Gambert Shirts is located in downtown Newark, NJ on Washington Street.
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Gambert Shirts
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The avant-gardes sartorially speaking...
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| [Photo by Douglas H. Jeffrey] |
The year is 1964 and the men, from left to right, are: John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg.
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Update: Los Angeles tailor Enzo Caruso
Some more photos of Enzo Caruso's store, located in Santa Monica, which he has been gradually updating the last few months:
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| Storefront |
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| New organizing wall for swatch books |
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| Shelving and storage for cloth |
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New cloths: Carlo Barbera and William Halstead
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| Halstead "cashmere stripes" trousering |
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| Carlo Barbera cashmere jacketing |
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| Glenplaid wool suiting and Barbera jacketing |
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Five shades of grey
Last week I visited Tip-Top Fabrics in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and learned that they recently received a shipment of Carlo Barbera worsted flannel…in five shades of grey. Weight is probably in the 13oz range. I picked up a suiting length of the darkest grey and a trouser length in a mid-grey. Tempted to go back and pick up another shade of grey before they run out.
I also picked up an end bolt of a navy cavalry twill by Halstead, probably in the 14oz range. Last but not least, I saw an excellent, crisp Drapers gaberdine in classic tan and beige that will make up nicely into a pair of trousers.
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I also picked up an end bolt of a navy cavalry twill by Halstead, probably in the 14oz range. Last but not least, I saw an excellent, crisp Drapers gaberdine in classic tan and beige that will make up nicely into a pair of trousers.
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A textile without qualities...
...is perhaps almost as impossible to find as "a man without qualities". I mentioned recently in a tweet that I've taken the step of enrolling in a textile quality management class. I'm doing so because quality is an oft-used but rather poorly understood word in the consumer world of menswear. Even among men's clothing aficionados, discussion of textile quality is based almost entirely on the impressionistic assay of fabrics. Sometimes it is based on years of experience in having bespoke garments made. However, experience in the end-use of fabrics, while helpful, is not sufficient.
For example, a common way among aficionados to ascertain fabric "quality" and "performance" is through the hand feel of fabrics. The hand of a fabric is simply one measure of aesthetics and comfort but many aficionados seem to believe that hand feel alone can be a good indicator for textile quality. Ask a textile professional if hand feel is a reliable and complete indicator of overall quality and performance and the diplomatic response would be a simple but decisive "no".
![Italian wool blend testing sample]()
Back to the class I'm taking. Our term project involves testing 4 yards of a knitted (or woven) fabric through a battery of tests for durability (abrasion, pilling), strength, colorfastness, moisture management, shrinkage (dimensional stability), etc. My sample is a wool/polyester blend which I picked up at Mood Fabrics in NYC's Garment District.
The yield scale below measures the weight of a cloth based on a standard sample cut of the fabric:
Below is the sample cutter used to punch out a sample of my test fabric:
For example, a common way among aficionados to ascertain fabric "quality" and "performance" is through the hand feel of fabrics. The hand of a fabric is simply one measure of aesthetics and comfort but many aficionados seem to believe that hand feel alone can be a good indicator for textile quality. Ask a textile professional if hand feel is a reliable and complete indicator of overall quality and performance and the diplomatic response would be a simple but decisive "no".
Back to the class I'm taking. Our term project involves testing 4 yards of a knitted (or woven) fabric through a battery of tests for durability (abrasion, pilling), strength, colorfastness, moisture management, shrinkage (dimensional stability), etc. My sample is a wool/polyester blend which I picked up at Mood Fabrics in NYC's Garment District.
The yield scale below measures the weight of a cloth based on a standard sample cut of the fabric:
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| Alfred Suter yield scale (probably c. 1960s) |
Below is the sample cutter used to punch out a sample of my test fabric:
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| Sample cutter (likely pre-1950s) |
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Trimmings for dinner jackets
I have successfully concluded my recent search for what English tailors call "corded silk" for facings or lapels of dinner jackets or tuxedos. This is the less common alternative to silk satin, which has a bit of a sheen and less elegant in my view. Corded silk has more pronounced cross-grain ribbing, which absorbs and disperses light, lending a matte look.
