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.
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.
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.”
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
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.
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.
