Check Me Out: luxury scarves for Christmas, made in Scotland

I've known Holly Pressdee and her love of tweed for a while. But until very recently she'd kept quite about a new venture, Check Me Out, designing and selling luxury cashmere and merino scarves, made in Scotland. If you're looking for a present that will really attract interest, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than buy one of her beautiful scarves. 

The cashmere London check £430

The merino London check £210 

The designs take inspiration from a special place or memory, here London, with colours of the London Underground being used.

As Holly pointed out to me, although she had women in mind when designing them, these scarves would suit anyone. Woven by one of my favourite manufacturers, Johnstons of Elgin, whose design , knitting and weaving skills are used by international household name fashion houses, this is knitwear of the highest pedigree. I'd love to give one this Christmas!

See Check Me Out. The scarves are also stocked at Dashing Tweeds, 26, Sackville Street, London, W1S 3HE (telephone +44 (0)20 7439 8633) where Holly is Studio Manager.

Check Me Out on Kickstarter: British made scarves for men

Attracted by their colourful knitwear/scarf designs, I wrote about Check Me Out soon after their launch last year. They are now on Kickstarter raising crowd funding for a menswear collection. I love the colours, design, London inspiration and British manufacture. See their video below and go to Kickstarter to see what they offer in return for your support.

See my previous report on Check Me Out here.

Where To Buy Last-Minute Christmas Gifts

Where to go for last-minute Christmas gifts? Rather than suggesting specific presents, I've listed here a few sites with a good selection of products from which you're bound to find something suitable:

L to R top: Kinoko, Realm & Empire, Check Me Out Designs
L to R bottom: Holdall & Co, Rose Fulbright, Lissom & Muster

Kinoko sell a good selection of carefully curated gifts from clothes to accessories. Their Gift Guide is useful.

Realm & Empire have plenty of clothing and accessories but they're offering collection of Christmas kit bags containing specially curated menswear classics, from warm wool overshirts and chunky knitwear, to winter essentials and British-made accessories. There's a special introductory price of 30% off and a free screen-printed canvas tote bag with every order. See here.

Check Me Out Design only stock British-made scarves, but they are beautiful and you're sure to find a last-minute gift here.

Holdall & Co. Made in England leather folios, brief cases and accessories. Beautifully made, some of my favourite leather goods. 

Rose Fulbright offers something for him in printed silk loungewear from the Morgan Collection or something seductive for her here. 

Lissom & Muster has a large collection if interesting gifts, many made in the UK. I like this John Smedley roll neck and tweed throw by Mourne Textiles, but there is a good choice for men and women.

I suggested specific gifts for you to give for Christmas recently here and here.

Sartorial Sages 3: Eric Musgrave's Style Tips

In this the third of the occasional series of Sartorial Sages (link below) I'm delighted to welcome Eric Musgrave. One of the first books I bought as a style blogger was his Sharp Suits with its cover image of a besuited Steve McQueen (the cover below is an earlier edition). Eric Musgrave is former editorial director of Drapers (the magazine covering the fashion retail sector), launch editor of For Him (later FHM), author of Sharp Suits (Pavilion, 2009). He's also a very dapper fellow. 

Here Eric Musgrave gives us the benefit of his considerable menswear style experience:

Sharp Suits cover – 1966 suit by Ted Lapidus (Photo from the files of IWS, now Woolmark)

My version of the suit. A bespoke suit made by Meyer & Mortimer in a Fox Brothers flannel

A made-to-measure three-piece by Magee, using a Magee tweed. I picked the floral lining to complement the windowpane check

TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE by Eric Musgrave

What do want your clothes to say about you? That is the first question to ask yourself when on a search for style. Your wardrobe should be a reflection of your character, so it could be very large and varied or very narrow and focused. But the choice should be yours – not your mother’s, or your wife’s, your girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s.

My own interest in my appearance goes back at least to my mid-teens, when I was first allowed to go shopping for clothes rather than have my mum take me. I was 63 in May this year and my passion and interest is undimmed. I am now very choosy about what I wear and tend to concentrate on a few favourite looks. I take pleasure in what I wear and, I hope, I give people pleasure in seeing me in my choices.

One of the saddest things for me is when a bloke will say “Wow, you look great, Eric, but I could never wear anything like that.” Oh yes, you could, I think.

