The London Lounge

I know this may seem perverse given that I buy bespoke suits but the reason I have not yet bought any of LL's undoubtedly fine cloths is that my tailor would think I am "too" interested in clothing. I came from a background where bespoke was the norm but where too much interest in clothing was frowned upon and I suppose I have not even yet escaped.

Sounds like having a secret, "mistress" taylor who wouldn't be too much offended by "curiosity" in cloth and CMT is one possible way out

culverwood wrote:I know this may seem perverse given that I buy bespoke suits but the reason I have not yet bought any of LL's undoubtedly fine cloths is that my tailor would think I am "too" interested in clothing.

Dear Culverwood,

this sounds a bit like calvinist austerity... but I understand the argument. I suggest you give it a try at least once, and you keep the styling very traditional. Let the cloth speak, not the design. Your tailor will forgive you, I'm pretty sure

Cheers, David

It sounds to me like you are worried what your tailor will think of you, which is not inherently productive.

Certainly check with him before you bring cloth to him - some tailors discourage this, and at the very least he will give guidance on how much cloth will be needed for your pattern.

Answering the question more generally on why to chose a tailors' cloths, there are two simple answers:

1. They prefer to work with what they know and it may therefore lead to a better end product.
2. They usually get a somewhat better price than you will buying privately. Whether they pass the saving on to you is another matter...

Also, if there's an accident, the risk becomes theirs. An iron left on a length of Lesser 13oz? Call the distributor and replace it without having to say a word to you. If that happens to something you've brought in, then it's a stickier situation.

Culverwood, I am worried.
Much more than you.
If THIS is why you forego LL cloth, what else are you missing out on? And wherefore?



Plus you ARE "too" interested in clothing, aren't you? I mean, 10 years and 340 well-thought posts is no small feat. Do you think your tailor has not made that out by now? Come out of the cloth closet and take your tailor as an accomplice - it's more fun to transgress in company

And forget tailors' cloth when you have the LL - that's a convenience for customers who are not interested in clothing...

I admit I did try on one occasion to obtain a sample of a LL cloth and the mill who made it was not forthcoming, perhaps I went about it the wrong way.

I know you all have had positive experiences with LL fabrics but I find myself unable to commit to buying Xm of any cloth without seeing it and holding it in my hands and cannot make a decision on what it looks like via a computer screen.

BTW my latest coat uses W Bill Shetland Tweed WB12111.

Dear Culverwood,

I feel, there is no more encouragement possible, than one of the most knowledgeble members making a direct and special recommendation . I can only speak for myself, but a great part of the fun I have with LL cloth is exactly, what you describe: Never fully knowing - being most pleasantly sursprised by the result nonetheless.

Of course there are not always perfectly made pictures. This is expertly compensated, though: Michaels quality control - if I may put it this way - is quite spectacular

Costi wrote: And forget tailors' cloth when you have the LL - that's a convenience for customers who are not interested in clothing...

I would respectfully disagree.
Many of us, over the years , have been working with tailor houses that simply are not interested in the CMT model and, either say no to clients who show up with a bundle under their arm, or discourage the practice in other ways.
Fortunately those same houses offer a truly overwhelming arrange of cloths, including having access -hopefully- to LL´s (like the case of the wonderful Michael Alden´s flannel books of Fox Bros).
Choosing from the tailor´s books or bolts on the shelves does not mean that we are not interested in clothing. Not at all.

Hector, of course you are absolutely right. I should have added "tongue-in-cheek" to my clearly sweeping statement - which was meant more to tease culverwood on the "interest in clothing" thing

Since when do you take me so seriously?

culverwood wrote:I find myself unable to commit to buying Xm of any cloth without seeing it and holding it in my hands

On this I fully agree, culverwood - I also prefer going to fabric shops and being able not only to touch the cloth, but unroll a metre or so from the bolt, drape it over the edge of the table, see how it hangs and moves. This is also why an LL cloth sample would not tell you the whole story...

You could try to put it the other way round once: just buy a length so you can hold it in your hands, there will always be someone who wants it if you don't like it.

But, in the likely event that you want to keep it, this still leaves you with the difficult task of walking into your tailor's shop with a length of cloth under your arm , looking into his eyes and telling him casually "I am not very keen on this cloth, as you can imagine, but I thought YOU might like working with it."

Costi wrote: Since when do you take me so seriously?

Sorry, sometimes -when I´m stressed out- irony and tongue-in-cheek elude me.

Costi wrote:
But, in the likely event that you want to keep it, this still leaves you with the difficult task of walking into your tailor's shop with a length of cloth under your arm, looking into his eyes and telling him casually "I am not very keen on this cloth, as you can imagine, but I thought YOU might like working with it."

Good to hear from you, Costi.

culverwood wrote:I find myself unable to commit to buying Xm of any cloth without seeing it and holding it in my hands and cannot make a decision on what it looks like via a computer screen.

Exactly how I felt. Until I somehow got over it and got a length of the navy Brisa. I was pleased. The cutter, coat maker and trouser maker were impressed. I am told that many other clients who saw my suit hanging in one of the rooms waiting for a fitting were drawn to it and mildly envious. The hand is exceptional, but it draws the eye because it also looks incredibly good. And it's not easy to make navy look interesting or sexy when it's just on a hanger amongst many others. (It certainly didn't look like anything special on the computer screen, but I wanted something in navy so that was that.)

As Concordia said, a cock-up in the cutting or tailoring room will lead to a rather sticky situation if the mill has sold out of the cloth in question. Checkered patterns, I think, may pose a slightly higher risk given potential errors in pattern matching.

Worth a try.

Of course there are not always perfectly made pictures. This is expertly compensated, though: Michaels quality control - if I may put it this way - is quite spectacular

Thank you Elch. I am happy to hear you have been pleased with our results.

What I can say is that each and every LL cloth is made to the highest quality level specification that one of the best mills in the world can produce. That level of quality is something one will not find in the books, generally speaking.

As regards the styling, colors, patterns, one can blame me or praise me. I make each of the fabrics with care and attention to detail because I am making them for myself, to satisfy my own taste. There are many nice fabrics designs in the books but rarely over the years have I seen many that get my bespoke motor running and make me run to my tailor with meterage in hand. I am as much of a kid as many of you when these LL products come out. It's fun and that is why we like it and do it.

Cheers

And forget tailors' cloth when you have the LL - that's a convenience for customers who are not interested in clothing...

And I do know exactly what you mean Costi. That is why we started making the LL cloth together,because we could not find fabrics in the books that satisfied the dandy penchant in a true quality product. The books, to be profitable for their distributors, have to target the midline of taste and quality. One of the few exceptions has been the LL Fox Flannel book and LL Linen book.