Inkling - Grey Fox curates a page on gift finder service

Grey Fox has been invited to curate a page of gift ideas for men and women on Inkling. This is a gift finder service with very high standards of selection which enables you to create a wishlist to share with friends and family. By using invited experts to select and curate pages, Inkling helps you to find properly-targeted gifts at a wide variety of prices. I think it works, which is why I accepted the invitation.

You can find my page here, or by clicking on the link in the top right-hand column of this blog. I will be adding more selection as time goes by, so please call back for birthdays and so on. Good luck in your searches. Please let me have feedback in comments below - I'd welcome that.

A screenshot showing the page on Inkling curated by Grey Fox

Gifts for men - some Christmas present ideas

There are so many gift ideas articles at this time of year that I'm reluctant to add to the confusion, but here are a few gifts-for-men (grey or not) ideas that have caught my eye recently. All are items I'd love to receive myself for Christmas.

I'll be writing a post with ideas for your women friends and loved ones shortly. I'm also developing a curated list of gift suggestions which can be saved as a wishlist at Inkling - click here.

Tusting Clipper bag £399

Simon Carter redcoat Abraham Moon madder red gloves - £100

Magpie buckled classic brown camera strap £47.50

British Boxers £22

Pampeano polo belts £55

Morland sheepskin-lined slippers £79

Age of Reason fun, quirky and beautifully-made pocket squares (20% discount code until Christmas for Grey Fox readers using word PEARTREE) £55

Holdall and co London tan folio, 20% discount with code GREYFOX if ordered before Christmas
usually £210.

Gift vouchers for personal styling sessions from Sartorialab from £150

Tina Loder ties £70

Tusting - a 130 year old family business making high quality leather and luggage

Many UK businesses are little known at home but are celebrated abroad, in countries like Japan, where quality, craftsmanship and durability are highly valued. Is this because a culture of cheap throwaway style has taken over in Britain?

I hadn't heard of Tusting until a few months ago, so it was with real curiosity that I arrived at a small factory on the outskirts of a typical little English village not far from Northampton. Tusting has been run by the same family producing leather goods for over 130 years, originally as a tannery, now making exquisite leather bags, luggage and accessories that satisfy even the extreme demands of the Japanese consumer for high quality and craftsmanship.

An example of Tusting's craftsmanship -  one of the nicest bags I've seen. It will look even better after years of use.

We were shown round by William Tusting, met family members and employees in the design, management and manufacturing processes and came away very impressed by the care and pride taken in their product. Businesses like Tusting deserve to be household names in this country, celebrated as living examples of UK skill and craftsmanship.

All of Tusting’s products are crafted by hand in their workshop by skilled local men and women, many of whom share in the heritage and history of the brand. Only the highest quality natural leathers are used. By making all of their products on site Tusting are able to offer bespoke services including personalisation, initialling and custom colours. 

Their products are stocked around the country, or can be bought on their online shop. They provide a refurbishing service for the many loyal fans who return their bags after years of use to be repaired. Sustainable style at its best. For more information, see Tusting's website here.

I loved the products so much I bought a handbag for Mrs GF and was lucky enough to be given a canvas Explorer bag with embossed initials (pictured below) for my own use.

My new bag with my initials (Grey Fox isn't my real name ;))

This beautiful bag is over 30 years old and is used daily by Mr Tusting, Senior, who refuses to allow it to be refurbished.

Bill Amberg cordovan shell Rocket case - made in Britain luxury

He's bought you a gift certificate for a beautiful pair of bespoke shoes from Caroline Groves (see yesterday's post); what luxury are you going to buy him for Christmas? Well, you could always buy him a luxurious shell cordovan leather Rocket case from Bill Amberg. 

I handled one of these this week and it is quite superb - ideal for man or woman. And it's British-made.

Shell cordovan leather is made by only three tanneries in the World and Bill Amberg has teamed up with Clayton of Chesterfield to produce this rare product.