I became curious about sourcing this particular type of trimming after learning from my tailor in Los Angeles that his sources for such silk had dried up. The corded silk used for facings typically come in 18 or 24 inches, which are "bastard" or unusual widths, at least for silk trimmings and ribbons. Below is a photo of the facing used in my Kilgour dinner jacket.
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After asking around, I finally found a source for corded silk in London and one in New York City. The stuff is actually woven in France (next time I'll have to ask the name of the French weaver) and is fairly expensive.
First, London. Last month I visited London and stopped by Savile Row to visit a particular tailor which sells fabrics by the length to customers. That tailor is Davies and Sons.
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I chatted with Robert Bailey and learned that Davies sells the 18 inch variety which is made in France. One meter is typically needed for peak or notch lapels, 1.1 meter for a shawl collar. Price is 120 GBP per meter. Davies (as well as the other tailors like Kilgour) source this silk and other specialty wovens from their trimmings merchants.
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The other source is B&J Fabrics in NYC's Garment District. The equivalent American term for corded silk is "silk faille back satin" which is a literal description of the two weaves found respectively on the face and technical side. The width is 45 inches and is priced at $180 per yard. The merchant carries this in two colors - black and cream.
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Below is a photo comparing all three examples (from left to right, Kilgour, Davies and B&J Fabrics):
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As you can perhaps see, both the Kilgour and Davies corded silk feature slightly wider ribbing compared to B&J's version.
I became curious about sourcing this particular type of trimming after learning from my tailor in Los Angeles that his sources for such silk had dried up. The corded silk used for facings typically come in 18 or 24 inches, which are "bastard" or unusual widths, at least for silk trimmings and ribbons. Below is a photo of the facing used in my Kilgour dinner jacket.
Source: Uploaded by user via Sleevehead on Pinterest
After asking around, I finally found a source for corded silk in London and one in New York City. The stuff is actually woven in France (next time I'll have to ask the name of the French weaver) and is fairly expensive.
First, London. Last month I visited London and stopped by Savile Row to visit a particular tailor which sells fabrics by the length to customers. That tailor is Davies and Sons.
I chatted with Robert Bailey and learned that Davies sells the 18 inch variety which is made in France. One meter is typically needed for peak or notch lapels, 1.1 meter for a shawl collar. Price is 120 GBP per meter. Davies (as well as the other tailors like Kilgour) source this silk and other specialty wovens from their trimmings merchants.
The other source is B&J Fabrics in NYC's Garment District. The equivalent American term for corded silk is "silk faille back satin" which is a literal description of the two weaves found respectively on the face and technical side. The width is 45 inches and is priced at $180 per yard. The merchant carries this in two colors - black and cream.
Below is a photo comparing all three examples (from left to right, Kilgour, Davies and B&J Fabrics):
Source: Uploaded by user via Sleevehead on Pinterest
As you can perhaps see, both the Kilgour and Davies corded silk feature slightly wider ribbing compared to B&J's version.
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Review: Gentlemen of Style
I had the pleasure of reading Gentlemen of Style by Sven Raphael Schneider of the Gentleman's Gazette, which was published recently as a free e-book.
Some of you who feverishly mined the men's clothing discussion forums in the exciting, early days circa 2004 may remember one poster who went by the name of "etutee". He was the probably first to scan and post images of old Apparel Arts illustrations of the 1930s on AskAndy and London Lounge, accompanied by extensive, historically relevant commentary and exposition. Unfortunately, most of etutee's posts have disappeared from the forum archives.
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If I remember correctly, etutee's posts were probably my first exposure to Apparel Arts. That led of course to a hunt for old copies of Apparel Arts on eBay, as well as recompilations of Apparel Arts such as Woody Hochswender's Men in Style and the related reference bible of men's clothing, Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions. The latter two can run easily into hundreds of dollars. A rather expensive hobby!