It is a nonsense for anyone to suggest that men are not interested in their appearance. In nature, the male is usually the more flamboyant of the two sexes. If you want some inspiration and proof that males have been style-conscious for decades, have a look at Menswear (Bodleian Library, 2012, a collection of vintage postcards collected by artist Tom Phillips. With images from about 1900 to 1950, it’s an inspiring and fascinating collection for which I wrote a short introduction. There is a short piece about it on my blog.

Menswear by Tom Phillips - the cover of an inspiring book of old postcards

In Silhouette spex – a simple outfit gathered around white, black and grey. Wool jacket by J. Keydge.

A plain blue polo shirt balances a busy club check in a made-to-measure linen-silk suit from Magee

Cord jacket by Polo Ralph Lauren, traditional Fair Isle slipover by Drake’s

MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL

I have had to come to the alarming conclusion that I no longer have the skinny body I had in my late twenties. As I am not prepared to exercise and change my diet enough to reduce my weight and girth, I am no longer a slip of a lad. I have to be realistic about sizing of clothes and any man who wants to look good has to take the same somewhat painful attitude. Despite my good intentions, I now accept that my near-40 inch waist is unlikely to ever shrink back to a 34, so a couple of years ago I had a major clear out of my wardrobe.

It’s not possible to look good unless you your clothes are the right size. Having them too big is a regular problem I see, especially when the sleeve on a tailored jacket hangs below the knuckles of the wearer. Ugh!

Don’t worry about what the size label actually says. Try a garment on to see how it fits. There is no consistent sizing scale for the industry, so one suit manufacturer’s 40 Long may well be another one’s 42 Regular. The huge variation in sizing, cut and styling in menswear makes me wonder why anyone would buy anything new and unknown to them via the internet, but life is full of mysteries, isn’t it?

Most of us buy our clothes ready-made, so the other reality of a stylish life is you will very often need to have them altered to fit you properly, whether it involves shortening or lengthening a sleeve on a jacket or shirt, adjusting a trouser waistband, or slimming or easing a jacket side seam. Find yourself a good alterations tailor and include the alterations cost into your budget.

I have a lot of time for made-to-measure clothes – essentially the alterations from the standard size are put in at the time of manufacturing – of, if your budget allows, the full treat of bespoke, when the garment is made individually just for you.

A punchy red shetland knitwear sweater by Drake’s is a good background for a multicoloured cashmere Wispy scarf by Begg & Co

Candiani jeans etc – a two-way mix of unusual denim. Not sure about that white belt on second thoughts!

TAKE YOUR TIME AND FIND A FRIEND

For too many of us, shopping for clothes has become a self-help exercise. The sad decline of independent menswear retailers and the paucity of knowledgeable staff (or indeed any staff!) in larger high-street chains and department stores means you have to work out a lot for yourself.

I’d always advise trying to find a good specialist menswear retailer, even if it means travelling a bit of a way. Even if you are confident in your style and know a lot about the performance qualities of fabrics and different silhouettes, it’s engaging to discuss the finer points with another fan. With a bit of luck, they will be able to introduce you to a new label or a new idea. Or suggest a combination that enables you to tweak your own style.

The other important point is to devote some time to the shopping process. It’s dangerous to shop in a hurry. If you are developing your style or want to go in a new direction, it is worth giving yourself the time to try things out in a shop with a helpful and knowledgeable expert at your side. Decent retailers survive on repeat customers, so a good one is highly unlikely to send you off with something that won’t work for you.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, SO LOOK AFTER IT

I learned a long time ago that quality costs money. I am not talking about the premium prices charged by “designer names” just for the addition of their often-ugly logos, but high-quality clothes made of high-quality materials necessarily cost more.

I rarely buy inexpensive items, but if I do, it’s only in the knowledge that they will probably have a short and limited life with me. Happily, decent bargains are to be had pretty much all the time these days and the internet makes locating these more easily than schlepping along a high street.

A few years ago I decided that I wanted to support British manufacturing, so wherever possible I buy clothes and footwear made in the UK (and Ireland too). They may not be cheap, but they represent great value, which is a more pressing concern for me.

Looking good involves looking after your clothes. Way back in 1985 when I was part of the tiny team that launched For Him as the first of the modern-era “style magazines” for men, dressing well was a central theme of our editorial proposition. We consistently advised our readers to avoid the vagaries of “fashion” for the pleasures of “style”. We regularly ran features about caring for clothes and shoes correctly – it all pays off, believe me.