The process by which Joseph Clayton make shell cordovan leather is centuries old. The leather comes from the skin of a horse’s rump. The circular “shells” of skin are tanned by a natural vegetable treatment over a period of six months. Distinguished by its lustrous waxy finish, superior durability and suppleness, the feel of this bag is quite remarkable. The metal handle closes with a soft magnetic snap and the bag is beautifully finished and engineered.

Priced at £1950 from Bill Amberg.

Caroline Groves shoes - a gift for the very special woman in your life

I met Caroline Groves recently and was so impressed by the beauty and quality of the bespoke shoes she makes for women, that I knew I'd need an excuse to write about them. That excuse is Christmas, at which time a man's energies focus on finding a special gift for the woman in his life.

These shoes are true bespoke luxury and verge on being works of art. Caroline Groves started the business in 2003 and is the only woman in the last 100 years to have been admitted as a Freeman to The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers wearing shoes she designed and made by hand. Seeing them at first hand is a humbling experience and these photos hardly do them justice.

Caroline offers gift certificates - ideal for Christmas. Inspired by Victorian keepsakes, each is an elegantly crafted stiff black envelope with an embroidered toile design in which an embossed invitation card promises the bearer the ‘gift of a pair of couture shoes made for you by hand by Caroline Groves’. 

From £2,500 the gift certificate will give the recipient three one-on-one fittings with Caroline for a classic design. The result will be a bespoke shoe made entirely by hand around a last that is made specifically for their foot’s shape. To order, email Caroline Groves or see her website.

'Expensive!', you cry. For heaven sake....man up! Consider - what sort of car could you buy for that? Have you seen the price of bicycles nowadays? How much were your golf clubs? How much is a Savile Row bespoke suit? 

Besides, a token of love for someone special of this quality and exclusiveness is priceless.

Harris tweed - keeping warm with a hip flask

A Harris tweed hip flask provides an alternative way to keep warm. Clad with this Outer Hebrides-made cloth, one of my favourites, they're available in various patterns from buyahipflask.com. With prices from £25.68, they make excellent gifts for the tweed lover (and, of course, the whisky connoisseur). As is pointed out on the website -

These flasks are a small link to the tradition of the Outer Hebrides, where whisky is also an essential ingredient in the islands’ history. So the combination of Harris Tweed outside and whisky inside is a perfect match in a hip flask.

'Hear, hear!', I say.

Image Grey Fox

This flask was provided by buyahipflask.com for this review.

Fashion for the Brave - Abbey Clancy models that dress

I was recently invited to a dinner in support of Fashion for the Brave, which raises funds for the Household Cavalry Foundation and Soldiering On to support injured soldiers. Held at The Dorchester, London, the dinner was attended by patron, HRH Princess Beatrice and featured the Military Wives Choir and a catwalk show curated by Hilary Alexander OBE featuring the best of British brands.

Julien MacDonald created a fabulous signature gown for event, modelled by Abbey Clancy (below) who also wore a red lace glove by one of the evening's main sponsors, Sheeva Moshiri of Sheeva Jewellery.

Abbey Clancy in Julien MacDonald gown

Designers who lent pieces for the show included Alexander McQueen, Marchesa, Hackett, Emilia Wickstead, Jenny Packham, Temperley, Beulah, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll, Simone Rocha, JW Anderson, Sibling, Henry Holland, David Koma, Holly Fulton, Burberry, Moloh, Hackett, Sheeva, Mulberry, Paul Smith, Michael Van Der Ham, David Koma and Todd Lynn.

It was a great privilege to attend. I sat with a fascinating mix of people in the fashion and jewellery world on the one hand, and officers from the Household Cavalry on the other. Naturally, the cavalry officers were by far the best-dressed there - understandable as their tailors' bills exceed what many of us spend in a lifetime on clothes. I met one of the soldiers benefiting from the evening and he kindly put me in touch with another charity, Team Kartforce, about which I'll say more in another post. 

To support these charities please visit the Household Cavalry Foundation and Soldiering On. 

