A&S critic

[alden]

I am not going to cut up my A&S to see what is inside, but A) I saw it as it was being made and it clearly had a hand-made intercollar and had-padded fronts; and B) from the outside, it looks as well made as any English clothing I have (and better than most, actually) though perhaps a hair behind the best Italians. You can't fault the make of what they are putting out these days.

I see loads of bespoke clothing these days from brands and craftsmen from around the world from my own visits and thanks to visitors to the LL sartorial vacations. The quality of the make (from a layman's point of view) is generally quite good and often better than some of the stuff I saw in the 80s and 90s. The styles and cuts of the clothes are often questionable, but that is a matter of taste.

The "best" Italians (and Parisians) have a focus on hand finishing that English tailors have never had. Windsor's own clothes made by Scholte are not much different from those made today by AS, Huntsman, Poole or others of the same school. Those clothes were good enough for a king after all. If it were more important to SR and its clients, I suspect they would make luxurious finishing a priority. Fit, however, is something that should not be compromised and the goods I see mostly fit well or at least "well enough." I say that because in my opinion micro focus on detail and fiddling with same is a sure way to style ruin.

Cheers

Michael

[pur_sang]

One of the criticisms was that A&S don't pay attention to how the stripes run along the lapel. However, a quick look on their website shows that presumably their current work is already paying more attention to this area.

Maybe we can presume that this extends to other areas of their work. Maybe we cannot.

[alden]

pur sang

If you curiosity is other than vicarious, why not place an order with John Hitchcock and find out for yourself. I don't know a better way forward than first hand personal experience. It beats hearsay ten fold.

[pur_sang]

Michael, I totally agree. It is definitely on the to do list. If only A&S were open on Saturdays, this would have been done a long time ago. It probably sounds stupid, but due to many personal circumstances, work commitments and family matters, I have yet to find the time.

I think bespoke is like swimming in the sense that you cannot read about it, you have to take the plunge to understand and learn.

[jlazarow]

Michael,

I think bespoke is like swimming in the sense that you cannot read about it, you have to take the plunge to understand and learn.

That I agree with! For years I read all about bespoke clothing and the process. And once I ordered my first suit, everything changed!

[Greger]

I see loads of bespoke clothing these days from brands and craftsmen from around the world from my own visits and thanks to visitors to the LL sartorial vacations. The quality of the make (from a layman's point of view) is generally quite good and often better than some of the stuff I saw in the 80s and 90s. The styles and cuts of the clothes are often questionable, but that is a matter of taste.

I think there is some misunderstand of styles and fashions among so many people today. Some people are mistaking the work suit, a uniform, as the way most clothes should be. But if you look at history that is not so. After hours so many activities that were done were recreational clothes, as today, but, different. And, some of the recreational clothes of today have ended up at work. People were more outdoors than today with hunting, fishing and horse riding. How many men ride horses today (it has been maybe 30 years since I've riden a horse). Horse farming was clear up to WWII, which is rather recent. Hunting was common at one time. How many men today go hunting? The list of after work activities has changed over time and so have the clothes. The difference is todays tailors rarely make after work clothes except for a few that they did in the past. Horse riding clothes was a huge industry that tailors were making for, today there are few. As a boy granddad wanted me to know how to measure for riding pants, because back then it was a money maker for tailors. Do any of you ride horses? If there are alot of no's that is how dead this industry has become for tailors. Some of the problems of today is that tailors don't make todays after work clothes. Some of it has to do with the cloth. Sewing gore tex is way different. And it is not worth the time for many tailors. What tailor makes ski clothes today, whereas in the past they did. And many tailors kept up with fashions, which were simpler. Clothes are an art form and todays world some of the art is pure art, or mistaken art, whereas in the past so much of it was functional, too. If you look at the world of paintings from realism to impressionism to cubic to what is modern today. Todays art world you could have a mouse nesting in one of those "paintings" hanging on your living room wall and not know it. In my view tailors shouldn't keep up with all of modern clothes, but pick out the ones that are reasonalble to do and not just be stuck with work clothes and hardly any extras. Tailors of old made it all.

