Henry Poole Bespoke Shirts

[Art Tatum]

Dear Sirs,

I was wondering if any members of the forum has had experience with Henry Poole's bespoke shirts. I will be in London next month and would like to get a couple bespoke shirts made. The reason why I am erring towards Henry Poole is because the price seems to be in my budget, and I personally have a fondness for the company. Any replies would be much appreicated! Thank you.

[bry2000]

I tried Poole for custom shirts a few years ago before I knew anything about custom. Simon Cundy measured me while Poole was visiting NYC. Let's just say go to a shirtmaker for shirts. Go to a tailor for suits. Poole gets its reputation from being a tailor, not a shirtmaker. In fact, they just take measurements for shirts and outsource the production. I was not satisfied with the shirts.

Why don't you try Budd for shirts. I think the price is roughly the same.

[RWS]

I doubt you'll do better in London than Budd, Mr. Tatum. Their service and measurements are very good; their quality of execution, comparable to H&K and T&A; their prices, generally better. If you find the range of shirtings at Budd too limited, remember that they'll make from cloth you bring.

[Art Tatum]

bry2000 & RWS, Thank you very much for the replies. Does Budd require a minimum order? Also, are shirts as demanding with fittings compared to suits? I ask because I will be London for only a few days and most likely will not be able to get any fittings scheduled in.

[Concordia]

In that case, you might want to visit Dege, whose in-house shirt production I have found to be very good. Same general prices as Budd, but unlike Budd, they travel. You could have a sample made up this summer, and nail down the finer points of your order on their tour next fall.

I also hear good things about New & Lingwood, who also travel. More self-consciously British styling than Dege, but very classic.

[bry2000]

Typically, a shirtmaker will make one shirt up first for you to try. If the fit is fine, he will complete the rest of your order. If adjustments are needed, he will make them and complete the order when you are satisfied with the fit.

I don't remember the minimum first order for Budd; it is either 3 or 4 shirts. Budd does not travel to the US so you will have to rely on phone and mail communication once you are measured at their shop. That might not be ideal. I suggest you go with one of the shirtmakers that visits your city. Dege and N&L make several visits per year to the US. Remember to factor in any duties you may have to pay into the total price of your shirts.

Frankly, you may want to investigate whether there are good shirtmakers in your city. If so, it may not be worth dealing with a remote shirtmaker. I have found it to be a big hassle to deal with visiting shirtmakers and tailors.

[Mark Seitelman]

Mr. Tatum, where do you live? You might have an excellent shirtmaker in your own backyard.

Also, is Tatum your name or a user name? Or is it a tribute to Art Tatum, the great stride pianist?

[tteplitzmd]

The famous proclamation I believe attributed to Oscar Peterson, when told that Art Tatum was in the audience. (jazz pianist arcania)

I used to use Bowring & Arundel, bundled into New and Lingwood, and sort of then to Dege. I dropped Dege, very poor customer service, "attitude" ,banking infractions, smoke and mirror British snob appeal. The product was respectiable but they were slow, inefficient, ignored my explicit instructions for sending the shirts (I have an aversion to FEDEX for customs clearing and fees), and frankly got tired of dealing with them Several friends have abandoned them as welll.

I will report on my visit to Mr. Bugelli next month.

P.S. I had an interest in shirting cloths by Testa (Italy), very nice broadcloths, with great palette and designs. Dege had them off and on. Then I found a maker elsewhere who explained that Testa was readily available and that those makers with uneven access or availability generally were those who did not pay for their cloth in a timelly way (it actually made more sense than the convoluted excuses offerred by Dege and Harvy and Hudson).

[Concordia]

Banking infractions?

I've had more than a few complaints about service from Dege, but mostly on the tailoring side. I'd assumed that Whittaker ran the shirts as a more or less separate operation, and was able to do better. Either that, or because fittings were never required for shirts, I was less sensitive to the shop's inefficiencies.

Even Horowitz was in awe of Art Tatum.

[Art Tatum]

Much thanks to all that have replied! The reason why I enquired about Henry Poole was because I had a suit commissoned there (my first and only bespoke experience) and found the staff to be extremely friendly and very opened minded.

Albeit it would be simplier to go to a local tailor in NY, there's a certain allure and romance in getting a bespoke garment made in London(atleast to me) Maybe its because I am still a greenhorn in satorial matters and I don't know any better

My id is in fact a tribute to the great jazz pianist. Actually, all my forum user names are a tribute to some of my favorite jazz artists. In the Style Forum my moniker is Count Basie and over in Ask Andy my id is Thelonious Monk. In retrospect, I hope I'm not disrespecting these jazz legends

Regardless, thank you again for all your replies.

[bry2000]

If I were doing bespoke shirts in London, I would give Budd a shot. I am in London often enough these days that I don't have to worry about remoteness (except in the case of Darren Beaman).

Does anyone have direct experience with Sean O'Flynn of N&L? what about Dometakis (a shirtmaker in Soho, Londong)?

[dopey]

I have been very happy with my shirts from Dege and in my dealings with their shirtmaking operation in general. Only one less than perfect delivery in nearly a decade, and even that was not awful. They use a courier service, not Fed Ex, now, and I find that I get tagged with duties more often than not.

I have had more complaints of late on the tailoring side, including one recent disaster. They are in the midst of setting it right, but have not dealt with it with the dispatch and attention I would have expected. At this point, even if it turns out perfect and unless they pull a rabbit out of their hat, they can’t do better than a B. To their credit, they did try to accommodate my schedule on their recent visit and were willing to see me on the weekend (which is why they can still get better than a C).

[BirdofSydney]

Does anyone have experience with New & Lingwood's neckband shirts with the detachable collars? They look to me very enticing for a few reasons:

- You can change from the broadest spread to the sharpest point collar depending on suit, tie, etc.
- You have the option of wearing a white collar, which I like for reasons that I've discussed elsewhere. Moreover, as the collar is detachable, you can wash and bleach it separately, which is often the problem with this syle.
- You can, if you're feeling creative, wear one colour collar with another colour shirt. This will require a deal of caution, but I could see very pale collars (pink, blue), looking good with a rich stripe shirt.
- Finally, and this is the biggest draw for me, in a short while I intend to apply for admission as a Barrister here in Australia. For the non-Brits, that's a trial lawyer replete with wig and gown. They also wear wing collars and "white bands" which can be anywhere from two strips of cloth suspended from a lace around the neck, to a full-blown bib-type device. I like the idea of being able to wear my favourite shirts in court, and also able to go from the office to the courtroom having only to change the collar.

So yes, if anyone is familiar with N&L, or can recommend another shirtmaker that does similar work, I'd be most grateful. International shipping is a plus, but I hope to go to London within about the next 12 months, so it's not a must.

Regards,

[RWS]

Not much for me to add, but a few more words about Budd. When I first ordered (and still today, I think), Budd required no minimum. Having been unhappy with other shirtmakers, I had just one shirt made at first: an initial measurement, then, a few days later (I'd asked for indulgence of my tight schedule), the sole fitting. Now, I generally order two shirts at a time.

[Fashionicon]

tteplitzmd,

Having abandoned Battistoni (custom shirts) for poor customer service, I would like to try L. Bugelli. Could you please list his address and telephone #. Prior to my trip to Italy in July, I could send him my measurements and a shirt to use as a quide in preparing a fiting shirt.

Thanks.