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.
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| 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.