A much more affordable introduction to the world of Apparel Arts is Sven's e-book which contains rare images of 1930s Apparel Arts illustrations that define the Golden Age of modern menswear. The book is divided into three sections on suits, jackets and overcoats.
Like the etutee of internet yore, Sven adds his own interesting commentary to the illustrations. Sven is very sympathetic to the classical canon of Apparel Arts but also reflects a modern and up-to-date viewpoint. Instead of treating the illustrations as sacrosanct and untouchable relics, he suggests improvements on pattern and color combinations found in the illustrations. In particular, I like his color recommendations.
Keep in mind you'll have to go a well-stocked public library to find copies of Apparel Arts (or buy them). Given the scarcity of this magazine, you can't go wrong downloading this e-book sampler of Apparel Arts. Highly recommended.
Some of you who feverishly mined the men's clothing discussion forums in the exciting, early days circa 2004 may remember one poster who went by the name of "etutee". He was the probably first to scan and post images of old Apparel Arts illustrations of the 1930s on AskAndy and London Lounge, accompanied by extensive, historically relevant commentary and exposition. Unfortunately, most of etutee's posts have disappeared from the forum archives.
Source: gentlemansgazette.com via Sleevehead on Pinterest
If I remember correctly, etutee's posts were probably my first exposure to Apparel Arts. That led of course to a hunt for old copies of Apparel Arts on eBay, as well as recompilations of Apparel Arts such as Woody Hochswender's Men in Style and the related reference bible of men's clothing, Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions. The latter two can run easily into hundreds of dollars. A rather expensive hobby!
A much more affordable introduction to the world of Apparel Arts is Sven's e-book which contains rare images of 1930s Apparel Arts illustrations that define the Golden Age of modern menswear. The book is divided into three sections on suits, jackets and overcoats.
Like the etutee of internet yore, Sven adds his own interesting commentary to the illustrations. Sven is very sympathetic to the classical canon of Apparel Arts but also reflects a modern and up-to-date viewpoint. Instead of treating the illustrations as sacrosanct and untouchable relics, he suggests improvements on pattern and color combinations found in the illustrations. In particular, I like his color recommendations.
Keep in mind you'll have to go a well-stocked public library to find copies of Apparel Arts (or buy them). Given the scarcity of this magazine, you can't go wrong downloading this e-book sampler of Apparel Arts. Highly recommended.
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Hand & Lock
The intricate and painstaking handwork that goes into trimming out military dress uniforms and smoking jackets makes embroidery perhaps the most couture-like of any single aspect of menswear, current or historical. One of the leading suppliers of hand embroidery is Hand & Lock.
I'm tempted to say the following two videos go, well, hand in hand:
I'm tempted to say the following two videos go, well, hand in hand:
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12 tips for the black tie-challenged
As a general rule, I find men dressing better these days than even just a few years ago. Even so, very few of us wear tuxedos regularly. What prompted this particular post is an upcoming formal event celebrating a major milestone in my company's history. We're organizing a reception and dinner with our clients and have requested black tie for gentleman.
Below are a dozen tips intended to help anyone in a similar situation or who need to get up to speed with black tie. The meta-rule to rule them all is this - above all, do no harm in your interpretation of black tie. For formal occasions, rules are meant to be followed. In so doing, you might catch the eye of someone who appreciates the certain kind of elegance based on the elimination of the unessential. But mostly the pleasure is simply doing black tie right.
The other thing is this - wearing a dinner jacket well, fit for the occasion at hand, has got to be one of the fundamental rites of passage in being a man. Invest some time and do it well. The payoff is worth it. Besides, you'll have more than enough time in life to read Fuck Yeah Menswear, go all ironic and start parodying the rules.
Below are a dozen tips intended to help anyone in a similar situation or who need to get up to speed with black tie. The meta-rule to rule them all is this - above all, do no harm in your interpretation of black tie. For formal occasions, rules are meant to be followed. In so doing, you might catch the eye of someone who appreciates the certain kind of elegance based on the elimination of the unessential. But mostly the pleasure is simply doing black tie right.