You can see what we were doing with the early For Him here.

GO ON, SURPRISE YOURSELF

It’s never been easier to look good. The internet is an apparently infinite resource on which you research any menswear query. When I started my journalistic career in 1980, the best you could find for guidance was an old copy of The ABC of Men’s Fashion by the Queen’s couturier Hardy Amies, which had been published as a 3/6 (17½p) paperback in 1964, or one of the early books by American style commentator Alan Flusser, who I interviewed in 1983 in New York (read the piece here).

Style is a visual medium and the millions of images online make it easy to gain inspiration and ideas. You can look up renowned style champions like the Duke of Windsor or Cary Grant and examine how they put their outfits together. Look at proportions, shape, pattern mix, colour contrast or colour coordination. Once you see something you like, you can start to find out how you can replicate the look or a version of it.

Men’s style is, literally, a many splendoured thing. When I was researching my history of tailoring, Sharp Suits, I devoted a great deal of time in digging out unfamiliar images rather than recycling the old favourites. Aided by picture researcher Emma O’Neill, I found literally hundreds of great photographs, most of which still sit on my laptop as they did not make the final selection. Often I like them not for the overall look, but because they give me an idea for a mix of patterns between a shirt and tailored jacket, or the angle of a pocket, or a way to wear a scarf.

Sometimes, I do go the whole hog, as in the case of a bespoke suit in Fox Brothers flannel that I had made by Meyer & Mortimer in Sackville Street (it was payment for the work I did on redesigning their website a few years ago). The outfit was inspired by the cover image on the first edition of the book, which featured a high-fastening double-breasted suit from 1966 by the French designer Ted Lapidus (once very influential, now largely forgotten). I saw the image. I liked it. I thought it would suit me (no pun intended). It does.

You’ll be surprised what would work for you. Just give things a try – and make sure they reflect your personality, not someone else’s notion of what your personality should be.

...................................................................

Grey Fox: I'd like to than Eric Musgrave for his considerable and fascinating contribution. I've learned a lot and it's good to hear that I'm on the right lines after 7 years as a self-taught menswear enthusiast.

Menswear book – Eric Musgrave's favourite outfit of the 200 featured in Tom Phillips’ book of postcards

Click here to find other contributions to my Sartorial Sages occasional series.

Vintage Clothing: by Gillan Bell of Retro Vintage Love

I've mentioned vintage clothing here on a few occasions, but not yet spoken to an expert. I follow Gillan Bell of Retro Vintage Love on Instagram, browse his shop from time to time and have bought from him in the past, so was delighted when he agreed to share his expertise with readers of this blog.

GF: Many thanks for this interview, Gillan, please introduce yourself.

GB: Hello, I'm Gillan Bell of Retro Vintage Love. My journey buying and selling vintage menswear and accessories began back in 2006. I was twenty years old and fresh out of catering college after a three year course that had set me up for life in the food preparation industry. 

So, how does a man with a passion for food end up selling vintage clothing which was not even on the radar? Although style and history were very much a personal interest of mine, I never connected the two. It started with my Dad's Pringle sports sweater, (made in Scotland from the mid 1980’s, I believe). It was the jet black colour-way with the famous Lion embroidery in white, do you know the one? After a rather surprising sale on the well-known auction website that we all love, eBay, I was hooked. You never forget your first sale. My dad will tell you that he had every colour Pringle sports sweater ever produced back in the day. Well, he had a few less after I sold that first one. 

GF: What sorts of vintage clothing and accessories do you find are popular to buy now?

GB: That's not an easy question to answer. There are common sense rules and then there is instinct. A clothing palette should complement the season of the year. Modern fashion follows the rule of light colours for spring and summer and darker tones for autumn and winter. That also applies to vintage clothing to an extent. Only with vintage attire you have the luxury of mix and matching to your own preferred style and era; a trend that no one else can imitate. That's where the instinct comes in. You have to have some vision, outside your own tastes, on how someone else might mix it up. With that said, it seems every piece has a time to shine. The hard job is keeping up with the supply and demand for trends that can change in a heartbeat.

