The London Lounge

I don't think I showed it here so for good measure here are the details and the tale.

I mostly care about the collar since that's the primary part that is seen. I finally got around to having some shirts made this year and since i was having that done I decided why not get the collar I want. I was very specific on the tails as well so take a close look and tell me what you think.

When I go custom, I get what I want.

It's my first time delving into the realm of custom shirting. I know... who needs a custom shirt? Well used to be a time when clothes fit better. I might not like the time as much as the fit, but I really like the fit. So with less and less vintage on the racks I go custom to recapture the style and elegance and romance of the clothing made in the golden era.

I know jack had ordered a few shirts from Mytailor.com and I went the same route though made a few demands in order to get what I wanted.

Had them make a new collar pattern which was a bit longer with more of an undercurve. I was very specific about the sleeves and had them do the tails the way I like them -- long and very much like those you would find on early 1930's shirts -- longer than those you find on current Savile Row shirts. There are a few other details added as well and there are many I'll ad to future shirts. I'm going to compare it to Richard Torregrossa's new London made goods when I see him next Saturday.

I posted some of these before, though here is more info and pics.

The final product after a few changes... My http://www.mytailor.com custom shirts.

I love the fit... I can't stop wearing them I have three French cuff shirts and one barrel with two button closure and a sharp angle end to the barrel.
Sleaves are spot on with the second lot... I had one made then went ahead with three more after the some changes.

The collar is also unfused like many were in the 30's, so if you iron the shirt pull the ends or have it cleaned professionally a few times till the shrinking is finished. Unfused lets it roll outward like those collars did on the stars in the 30's or the soldiers uniform shirts of the 40's... to me it looks cooler. I wear collar stays in the close up and am opting to go with them in these shirts. In a future design I think i'll go with a longer collar and my decide to drop the stays... I just like the look better with them in the case of these shirts.





I used my old razor at a fast pace... was heading to a dance contest in which I was competing.

Anywho, see the open space between the collar? it actually has a drop rather than the continuous collar stand. That way you see tie hanging between the collar opening and not collar stand.



Here is a better look post contest after I needed to cool down.

If you look closely at the collar stand you will see that it has a tiny notch before actually going to the regular curve at the edge... if this isn't clear I'll try to get photoshop up and circle what I'm talking about.


And just a cleaned up look for good measure.

Another good custom tailored suits shop is C&D London.

i had some hemrajani shirts, they don't fit me anymore. but they were nice for a while.

Can you go into more detail, santy? Is it because you got bigger, they shrank too much...?

yeah i got bigger, i was 21 when i got them. now I'm 26, i got some suits from him too. i never seen anyone as shaped as i was. now i can go into brooks brothers and get a 42 regular size coat and it would fit me perfectly.
it was my fault, Hemrajani kept insisting bigger looks better, i didn't understand that. i wanted to look like a ralph lauren model.

Ah, I see. I try to get my shirts just slim enough at the waist and hips so they won't bunch up. Clothes that are overly slim don't look good on me, despite that I have the "fashionable" body type.

back then, i think i was influenced by George Lazenby on her majesty's secret service. i saw him wearing a very tight shirt with frills and a waistcoat.
i got nothing bad to say about hemrajani, basically he transformed me. made me a well dressed man. it lasted for 2 years then i stopped playing football and the trousers felt smaller and smaller.

Oh dear. I remember that part of the movie only too well. That was when James Bond stopped and Trendy Bond took over in his place. I couldn't believe how frigging tight that shirt was. I think the casting of Lazenby had a part in this, since he was also a fashion model. Connery wore some gaudy clothes in his last [official] movie as Bond (which had little if any continuity from his previous wardrobe beside the turnback cuffs) and it only got worse when Roger Moore came in wearing shirt collars the size of his head and bell bottomed dinner suits . Where Connery's first few movies only dated in the casual wear and a few small details, Roger Moore's wardrobe and colour choices made Bond look like a '70s Ken doll. Not a good match to the character whatsoever, who wore conservatively cut and styled clothing so he would blend in.

Well anyways, I plan to make a purchase from Hemrajani this year. Probably something classic like a white point collar double cuff shirt.