Holdall & Co wallets - slimline and developed with the help of Grey Fox readers

Rai Navickaite of Holdall & Co has developed beautiful leather wallets and cardfolds. Her designs take into account the views of customers, many Grey Fox readers, obtained by questionnaire. The result has been that both items are very slim in size. I've been using a wallet for a few weeks and have found it ideal as its slim shape doesn't show or place a strain on the pockets of jackets, jeans or trousers.

Well-used wallet and cardfold (lower) - image Grey Fox

Rai gave me more information, as follows:

When I did the questionnaire the general feedback was that a wallet must be slim and fit in their jacket/suit pocket, yet have enough space to fit different currency notes (for when travelling) and space for 2-4 cards.

The other thing that everyone agreed on was that they wanted it made from good quality leather because they want it to be durable, as wallets get so much use. The other points where that they wanted the design to be simple, fuss-free and have no branding on the outside - preferably it shouldn't cost more than £100. 

Some mentioned they own two wallets for day and night (as most only wanted to take a few cards with them), which is why I launched the wallet and cardfold, to allow a choice but kept them really affordable so that both could be purchased for only £90.

All of the products are 100% made in England by the same craftsmen that make the folios, using the same leather so that they'd match and be just as durable and handsome.

The result of this market research is a slimline wallet you can carry in your trouser, jacket or suit pocket. With its hand burnished and stained edges this wallet is refreshingly simple - a minimalist dream. It fits up to three cards in each card slot and first a wide range of international notes with ease, all without stretching or weighing down your pockets.

The cardfold fits up to 3 cards in each card slot; the slots take Oyster cards, business cards and folded notes as easily, making this a useful case all without stretching or weighing down your pockets.

Both items are made from full grain naturally tanned leather with hand burnished and stained edges (a true mark of craftsmanship). Each wallet and cardfold gets inspected and polished by hand before being shipped out in British made gift boxes (with traditionally applied-by-hand wax seal) and tied with twine. See Holdall & Co's website here.

Cherchbi: leather goods made in the UK - an interview with Adam Atkinson

I'm a great admirer of the designs of Adam Atkinson of Cherchbi, whose beautiful leather and tweed bags and leather products are all made in the UK. They fuse modern design with traditional values of robustness and high quality, while respecting and preserving home-grown skills and raw materials. 

I also admire Adam's work using the fleece of the humble Herdwick sheep, a strong animal of great character, which is so important to the beauty of the Cumbrian landscape where I spend increasing amounts of my time. 

I met Adam and asked a few questions about the business he runs with such passion and style.

Adam Atkinson checks bag production at Cherchbi's UK factory

GF: Tell us about Cherchbi.

AA: These words from the website summarise the brand well:

'Cherchbi is a British leather goods brand. We craft modern designs in a robust, traditional quality drawing inspiration from Britain’s creative, cultural and manufacturing heritage.'

The brand is a culmination of experience; a 20 year career in the bag industry, my Cumbrian upbringing, my family experience in English shoemaking, Lakeland Arts & Crafts carpentry, tailoring and other hand crafts. More generally, the brand explores the experience of British manufacturing industries, their decline over recent decades and heyday some centuries ago. 

Cherchbi Cadence satchel in grey Herdwyck tweed

GF: How did you get started?

AA: After fifteen years helping global brands make their bags I resigned from my last job in late 2006 and, slightly jaded, returned to my birth-town of Kendal in Cumbria. After only a week I read of a farmer burning Herdwick fleece in protest at the wool price. A seed was planted, growing surprisingly quickly into a mild sheep obsession. It took four years and nine spin and weave trials to convert low-grade fleece into high quality waterproof wool tweed, subsequently named Herdwyck No.10. 

Herdwick sheep at this year's Eskdale Show. They have been coloured (ruddled) for show. (Image Grey Fox)

Herdwicks are one of the oldest and hardiest British sheep breeds, they have shaped the Cumbrian fells over centuries but are primarily bred for meat, which incidentally has recently been awarded PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status joining Champagne, Prosciutto and Roquefort. In other words it's only Herdwick if it's Cumbrian. It's a huge source of pride to have created a new material from a breed with such a significant story. 