Over the years, I have noticed a big movement in the military scene, especially British and US wartime attire. Pieces can include workwear (HBT), battledress and camouflage (earlier patterns). Away from army surplus, patchwork denim seems to have taken off somewhat. Along with civilian dress, personalised souvenir jackets, worn-in leather biker jackets, stencilled goods and Native American jewellery. As it goes, anything with charm and character seems to go down very well, although it seems this changes hourly.

Those in the vintage game will understand that it isn’t simply a hunt for the well established brands, like the Burberry, Belstaff or Harris Tweed labels that we all rally for. With vintage lovers, it is much more of a personal journey. For me, it's finding that unremarkable piece that everyone has overlooked but ends up telling a remarkable story. That is what makes this job most enjoyable. As a buyer and a seller it allows me to branch out where there simply are no rules.

GF: What should anyone wanting to buy vintage think about? What advice would you give?

GB: When buying vintage clothing I look at the quality; the smallest detail as to how it was made, the history of where it was made, the people who made it and the current overall condition. 

Another key point is practicality; like buying from the High Street. Nothing sells faster than an item with that off-the-peg feeling. You also want to build a reputation that your customers go away knowing they won’t be sending a piece out for repairs after a week of wearing. Some sellers forget to check areas prone to wear, be it zips, linings, insoles, for example. Closely check the seams, especially when it comes to buying denim and leather goods. It's also important to know the difference between the unflattering "worn out" look of a garment versus and the comfortable signs of wear that adds to the overall vintage charm. 

You’d be surprised at what inspires designers nowadays. That sun faded jacket you bought in 1980 may just be the in-thing this season. On a serious note, this is what many vintage retailers are looking for. So, having a sense of current fashion trends is as important as thoroughly knowing vintage fashion trends.

Of course, you must have good business sense and have some sense of value for money or collecting vintage clothing will just be a disappointing hobby. Like everything we buy in life, we want to go away smiling. Be aware of sellers charging over the odds. Do your research from more than one source before committing on any sale. You never know, we may be selling for half the price! ;)

GF: Do you ever have items you find hard to sell as you like them so much - give example?

GB: Most certainly. This has become a daily battle of late it seems. Those who know how I work will understand the lengths I go to when it comes to gathering research on the history of a manufacturer's label on any given item. This often leads to learning the in-depth company heritage. That leads to when a garment was made. A specific year's run will have telling signs that differ from previous or later made garments; how, when and where the garment was worn. There is also the fun of learning about the famous faces who may have worn such garments in their heyday.

Often, the garment will have an owner's label revealing, in fact, who wore a specific garment. It can be the owner's posh monogram or a handwritten name, school or home address written in addition to or on the manufacturer's label. Then, the history of a garment comes alive. It can reveal the age its owner lived in, his exploits, his interests, his character, the famous relative who may have brushed up against this very sleeve. The story. Thus, finding it difficult to part with the connection.

And never forgetting those pieces worn by ex-servicemen and women. The owner's labels that reveal a military unit, home town, where stationed or what year. Those labels can reveal heroes and the history they may have made wearing the garment. I'm especially keen on those stories of local interest. It isn’t every day that you find a rucksack that has seen action during the WWII Normandy landings or a German Waffen-SS NCO belt dug out of the trenches, or military equipment owned by Prince Harry's right-hand man's grandfather, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Gordon Ward Lane Fox (formerly Jackson).

A few of my personal favourites stand out: pieces include a late 1950’s ‘Barbour Suit’ waxed motorcycle jacket as worn by Steve McQueen. There is a tunic made by Film & Theatre costumiers M.Berman Ltd - Designers of the famous dayglo-coloured military-style uniforms made for The Beatles during the filming of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover and video. Personal belongings owned by a local Commanding Officer / P.O.W. (125th Anti-Tank Regiment “Sunderland’s Own” RA) during WWII, Battle of Singapore have become dear to me. 

Motorcycle gear made by Britain’s oldest motorcycling clothing company: Lewis Leathers. Est.1892. (D.Lewis Ltd).