The other thing is this - wearing a dinner jacket well, fit for the occasion at hand, has got to be one of the fundamental rites of passage in being a man. Invest some time and do it well. The payoff is worth it. Besides, you'll have more than enough time in life to read Fuck Yeah Menswear, go all ironic and start parodying the rules.
- Wear a true, sized bow tie (matched to your neck size, i.e. 14.5, 15, 15.5), not one of those one-size-fits-all which has an extension adjuster. This is your neck. Find the right size.
- Instead of patent leather shoes, wear highly polished black captoe oxfords. Perfectly acceptable and correct.
- Remember to show some cuff. If not, your jacket sleeve is too long and/or your shirt sleeve is too short.
- If you can, you really ought to wear a jacket with peaked silk lapels, preferably grosgrain though satin is fine.
- Learn how to fold, insert and wear a white linen pocket square in your breast pocket
- As a general rule, do not stray from black or white in your choice of color (with only a handful of exceptions - see #12).
- If you wish to wear a watch, wear a simple dress watch with a leather band not a sports watch or one that features complications.
- For most functions these days, better to wear a turn down, spread collar dress shirt as opposed to a wing collar shirt.
- Your shirt should not have buttons like a regular dress shirt. In other words, it should be able to take shirt studs.
- Unless you are Noel Coward or having a go-to-hell moment, please wear a dinner jacket and trousers made of natural fibers such as pure wool or a wool/mohair blend. Although polyester is a modern miracle fiber invented through human ingenuity, it shines best in rental tuxes worn at high school proms.
- To hold up your trousers, please avoid clip-on suspenders or, even worse, suspenders worn on belted trousers. Invest the extra time and money to wear trousers that take traditional suspenders with buttons, or alternatively trousers with sidetabs.
- Wear a boutonniere if you're part of the reason for the event (i.e. you are the groom in a wedding).
Related posts
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Science of performance socks
Performance apparel is one of the few bright spots in apparel manufacturing where the US is still at the forefront. This is a short video by performance sock manufacturer Dahlgren that gives a quick primer on the fiber characteristics that affect moisture management. The specific application here is socks but the science behind it is applicable to any apparel you might wear.
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Pacific Northwest hats: Byrnie Utz
Source: Uploaded by user via Sleevehead on Pinterest
Source: Uploaded by user via Sleevehead on Pinterest
Source: Uploaded by user via Sleevehead on Pinterest
Source: Uploaded by user via Sleevehead on Pinterest
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Washington, DC bespoke - Field Tailors
I recently visited Will at Field Tailors in Washington, DC. It's been a few years since I last visited but they are doing well and have moved into more spacious accommodations up the road.
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Source: Uploaded by user via Sleevehead on Pinterest
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Fabric roundup
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| Scabal tweed |
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| Testa shirtings |
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| Zegna windowpane summer jacketing |
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| Taylor & Lodge jacketing with Drapers gabardine and Taylor & Lodge country twist |
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Suiting up: Thinking is required!
As far as I can tell, Boris Johnson is a fairly popular mayor of one of the world's largest cities. He was reelected to his post last year as mayor of London. He is seen here posing on Savile Row to celebrate the recent SS14 London Men's Collection and is interviewed for the occasion. Knowing his history, he starts by lavishing praise on London as having invented the modern suit.
Yet seconds later Johnson says "I don't give a monkey's what I look like" and asserts that the success of the suit is precisely the lack of thought needed to wear it well. Very quotable stuff but as you might guess I disagree. There is a difference between simply wearing a suit and wearing it well. If you wish to a wear a suit well, you have to put some thought into it.
A suit doesn't negate the thought process. Instead, a suit, especially a great, well-fitting suit, is quite thought-provoking.
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Burberry London Men's Collection SS14
A nice example of using bright, primary colors ... in a restrained way.
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Central European style: Budapest shoemakers
This summer I was in Budapest for work and of course took the opportunity to explore one of the pillars of Central European style - Budapest shoemakers. I visited three stores (Vass, Rosznyai, Buday) and saw the shop displays of Istvan Toth and Attila Shoes. They are all located within a 10 minute walking distance of each other on or near the primary shopping artery of Vaci utca in central Budapest.