The development of the tweed took me to Donegal (the spinner), Pembrokeshire (the weaver), the Scottish borders (wool finishers) and Lancashire (the final waterproof bonding process). In parallel with the tweed development I developed a network of other sources including leather tanneries, workshops and foundries and was continually designing and refining the first Cherchbi bag collection. Everything came together for AW11 when the brand showed at Pitti Uomo in Florence in January 2011.

Cherchbi Union Tenter workbag

GF: How would you like to see the business develop?

AA: I'd like to continue to grow the business slowly. The first four years were a struggle; I survived on telling an engaging story of Lakeland sheep, Britain's almost-lost leather goods industry and promises of a return to old-fashioned quality. Now Cherchbi has a strong design DNA, a proven supply of quality materials and a growing reputation. The brand has really begun to establish itself over the past two years; I feel we've reached the first rung of the ladder. Early customers risked an expensive purchase from an unknown brand, but now they understand our quality and regularly return or recommend us to friends. 

A recent collaboration with Marwood

GF: How important is the British-made and designed aspect of the product to you?

AA: British design, British materials and British manufacture make Cherchbi unique. This triangular brand cornerstone also makes our leather goods expensive, compared to some. The price has worried me a lot over the years, but I am unable to compromise. It was never a commercial decision to make in Britain and use this as a marketing tool. Cherchbi is made in Britain because I'm personally fascinated by our manufacturing heritage and want to make new products informed by this. I also want to reduce the many tens of thousands of miles travelled by raw materials and manufactured product to just a few hundred. Thirdly, the origin of our raw materials is just as important to our product and brand as British manufacture, our tweed and leathers are unique to Britain; there isn't an alternative. 

GF: Who and where are your main markets? How would you like to see these develop?

AA: We sell through some great stores in the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, but sell directly to customers internationally via cherchbi.com, around 60% reside in the UK or US, the rest are entirely international. We will begin selling in Germany later this year and I’d like to secure one or two stockists in the Nordic region too as I feel Cherchbi has a particular affinity with this customer and environment. 

GF: What have been the particular challenges?

AA: The first four years were hard, continuing to plough time and money into a venture that seemed to be continually failing was nerve-wracking. Giving up at Herdwyck No. 4 or 5 would have been the sensible thing to do. Production is a continual challenge, trying to maintain consistent quality using inherently inconsistent natural materials is obviously difficult. 

GF: What inspires you in driving the business?

AA: The knowledge that with head, heart and hand I've created something new and unique; the Herdwyck tweed, a completely new design handwriting, the Cherchbi brand itself, which has integrity and is completely transparent. As I mentioned, we're only at the first rung, so where to now? 

There are also some small things of great importance, walking into the studio first thing and taking in the smell of vegetable tanned leather. Leathers smell different; the very best veg tan is unmistakeable.

Cherchbi Haversack in brown herringbone Herdwyck tweed 

GF: What are you favourite moments in running the business?

AA: When I received yet another tweed weave test, held it up to the light and couldn't see through it - Herdwyck No.10! Of course, it was sent to the lab in Yorkshire for testing, but I knew then it was good. I enjoy showing Cherchbi at events, we had Design Junction and Goodwood Revival in September '13, meeting customers and talking through our products and story is a treat for me. 

GF: How would you describe your personal style?

AA: I have a fairly understated style, I like a degree of coordination, or considered mismatching perhaps. I favour British made clothing of course. My top button is always fastened. Fit is the most underrated element of clothing selection, as important as colour, weight, composition and design. Having said all this I'm at home in the country, enjoy camping and being outdoors. In this environment practicality's more important but I maintain a pared down style; no bright synthetics, no logos. My style is British, modish I suppose. 

Hides waiting to be used at Cherchbi's factory

GF: One final thought?
AA: Two, if I may? Two things are exciting me right now. 

