The London Lounge

Manton praises "the drape" in The Suit; Mr Alden likes drape; Kilgour and G&H are lauching "jersey jackets".

When did this soft trend start (with Scholte?), and where will it end?

I'll throw in on the other side. I really don't like drapey jackets and prefer a more structured coat. One commissions what one likes.

From a conversation with a cutter at Kilgour, it seems that their new "soft" jackets really aren't. Same silhouette, same shoulder padding more or less. They've just taken out a lot of the trimming and construction so it will wear a little lighter.

Also, it's mainly a RTW item. You could do one bespoke, but they're really not rushing to recommend it.

When did this soft trend start (with Scholte?), and where will it end?

I am not sure its a trend. Soft and constructed tailoring have been paralleling each other on Savile Row for over a century now. Scholte and Pete Sheppard transmitted the savoir faire to the present generation. Its not for everybody. But when done well it is a pleasure to wear.

Which tailors typically use a firm shoulder?

Dege has a tight shoulder, that is somewhat firm. Not as firm or padded as you would necessarily expect, but definite. Their chest is cut full, but it is stiff, to show the fullness and to wear smooth. I like it, though I also like the opposite extreme and also the happy medium. All I ask is that it be well done.

kirsch wrote:Which tailors typically use a firm shoulder?

Kilgour, most notablly. Dege, Welsh & Jefferies, Denman & Goddard somewhat less so but leaning that direction. Huntsman always looks as though it ought to be, but probably isn't.

Regarding recent trends and developments in the area of 'comfortable' and 'soft' tailoring some members may find a recent article in the Financial Times to be of some interest:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/21dcc356-7864 ... fd2ac.html

I thought I read a similar article a few years ago w/ nearly the same quotes from Carlo Brandelli.

I was at Kilgour a couple of weeks ago and this is roughly what they told me then.

It is an interesting development, but the cynic in me is not sure he is convinced.

For example, Mr Brandelli says, "the style retains the structural qualities of Savile Row patterns, but partly exposes the working innards – the real craftsmanship of tailoring – more usually hidden under a lining" [my italics]. Now, why should a jacket which is not fully lined be softer than one that is? I wouldn't expect the lining on its own to make that much difference. Is half-lining in fact just a way of cutting input costs by using less material?

The quote from Joe Casely-Hayford is interesting also. Gieves RTW stuff may be getting lighter, but their bespoke work is very much of the military-heritage tradition. The article is somewhat misleading in that respect, because it draws analogies with A&S and others' bespoke work, but I am fairlys ure that Mr Brandelli is referring only to Kilgour's RTW lines. I suspect that Kilgour bespoke is just as structured as it has always been.