Matrimonial attire!

The big day is special for both the bride, and the groom. It is easy to get lost in all the fuss around the bride’s beautiful dress and making sure she looks just perfect but don’t forget that the groom has a role to play and it is equally important that he looks his very best on the day.

We would all like to be James Bond for the day wouldn’t we? He is noted for his impeccable taste in dress and it is the little finishing touches and fine details that make the difference.

The suit: Obviously you are going to have to decide whether you are going for a formal look such as morning tails, black tie or a lounge suit which is a little more relaxed yet maintains the smartness that a wedding demands.

I like to refer to the three F’s….. Fit, fabric and finishes!

The most obvious, yet often the one thing grooms get wrong, is the fit of your suit. This is so important. It must hang right, fit you correctly across the shoulders with no pulls or overhangs.

It should button comfortably without over stretching across the front and should be cut nicely into your waist to give a nice silhouette of your body shape.

The sleeves must be just long enough to allow half inch of shirt cuff to protrude. Avoid too long sleeves which cover half your hands, they will make the whole suit appear too long and too big.

The waistcoat should fit you closely over your body but not tightly. You must be able to breathe in it and there should be no evidence of pulling from the buttons.

The trousers should fit nicely around the waist without the need for a belt but not too tight, the belt then becomes an additional final touch. The length is determined by the width o the bottoms. With much narrower trousers now the trend they can be worn a little higher up the ankle so that the hem is resting nicely on the top of the shoe with a small break at the front.

Whatever fabric you choose please stay well away from anything man made like polyester, viscose, elastane etc. You simply cannot beat a natural fibre like wool, cashmere, silk or mohair to give maximum comfort and the best drape and appearance. It also allows you to move and perspire, being natural it will absorb moisture unlike synthetics.

Now we come to finishes, the correct tie is a major decision, it must be silk, and it must be high quality. The colour and design is personal to you but you cannot afford to cut back on quality here. Make sure the tie is tied with a nice shaped knot with a dimple in the silk under the knot.

Pocket squares are very fashionable right now and there are many ways to wear one. Don’t go too flamboyant and detract from your button hole flower.

Finally, shoes. Please make sure they are highly polished, no worn down heels and they need to be a leather dress shoes.

Follow these simple tips and you will look and feel like James Bond…..shaken, not stirred!

https://godfathertailoring.com/weddings

And the winner is..........it's a tie!

We live in a very relaxed environment these days and the poor old tie is suffering as a result. Back in the 70's the industry sold between 200 & 250 MILLION ties per year! Nowadays it is much less and wearing a tie has become a statement in itself.

Personally I love to see a sharp suit with a good quality well made tie as the final addition to the ensemble. Nothing speaks more about style and class than a tie.

Every day as I walk around the streets of London I see 'smart' businessmen confidently walking down the road, mobile phone glued to their ear, wearing a slim fit suit, invariably in an electric blue fabric, trousers clinging to their legs like clingfilm on a wet turkey, jacket fitted so close and short that they start to resemble Norman Wisdom. I have a little chuckle to myself at what it must be like to be young and trendy!

The one thing that separates them from Mr Wisdom is that Norman always, a,ways wore a tie! No matter how wrong he looked in his ill fitting suit no one could accuse him of not making an effort because that is exactly what a tie says about you. "I have made a real effort today to look as smart as I can and as presentable as I can be to whoever I am meeting with today!"

Maybe I am getting old and I don't profess to wearing a tie all the time, in fact I think a relaxed open necked look can be perfect in the right situation but if you really want to make the best impression to your boss, your customer, your employees......your date! Go the extra mile and put a nice tie on with that suit. I guarantee you that someone will mention how smart you look. Try it, you'll see I am right.



It doesn't have to be loud or flamboyant, like the Mr Bond pic here it is subtle yet classy. Are you young guys telling me you're not impressed by this look?

If you want to make a statement the perfect way is via your choice of tie, the colour, width, and way you tie the knot will speak volumes about your personality and help you exude confidence but be careful not to go too loud when wearing one for a meeting or interview (see below)



Now this looks fabulous but if you turned up for an interview like this I might think you are a little flash. However if you walked into a nice restaurant or wore it to a function you would immediately attract the attention of others in the room both male and female who will all admire your classy look and may even be envious that they don't come up to scratch.

So you see the humble tie really is the key to your image, he is like the base player in the band, you don't really appreciate him until he is gone!

Know your cloth!

Apart from the construction (canvases, fusings, chest pieces) the most important decision you need to make when buying a suit is your choice of fabric. 

