A Jubilant Display

I'm sure you're already a bit sick of seeing Britain's iconic flag plastered as far as the eye can see on the run up to this weekend's celebration of the Queen's 60th reining year, but I had to show you our Jubilee-inspired window for our Bruton Place shop, for which we created this striking hand-sewn button waistcoat, which takes a staring role in the display. It's also made its way onto our seasonal postcard, which was sent out to a selection of our customers. Rule Britannia!

On Morning Coats

Guest post by Colin Cameron.

Many years ago – though not in another galaxy, far, far away – a friend of mine attended a Star Wars fancy dress party as R2D2 to see a triple-bill screening of the first Star Wars films.

It was 1983. My friend can be more precise. Actually, he remembers the exact date. That’s because among a crowd of 150 for the party he was the only person at the cinema actually in fancy dress.

I felt some empathy for this predicament when I attended a wedding dressed in a morning coat having misinterpreted the guidance on what to wear. I was the only one in attendance to do so. Nor was I the groom (or, just for clarification, the “friend” who dressed as R2D2). Amid the gathering of lounge suits, the best man sang “My Way” accompanied by an usher on the piano as a tribute to the new union. Given a chance I might have joined in to explain my sartorial choice. Instead, alone in morning coat, I simply stood tall as best I could.

Of course, the groom in solitary morning coat can, these days - with etiquette evolving and such dress being no longer widely expected at weddings - still deliver a most acceptable scene on the eye. Equally, there were plenty in morning coats at Ben Elliot’s nuptials last year. But his bespoke morning coat, made by Timothy Everest, would have stood out whatever else was in view. Ahead of Timothy making this for him, Ben and I pondered over lunch how Timothy’s ability to step beyond convention to such good effect would marry up with any social pressures to conform. You can see for yourself the “sharp take on tradition”, which was universally acclaimed to be a triumph.



As with fancy dress there is undoubtedly some additional comfort in company when wearing a bespoke morning coat. A degree of safety in numbers.

At Royal Ascot this month the thousands of men in the Royal Enclosure so dressed provide a sense that at least there for five days in June a morning coat is close to the norm. Ascot on Ladies’ Day of the Royal Meeting pulls in over 70,000 spectators. Those wearing morning coat represent less than ten per cent of this. Nevertheless, there is a sense that, wherever you look, there are likeminded around you. And while no truly independent thinker needs such reassurance over choice it is nevertheless rarely unwelcome to feel part of a body of individuals collectively celebrating history and tradition.

At Epsom on Saturday the Queen’s Stand requires morning coats, maintaining a longstanding tradition dating back over 200 years. The difference to Ascot and the Royal Meeting is that amid a crowd of in recent times over 100,000 the morning coat is very much a minority. This will be even more so on the day in 2012. The crowd at this year’s Derby is expected to be bolstered further to as many as 140,000 with the race representing the beginning of the Jubilee celebrations with Herself on hand (though she has been before). The percentage in morning coats? No more than very low single figures.

Those who represent a dwindling minority at Epsom still fulfill a function; namely to provide the sense of tradition to all present. In truth we – I will indeed be there - are literally a sight to see. That is, in a good sense. Maybe not quite on the scale of Royal Ascot. But certainly enough to provide those in the grandstand enclosure in just jacket and tie next door to the Queen’s Stand with the sense that they are present at – if not themselves dressed for – a bit of history.

Those happy to provide this service do face challenges. Traveling to Royal Ascot by train is a saloon passage with the racecourse station adjacent to the track. Amid many morning coats the journey passes without comment.

The same journey to Epsom without the body of those subscribing to morning dress is a lot more attention generating. Many is the time when I have taken this option after breakfast in town only to experience a degree of awkwardness as the hoi polloi observe that something seemingly from a museum has joined their carriage.

Moreover, stations that service Epsom racecourse are far from adjacent to the track. Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s great commentaries of the Derby reference the field coming round Tattenham Corner into the home straight with over half a mile still to travel. Those on foot have to cover the same ground after arriving at the station of the same name. In morning coat (and, remember, topper)? From Tattenham Corner it is downhill for the horses but can actually feel the opposite to anyone striding out on foot.

