Fashion

I was speaking to a guy at new years who is training to become a tailor on saville rowe, and he said that the best quality trousers and often suits on the high street are M&S

He obviously isn't going to make a very good tailor.

Bloody right. Either he has a very small high st, or was very pissed, or both. The idea that anything M&S sell could be described as "quality tailoring" is utterly laughable. 20 years ago perhaps, but now - ludicrous.

'Fashion' and 'trends' is generally a load of wank. People should dress how they want, when they want and buy what they want.
Anyone can buy a brand or a 'look' and most of the time people look like tits and are following the pack. Style cannot be bought or learnt

It seems last years look(according to style mags and blogs) was to look like a fisherman or a geography teacher. The current AW10/11 trend is to look like a mountaineer/explorer

maybe he means production values.

if you turn most of the products on the high street inside out you find they are made badly and poorly finished. this is even more obvious with womens clothing. if they can leave seams without overlocking them they do. if they can turn not lining into a feature they jump at the chance.

@prancer if not this can be the one stop grooming thread. later we discuss the perfect shave :-)

My Grandfather was a chief textiles buyer at M&S in the 60s and 70s. What he didn't know about fabric wasn't worth knowing, and M&S prided themselves on sourcing the very best cloth (at vastly reduced prices because of the sheer amount they'd order).

I'm not sure where they're at these days. I always find the fit of M&S clothes to be a bit wally.

Warm towel or hot shower, to soften the skin and the hairs. Coral skin food as a prep to the skin. Hot but not scalding water, fresh razor blade (I use disposables in a cutthroat). Badger brush, shaving cream not soap and work that into a good lather. A good barber is fine but once you know the contours of your own skin and the follicle growth you will be able to achieve better results yourself as you can angle the blade better. Finally a little more skin food and its the best shave I can achieve. Modern safety razors with a million blades just do not compare.

I have searched for sandalwood, lavender etc but could not find a relevant thread containing such words, so clearly its time for a pleasant pong thread.

Who's going to take shaving tips of a bloke who always has a scruffy beard ffs!

It seems last years look(according to style mags and blogs) was to look like a fisherman or a geography teacher. The current AW10/11 trend is to look like a mountaineer/explorer

I'm going for the miner look. Can't get more underground than that.

Bloody right. Either he has a very small high st, or was very pissed, or both. The idea that anything M&S sell could be described as "quality tailoring" is utterly laughable. 20 years ago perhaps, but now - ludicrous.

He was pissed, it was NYE after all! I didnt say quality tailoring, I said the after tailoring that was important. He was talking about the bang for your buck factor of M&S. Believe or disbelieve, just thought i'd share some info from a guy 'in the know' so to speak, I'm gonna go with the idea.

I've asked him to cost up a suit for me, he has said he will charge for materials and only a little for his time as he needs practice. The idea of getting trainee tailors to knock up a decent cheap suit seems like a good idea to me.

The idea of getting trainee tailors to knock up a decent cheap suit seems like a good idea to me.

It is. Or is certainly worth a shot.

Buying suits from M&S isn't. They are awful, you can spot them a mile off, they look horrid, and are the sole preserve of middle aged middle management who either go shopping with their wives and do as they're told, or just let their wives buy their clothes. And they wear them with Clarks shoes and shitty ties. Awful.

Spend the same money in the sale in Hackett, Austen Reed, John Lewis, Aquscutum, Ede and Ravenscroftm, or similar, and get a vastly superior item.

Timely thread this as one of my resolutions this year is that I would like to dress a bit nicer. Problem I have is that I am sized and proportioned much the same as an adult Wookie. Do I have any other choice than custom for things like nice jackets? Tips? Suggestions?

John Lewis will tailor for fit (but not style) as part of the selling price, even in the sale. Win.

@tenderloin get the best fabric you can afford, even pay a bit more. top quality fabric will hang better and last longer. think carefully about the lining and dont put the ticket pocket on the other side because you think it will be a bit of fun or interesting (see above).

he can also practice making me a suit when he's finished making yours and one for unharmed.

IF I ever get a bespoke suit I'll be going to:

http://tombakerlondon.com/

Would be worth checking out second hand suits, as not to be mean, but they have suits of all sorts of funny sizes. I saw a versace tuxedo in a charity shop that was a 27" waist, 42" leg and jacket was 42" aswell. Waterpolo player?

Thanks for the advice Coppi, I'm gonna play it pretty safe,try and go timeless.

Ha, read that as Ted Baker for a split second.

unharmed

There are a number of places that do both otp and bespoke suits. They may well have an oversized otp suit that can then be altered to fit you.

Thanks, guys. I was just browsing Cording's site mentioned above and it may be easier than I thought going with OTP actually. Traditionally, I have most trouble with leg and sleeve length as I'm very tall but not particularly large around the waist or across the shoulders.

The other half of the resolution was that I'm not going to continue compromising on this if I can help it. I have a wardrobe full of clothes that are very close to fitting me correctly with the result that I never quite feel comfortable in most of them.

I have a Daks of Jermyn st suit I bought about 13 years ago (for a lot of money) it's pretty much dead and I will be suitless.

Mark Stephen Marengo is where I get a lot of my smarter clothes. Always has interesting cloth for his shirts - one of my favourites is a cashmere rupert the bear style chequered shirt. Great suits as well. Always good to check out in sale time.

?

@cyoa getting suits made that are fun and interesting are a mad idea. specifically made overly tight or baggy is such a waste.

Not baggy or tight, a perfect fit for the time, and would be today if I could bring myself to stop indulging at Bodeans.

Simply the pattern of the material. Shall we say... lurid.

tattersall thats the name i was trying to remember yesterday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAwfqy319Bg

Similar to the purple striped blazer you see in this video. But replace crimson with purple.

Hideous video by the way. Exemplifies all that's wrong with Brighton.

Brighton's shite and so are the people who live there

i like the striped blazer

^^ /Hates to agree.