The London Lounge

Hello everyone. I have read in various places that Chris Despos' house style is changing somewhat from a more structured jacket to a softer one. Is this true? Thank you.

JG,

Yachtie has longer term knowledge of Chris and his style, so hopefully he will chime in here.

In order to answer your question properly, I need to let you know a bit about me and my preferences. I have worn bespoke clothing since the 1970s (alas I can't fit into any of those clothes at this point). I have experimented with a number of different shoulder types. I have always found that a bit of a shoulder looks way better on me than either heavily built-up or completely natural shoulders.

The coats that Chris has made for me strike the perfect balance that I like. The W. Bill Keeper tweed that he made for me this Fall is my favorite piece of clothing ever. It is softly tailored, beautifully shaped, and fits like a glove so that I don't notice the 20 oz cloth weight at all. I wore it yesterday in temperatures right about freezing with gloves and a cashmere scarf and was perfectly comfortable. (The mid-gray flannel trousers certainly helped also). The Scabal Silver Gander DB with more overlap in keeping with the somewhat retro nature of the cloth that I tried on yesterday was just as fine with a perfectly clean chest and back.

Combine that with the fact that his trousers are wonderful, and I am very pleased. They manage to have great line, comfort, and fit -- never too tight anywhere, but not baggy either.

I also know that he has made coats with little to no padding, if that is the customer's preference. I would say that the big thing is not to be put off by labels or words, but to go and speak with him and decide for yourself. In addition to being an excellent tailor, he is a great guy.

Hope that this helps,
Joel

Thanks for the intro jb

My personal style is for a completely clean and structured jacket that is fitted. My philosophy is that tailored clothing should serve to correct or idealize one's physique. Chris has achieved this perfectly. One of Chris's greatest assets is that with his breadth of ability he can do a variety of cuts with great facility and is amenable to trying different things. I am considering his suggestion of adding drape into the chest for some of the softer jackets.
But he does do a structured coat very well and I'd second jb's suggestion that you talk to him, he really is a very nice person.

For the picture is worth a thousand words folks here's Harrison's Moonbeam, just completed:

Thank you both for your very helpful responses. I'll give Chris a call. I live in Dallas, so he is my best option by far. And it sounds (and looks) like he's a fantastic option wherever you live.

JG,

Please let us know how it goes if you decide to proceed.

Cheers,
Joel

I have worn bespoke clothing since the 1970s (alas I can't fit into any of those clothes at this point).

Joel

Let's start by getting you back into those clothes. Despos will probably put a contract out on me for suggesting such a thing. BTW, Chris is a member here and it would be good of him to come and answer questions of this kind. Yachtie, you might want to let him know his presence is required.

I suggest you purchase Michel Montiganc's books on weight management. It is the LL way to remain slim for a lifetime and I was advised to follow it fifteen years ago by a physician friend from Strasbourg (what good food there!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montignac_diet

Follow the phase 1 for the time necessary to lose the weight and phase 2 to maintain your weight where you want it. Speaking of which I am going onto phase 1 after the holidays as the champagne and foie gras wrought their yearly destruction to my waistline.

Ever wondered how Parisians eat tons of goodies and remain slim? Read. And what a pleasure to read a diet counselor who prescribes a daily consumption of Bordeaux reds!

Cheers

Michael Alden

Alden,

I probably should have clarified. I just got back from my tennis lesson and then went to our exercise room to do squats and deadlifts. IIn my early 20s I was a size 37/38 but my chest and shoulders now would put me in a size 42/43 in RTW. My thighs are also more developed these days. I can't deny that living well has given me a couple of inches that I could afford to lose around the middle, but I have no interest in eliminating my hard won muscle to get that much smaller.

Cheers,
Joel

Joel

Great news and my compliments.

Styles were pretty bad in the 70s anyway, Chris is a good tailor and there weren't any clothclub limited editions either, so...keep on

Cheers

Michael

yachtie wrote:
For the picture is worth a thousand words folks here's Harrison's Moonbeam, just completed:

Superb! That's the nicest coat from Chris that I've seen on you.

A quick update -- I had coffee with Chris this morning on his way into work and picked up my Scabal Silver Gander DB suit. I find it spectacular. The cloth has its own structure but the coat is softly tailored and nicely shaped and I can't find anything at all to nitpick about it. Of course I have already gone on at length about Chris' trousers.

Michael -- thanks for that. The key detail that would make my coats from that time unwearable is the low button point and low gorges. If you remember, Oxxford had their fish mouth lapel notch and the collars seemed to droop all the way to mid-chest.

The one suit I miss was made from a cloth labeled "Lumb's Huddersfield 100s". It was a birdseye from one of the early high numbered luxury cloths. It had real guts and pretty much wouldn't wrinkle if you tied it in knots.

Cheers,
Joel

JG wrote:Hello everyone. I have read in various places that Chris Despos' house style is changing somewhat from a more structured jacket to a softer one. Is this true? Thank you.

JG, thank you for the inquiry.
My jackets undergo some evolutionary change as I age but I have done soft jackets for a good while. Using light weight hymo, sometimes omitting haircloth in the chest or substituting other materials in place of haircloth depending on how the client wants the jacket to feel. What is new to me is making jackets with no padding in the shoulders. This is something I had not done and was unfamiliar with. There is always more than meets the eye when trying to make a new style and I have benefitted from having a few Rubinacci jackets to inspect. I still do structured, built up shoulders as well but it is more about what is appropriate for the client than employing a house style or look.