Vass has two stores actually on Haris Koz, off of Vaci utca, a smaller one and a new one that opened up further down the street. Vass shoes start at 550 USD (125,000 HUF) and shipping to US is about 30 USD. If you wish to do made-to-order and customize certain aspects (like leather and sole), expect delivery to take about five weeks. I ended up ordering a brown calf MTO Norweger in the Peter last.
Rozsnyai is also on Haris Koz between the two Vass stores and was started by the father of the family. Ready-to-wear starts at about 400 EUR, 500 EUR for made-to-measure. Shipping outside of Hungary is available as well. I like their version of the classic Budapester model, which you can see on their website under the classic shoes section (Budapester 09). Their 2012 price list helpfully shows the base prices and upcharges for types of leather (including elephant, crocodile and cordovan). If I remember correctly, they also do made-to-measure belts.
Buday, also on Haris Koz, had the most contemporary looking designs in terms of boldness of color and welting. If you like experimenting with welting, you'll be happy to hear of their ability to make English and several styles of goiser welting.
I didn't have a chance to visit the Attila shop, but it looks like they offer RTW and MTO with seven different last options, five sole options, and an extensive leather selection (including eel and salmon!).
Additional links
- Styleforum Vass thread
- Styleforum thread on Vienna, Budapest and Warsaw
- De Pied en Cap thread on Istvan Toth
- Gentleman's Gazette post on Warsaw's craftsmen
Vass has two stores actually on Haris Koz, off of Vaci utca, a smaller one and a new one that opened up further down the street. Vass shoes start at 550 USD (125,000 HUF) and shipping to US is about 30 USD. If you wish to do made-to-order and customize certain aspects (like leather and sole), expect delivery to take about five weeks. I ended up ordering a brown calf MTO Norweger in the Peter last.
Rozsnyai is also on Haris Koz between the two Vass stores and was started by the father of the family. Ready-to-wear starts at about 400 EUR, 500 EUR for made-to-measure. Shipping outside of Hungary is available as well. I like their version of the classic Budapester model, which you can see on their website under the classic shoes section (Budapester 09). Their 2012 price list helpfully shows the base prices and upcharges for types of leather (including elephant, crocodile and cordovan). If I remember correctly, they also do made-to-measure belts.
Buday, also on Haris Koz, had the most contemporary looking designs in terms of boldness of color and welting. If you like experimenting with welting, you'll be happy to hear of their ability to make English and several styles of goiser welting.
I didn't have a chance to visit the Attila shop, but it looks like they offer RTW and MTO with seven different last options, five sole options, and an extensive leather selection (including eel and salmon!).
Additional links
- Styleforum Vass thread
- Styleforum thread on Vienna, Budapest and Warsaw
- De Pied en Cap thread on Istvan Toth
- Gentleman's Gazette post on Warsaw's craftsmen
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Barry Lyndon and the importance of wearing hats
Robert Everett-Green, a writer at The Globe and Mail, recently reached out to me regarding Stanley Kubrick's film Barry Lyndon based on the novel by William Thackeray. I haven't met many people who have actually seen this masterpiece, but Rotten Tomatoes has it right. As Everett-Green puts it well in a short piece, the film goes beyond being a mere historical drama that dresses its character in period costume to something that approaches sublime.
Everything comes together in this film in a marvelous way such that the story of a lonely individual, framed by his raw ambition and desire, reveals an even larger, more daunting web of aristocratic expectations, which itself is set against a backdrop of warring European monarchies (Seven Year's War).
Everett-Green quotes the English historian Richard Cobb, “Clothes called to clothes, cutting out words and greetings.” A wonderful and telling quote, referring to that set of unspoken cultural forces compelling men and women to dress alike while also driving them apart in the end.
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Artist/Rebel/Dandy: Men of Fashion
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Work in progress: Sicilian suits
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