The London Lounge

Gentlemen,

I would like to just pop my head around the door and introduce myself.

I have come across the whole area of bespoke somewhat later in life, though I always knew it was there, I always thought it far beyond my reach. To be honest Savile Row still is but I have found here in Birmingham a very good tailor and have been happy with the work he has done for me.

However, to me, from what I have read LL represents something a more than just the esoteric discussion of tailoring and cloth. I am impressed by the courtesy and respect with which the posters treat each other, and feel that it is no coincidence that those who take care and pride in their appearance and grooming also hold dear the need to be courteous and polite to our fellows.

In a world that seems hellbent on shedding the values that I hold dear (to the detriment of us all) it is refreshing to find this oasis.

My belief is that however well dressed a man maybe, if he does not have the manners to accompany his fine clothes he will never be (in my eyes) seen as elegant.

OldBill

Welcome and very well put!

Frog in Suit

Dear OldBill

Welcome to the LL!

Marcelo

Welcome to the Lounge.

Hello Old Bill, old bean.
NJS

OldBill wrote:My belief is that however well dressed a man maybe, if he does not have the manners to accompany his fine clothes he will never be (in my eyes) seen as elegant.

Welcome to the Lounge, OldBill!
I have seen fops with expensive clothes that had no manners, but I have yet to see an elegantly dressed man behave rudely. Outer elegance surely comes from within. To grasp what makes a man elegant when seeing one, it is necessary to ask oneself WHY he is elegant. If you cannot answer this question, then he truly is elegant!

Welcome Old Bill. You will really like this place. Excellent comments.

I just quoted Cary Grant at length in Storeynicholas's thread on one-liners, but here is another, that seems appropriate here.

"My father used to say, 'Let them see you and not the suit. Thatt should be secondary.'" Cary Grant

Trey

Welcome to the Forum. I'm rather new here myself but enjoy it immensely. I agree with the observation on manners in this forum and general congeniality.

Costi wrote: Outer elegance surely comes from within. To grasp what makes a man elegant when seeing one, it is necessary to ask oneself WHY he is elegant. If you cannot answer this question, then he truly is elegant!

Well said. Costi, are you, by chance, a professor of eloquence or poetry? Several of your posts are a literary massage for my mind. The others here are in the same league as well. Just one more benefit of the London Lounge.

-pbc

OldBill wrote:Gentlemen,

I would like to just pop my head around the door and introduce myself.

I have come across the whole area of bespoke somewhat later in life, though I always knew it was there, I always thought it far beyond my reach. To be honest Savile Row still is but I have found here in Birmingham a very good tailor and have been happy with the work he has done for me.

However, to me, from what I have read LL represents something a more than just the esoteric discussion of tailoring and cloth. I am impressed by the courtesy and respect with which the posters treat each other, and feel that it is no coincidence that those who take care and pride in their appearance and grooming also hold dear the need to be courteous and polite to our fellows.

In a world that seems hellbent on shedding the values that I hold dear (to the detriment of us all) it is refreshing to find this oasis.

My belief is that however well dressed a man maybe, if he does not have the manners to accompany his fine clothes he will never be (in my eyes) seen as elegant.

First of all welcome to the LL OldBill. I think you'll find great insight and wisdom here from a great group of gentlemen and a few ladies as well.

The one really neat thing about this site is the information about the tailors that are off of Savile Row as you have mentioned.

Yes indeed the fellow members of the LL do treat each other well, that is a big reason I enjoy this forum so much. Again, welcome to the London Lounge.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

OldBill,

Good evening. Do come in. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. Glad to have you. Our distinguished host, Mr. Alden, will no doubt be back momentarily (when IS the olive harvest finished in Sicily, anyway? Anyone know?)

- Couch

pbc wrote:Costi, are you, by chance, a professor of eloquence or poetry? -pbc

Dear pbc, only by chance, every now and then
Perhaps we just happen to be on the same wavelength. But I am really not sure which of us is the professor of poetry: "literary massage for the mind"? Hmm... It doesn't get much more metaphorical than that

Gentlemen.

thank you all for your warm welcome, I am sure I shall enjoy my membership, though I have to say that some of you operate at a much more rarified sartorial level than myself.

However I have very much taken on board the idea that it is better to have two well made well tailored bespoke suits than it is to have a wordrobe full of tat!

This reminds me of a film starring Walter Matthau and George Burns -was it Grumpy Old Men? - anyway, as one of two very grumpy old men, Walter Matthau told someone that he was still OK - and a reason for this assurance was that "I've still got two good suits".
NJS