The original CC41 Utility Clothing from 1941-1952. Others include: panel-stitched flags stretching from WWI / Early twentieth century morning and evening attire, tailcoats, waistcoats, shirts and collapsible top hats / Battledress to include a 1943 Royal Australian Air Force jacket / Post-war college sporting blazers / Levi’s Strauss & Co (Pre 1971) / Mountaineering equipment to include canvas rucksacks dating from 1910 -1970 / Barbour raincoats pre 1980 / Bench-made leather shoes / 

Sporting related items to include fishing and hunting bags / Officers field boots with wooden lasts / GF Ray-Ban sunglasses by Bausch & Lomb U.S.A. / French chore wear / R.A.F. Air Ministry issued sheepskin flying jackets / British-made leather satchels and briefcases. Also not forgetting a wonderful vintage Grenfell Shooter Jacket!!

On the whole, I much prefer to buy than to sell…(He admits).

GF: Do you wear vintage clothes and accessories yourself?

This is the one question I get asked the most. You would think I would be dressed to the nines from any decade. As much as I follow current trends, it is a challenge to keep up with supplying the nation with vintage clothing on a day to day basis. 

There were episodes where I wore loud tees, drainpipes and winkle pickers. Today, you will most often find me in a mix of light and dark colours, long sleeve shirts, chinos or (it may sound funny) vintage inspired pieces. British made, where possible. Finished by a classic desert boot by Clarks or a pair of Dr.Martens chukka boots in the vein of the Playboy model by Sanders & Sanders of Northampton, England - As worn by the “King of Cool”, Steve McQueen. ;)

Truthfully, in answer to whether I wear vintage? You see, I would wear it all...if there were no bills to pay.

GF: Many thanks for a fascinating interview, Gillan. How can readers contact you to find out more and to buy?

GB: My main port of entry is my website www.retrovintagelove.co.uk that takes you to my eBay Shop. Retro Vintage Love on Twitter & Facebook both have links to the eBay Shop. And for all the latest: Instagram via Gillan Bell or RETROVINTAGELOVE_ (don’t forget that ( _ ) underscore at the end).

All other enquires please contact me at gillanbell@hotmail.com. Open 24/7

Sustainable Style 6: Collingwood Norris Knitwear Repairs

Repairing and reusing our clothes is very much part of the sustainable style equation and in this feature I look at how repairs can add both beauty and extended life to an article of clothing.

I'm ashamed to say that I recently threw out some very nice knitwear which had been damaged by moths. As you will see below, the beautiful repairs which could have been carried out by knitwear designer Flora Collingwood-Norris would have added to the interest and beauty of each piece, making them objects of pride rather than damaged goods.

We need to consume less, both to preserve limited resources and to limit environmental damage from producing the energy needed for manufacture. If we reuse and repair we extend the life of products that otherwise would be throw away - often ending up in landfill.

This mending commission combines two different mending techniques, and was on a lovely Peter Scott cardigan - the owner is from the Scottish borders, so it was a nice tie in.

I featured Flora's knitwear designs here on the blog a couple of years ago (link below) and wanted to ask her how she had come to start her repair business:

GF: You are a knitwear designer and I featured you here on the blog in February 2018 - you have recently appeared on Instagram as Visible Creative Mending offering a repair service for jumpers - how did you come to offer this service as well?

FCN: Mending was a service I had always wanted to offer when I started Collingwood-Norris, but I just got distracted by designing and making initially. I’ve always wanted to create pieces that will last and be looked after, and more recently have become aware of the huge amounts of textile waste that goes to landfill every year (350, 000 tonnes a year in the UK). I started exploring visible mending on my own jumpers, and sharing some of my work on instagram. Then I started getting mending requests, so last year I launched my visible mending service, and set up a dedicated mending account.

GF: Tell us about how you go about repairing the knitwear - what techniques do you use?

FCN: I use a variety of techniques, mostly darning and darning variations, but also Swiss darning, a technique that mimics the knit structure. The first thing I do is assess the damage; a rip is different to a worn elbow or a moth hole. A hole that has been worn through will require more attention to the surrounding area, and moth holes may be partially nibbled areas to look out for that aren’t actually holes yet, so different types of wear may affect what technique I use. Swiss darning really lends itself to areas that are worn but not completely worn through for example.

This commission was on a 40 year old, well loved Laura Ashley won cardigan. I was given free rein on colours, and used Swiss darning as that worked so well with the pattern.

Currently within my darning I’m exploring different weave structures to add interest and pattern to my mending. I’m particularly enjoying it as I never studied weave (I skipped a year at Uni), so now I’m discovering how much fun it is in miniature!

GF: This is visible as opposed to invisible mending - why?