I don't mean the pattern, although of course this is very important too and I will come to that later, I am referring to composition, weight, thread count and weave. 

Confused? Don't be! 



Firstly you need to remember what the suit is going to be used for. If it is for work, what sort of job do you do? Are you mainly office bound, sitting at a desk? Are you outside a lot of the time in all weathers? Are you travelling a lot, driving, climbing around building sites or getting on and off crowded trains?

Is it going to be an occasional suit, worn just a few times a year for weddings, events, presentations and the like where appearance of a sharp, smart crease free suit is essential?

Does it need to be a suit you are going to wear a lot that needs to have a fast recovery from creasing and needs to be durable to hard wearing? 

Lot's and lot's of factors that you need to consider but it really is important to know the purpose of the suit to make sure you choose the appropriate fabric if you want to get maximum performance out of your suit.

Ok so let's take a look at some of the different types of fabric out there and what characteristics they have:

Wool:
Most suits these days are made from wool or at least a wool mixture. There are lots of arguments and debates about man made fabrics like Lycra, Polyester, Viscose etc.  and whilst these can add certain qualities to a suit such as increasing the durability and adding a stretch to the fabric the downside is increase shining, loss of breathing in the fabric, causing body odour due to no absorption of perspiration and a general poor feel to the fabric. In my opinion it is wise to avoid man made fibres if possible.

Wool is the most versatile of fabrics which gives the greatest comfort, is naturally wrinkle resistant and has a high recovery rate if left to hang for at least 24 hours between wears and will keep you cool in hot temperatures due to it's ability to absorb moisture and allow the fabric to breathe.

There are different types of wool that behave in different ways:

Merino: Comes from the Merino sheep (originally from Turkey) which is a versatile soft fine wool. It is particularly good at maintaining body temperature all year round and is also good for mixing with other wools such as Cashmere and silk. This makes it an excellent fabric for suits that can be worn in all seasons.

Cashmere: A beautiful soft wool from the Cashmere goat (in fact it is not wool but hair) and has an ability to maintain heat therefore making it a great fabric for the Autumn/Winter months. Whilst it is very soft it is also a good strong fibre making it a perfect addition to a wool suit or as a luxurious soft fabric when used on its own.

Mohair: Taken from the Angora goat is a very durable and resilient fabric with a high sheen and luster. Characteristically a suit which has mohair has a rather hard feel to it and the silk like sheen is quite noticeable. It has great insulating properties making it a great fabric for all year round wear.

Angora: Not to be confused with Mohair, Angora wool or hair is taken from the Angora rabbit and is known for its softness and silky texture which is much warmer and lighter than wool.


So these are the 4 most common wools  you will find in suits, you now need to determine the weight you need.

Generally most suits are made between 9 ounce and 13 ounce fabrics. The lighter the weight the cooler it is likely to be.

In the hot summer months or if you are travelling to hot climates then you may even consider an 8 ounce super 120/140 or even a 150. The higher the number the finer and more delicate the fabric tends to be so it won't take wear after wear. It will need a minimum 24 hours rest and recovery after each wear.

Ok so you've made your choice of type of cloth, now for the pattern...

This is relatively easy if you try to stick to these basic rules.

1. If you are shorter and rounder then vertical stripes will add height and give a slimmer appearance. Checks will have the opposite effect.

2. If you are Taller and slimmer then the reverse is probably more suitable for you.

3. Bird's eye, a small circular pattern resembling small bird's eyes.These are a very versatile and popular business and occasion fabric which always maintains a crisp smart look. 


          Bird's eye fabric

4. Flannel is a slightly fluffy looking fabric with a warm and soft feel, ideal for winter.


                                                       Flannel

5. Herringbone. This is where the weave goes in diagonal patterns in opposite directions giving the appearance of the bone of a fish. Very popular as a business suit fabric in plain black/navy or grey. Also very popular as a sports jacket fabric in heavier tweeds and wools.



So these are the most used options. There are many others such as pinhead, window pane, Prince of Wales, Dogtooth etc. but these are the most used. 

The plain, slightly shiney lightweights are very popular at the moment especially with the youngsters but these are fashion trends that come and go. The above are die hard proven favorites that will never disappear and will remain the mainstay of suitings long after I am gone!

Enjoy choosing your fabric!

YOUR FIRST BESPOKE SUIT?

Ok so you are thinking about ordering a bespoke tailored suit. Sounds simple, and it is if you know what you are looking for and have done a little research.

