My tailor, Russell, recently lent me the tailoring book he was passed by his old boss at Kashket’s, the military tailors, when he retired. Dan and Russell still use it for reference on particularly unusual jobs like riding britches or certain coats.

The book has no cover. Its front is merely the beginning of Chapter 1 – Some Problems of the Tailoring Trade, by F. Chitham (Director, Harrods, Ltd.). Through good fortune and no doubt some decent treatment, this front page has survived without mark, despite the lack of a cover. And the back of the book is merely page 274 – the end of detailed descriptions on how to cut a West End Morning Coat.

The book therefore has no title. But through a little research, I have discovered that this is volume one of The Modern Tailor, Outfitter and Clothier, by A A Whife. Whife was the technical editor of The Tailor and Cutter, a trade magazine that was published from the 1850s until the 1960s. Volumes two and three apparently go into clerical dress, court dress and women’s wear. Which is probably why Russell only kept volume one.

The fact that this is only the first volume also explains why there is no index. A reference system would seem to be indispensable for a guide like this, which aims to teach cutting in no small detail.

On page 162 one can follow the instructions for a pattern of the ‘coat-frock’, which though full in the back as we consider a frock coat to be, has a belt that cinches in the waist. There is one alternative pattern, on the following page, but this is for a coat-frock with “Magyar shoulders; short sleeves; square neck; gathers on hips.”

As I read my way through this guide, expect occasional blog posts on interesting patterns and points. To start with, though, Mr Chitham’s introduction. It begins with the cheery note that “the Growing Competition to which the trade has been subjected … is the greatest problem of all, and is peculiar to the bespoke tailoring trade, in that it is a competition which threatens the very existence of many hundreds of persons engaged in the business.” The decline hasn’t stopped, really, since he wrote that a century ago. Though there are fewer hundreds threatened today.

He goes on to recommend that tailors should not become too specialist, yet should concentrate on one ‘class’ of trade: “it is impossible to make a ‘cheap’ suit today and a ‘good’ suit tomorrow.” Some houses that have pulled back from ready-to-wear should perhaps have learned their lesson here.

And finally, Chitham thinks it absolutely necessary for salesmanship that “every tailor should be extremely particular about his personal appearance, in order to create a favourable impression. He must also cultivate a pleasing manner.” I’ll have to show Russell that bit…

[Part one of this feature can be read here]

In 2003, you and your cousin Massimo took control of the family business after starting in the workshop in 1993. Have your customers changed over the years?

Of course. When I started my career in the family workshop, we were known as a classic, serious, discrete, almost confidential house. At that time most of our clients were 50-year olds who dressed in bespoke, whether because of family traditions of because of their body shape.

Back then, we made a lot of suits, but we had far fewer clients. For instance, we often made 10 or 15 suits for one single order. Nowadays, even though we still have a few very loyal clients that order several suits, our clientele is much more diverse in terms of age and income.

Who are these new clients?

They have been getting younger every year. They don’t choose bespoke out of necessity or because they can afford to, but because they want to. Unlike our traditional clientele, our new clients are around their 40s and only order a few pieces every year. However, they are much more demanding in terms of sartorial awareness and education.

Some guys in their 30s even come to us for their first bespoke suit. Very early on, these guys are trying to create their personal style and venture into bespoke very thoughtfully. Their demands in terms of style and customisation cannot be compared with what we saw in the 1990s.

Do you think this new clientele emerged from a natural market trend or was it triggered by Cifonelli being more open to a contemporary style?

There really is a trend for customisation and gentlemen are more and more aware of all aspects of personal style. However, I think that the decline in our clients’ average age has more to do with us becoming more open to bolder and more modern lines, and more aware of the new needs of modern gents.

When my cousin and I took the business, we started to travel a lot to expand our client base in Japan, the US and some European countries. Both of us were 35 at the time. At that age, you’re always more sensitive to trends and, most importantly, to the needs of your new clients. They are demanding, always on the go, and not willing to compromise on elegance, no matter how, when and where they were their suits. This is how we gradually modified the cut and the lines without touching the fundamental elements of our reputation.

Where does the Cifonelli line come from?