FCN: I haven’t been trained to create invisible mends, although I would love to one day, so I don’t want to offer something I’m not confident in! While I can create mends that are very discreet, exact colour matching is very hard, so I decided to focus on creating beautiful repairs that would be seen instead. I personally enjoy having my clothing change over time as I do, and sometimes having a statement mend can make an old garment feel like a new one. 

Visible mending really celebrates wear and tear, and I think it’s becoming a badge of honour, to show that you’re caring for your clothing rather than throwing it out.

GF: The repairs draw attention to themselves with beautiful patterns and colours - do customers generally allow you free reign or do some ask for particular patterns and colours?

FCN: I always discuss colours with my customers. I think colour can be quite personal, and I always want to create a repair that my customer will want to wear. I normally ask if there are colours they would like me to avoid using, and quite often get told which colours they enjoy wearing. If it’s blues and purples for example, then I build a colour palette around that once I have the garment in front of me and then check the customer is happy before I get started. 

Unless a customer wants added design features like florals, I don’t normally discuss patterns. Each mend always feels like a new design project for me, and I’m not keen to have too many restrictions or voices involved as it can really restrict my creativity. However, sometimes customers have particularly loved a previous mend of mine, and when that’s the case I know to create something in a similar style. I know my customers come to me for my designs skills as well as repair skills, so I think they trust me to create something that works. So far, everyone has been happy!

The grey cardigan belonged to my customers great grandmother and the colour palette chosen included colours my customer loves to wear. I’ve combined some different darning/ weaving together to have some variety of texture and pattern.

GF: As a sustainable approach this is perfect: I think of the knitwear I've thrown away with moth holes with absolute horror, will you repair other items of clothing?

FCN: I can never bring myself to throw away jumpers! Lockdown has given me a chance to finally work through my pile to holes ones! I really specialise in knitwear, but I do occasionally take on wovens and even the odd pair of jeans. I like a challenge, and I enjoy new projects, so I’m always happy to discuss other items, and I’ll say no if I don’t think I can do a good job.

GF: How can people contact you to discuss repairs?

FCN: Please email me info@collingwoodnorrisdesign.com with a description and photos of the damaged areas, and we can chat from there. I have also created some digital mending guides, should anyone want to learn how to repair knitwear themselves, and I also have some packs of colourful lambswool available to use for darning wool or cashmere knitwear. The mending notes can be found here: 

https://www.collingwoodnorrisdesign.com/visible-mending

GF: Many thanks, Flora. I featured Collingwood-Norris's knitwear on the blog here.
Collingwood-Norris on Instagram.
Visible Creative Mending on Instagram

Read other features in my Sustainable Style series here.

This is an unsponsored feature.

The SuitsGreyFox Project 2: Designing the Cloth

In the first blog post on the SuitsGreyFox Project I explained how I'd been invited to design a cloth with Johnstons of Elgin. Famous for their cashmere, merino and lambswool cloths, their mill in Elgin takes raw fibre and dyes, spins and weaves it: all these operations are carried out in the same factory. I'll cover manufacture in the next part of this series; but how is a cloth designed?

Johnstons work with household name international fashion houses and play a large part in producing some iconic designs. Working with their design team I firstly had a look at Johnston of Elgin's wonderful archive, a room full of ancient and fragile leather-bound books containing samples of cloths woven in the mill since Victorian times.

In the Johnston of Elgin archive

Leafing through the books I looked for elements of design that I liked; colours, checks, texture, patterns. I had in mind a Prince of Wales check, and it was lucky I had this idea as a start - without it I would have been overcome by the huge variety of possibilities.

A check with a soft blue overcheck caught my eye

I was taken with a grey check and found a sample with a subtle, soft broad blue overcheck. It seemed to me that this may add a slightly different element to the final design. I also went though more modern and contemporary designs for further inspiration, aided by Brian Hinnigan, Design & Sales Director at Johnstons.

Looking though the collection with Brian Hinnigan, Design & sales Director

Over the next few weeks Brian worked on the design elements I specified and sent me various CAD printouts, showing the possibilities of pattern and colour using the colour library of some 6,500 hues. I considered a range of palettes from brownish red to grey. Brian advised me that a pure cashmere cloth wouldn't have the durability necessary for a suit, so we planned for a cashmere/merino mix. I'll say more about that in Part 3 of this series when I describe the manufacture of the cloth. 

