Where's all the Savile Row stuff? - Page 6

Manton bought one once.

What hate?

See, e.g., this:

http://styleforum.net/showpost.php?p...&postcount=186

One of many FNB fatwas against the windowpane DB.

But perhaps the fatwa has been repealed:


Though when he finds out that I have the very same cloth as RSS, it will no doubt be reinstated.

Yes, they do run to the bottom.
As Manton notes above … it is indeed a Richard Anderson house cloth. I’m sure I have a mailing about it somewhere in my file. I’ll look into that later and let you know who made it … unless someone else gets to it first.

Quite positive. I promise.
Do not adjust your TV set … the vertical hold is working just fine.
(emphasis added) Calling Mr. Hitchcock for a repair … but which Mr. Hitchcock?


It could take a while to explain … but let me see if I can be brief.

I grew up wearing clothing that essentially had me a “remake” of my rather conservative father. Being an architect … I thought it possible for me be a bit more forward in style than was my father. With that in mind … I left Anderson & Sheppard … and eventually landed at Richard Anderson. Then the more my self-confidence grew … the more experimental I was willing to be. And, of course, in the grand scheme of things … we’re not talking a great distance. There may be a great distance noticed here … but it won’t be seen in the eyes of most. Ultimately I’ve come to realize there is more than one facet to who I am … and it’s all me … and hence … I’ve recently used both Anderson & Sheppard … and Richard Anderson.

As for when and where I would wear each of the above suits … let me put it this way. At a country club, an Episcopal Charities event (any city here), or for an evening in a friend’s home in Savannah … I’d opt for the Anderson & Sheppard. If at a friend’s modern apartment in New York, a fundraising event for ballet company, or dining at Steirereck in Vienna or Aqua in Hong Kong … I might well opt for the Richard Anderson.

I might add ... the detail of the cloth really isn't accurately depicted thanks to the shortfalls of digital photography. Still, it's bold to say the least.

I realize that most won't care for it ... a few will. I remember one evening on Post Street in San Francisco. Two younger men in suits were walking toward me. One spied me and gave the other a little poke in the rib. I realized that they both gave my suit a once over. In a hushed but still audible tone ... "Too Flashy." I smiled.

Sorry if I don't always respond promptly ... sometimes I take a break of a day ... or a week ...

I've gone to my file and found the Richard Anderson mailing introducing the cloth. It was spun and woven by one of Huddersfield's mills of a "Golden Bale" Australian Merino wool in an "all year round" weight. It is noted to be exclusive to RA and is available in a dark blue as well as a black version. But fellows -- just between you and me -- I'd swear mine is midnight blue.

When I first talked to RA's Brian Lishak about having a suit made of this cloth ... I wanted it made single breasted. He and Richard were certainly willing to do that. Then with the order placed, I invited Brian Lishak to dinner. At some point we talked more about this particular cloth and I became convinced -- whether or not that was Brian's intention I can't say -- that I should order it made double breasted instead. Before the evening was over, I made sure he noted the change to my order.

In retrospect, I don't regret that decision one bit. I think I'd have a difficult time finding the right occasions to wear the single breasted version.

As for the Anderson & Sheppard suit rendered in flannel ... that particular cloth of "chalky" windowpane on navy ground was introduced to me by Manton through one of his posts on AAAC ... and for that I'm truly grateful.

RSS- is the picture of the Anderson suit deceiving me or is the lay of the stripes on the two lapels asymmetric? I've seen a similar cloth from one of the Huddersfield mills- it's very nice seeing it made up.

The stripes are at a 45-degree angle. If you were to rotate the cloth on each lapel that much, they would look nearly identical to each other.

True, but in the pic one side looks nearly horizontal and the other rather steeply biased.

I was looking at the buttonholes. One set of stripes runs parallel to their boutonniere, and the other set is more or less at right angles. Conventional stripes would be each about 45 degrees.

With a symmetrically repeating pattern that runs vertically, horizontally or the orthogonal combination thereof ... coat lapels indeed have a bilateral symmetry. The patten and its angle mirror one another.

With a diagonal pattern, that bilateral symmetry is essentially impossible without a seam ... and there is none ... only the fold of the cloth. The stripe of the right lapel (as viewed) appears more toward vertical and the left more toward horizontal. As Concordia notes about the buttonholes ... that of the left lapel is cut perpendicular to the stripe while that of the right is cut parallel.

For simplicity ... assume that the pattern makes an even 45 deg. change of angle at the lapel fold (in reality it is somewhat less). If we assume the vertical to be 0 deg. ... a vertical stripe would appear at +45 deg. to that vertical on one lapel and at -45 deg. to it on the other. That makes for the appearance of symmetry about the 0 deg. vertical line. However, if we begin with the stripe running at 45 deg. to the 0 deg. vertical ... a +/-45 deg. change will render the stripe of one lapel at 90 deg. to vertical (the horizontal) and the other at the 0 deg. vertical.

This just arrived today. USA made Gieves & Hawkes.

Very nicely made, fully canvased as far as I can feel. Buttons on the sleeves don't work, but no big deal.

I understand these were made by possibly Hickey Freeman, though I'm not sure.

The fit is outstanding for off-the-rack. No issues with it at all.

OH MY GOD!

These suits are truly, truly horrid.

The colours of all those SB jackets are simply disgusting. Where in the world could you possible wear those? Maybe to the racquetball club or something. The diagonal stripes of the DB RA suit are horrid. Somebody cocked up a material purchase, and then you were sold a bill of goods, so they could off-load the fabric onto you.

For fit, I certainly see nothing special. This is the famed "Savile Row"? The A&S SB jacket looks to be splitting at the seams. Or maybe you put on weight after they finished?

Both of those DB suits look like you dropped a sack over your shoulders. The RA one in particular, makes you look like you're pregnant. And, as somebody politely asked already: what's up with the darts going right to the bottom? Was the tailor unable to cut the thing properly??

Guys, I'm sorry to be the one shouting that the emperor has no clothes. But come on. There must be $30k in suits in these pictures, and nothing to show for it. You would have been better off shopping at Macy's, and buying LSD with the change. At least you'd know when the fun was over...

All this breathless agitation on only your third post. I fear you'll need to dial 911 after your fourth post.