Graham Browne: A Bespoke Guide (Part I)

When thinking of British tailoring it's easy to immediately focus your attentions on Savile Row, in fact, your hard pressed to think of an alternative. It's probably why for most of us, on what is the modern equivalent of a working class wage, the possibility of experiencing those upper echelons of tradition seem so unattainable.

There was a time however not too long ago, maybe only 2 generations, when all men regardless of class, creed or belief would have his Sunday best. A 'best' pair of shoes, a 'best' shirt, a 'best' suit and a 'best' overcoat and these would be that man's Sunday uniform, when the family would gather together for dinner, tea and merriment or most likely squabble.

In days of yore this gent would typically visit big menswear retailers such as Dunn & Co. or Simpson's of Piccadilly. These retailers would work with high end clothiers like Crombie, Hardy Amies and DAKS to produce lines for their stores giving the customer high quality cloths at affordable prices. The item would be made ready to wear and retailers would then offer the benefit of alterations to induce a better fit. This is not a bespoke service nor made to measure but the important part of the process was the service itself and that the customer would be getting the benefit of fabrics that previously were reserved for those better off.

Department stores eventually moved away from this business model, but more recently have vested renewed interest in this type of service. Collaborations such as Patrick Grant's with Debenhams on the Hammond & Co. line and Marks and Spencer's Best of British collection are harking back to a more refined period in our sartorial history.

Men are taking more pride in their appearance and overall the interest in dressing well is heightened. Tailoring is the winner here because of its obvious masculinity and dandyish air. However not all good tailors are located on the Row. In fact you might argue that some tailors on the Row have to charge for their address.

London is commonly regarded as the menswear capital of the world and there are many fine purveyors of British tailoring all over the capital, areas like Piccadilly are well stocked with outfitters for the well-dressed gent. Tailors and coatmakers also fill Dickensian back streets of the Square Mile around the City.

Graham Browne established their trade off Bow Lane, EC4 in 1968 and the exciting thing about this tailor is that they are not bound by the constraints of Savile Row. For all its excellence and high culture the Row is conformist, and each tailor has a favoured cut or style, and so each is revered for that aesthetic. Graham Browne conversely is relatively young in its tailoring inspiration and as such has many newer and wider influences which help to create an extremely varied bespoke experience.

When deciding to take the bespoke plunge, as it were, your main concern may be the commonly misconstrued conformity of it all. Like when you go to the barbers and ask for a crew cut but walk out with what he thinks would suit you better. From your very first meeting with head cutters Russell and Dan, you'll feel safe in the knowledge that they appreciate your concerns and that they pride themselves on adapting their talents to best suit the client not their own ideals. To blindly ignore advice would be foolish but it's comforting to know that you're in complete control and that your tailor understands your requirements.

Your first appointment allows you to discuss your design and fit and browse the wonderful fabrics and extensive pattern and colour combinations you can apply. Once you're decided your measurements are taken and the pattern cutting process is ready to begin.

Part II

Grenson AW13 & G:Lab

Grenson was founded in 1866 by William Green who produced shoes and boots to order from his home in Rushden Northamptonshire. He opened his first factory in 1874 and Green & Son soon became Grenson.

Tim Little joined the brand in 2005 and helped reinvigorate the heritage name. In 2010 he bought the company for an undisclosed sum and has since driven the business on to be a renowned name among men's footwear.

This season sees the re-launch of favourite designs such as the Archie brougue, Curt derby, Fred and Hadley boots as well as some additions to the collection, which has a contemporary feel with rubberised chunky soles and vivid colourways.

Grenson are currently in situ at the Liberty London store, until the 3rd November, in the men's shoe department where you can experience their personalised shoe service the G-Lab. Here you can personalise a range of details and fittings which will be made for you at the Grenson factory. For more info visit the webiste here or pop in to Liberty where one of their technicians will be able to help.

Photo Source: Men's Reverie

Francli Craftwear

Over 10 days from the 14th-22nd September The London Design Festival  took over venues across the City to exhibit industrious talent from the broad British design pool. From architects and housing schemes, to sculptors and joiners, tailors, seamstress' and all the in-betweens there was something for everyone.

Obviously the word 'design' is true of many professions and this provided an eclectic mix of varied platforms.

My attentions were focused on the textiles side of the exhibitions, and in particular the things that were not typical or not aimed at a mass market, it's here that you tend to find the more cherished and adored designs, enough to curtail a wanton desire for an item. Something that has clearly been deliberated and considered to the n'th degree.

Clothing brands are born daily and usually based on non-specific requirements to provide products that will be aimed at a wide and varied range of consumer. Now and then however someone applies their talents to create a product from a necessity, a need and a function specific to them, the fact that such a necessity would resonate with others is second fiddle to the idea. These necessities can be sustainability, or simply not being satisfied with what is already available and it's in these instances where people are not galvanizing a product to drain it for all its worth that the public can better appreciate the creation.

Francli stood out because these two designers, Franki Basely and Ali Goodman, started making items for close friends and other people in their profession which have been so lauded the pair have gone on to receive requests from further afield.

The story of what came to be, started out as trips of exploration along England's west coast and has since grown into a shared ideal and lifestyle. It shows that with enough endeavor and will to create, people will take note if that thought is clear in what you do.

What's most admirable is that the girls forage and use discarded materials to create their workwear which marry's a love of vintage and reclaimed clothing as well as sustainable production. In our considerably damaged environment it's nice to know that one souls unloved waste is their treasure.