CAD printouts showing some of the design possibilites

After some discussion and tinkering with colours and design elements we ended up with several possibilities. At this stage a section blanket was woven. This exciting stage of the process produces a section of cloth into which all the design options are printed in squares. The blanket was cut up and sent to me for a final decision.

The cut-up section blanket showing the design options

Selecting a final design for weaving was hard, but not impossible. I knew that I wanted a wearable design, useful and durable enough for town or country use, so charcoal/grey with a blue overcheck were the colours of choice. I also wanted a design that was different and had some impact: not enough to make me feel self-conscious wearing the suit, but enough to make a statement. This was the design that I selected:

Throughout I found that Brian and the design team had an uncanny ability to interpret what I was after. I had a reasonably clear picture in my head of what the cloth might look like. The final product is exactly what I had in mind.

In the next part of this feature I'll tell you more about the cloth, its construction and how it was woven.

See more at Johnstons of Elgin. The suit was tailored by Dege & Skinner (this will be featured in part 4 of this series).

Artefact London: Made-to-Measure Tailoring

Artefact London is a relative newcomer to the tailoring scene, but judging from the suit they've just made for me, they've hit the ground running. Founded by young entrepreneur, Tatyana Kozhevnikova, whose enthusiasm for tailoring is infectious, Artefact London focuses unashamedly on made to measure (MTM), as opposed to bespoke tailoring. The thinking behind this boils down to a balance between value for money and the quality and fit of the final product.

The completed suit from Artefact London

So great is Tatyana's belief that MTM represents good value, that she offered to make me a lightweight wool suit, confident that I would be very happy with the result - and I have to report that I am. She is very clear and honest about the key differences between MTM and bespoke, pointing out that the "pattern [was] made on a computer and laser cut...buttonholes [were] machine stitched and the floating canvas made with help of a machine, but shaped and attached by hand". A bespoke suit may have more hand stitching and more time would be spent on fittings and detail, but she points out that this additional care comes at a cost and argues that an excellent MTM suit can be made at a fraction of the cost of bespoke.

One of the most important aspects of having a suit made is how well the tailor works with the client, interpreting and gently guiding their wishes and expectations. Tatyana is excellent at this and long discussions ended up with a suit that precisely echoes my aims, but included a number of suggestions from her.

The system is flexible enough to allow multiple and often minute changes to the block, allowing the client almost exactly what they requite in terms of fit, shape and design. I asked for roped shoulders, a slightly fuller cut to the trousers and a double-breasted coat. All were delivered as I expected,

In measuring a client, Tatyana tells me, she will "look at your posture: stooping, erect or leaning forward, do you have a curve to your back or perhaps a dropped shoulder, or prominent blades? I look at the position of your arms relative to your body to eliminate any creasing around the bicep area. These are all the things that you cannot gauge with linear measurements, but will have a great impact on the fit".

Images Paul Harries

My conclusion? The suit is excellent and I'm more than happy with it - it fitted well with out any alterations. A similar suit made bespoke might cost four or five times as much. To anyone aware of the details of tailoring, the additional little touches and flourishes of a fully bespoke suit would be important enough to merit the extra cost and care. However, it would take an experienced eye to be able to see the difference between a well-made MTM suit and a bespoke one.

The pure bespoke experience is one that I'll treasure and everyone who can afford one should try it at least once. However, in terms of pure value for money (so unromantic I know) the well-made MTM suit is hard to beat. The fitting process revolves around a pre-existing block (rather than a bespoke pattern) and CAD is used to create the pattern. There is much more flexibility in the MTM process than I'd expected and it was possible to include all the little touches I wanted in the suit in terms of details like cut, lapel shape, button configuration and so on.

Having a knowledgeable and enthusiastic tailor who can guide the client as well as Tatyana does helps the process along and I'd recommend that you try Artefact London, who are based in New Bond Street, London, studio to discuss your needs.

Cloth light tan Prince of Wales check from Holland & Sherry's Cool*Breeze range in pure wool worsted. Prices from £960 for a two-piece suit. Shirts, overcoats, morning and evening wear also available.

The suit was provided for this review by Artefact London. I received no financial compensation for this review. All views expressed are my own unless otherwise stated.