Rule number 1. Just because a suit is expensive it doesn't necessarily mean it is higher quality. This is very important to know. You need to know what to look for or to ask your tailor before purchasing.

One of the most important yet sadly often overlooked parts of your choice of suit is the construction. This is at least equal to choice of fabric type and weight of fabric.

This blog will touch on construction, specifically canvases and fusings.

Confused already? Don't be. As long as you remember these basic, simple guidelines you won't go far wrong!

Fully Canvassed:
Traditionally a suit was constructed with a horsehair canvas layer which was sewn between the outer wool fabric and the inner lining. The canvas helps hold the shape of the suit and prevents sagging and deforming. In short it gives a superior drape and shape.

As you wear the suit the canvas conforms and moulds to your own body shape giving great comfort and a superb fit.

A fully canvassed suit will cost you more and is virtually impossible to find off the peg due to the workmanship, materials and labour that drives costs up for retailers

Half Canvassed:
A half canvassed jacket has canvas material running only through the chest and lapels, below that the jacket is fused, which I will touch on next.

The half canvassed jacket is a good halfway house keeping the price generally lower than a fully canvassed option as there is less labour and costs to the manufacturer but still maintains many of the benefits of a fully canvassed jacket.

As the lower part only is fused you will not get the problem of bubbling that you find in a fused jacket and still gives a nice drape across your chest, eliminating the stiffness that many fused jackets tend to have.

In short you are getting many of the advantages of a fully canvassed jacket at a lower price. 

More and more ready to wear jackets are now being manufactured using this process which is great if you are an "off the peg" customer.

Fused jackets:
This is the jacket that most retailers, particularly the cheaper end retailers use by choice due to  the effect of increased production in preference to canvassed.

The method of construction here is by using a fusible inter lining that is glued to the wool of the shell of the suit. This process whilst initially giving good shape to the jacket, can often create an unnatural stiffness and lifelessness. 

Don't be fooled by price as mentioned earlier as many high end designer labels use this method to save money in production and therefore increase profit margins.

The most common problem that you will see with a fused jacket is that the glue degrades over time or comes unstuck when dry cleaned at a high temperature causing the wool to detach from the fusing and the ensuing result is rippling and bubbles around the lapels and chest area. Once you have this there is no way to rectify it and you may find yourself locked in a debate with the retailer and the dry cleaner as to who is at fault.

Processes have improved over recent years and the bubbling effect is less common, nevertheless it is something I do still see on a regular basis upon my travels.

So how can I tell the difference between a fused and canvassed jacket?

The best way is to firstly pinch a small area of the fabric of the jacket on the sleeve between your thumb and index finger to give yourself a feel of the thickness of the fabric. The sleeve is the best place as sleeves have no fusing or canvassing so you will be able to just feel the fabric.

Then pinch the fabric from inside and outside at just below the bottom button hole.and very gently pull the layers apart.

If you can feel a third layer then your jacket is fully canvassed, a great start!

If you can't feel a third layer, or the fabric feels stiffer and thicker than that of the sleeve then it is probable that you have a fused jacket.

There is another way which is much more difficult to tell. At the lapels on a canvassed jacket there will be tiny stitches on the reverse of the lapel holding the layers together. These are extremely hard to see but they are there! Look carefully, if you definitely cannot see these stitches, you likely have a fused jacket.

So what real difference does it make to you?

The best answer I can give to this is this....if you genuinely have a love of quality clothing and dressing well then you would always want a canvassed jacket in preference to a fused one because it will always look better on you, they generally last longer and as a rule of thumb a manufacturer that has gone to the trouble of offering a canvassed jacket has shown they are serious about offering high quality merchandise to their customer.

So my tip for buying your suit is this. Ask the tailor outright whether the suit is canvassed or fused. He should readily be able to tell you and also explain the difference and advantages and disadvantages of both. If he tells you they used fused ....I would say avoid, particularly if they are charging you a premium price.

If he doesn't know, run a mile! he shouldn't be selling suits!

Finally, back to my comment about price v quality. many many of the high end designer labels that you will pay through the teeth  for are using fused garments  that simply are not worth the money. You are paying for a label and no more.  Find yourself a reputable tailor like myself at Godfather Tailoring, http://godfathertailoring.com talk to them, ask questions, listen to what they tell you and go for quality rather than a designer name.

I hope this is helpful to you and I have guided you to your next suit.

Next time I will look at different fabrics and how to make the right choice for the purpose.

Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss a suit that you are thinking of purchasing.

https://godfathertailoring.com