S.E.H Kelly - an update. High quality British coats for men.

Regulars will remember how much I enjoyed my visit to S.E.H Kelly in September (reported here). They've added a few more exciting items to their range. Designed and made in the UK from British materials (including a tweed hand-woven in London), the attention to detail and quality are obvious. Price-wise these coats are a bargain compared to many designer garments made outside the UK.

Further information can be found under each image and on their website here.

Above - Black and white wool cashmere jacket. S.E.H Kelly describe it as follows -

"The jacket is made from a wool-cashmere from a mill in West Yorkshire. It’s a unique cloth, part herringbone, part barleycorn pattern. It’s remarkably soft, and drapes very well, thanks in most part to the cashmere content".

Above - Charcoal-grey herringbone wool mac. Described as follows -

"The mac is made from two shades of grey herringbone wool from West Yorkshire. The body of the garment is charcoal, while the collar and internal facing is a lighter grey. The cloth is a mid-weight tweed, coarse, fairly dry, and very hard-wearing".

Above - Tobacco-brown wool-tweed peacoat. What I love about this is that the fabric is hand-woven in London -

"The peacoat is made from a wool-tweed that has been woven in London from the yarn of rare and heritage breeds of British sheep. Up close it can be seen to comprise two colours of yarn; the warp a mid-brown and the weft a darker tobacco. Buttons are Midlands-made and are dark matte horn".

British weatherproof fabrics 1 - Ventile

I've mentioned British Millerain (a waxed cotton fabric) and Ventile (a closely woven water resistant cotton) before. No doubt as a result of our love of outdoor sports, whatever the weather, many of these waterproof fabrics are British-made. To many consumers, cotton has advantages of breathability and quietness over artificial waterproof fabrics.

Ventile was designed in the UK before the Second World War, when the search was on for a waterproof material made from cotton. It was used for hoses and firebuckets and then developed for Royal Air Force survival suits (for which it is still used). Here are examples of how Ventile is now used for outdoor clothing.

Ventile Private White VC mac

Nigel Cabourn Mallory jacket with Ventile patches

S.E.H Kelly Ventile mac detail

Dark green Ventile rainproof mac from S.E.H. Kelly

Nigel Cabourn Ventile Everest parka

Nigel Cabourn Ventile Everest parka detail 

Orvis Ventile shirt

Nike Ventile anorak

Nike Ventile anorak (detail)

Westwinds Airdale Ventile jacket

Joe Caseley-Heyford at John Lewis Ventile mac

Brooks Bicycles + John Boultbee, Ventile Blackwell cycling jacket

Hilltrek Ventile cycling jacket

S.E.H.Kelly - Highest quality British design, fabrics and manufacture

I visited S.E.H. Kelly yesterday and came away wishing I could have bought almost everything they had on display. In my hunt for style I felt I had found the Holy Grail, for here are British-designed and manufactured products of highest quality, using British fabrics - cottons, tweeds, Ventile, knits.

Before arriving, I wondered if the styles would be suitable for a man of middle years. Trying the garments on, I found that, magically, S.E.H. Kelly's designs suit any age. They have done this by using classic, simple shapes with muted colours that, together, give an impression of quiet elegance and quality.

S.E.H Kelly Ventile mac

The designs have been given subtle twists by the designer, Sara (whose business partner is Paul) which skilfully impart a contemporary feel. The textures of the British-made fabrics show off the clothes to good effect. The details; placing of pockets, the British-made horn buttons, the shape of collars, warm soft linings - everything feels well thought out and just right.

Detail of green cord/wool cashmere jacket (with straps for carrying on a bike)

As you can tell, I was smitten, both by the clothes and by the enthusiasm of Sara and Paul for their products. They tell me that their customers are also often interested in the fabrics, their provenance and construction; it would be difficult not to feel passionate about such British-made quality. Sara showed me some trousers that were made from a roll of tweed found at the back of one of their supplier's stores, showing the lengths they go to to find cloths for their products. Most have a limited production run.

Many men are looking for classic, durable clothing, rather than worrying about transient trends - some have moved on to S.E.H. Kelly from the big brands for these reasons. Visitors to the Shoreditch workshop receive a warm welcome and cannot help being overwhelmed by the quality and passion that has gone in to the garments. These are clothes to buy, wear hard and then hand on to your offspring.

Businesses like this deserve to flourish; if they do then British tweed and cotton mills, weavers, knitters, seamstresses, farmers, shirtmakers, designers, etc. will also thrive - and that is what we want. The prices are reasonable, the quality is the highest; you'll still be wearing these clothes when others more costly have long gone or are looking sadly dated. Get over the S.E.H. Kelly now, but leave some for me. Website here.

The thickest, chunkiest, softest jumper you'll ever own. British wool, British made.

Reversible tweed jacket

Cream brushed wool cotton shirt

Dusty green cord jacket with cashmere/wool collar and cyclist's carrying straps

Pale grey green wool trousers

Grey horizontal cord blazer