverent celebration of modern-classic styling – the epitome of cool and retro, and although it was adopted with casual intent, it radiates a simplicity and elegance that is powerfully understated. It pairs as effortlessly with flannel as it does with denim.
A whole new look and feel this Autumn/Winter with a new brand image and the arrival of an elegant bunch of Autumn Winter stock fabrics. Check out which luxurious fabrics are going to make you look stylish and keep you moving through Autumn Winter 2021.
How do you take up the challenge to grow a tailoring brand without jeopardising the quality and the experience – and without undervaluing an industry that is stooped in centuries of tradition and heritage?
As Head of Brand Marketing, I’ve realised it’s not that simple to turn up with sleeves rolled up ready to battle, armed with a rucksack full of marketing tricks
We recently put together a photo shoot with our friends at the Liquor Store to demonstrate how to combine smart & casual items. Check out the write up and gallery here
Click HERE to view the full archive
Each August across Europe the usual summer holidays are taken by our makers and merchants. This year our Ateliers in Portugal will close for the following dates
Close — 15th August
Re-Open - 1st September