June 10, 2008

nice things....

(Lola on the desk and her assistant Monica)

I'm sorry I seem to have disappeared recently. We're very fortunate that every hour is spent tailoring or traveling to see customers at the moment. Even with the rather gloomy business climate we're very blessed to have as much work as we can handle. We have made some very exciting steps to improve our little business. I'm delighted that we have a new tailor who has recently joined us. His background is purely in our type of tailoring, and basically he's very good. And to make me really smile, he's younger than me. Good news. I'll tell you in more detail about him soon.

On a different note- you may remember that I'd been supplying shirts to my clients in the past. Rayner & Sturgess did such a super job, I got snowed under with orders and had to stop taking on shirt clients, as I simply no longer had the time. Of course it's lovely to offer this service but I'm in the suit business after all, and that certainly takes up enough time. This caused a lot of dismay to new people wanting to get a nice shirt.

As you know, I always like to keep an eye on wonderful products made here in the UK , and recently I found this super little business called "The White Shirt Company" It's an unusual concept, but it's one that makes good sense. Lola Cashman is a little fanatical about the virtues of a crisp, beautifully made white shirt. This is, of course, very understandable because it is a classic that never dates or fails to make you feel brand new in the morning. Lola has them made here in the UK and amazes me how far she goes to look after her clients.

All the details regarding materials and workmanship are all you'd expect on the finest of English shirts. The beauty is that they're ready to order online and you can be wearing one of these in a couple of days, or even in three hours if you're in central London. She does offer made-to-measure, and she'll also alter stock sizes for you. So all-in-all it's a very nice service. I know this because I wear some of Lola's shirts myself and they're what they say they are. They also supply this little gem, what a super idea.

It seems an odd concept to only supply white shirts, but it is also so refreshing that someone wants to specialise and do it so well. Check them out. You won't be disappointed by the product or the service.

Posted by tom at 7:51 AM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2008

another view of savile row....

You may remember me mentioning the recent BBC mini series about Savile Row. At about the same time as this was aired, funnily enough, we had a half-hour film made about all of us here at English Cut. This was produced by a lovely lady called Holly Blackwell from Border Television . It was aired nationally on ITV1.

They traveled with me to London and basically did a fly-on-the wall documentary. Although some of my best friends are in this, I find it particularly scary to watch, basically because I'm in it. However, they did a super job and really got the feel of our business. They had a great time making the film and we all enjoyed a lot of laughter in the process.

Just click on the picture above and you can watch and judge for yourself. We've had to lose a little picture quality to upload this onto English Cut, but you'll get the idea. If you want a full-screen version, here's the link. I hope you enjoy.

Posted by tom at 6:51 AM | Comments (3)

March 10, 2008

ladies' tailoring in NYNY...

I'm very busy getting ready for my next USA trip at the end of the month. However, I have to tell you about a super tailor, and also a dear friend of mine, who is visiting New York for business between the 14th to 18th of March.

The main reason for telling you this is that although you probably know a lot of good visiting tailors, the difference is that Carol Alayne specializes in bespoke ladies' wear. She can cut and make classical tailored suits and also evening wear. Basically, she's very talented.

I'm fortunate to be too busy to cut for ladies, so I've often recommended Carol to my customers' wives. And so far, they've been thoroughly delighted. So, Ladies out there, here's your chance to start a relationship with one of the best in the business.

Carol will be staying at the Chelsea Savoy in New York from the 14th until the 18th of March. You can arrange to meet at her hotel, and if time permits she'll be happy to visit you at your home or office. Here's a little bio and contact details:

2008 marks Carol Alayne’s 20th Anniversary in London.

Originally from Detroit (USA), Bespoke Master Tailor, Carol Alayne has consulted for Chanel, Holland & Holland and Hardy Amies. Her clients have included Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Ozzie Osborne, Seiji Ozawa, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Bill Paxton, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Clarissa Dixon-Wright, Jeremy Irons, Ute Lemper.

LG Wilkinson
11 St. George Street
Hanover Square
London W1S 2FD
Tel: +44 (0)7950 401881
Email: carol.alayne@tailoringforwomen.com

I hope you will give her a call or drop her an e-mail. Thank you.

Posted by tom at 5:14 PM | Comments (0)