After a five-year wear test the wallets I designed in 2008 launched recently. I’d love to have your readers' opinions (see here for details). Along with the extraordinarily talented photographer David Ellison we’re working on our first book project.

Cherchbi's website here

Marwood's website here

Herdwick Sheep Breeders' Association here.

My Hammond & Co. of Debenhams Prince of Wales check suit

Shortly after I wrote in an earlier post about Patrick Grant for Debenhams Hammond & Co collection I was able to obtain one of my favourites, a double-breasted Prince of Wales check suit made from cloth from Alfred Brown (Worsted Mills) Ltd in Leeds, Yorkshire. 

I'm always a bit nervous about obtaining clothes online, as sizes, quality and cut vary so much from brand to brand. Luckily the suit fitted well and extra length in the legs enabled me to have turn-ups. 

Go on, smile Grey Fox!

The mobile phone image above (taken at the launch of Debenhams' excellent new menswear floor) isn't the best, but the soft cloth and slim-ish cut combine to make a suit in which I feel very comfortable. I've worn it a lot and it has shown no signs of permanently creasing, bagging, going shiny or losing its shape - hooray for British cloth. To my amazement, after a few weeks ownership, I found that the cuff buttons undo - not something often found on suits of this price (see below).

Patrick Grant has created a winner for Debenhams, who tell me that Hammond & Co sales have exceeded their expectations. This isn't surprising, Grant's eye for detail, genuine enthusiasm for the brand and his own undoubted style make him an ideal designer/ambassador for the collection. Look out for him wearing suits from the range in the new BBC series of The Great British Sewing Bee early next year (and see the image below in which, dammit, he looks a lot better than I do in the same suit).

The suit price? £299 - not a misprint. Get yours before they sell out. See web links below for information.

My previous review of Hammond & Co can be found here.

Debenhams, Hammond & Co online here.

Alfred Brown Worsted Mills, Leeds - website here.

Many thanks to Debenhams for providing this suit for review.

The WISE Creative - a pop up shop to visit on Saturday

With Christmas trundling inexorably over the wintry horizon, now is the time to think about present buying. I'll be posting a few ideas (for men and women) over the next few weeks. However, if you are in London, you can get started by visiting The WISE Creative pop up this Saturday, 23rd November. Some twenty UK brands exhibit high quality British-made products from menswear to lingerie.

This ticket-only event (buy your tickets here) will be held at Kettner's in Soho
Saturday 23rd November 2013 11.00am to 8.30pm

Your ticket includes:

Free afternoon tea buffet

Free glass of British sparkling wine

Free soft drinks

Entry into a prize draw to win £100 off any brand present

Map to the venue here

For more information on The WISE Creative see here.

Desirable objects - BUK British-made iPad case

BUKcase describe themselves as 'purveyors of fine book bound cases and covers for iPads, Android tablets and smartphones based around the humble sketchbook, familiar to every designer and artist'.

Each book-bound case is made to order by a local team of master bookbinders in Manchester, using locally sourced book binding materials and traditional machinery. Closed, the case looks like a traditional notebook,  giving it a discrete but elegant appearance. Inside it's a cunningly-crafted creation made from beautifully-shaped wood, which holds your technology safely and securely.

I was sent one to try and can confirm that the case is a robust, beautifully-made piece of kit - and it's made in England - what's not to like? The cases are available for all iPads, Google Nexus and Amazon Kindle 6". A leather sleeve is also available. For more information and prices, see BUKCase website here.

Squirrelist - a new way of shopping online

I was contacted recently by Charlotte Waters who's developed an interesting tool, Squirrelist,  for those of us who like browsing and shopping online, enabling us to squirrel away our finds to be dealt with properly at a future date.