Below are a selection of shots from past projects:

Also, thank you to my neighbour for bringing Huck magazine to my attention who did a feature on Francli in the run up to Design Week here.

Marks & Spencers: Best of British

All I seem to be doing at the moment is rambling on about British this that and the other, but it is a sign of our times. There is an inextricable shift towards being a more self sufficient country in terms of produce, better supporting our retailers for a more sustainable future and sustaining our historic mills and factories.

Tomorrow sees Marks and Spencers' bring their Best of British range to selected stores (Kensington and Marble Arch in London, Bluewater in Kent, Edinburgh and Camberley in Surrey) and online. This is a big push by a huge British retailer to promote home grown manufacturing.

The premium range, made entirely in the UK will include fabrics from Abraham Moon, Albert Brown, Holland & Sherry, Clissold, Todd & Duncan and a long standing partner Harris Tweed. 

They have also enlisted the help of Joseph Cheaney & Sons with the appropriate footwear to accompany the line.

A preview of the 40 piece range was on show at the London Collections: Men back in June and has captured the attention of the media and men's style magazines ever since. 

Hopefully this will be a continued project for M&S and we will see the range grow over the next few seasons.

Below are some of the best bits from the collection out tomorrow:

Photo Source: Marks and Spencer

TRiCKETT Sportswear

What if now and then we chose to forego the usual sportswear brands and plump for a team a little closer to home here in the UK?

Recent revived interest in British production and manufacturing, which could be attributed to the state of British industry brought on by the recessionary economy, has created a drive among investors to breathe new life or even resuscitate heritage brands.

TRiCKETT is the brainchild of Lancashire born Iain Trickett and is a platform for collaboration and retail, in essence a site dedicated to the sale of things that he loves.

As well as collaborating with US brand Ebbets Field Flannels on their wonderful baseball caps, TRiCKETT produce a number of pieces of their own right here in the UK made from British cotton and woven in Lancashire.

The collection is heavily inspired by baseball styles which are clear in the composition of wares such as their 3/4 length tee the 'Mays' shirt (in honour of Willie Mays who holds the record for the most appearances in Major League Baseball All Star games with 24) and of course the caps, but also references footballing memories with the 'Washington' scarf and 'Finney' socks (in honour of Lancashire born Sir Tom Finney).

This season they have also teamed up with Walsh Sports, on an exclusive collaboration and limited run to produce trainers in their trademark navy grey and white colours. You can get these kicks here whilst stocks last.

When I contacted TRiCKETT and asked if they had press shots of their collections that I could feature I got an interesting response, rather than product images Iain replied by telling me that he was not of that mind, that the product images do not reflect what we are is trying to convey and what we hope to inspire, so instead he sent me the images that inspire him and the brand and their creation and images that restore memories of childhood adoration for the spectacle of sport and the legendary athletes of days past.

Hopefully these images will conjure the same memories for you, the squeak of rubber on the court, the elation of the crowd as Alan Shearer hits the back of the net on his way to a record 34 goals for Blackburn Rovers circa 1995, the sweet spot of the bat hitting ball, the commentator 'Mays up to bat, aaaaaannnnnd... 'THWACK' he knocks it out of the park!'

The State of British Denim

Unfortunately for us Brit's the consumerist nature of the clothing industry demands so heavily that props usually go to those that are productive at the lowest cost to us. In a small land mass like ours it's very difficult for companies to compete and so our industry has hard fought for it's custom. What we do do very well is produce quality, in however small a number that may be.

Denim is a hardy investment, it's versatility and value testament to it's popularity. From it's formative years as a working mans overall the cotton twill has been a feature of men's fashions. What can be said for those who buy not to keep up with trends but to carefully procure an item to add to a considered wardrobe?

After I covered the RPMWEST kickstarter a while back I started to look around for British denim brands. All I knew before I set out was that this would likely be a diminished group, what I didn't realise is quite how short that list would be.

At present that amounts to two(2) British companies solely specialising in denim, Hiut Denim in Cardigan, Wales and Fallow in London. Hackney in fact, Dalston to be precise, which is becoming a flag bearer for emerging creative industry.

One other Tender, the oldest of the new breed of clothiers to enter the vast denim market, have been around since 2009 yet they have nearly 4 times as many stockists in Japan as on home soil.

What is incredible is that these brands are infant, only 7 years of production between them, but the endeavor and story behind each to create denim that will be loved and lived in, is palpable.

There are other British menswear brands out there, Albam & Jigsaw for example, producing denim lines in their collections but the rarity of an equivalent to the likes of Levi, Edwin, Evisu and the many other American and Japanese brands focused on denim, is startling.

It's always a heartening though to think that you are paying back directly to the British economy and helping small business to grow, so next time you're investing in some true blue, why not give these guys are look before you put paid to those giants of the jean juggernaut.

Fallow Denim:

Hiut Denim:

Tender Denim:

You can find Tender at Superdenim online, and both Hiut & Fallow have their own web shops.

If you know any British denim brands that I've missed out, get in touch at esteewhyele@gmail.com or on Twitter @esteewhyele

Since posting I was contacted by @scott_f_simpson and introduced to Dawson Denim established in 2012 they produce a number of denim products, including aprons and bags from their workshop in Brighton using Japanese Red line Selvage denim. They also offer an neat service by way of a log book which entitles the customer to repair of any damage to the garment in the first 6 months for free.

Dawson will also be showing at the Best of Britannia exhibition in Clerkenwell, London on the 4th and 5th October.

Photo Source: Fallow, Hiut, Tender.