[Greger]

One of the criticisms was that A&S don't pay attention to how the stripes run along the lapel. However, a quick look on their website shows that presumably their current work is already paying more attention to this area.

I thought that somebody a few years ago wanted to try something different with stripes on the facings and A&S wouldn't and the customer won the arguement and got his experiment. Since then they made others. I think tailors need to be flexible with customers and not be marked down for a customers poor choice. Judging tailors by customers poor choices is not good for the customers and customers need to know the difference and not accuse the tailors. Blame where blame belongs.

[Greger]

The "best" Italians (and Parisians) have a focus on hand finishing that English tailors have never had. Windsor's own clothes made by Scholte are not much different from those made today by AS, Huntsman, Poole or others of the same school. Those clothes were good enough for a king after all. If it were more important to SR and its clients, I suspect they would make luxurious finishing a priority. Fit, however, is something that should not be compromised and the goods I see mostly fit well or at least "well enough." I say that because in my opinion micro focus on detail and fiddling with same is a sure way to style ruin.

Cheers

Michael

Brits are probably more concerned with warm and functional on there wet cool island. The Italians living in a warmer dryer climate lends to more fashion, as does their culture. From that perspective fashion can be more important than fit for some and not for others. Neither is wrong. I prefer comfort to fashion.

[Costi]

I think tailors need to be flexible with customers and not be marked down for a customers poor choice. Judging tailors by customers poor choices is not good for the customers and customers need to know the difference and not accuse the tailors. Blame where blame belongs.

Agreed. I like the way Gaziano & Girling, for instance, made two distinct galleries of shoe pictures on their website - the "sample bespoke gallery" and the "customer bespoke gallery". The browsing experience is quite different

[pur_sang]

pur sang

If you curiosity is other than vicarious, why not place an order with John Hitchcock and find out for yourself. I don't know a better way forward than first hand personal experience. It beats hearsay ten fold.

I took your advice, but only partially, as I had my coat cut by Mr. Hall. I am not entirely satisfied with the results. So I guess more Italian holidays for me, London only for the rain.

[Badden]

pur sang

If you curiosity is other than vicarious, why not place an order with John Hitchcock and find out for yourself. I don't know a better way forward than first hand personal experience. It beats hearsay ten fold.

I took your advice, but only partially, as I had my coat cut by Mr. Hall. I am not entirely satisfied with the results. So I guess more Italian holidays for me, London only for the rain.

What went wrong? I have, personally, been very happy with Andersons.

[hectorm]

I had my coat cut by Mr. Hall. I am not entirely satisfied with the results

Results are the outcome of the interaction of many different things. Dissatisfaction could arise from a tailor´s failure in dealing with a mistake in the cutting or the fitting as much as from a customer´s original mistake in choosing the style. Would you please elaborate?

[pur_sang]

I think from the front, everything mostly look decent. The coat is a bit shapeless despite the cutter saying he's done something to give it more waist.

My main dissatisfaction is the back of the coat, but I just didn't get that clean shapely look on the back that I thought I will get on a bespoke garment. I am very pleased at all the coats that the staff wears, they all look great, so I'm sure they can do the job, but just couldn't do the job on my garment. The reason given is 1) my butt is too big and 2) the fabric is too 'lively', he actually recommended me to dry clean it once to stiffen it somewhat. However, my other tailor used a very similar fabric (same book same weight different colour) and produced something far superior. He eventually improved the situation somewhat by making the back larger, which made the coat even more shapeless in my uneducated opinion of a customer.

What baffles me is that I can wear off the rack garments of many different brands and the coat looks very good front and back. That's why sometimes I wonder why I want to get bespoke.

[Badden]

What was the fabric you chose? I ask as there may be some merit to the cutter's remark. I have some Minnis Airborne and Harrison's Firefly that just refuses to tailor well and hold a crease.

[pur_sang]

Lesser 11oz (i think) worsted... sorry, I am not very well versed when it comes to fabrics...