Photoshoot: Jigsaw Menswear, simple, classic, muted

Jigsaw is a brand I've mentioned before, but only now had the chance to try properly. Attracted by the combination of style, design and quality I asked if we could shoot their AW15 menswear to show how it might look on the older man. Jigsaw agreed and the Grey Fox photoshoot team found itself at Jigsaw's Avery Row store in London's Mayfair last week to photograph suits styled in a smart casual way.

Jigsaw's menswear range was relaunched four years ago after a hiatus of over ten years. Designed by Frances Walker, the range is classic, stylish and high quality. There is something there for everyone: attractive knitwear, footwear made in Northampton, England by Sanders, sharp tailoring (the trousers are cut on the slim side) and well-designed accessories. Shapes are simple, colours muted. These clothes don't take over, allowing you to do the talking. 

Favourites? A merino cardigan, plain, classic and yet so different; a Prince of Wales check suit in a soft, strong cloth with red or blue overcheck, a wool jersey overshirt, warm and chunky and a tartan suit in a subtle midnight blue/black plaid that would be ideal for evening formal or smart/casual wear or something a little different for the day. I also liked the soft corduroy suits in dark blue or olive.

I rarely wax lyrical, but my advice is to get on the phone to Jigsaw to reserve either a Prince of Wales check or tartan suit once you're finished reading this post. They are excellent value. Indeed, I've a tartan suit on order myself.

Wanting to know more about the tailoring, I asked Frances Walker, Jigsaw's Menswear Design Director, to tell me about the cloth and construction:

"The Prince of Wales cloth is from an amazing small family run mill in Biella, Italy called SUBALPINO. (Biella is the centre for High end tailoring cloths).

The Tartan is an exclusive design for Jigsaw made by the best Scottish tartan mill, Lochcarron. They work with Comme des Garcons and the like! Again, an amazing hands-on operation who pride themselves on their creativity. We have worked with them every winter since we launched. 

Both suits are hand-finished and made with a (light weight) half canvas construction with functioning cuffs". 

For a two-piece price of just under £400, I felt these suits are excellent value given the construction and obvious quality of the cloth. You may also want also to look at a newly arrived thornproof tweed from a UK mill, which I didn't get a chance to try.

Explore the collection for yourself; visit one of their stores (where the helpful staff are so knowledgeable about what they sell) or go online at the Jigsaw website. More product details are given below.

As ever, I want to thank the Grey Fox photoshoot team; Nick Maroudias, photographer and Sarah Gilfillan, personal stylist of Sartoria Lab who both do their best to support a far from perfect male model. Our aim is to explore a variety of brands to show that the older man can wear stylish, contemporary menswear. To contact us, e-mail me.

Product details

Cord peaked lapel tailored jacket £229.00. 

Tailored corduroy two-button jacket crafted in cotton with a slight stretch. Peak lapels, chest welt and flap pockets, single back vent and functioning button-cuffs for easy sleeve length alteration.

Corduroy slim tailored trousers £98.00

Tailored trousers in stretch-cotton corduroy, impeccably finished inside and out. Slim-fit through the leg, press-crease front and back, flap and slant pockets, Concealed button and hook-and-bar closure and belt loops.

Cord suit waistcoat £98.00

Tailored waistcoat with corduroy front and plain back flawlessly cut from pure cotton. Full button closure, four front facing welt pockets, back-tab to adjust fit and full spot lining.

Prince of Wales check jacket £269 and trousers £129. Tartan suit jacket £269 and trousers £129. Both jackets half canvas construction and working cuffs, with slim-cut trousers.

Wool jersey overshirt £89.00

Italian-made jersey shirt crafted in tonal wool-twill blended fabric. Patch pocket, regular fit, straight hem and full button placket.

Stretch poplin slim shirt £69.00

Essential slim fit shirt crafted in crisp cotton. Button-down collar full mother-of-pearl button placket and button cuffs.

Milano knit merino cardigan £119.00

Relaxed cardigan in pure merino wool for a soft handle. Full button placket, patch pockets, long sleeves and rib features.

Selvedge wool check scarf £49.00

Soft wool scarf in woven check. Contrast selvedges and frayed ends.

Shoes and boots

Collaboration between Sanders of Northampton and Jigsaw. BlackOxford shoe £229. Burgundy 6-eye derby boots with Solovair soles £249 (shoes £189).

Note: This feature is a collaboration with Jigsaw Menswear.