The London Lounge

Gentlemen,

I have the great pleasure of announcing the arrival in our midst of Mr. Thomas Mahon of Cumbria and Savile Row. Many of you will know him well being his customers. Others of you will know of him and his work thanks to his excellent blog: www.englishcut.com

Mr. Mahon is very happy to entertain your questions regarding tailoring and the greater sartorial arts. Understand that as is the case with our resident artisans, Mr. Logsdail and Mr. Hitchcock, Mr. Mahon has a very busy practice and will set aside some time to answer questions and contribute articles to the site as his schedule permits.

I wish Thomas welcome and will start with a first question for all our artists:

Mr. Mahon we are familiar with your background and work from the reading of your blog. Many of our readers are preparing their wardrobes for Spring and Summer. I have always felt that the AS style of tailoring always worked exceedingly well in warmer weather as long as the choice of fabrics was correct. Rigid, lightweight fabrics like frescos and Irish linens when handsewn and without lining always seem to be the best solution to warmer weather. What advice would you give our readers about garments, their sewing and choice of cloth, destined for these seasons?

Best regards,

Michael Alden

Welcome, Thomas.

We look forward to hearing the words and wisdom of one of the masters of the trade.

Regards,

Tom

Thank you for the kind welcome, Gentlemen.

I am writing a reply to your question now. I shall wait till Tuesday before posting it, as there's one or two cloth merchants I want to speak to first... cloth merchants always have a few interesting little tidbits on this subject.

A hearty welcome! I have conversed with Mr. Mahon via email a bit and have read his blog with great interest. I look forward to learning from you.

Tom, I believe we still have an appointment over a pint at the pub of your choosing when next I visit London?

Chuck
(Charles Franke)

Thank you Chuck. Yes, I'll take you up on that drink one day.

Michael, as promised here is my answer to your question. I also posted it in your "Articles" section:

The truth is, there is no magic, secret formula for making coats for warm weather and climates. It's just common sense, with three main tenets:

1. Only use fabrics which are extremely light.

2. Only use fabrics that are extremely breathable.

3. Always build the suits with a very light internal structure.

Allow me to elaborate:

We're all aware how wonderfully cool cottons and linens are. The downside, of course, is that they do look as if you've been sleeping in them. Still, it's the honesty in these fabrics that gives them their charm. We all know they crease badly, but that's their style.

But if we want to stay cool, whilst still wearing the proper, formal business attire, what's on offer?

Your standard worsteds (Super 90's} are out of the picture; the lightest this quality can go is around 9 ounces.

You've really got to be looking at the Super 120's/150's. These do indeed crease, however the compromise in comfort is well worth it. And yes, these materials are going to cost more, but that's par for the course when you get into the lightweights.

Another option, which is a very viable one, are the modern 'High Technology Materials'. These probably sound as scary to you as to me. Even with names like, for instance "Supertronic" from Scabal the cloth merchant, believe it or not they don't have a strand of man-made fibre in them. It's all good, honest and most importantly, cool, pure wool.

Even without their unsettling names, if you look and feel at the texture of these materials, I'm sure like me you'll be convinced there must be something awful in there, like polyester. But there is none- this is simply the way the cloths are spun to produce this robust, stretchy texture, even in 7 ounce materials.

This is the main problem with these materials. Customers and tailors alike feel that these cloths are somehow hiding something, unlike those good, honest cottons and linens. Our minds trust them, but our hearts do not.

That's about it. Compromises do have to be made in warm climates, but c'est la vie. Still, if you follow the obvious three rules above, you can still look good and keep cool at the same time.

Thank you for your question, and for giving me the opportunity to answer it.

Thanks for that insight Tom. No good deed or thoroughly answered questions should ever go unpunished though so would you mind sharing your opinions on some of the 'Summer Cashmeres'?

I seem to be afflicted with a bit of an addiction to these and some of the loosely woven ones I've had do well here in Dallas's summer. Dallas in August generally mirrors one of Dante's concentric circles of Hell quite nicely - we had 100 days in a row over 100 degrees a few years back and to be quite honest only a bathing suit was appropriate.

Perhaps you can explain the weave for me better than I can on a particularly cool cashmere I have: The yarn seems to be tightly wound and well combed thread that is woven into a basket weave. The resulting cloth seems very breathable and feels as light as a feather.

Piana's 'cashmere cloud' blend of silk and cashmere seems fairly good for breathability as well... your thoughts, if you please....?

My compliments to Mr. Alden for assembling this group and maintaining an atmosphere free from silly arguments and hostility. It is refreshing to discuss these matters with others similarly afflicted with sartorial fascination.

Thank you, Chuck,

Well, I haven't seen or touched the cloth you mentioned first hand, but from how you describe it- it sounds light because of its weave, and it sound breathable because of its organic cashmere/silk fibres. And, since you live in Dallas, I imagine your suits are lightly built (i.e. light canvassing, minimal wadding).