Equally, be assured that while the passage is far from saloon it is invariably safe. A morning coat is an objection of fascination but there is a true understanding that you are part of history and tradition. As a result you are granted – bar the odd curious remark, and general banter, which might touch on funerals and weddings – space and time to make your way. In the same way that compared to the likes of Porsche and Ferrari, Aston Martin is a car that is very rarely the subject of vandalism even when street-parked in town, so a morning coat clad racegoer is considered a valued part of British heritage and granted a clear run.

Perhaps this takes us back to the origins of morning dress; namely that gentlemen might wear such a coat before lunch if riding. Even today, this is clearly a most acceptable dress for travel.

Taking a Tablet

Stone me, I thought, appropriately enough, when I came across this radical innovation from the French design agency Murmure – the concrete business card, or, to be more precise, “a chiseled Cheltenham font set at a depth of .5mm into polished micro-pebble concrete.” It would certainly impress the gravity of your position on any recipient, though should any customer wish to line their pockets with them, we might need to think about reinforced linings (titanium? Magnesium?) You'd probably also need to keep an engraver on standby, should your circumstances change. Other than that, I'd say it rocks.

All aboard... (part 2)

A few weeks ago I posted about a beautiful burgundy Scabal Cool Wool jacket that was waiting to be fitted for our Copenhagen tour guide customer, and here's the beautiful finished article. Note the suede elbow patch and epaulette base, grey melton undercollar, and the superb hand-stitching and sprats heads. One to be proud of, I think.

Game On!

For anyone who hasn't yet caught up with it, I feel duty-bound to promulgate the manifold joys of Rufus Wainwright's Out Of The Game video – the languid 70s west coast vibe of the song itself, Helena Bonham-Carter's winning turn as a barely-contained librarian, and Rufus' channelling of toreador-period John Galliano and Faye Dunaway at her most addled in his multi-role backing-vocalist homage to Bowie's promo for Boys Keep Swinging. And all in three minutes fifty-four seconds.

Memento Mori

I've been a fan of the collage work of Hormazd Narielwalla since I first caught wind of his book Dead Man's Patterns back in 2009. Homi collected bespoke paper patterns of deceased men from Savile Row tailors, immortalising the patterns' previous owners by creating these beautifully sculpted paper skulls. I was at Sheridan & Co recently where the skulls were on display, and decided to purchase one for Elder Street.

FanCulture

Last week Stacey and Lee went along to a private screening of Fan Culture, a film exploring the changes in fan culture in the digital age and the necessity of modern brands to really know their market. The documentary seeks to uncover how companies can do this through interviews with a mix of academics, marketeers and the fans themselves. The screening was shown at the Aubin Cinema in Shoreditch, and hosted by Ian from the Tailor of Shoreditch. Thanks Ian!

Charcoal and double-breasted

Another from our DB-loving bespoke customer, this time in a fine diamond print wool in a dark charcoal colour. The texture of the wool reflects light beautifully.

Red Alert!

I'm delighted to present our limited edition red selvedge jeans, the ne plus ultra when it comes to desirable denim. Freshly minted at our Japanese factory – the first time they've added the rare-as-hen's-teeth red line to their selvedge – and produced on their time-honoured, artisanal 29-inch looms, these 14oz, slim-fit, five-pocket, deep indigo dazzlers set off a double-breasted blazer or a cashmere sweater with equal panache.

There are just 50 hand-labelled pairs, so if you want to be in the red, I'd advise you to carmine get them without delay.

These jeans, along with a selection of our other styles, are available from our online store, or our Mayfair shop (call Julian on 020 7629 6236) or Elder Street bespoke house (speak to Lee on 020 7377 5770 for more information).

Let There Be Light

As a cyclist, I know how it is out there on those mean streets; you've got your tabard, you've got your Hump, you've got reflectors, you've got LEDs flashing away from your helmet to your ankles, but drivers are still cutting you up like you're invisible. That's where Dutch bike company Vanmoof and their M2 comes blazing in. It's the first bike that I know of that incorporates a fully integrated lighting system by Phillips, completely wireless, and operated by an inbuilt power switch: “A 40lux power beam and 320 degrees of visibility,” they say, which sounds like a bright idea. And an afterburner keeps the system going for at least 1.5 minutes on standstill, giving you time to implement your fully integrated ABUS chain lock before darkness descends. I like its super-shiny lines too; in fact, you could say the M2 is beaconing, sorry, beckoning to me...