April 15, 2021
October 16, 2018
By Andrew Yamato Last month I outlined what I think are the elements of proper fit for suit jackets and sport coats, Before I continue that analysis with trousers, I’d like to take a look how we arrived at a moment in menswear whengood fit is such a rarity. Bearing in mind that any notion of sartorial propriety is to some extent a matter of personal preference, I believe that comfort is at least as important as appearance to good fit. For most of the past century this belief was generally shared by a menswear trade that was heavily invested […]
August 21, 2018
Part 1: The Coat By Andrew Yamato Fred Astaire famously danced around Anderson & Sheppard’s fitting room before taking delivery of a new suit, stopping suddenly every few beats to confirm that the collar lay as it should. While such heroic measures might not be necessary for the rest of us, an educated eye and sensibility is critical when appraising the fit of tailored clothing — not only for the tailor, of course, but also for his client, and — perhaps most of all — for the man who might not yet be buying custom but would like to know […]
July 7, 2018
It can take a lot of nerve to walk into a Savile Row shop, especially when you know you’re not going to be buying anything. I’d first found myself mustering this specific courage twenty years ago, as a college student, outfitted in my best secondhand suit and armed with what precious sartorial knowledge I’d been able to glean from the books of Alan Flusser and Bruce Boyer. On that day I’d made my rounds as swiftly and unobtrusively as possible, avoiding what I assumed would be censorious eye contact, purchasing a token pair of Thurston braces on my way out […]
June 6, 2018
Custom tailors and clothiers are famously wary of Fashion. We generally offer (or at least market) the more mature, manly virtue of Style, usually based on notions of “classic” or “timeless” taste and proportion that transcend trends. For the rest of the world, however, clothing and fashion are so closely connected that they’re virtually synonymous, a happy roiling riot of whim and consumption. Even as we watch the show from the ancient ramparts of tailored menswear, we do well to remember that our fortress is itself built on shifting sands. What drives fashion trends? “Novelty,” while absolutely true in and […]