The London Lounge

I'm in need of a good trimming supplier that can provide a nice grosgrain full silk braid for a pair of dinner suit trousers. The grosgrain braid / silk strip i've seen thus far from various suppliers have felt like cardboard. I therefore currently have a braid made by the tailor of the same silk as that for the lapel facing, however I'm not quite happy with how that looks (particulalrly as it affects the "line" of the trousers a wee bit).

Any tips on suppliers from this knowledgable group would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
BB

Dear BB,

I was facing the same problem a few months ago and went to Davies & Son on SR. They have a beautiful grosgrain. I paid a fortune, but I will likely need only one tailcoat in this life

Cheers, David

Did you try RJ Weldon?

http://www.richardjamesweldon.com/

Thanks both.

@alden: I have had a look at this before, as my tailor carries this book, but they don't seem to carry a decent grosgrain / ribbed braid. Have a look at page 21 of their catalogue: http://www.richardjamesweldon.com/docum ... gh-Res.pdf

My fallback-option is their braid called "fancy (5046)" if I dare, otherwise their "Plain Braid (146)".

Are these really acceptable for a decent dinner suit?

@davidhuh: What kind of braids / strips do D&S have on offer? Did they say anything about who their supplier is, or do they make them themselves?

Many thanks,
BB

I had a very similar braid to the fancy on an inherited 1930s pair of DJ trousers (not for tails). That was, until moths attacked. I wouldn't say it was out of place at all.

Looks an interesting company - do they sell direct to the public?

bond_and_beyond wrote:
@davidhuh: What kind of braids / strips do D&S have on offer? Did they say anything about who their supplier is, or do they make them themselves?

Many thanks,
BB

Dear BB,

I tried to sort the issue with the help of the friendly gentlemen at W. Bill, who had sold me the cloth. Their trimmings books were not really helpful. So I took the cloth to Davies and Son and checked what they had in stock. I'm clueless about their supplier, but it was a beautiful gros grain, and my tailor was full of praise. I just remember that I did the same when doing my black tie.

Cheers, David

Thanks both.

As my dinner suit (sort of) mimicks a 30s style, I may consider the fancy braid after all..

@davidhuh: Do you remember how the grosgrain braid felt to touch? Was the strip soft and bendable or did it feel cardboardy? Like those strips made out of some synthetic material that one finds at dressmaker shops.

BB

YoungLawyer wrote:I had a very similar braid to the fancy on an inherited 1930s pair of DJ trousers (not for tails). That was, until moths attacked. I wouldn't say it was out of place at all.

Looks an interesting company - do they sell direct to the public?

Yes they do, but my experience (a few years ago, mind) was turning up to their first-story office in SoHo with cash in hand - they don't have a card machine, and whilst they're very friendly they don't overtly encourage 'retail' customers.

bond_and_beyond wrote: @davidhuh: Do you remember how the grosgrain braid felt to touch? Was the strip soft and bendable or did it feel cardboardy? Like those strips made out of some synthetic material that one finds at dressmaker shops.

BB

Dear BB,

it felt as nice as it was expensive . I collected the tailcoat and the trousers two weeks ago, and got the buttons covered in Switzerland with the same material. I would recommend that you go there and figure it out.

Cheers, David

bond_and_beyond wrote:As my dinner suit (sort of) mimicks a 30s style, I may consider the fancy braid after all..

May I suggest that you consider the braid that looks closest to your lapel facings?
At least not one that is noticeable different (despite the "fanciness" of your DJ).

hectorm wrote:

bond_and_beyond wrote:As my dinner suit (sort of) mimicks a 30s style, I may consider the fancy braid after all..

May I suggest that you consider the braid that looks closest to your lapel facings?
At least not one that is noticeable different (despite the "fanciness" of your DJ).

Thanks Hectorm. The issue is that I'm struggling to find a good grosgrain braid from a trimming supplier. They feel like cardboard / look cheap.

If a "true" silk braid, such as the "fancy braid" in the RJ Weldon catalogue, was de rigeour in the 30s then I was thinking that may be a good alternative.

Will also try to stop by Davies & Son as per David's suggestion if time permits next time I'm in London.

BB

bond_and_beyond wrote: The issue is that I'm struggling to find a good grosgrain braid from a trimming supplier. They feel like cardboard / look cheap.

You can´t go wrong with Weldon. There´s a big chance that the braid at Davies & son (and many other SR tailor houses) was supplied by Weldon.
Let us know how your search ends.

Kenton Trimmings Online,
5 Mozart Street, London, W10 4LA,
United Kingdom

I get buttons from these guys. While there is no braid in their online inventory, you might email them. They've been very responsive to my queries.

ROI

http://www.theliningcompany.co.uk/trimm ... er-braids/

The "fancy braid": http://www.theliningcompany.co.uk/trimm ... aid-black/