I decided I needed a relaxed and classic corduroy suit so I approached Cordings of Piccadilly to see if they would make one to measure. Their tailoring is sold off-the-peg, but they very kindly offered to make me a custom suit using their classic three button jacket block and (because I wanted to try a pleated, high-waisted trouser) their tweed trouser block. The end result has exceeded my expectations.
Cord can be a difficult cloth. If not finished well, it can be somewhat harsh and inflexible. However, a well-chosen soft, heavy corduroy can make up into a suit that feels supremely comfortable to wear. The cloth is from Brisbane Moss, 8 wale (meaning 8 ribs to the inch, rather than a finer needlecord) and a heavyish 17oz. Its washed finish gives it a soft and forgiving feel.
Being cotton, it won't keep its shape as well as wool, but that is the relaxed character of the fabric that makes it such a pleasure to wear. A cloth with knife-edge creases doesn't give a suit a laid-back character: we keep crisp cloths for more formal wear.
Being cotton, it won't keep its shape as well as wool, but that is the relaxed character of the fabric that makes it such a pleasure to wear. A cloth with knife-edge creases doesn't give a suit a laid-back character: we keep crisp cloths for more formal wear.
Cord transforms a suit from a slightly stuffy and formal garment into something you can feel relaxed in. I wear mine instead of jeans and sweater on occasion - it really feels that good. If you feel supremely comfortable in a garment you will look great wearing it and that is the case with confidently worn corduroy.
The three button jacket and full-cut pleated trousers wouldn't have been out of place on my dad's cord suit in the sixties, but that's exactly what I was after - a stylishly classic suit. No bumfreezer jackets or groin-crushing skinny fits here.
The three button jacket and full-cut pleated trousers wouldn't have been out of place on my dad's cord suit in the sixties, but that's exactly what I was after - a stylishly classic suit. No bumfreezer jackets or groin-crushing skinny fits here.
I've talked about corduroy here on the blog before. In the five or more years since I wrote that feature, the fabric's geography teacher reputation has faded. Corduroy has recently appeared on all the fashion catwalks and, of course, Daniel Craig's adoption of the corduroy suit in the new No Time To Die will doubtless raise the garment to a new level of popularity.
The death of the suit is much discussed and probably exaggerated, but corduroy is one of those casual fabrics that potentially extends the suit's popularity, as its soft character is so different from the sharply formal nature of the business suit (I'll be discussing the question of the suit's demise her on the blog in the near future).
The death of the suit is much discussed and probably exaggerated, but corduroy is one of those casual fabrics that potentially extends the suit's popularity, as its soft character is so different from the sharply formal nature of the business suit (I'll be discussing the question of the suit's demise her on the blog in the near future).
Cordings of Piccadilly, who specialise in classic British styles, do not offer a full made to measure service, but can custom make suits using their existing blocks, provided they have the cloth available, for a surcharge of 30% over off-the-peg prices. This process will take about two months.
Contact Cordings of Piccadilly for more information.
Contact Cordings of Piccadilly for more information.
Chambray shirt - John Lewis.
Madder silk tie - Seaward & Stearn
Suede derbies - Loake Shoemakers
I approached Cordings to ask them to make a corduroy suit. As it turned out, they kindly made it as a special custom-made order. The views I express here are mine alone.