 

It struck me as a useful idea, so I asked Charlotte to describe Squirrelist for us -

I frequently come across things in blogs, online publications or on retailers’ websites that I like, but am not able to commit to buying immediately right now for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s a lack of available funds, other times it’s because it would be perfect for someone’s birthday in several months’ time. Whenever I found something I wanted to think about buying, I would leave the tab open on my PC (not so handy when you share one with 4 other family members), email myself a link or just assure myself that this time I wouldn't forget what I saw, or where it was, or when ….. Needless to say, that didn't go well. 

Frustrated that there wasn't a better solution, I created a website which allows you to create lists and, onto these, drop an image, a price and even make some notes so that you never have to waste time hunting around again to re-find the things you want. If you’re someone who is obsessed with finding the perfect trousers, you can create a list just for these and keep adding to it until you find the right ones or the best deal. You can choose whether to keep each list private or make it public if you want to create a list to give other people an idea of what you like for birthdays or Christmas. It’s totally flexible to suit how you want to use it – add clothes, holidays, books, CDs, watches, whatever takes your fancy.

Inspired by some of the great products uncovered by Grey Fox, we've drawn up a list:

To start making your own visit https://Squirrelist.com or to see this list visit http://sqrli.st/l/32c5caa62

Charlotte Waters, Founder, Squirrelist

Twitter: twitter.com/squirrelistcom

Facebook: facebook.com/squirrelist

Marks & Spencer menswear for Spring/Summer 2014 - looking good!

The M&S press day this week gave me another look at their menswear for next Spring and Summer. Bold checks and colours reflect Marks & Spencer's increasing confidence, offering classics enhanced with modern cuts, as shown in the image below.

And the confidence is well-justified. There are some lovely clothes, all marked with great attention to quality and detail. There's not much here I wouldn't be happy to wear. Indeed, I'm hoping, in the new year, to repeat my recent Guardian photo-shoot to show that M&S are offering quality and style fit for all ages of man. 

I've talked about their Best of British collection before - and the sharp tailoring, checks and dapper silhouettes that it introduced are now filtering into the Sartorial and other collections, giving a logical uniformity to the menswear range; a sure sign that M&S feel they are getting it right. 

Overall, I still feel there's a bit of confusion between the different collections, but this is a minor quibble and the wide choice doesn't undermine the quality of the offering and the richness of the choice.

M&S Best of British SS14

M&S Best of British 2014

M&S Best of British 2014

Beyond Bespoke – The Little Black Book of Luxury

For the average middle-aged man, finding high-quality garments from independent retailers isn't quite as easy as you may think. Department stores will offer attire from a range of luxury brands, but if you’d rather utilise the services of a small, well-established clothing specialist then where do you start looking?

Take cashmere for example. Over the past fifteen years or so, the demand for cashmere has risen dramatically, but with this rise has come a broadening of the range of quality available. There is a stark difference between luxury cashmere and market cashmere; don’t be fooled into thinking otherwise. So how do you go about finding a reputable, quality cashmere provider?

Well, that’s where BeyondBespoke comes in. The company is a self-affirming Little Black Book of Luxury; they are an online directory that only curates members offering the very finest in terms of quality and style. Each member is researched and represented according to their wares and custom, which means that finding a high-quality, British, cashmere provider, or shoe-maker, or any fashion authority, has just become a great deal easier. For example, Beyond Bespoke members include luxury clothing specialists Holland & Holland, House of Cashmere, John Lobb Ltd, Crockett & Jones, and more.

 Holland & Holland: © Holland & Holland, courtesy Beyond Bespoke

Holland & Holland: © Holland & Holland, courtesy Beyond Bespoke

http://www.beyondbespoke.co/holland-clothing

House of Cashmere: © House of Cashmere, courtesy Beyond Bespoke

http://www.beyondbespoke.co/house-of-cashmere

 John Lobb Ltd: © John Lobb Ltd, courtesy Beyond Bespoke

http://www.beyondbespoke.co/lobb

Crockett & Jones: © Crockett & Jones, courtesy Beyond Bespoke
http://www.beyondbespoke.co/crockett-jones

This post is a collaboration by Grey Fox with Beyond Bespoke