Thomas Mahon is the next English tailor to visit San Francisco in October. He makes double breasteds for me (I like the shoulders) and came bearing a mid-gray 9 1/2 ounce Lesser to fit for next Spring, But first we started with a look at the charcoal 14 ounce hopsack that he sent to me last week (see his post on English Cut). Of course its arrival was another case of summer returning full force so I could only bear to have it on for a minute, long enough to tell that though my weight has not changed it may have redistributed itself somewhat as the coat needs a little more room across the chest. The right trouser leg is also a smidge too long, so the whole thing is going back for adjustment. It is a lovely suit and will hopefully return before we are too far into 2011, but that remains to be seen given the pending change in Thomas' life.
You see, Thomas is soon to be a father for the first time, which the fathers reading this know means he will not be getting any sleep for several months. I do not know how to judge the odds as to whether his backlog of work is going to reduce or increase when this occurs but my suit is hostage.
With the dark gray suit looked at, Thomas marked up the light gray (2010 somehow got to be a big year for solid grays in the order book of my life). I should see that suit in the spring and if that season is anything like the version we had this past year temperatures will be too cool to wear it. The thought was truly disturbing. And, if there is not already enough gray in my life, next in the pipeline is a black and cream check of an odd jacket that must inevitably look gray from a distance.
The photos alas were taken in a small artificially lit room without a flash.
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14 comments:
Very nice Will. I see you are wearing what appears to be purple tie. What make may I ask and what were you wearing with it prior to the fitting?
The tie is by Cappelli and it accompanied a tan suit.
Will, do you have any double breasted suits with vests. While a vest is less obvious with a DB suit than with and SB one, it is sometimes visible, and it gives the suit a very special, almost "Old World" look.
I do not. It is rarely cool enough where I live to wear a vest, let alone a vest under a DB.
Hmm ... this synchronicity is kind of disturbing. I'm hopefully (weather and airports permitting) going to see Tom tomorrow for a mid-gray suit fitting as well.
Steve, I have a few DBs that are 3-pieces. Because they add an extra layer of warmth, and are barely visible, I'd say they are more functional than anything else. Most people won't notice that you have a vest on under a DB.
Will,
Am I mistaken or shouldn't Tom have reduced to N. Am. visits?
Also, could you elaborate on the shoulder characteristics of Tom's coats you enjoy.
Thank you.
I think he has cut back to just two cities, those being San Francisco and New York, but since I am in San Francisco I can't say that I have paid much attention to the fate of those other cities.
If you look at the shoulders on Tom's jackets they are more natural-looking than those on my Davies coats, and I like that in a DB.
Tan suit in mid-October?
Yep. Still hot in California this week.
Good enough for me. Maybe I should break out my tan Crispaire one more time. That hopsack, from whomever the cloth maker is, looks great. The matte finish buttons look like Weldon's.
oops. If I had used the link to Mahon first I would have learned the 14oz is Lesser's too.
Greytones - especially the darker tones - are supposedly 'winter colours', right? I wear a light grey-base herringbone suit in the warmer months, but in winter I prefer navy blues and dark browns more than grey.
I've never been partial to solid mid/dark greys,apart from odd-trousers; they just seem too dull.
Ma Mahon is quite a skillful fellow. I follow his English Cut blog quite religiously. I'll never be able to afford his suits, but I get terrific satisfaction knowing you can.
"my suit is hostage" is a turn of phrase that brought a smile to my face.
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