One, two and three principles followed, and there you go.

Like I said, there's no special science or secret to it... the trick is to find a cutter who (a) has good relationships with the best cloth merchants- Lessers & Sons etc and (b)will always, always give you the advice that's right for you.

I am certainly not claiming to be he; I am saying finding him is not as easy as it sounds. You may even have to try out a few before you find the one right for you.

And like I said on English Cut, if you have already found this fellow, for goodness sake, hang on to him for dear life, don't come to me. If he changes address, change with him. Savile Row is only a few hundred yards long. Even if he changes firms, chances are he'll be using the exact same sewers he was using at his former postition, as they (a) tend to be self-emplyed and (b) tend to freelance for more than one firm at the same time.

Thank you for question.

Dear Tom,

The three warm weather dressing elements you have identified are spot on. Here is a follow up question on the same theme.

Light, breathable and lightly constructed are certainly the key elements to consider in warm weather dressing. Many of us like to wear unlined clothing in these situations but not all cloth types, especially light (less than 10 ozs.) worsteds, are cut out for this treatment. Instead we tend to look for cloth that has high resiliency and twist. The so called "fresco" fabrics are seemingly ideal for this purpose, their weight is low, they are breathable and they hold their shape well when made into unlined coats. These fabrics, called "tela Vaticana" in Italy, are often used in this way in the hot southern climes of the Boot, especially in Rome and Naples. What are your thoughts on this fabric choice and on unlined clothing in general? Any tips for the members here?

And, how would you rate mohair blends to frescos? What one tends to lose in breathability one gains a bit in rigidity. Is it a good trade off?

Best regards,

Michael Alden

Dear Tom,

It is indeed a great pleasure to have you as a memeber in the London Lounge. I for one have enjoyed your writings on your site.

I have a question regarding Saville Row tailors/cutters: is it common practice for a cutter to also be a tailor, or visa versa? Are such people called "Master Tailors"? Or is the trade more towards specialization?

Thanks,
Jan

Well, like you said, their weight is low, they are breathable and they hold their shape well when made into unlined coats. You answered your own question.

Like I said, there is no magic formula. Every cloth you choose will involve compromise- in cost, durability, comfort, style, in warmth or lack of warmth... and of course, how much you actually like it.

These type of questions are much better asked in front of a tailor, with his samples and bundles in hand, and not in a chatroom.

An interesting point about half-lined and buggy-lined coats:

The buggy line is often percieved as a lighter option, as this method requires the facing to be increased in size to cover the pockets and construction etc.

However this method almost doubles the amount of material in the forepart. I'd say you're better off with a normal slim facing, and half lined.

It doesn't appaear as "specialised", but it's far more functional.

There are no tailors that I know of on the Row that both cut and make (sew) for their customers. It's just not commercially viable. A few old tailors might still be doing it in the provinces, but I don't know of any.

It usually takes 4 tailors to make a coat.

1. The Cutter. The fellow who measures the coat, designs the pattern, cuts it, and does the fittings. The Architect, as it were. He's the senior in the equation. That's my full-time job.

2. The Tailor. He sews the coat. Either in his own workshop or on the premises. Invariably a self-employed freelancer.

3. The Trouser Maker. He sews the trousers. Another freelancer.

4. The Finishing Tailor. He does the hand felling and buttonholes etc. Another freelancer.

"Master Tailor" is a term often abused. It means little, I don't use it myself, and I would be wary of people who refer to themselves as one. You're better off using the term "Cutter".

Dear Tom,

Thank you for your reasoned response, which correlates to what I knew to be the "standard" operating proceedure on the "Row". Yes, the term "Master Tailor" seems to be abused too often.

Being the Cutter, the "Architect" as it were, of the garment, did you have to study anatomy at university, and the correct ways of correcting deformities? Or is this knowledge gleaned from on the job training?

Regards,
Jan

Jan, I learned basic anatomy at college; which is part of the apprenticeship.

A pattern is a two dimensional object. The client's body is a three dimensional object. Turning two dimensions seamslessly into three; that's what it's all about.

Deformities: I learned a little bit in college, but most of it on the job.

Thank you for your question.

Thomas Mahon wrote:Jan, I learned basic anatomy at college; which is part of the apprenticeship.

A pattern is a two dimensional object. The client's body is a three dimensional object. Turning two dimensions seamslessly into three; that's what it's all about.

Deformities: I learned a little bit in college, but most of it on the job.

Thank you for your question.

Dear Tom,

Thank you for reply to my questions. As a followup, what are the benefits of attending college as opposed to direct apprenticship? Is it a requirement for cutters to attend college before they are even considered to be apprentices at the larger firms?

Regards,
Jan