I think that the Cifonelli style is original because it was born out of the best elements of three sartorial traditions:
- Italian tradition of course, with a strong accent on style, flowing lines and softness (sometimes at the expense of quality of assembly)
- British tradition, with a military heritage that inspires its very structured design (at the possible expense of comfort)
- French tradition, including Claude Rousseau whose career ended with us and who contributes another aspect: precise detailing, quality finish, topstitching, arrowheads, buttonholes…

My grandfather was trained in cutting in England at the beginning of the century. Very quickly, he learned how to blend the British technique and his Italian sensitivity. Soon after he moved to France, he added a French touch to his style, and the Cifonelli signature style was born. By the way, we still take all the measures in inches.

Let’s get into details. Part of the Cifonelli signature is the shoulder. Karl Lagerfeld says he can recognise it 100 meters away.

It is true that the shoulder is very important to us and that ours is quite particular. It is very bold and forward, to streamline the silhouette without losing the masculine and manly aspect. To make this type of shoulder, we have to use our own construction technique, which we have been using for decades [the sleeve is felted wet with an iron before stitching].

Although it is our most famous hallmark, there is a lot more to the Cifonelli style. Our suits have a rather small chest, and the jackets are cut smaller at the front than at the back. The line is always our ultimate priority. It must streamline the body and be very masculine. Details and finish are equally important: we always stitch the buttonholes with Milanese rolled thread (difficult to use) and are quite particular about lapels: we position the notches quite high.

Right now our 35 workers [the largest bespoke team in France] on Rue Marbeuf make about 800 suits every year. We recently developed a line of very original sports jackets that has brought us to a completely new clientele that is more open to bolder pieces.

In 2007, you reopened the store below the bespoke workshop on Rue Marbeuf. It offers traditional ready-to-wear and made-to-measure. What prompted this decision?

The idea of renovating and reopening the store was simple: access a broader clientele and offer high-quality traditional pieces at good prices.

Even though it’s not bespoke, it is the same Cifonelli quality and the standards are just as high. We draft the patterns for suits and coats that are then assembled in Parma in an excellent traditional workshop. The close proximity of the boutique and bespoke workshop gives clients access to a wide array of fabrics and offers them alterations and finishing that meets our standards. So for about €2,000 euros they can get a quality suit and a taste of the Cifonelli experience.

We are seeing connections between the boutique and bespoke as well. Some clients move on to bespoke from our high end RTW. So there is a genuine consistency in the approach, even if the two client bases remain fairly different. It takes money to move up to bespoke but more importantly you need a lot of patience, a rare quality in the 21st century.

Anderson & Sheppard probably has the most individual silhouette on Savile Row (though strictly they are, of course, off the Row on Old Burlington Street). The original, draped style developed by Frederick Scholte has become a firm house style, the soft shoulder, high armhole and large sleevehead now instantly recognisable.

But the chest of an Anderson & Sheppard suit gets little attention. Its beauty is subtler, softer and less immediate. There are three different body canvas options, but each is lighter than those of most of A&S’s peers. All are wool or horse hair, all are loosely woven and – perhaps most importantly – all are cut on the bias.

The body canvas is the longer piece of material pictured above. On top of it are sewn the other two elements of the construction – the chest canvas and, on top of that, a piece of soft white felt. Most tailors position the body canvas so that the weft and the warp (the directions in which it was woven) are at right angles to the suit. This makes it stronger, firmer and more rigid.

But cut the canvas at a slight angle (around 30 degrees or so on an A&S jacket) and it can stretch. In the picture you can just see the lines of tension as I stretch the canvas. That would not be possible if it were cut straight. You can also just about see the lines of warp and weft in the material. The chest canvas (the smaller section at the bottom of the picture) is kept straight, as you want less movement to be possible here.

In a similar way, the stitching of the chest varies along its length – as well as between tailors. Anderson & Sheppard stitching tends to be looser, allowing for greater movement. In the picture below the chest portion is on the right, with stitches an inch or more in length. This is relatively large compared to A&S’s peers, but with everyone the stitches are smaller higher up the chest and on the lapel (the central portion of the picture).

The grey taping runs around the inside of the lapel to retain its shape. And the far left section of the picture is the edge of the jacket, showing basting stitches.

The Anderson & Sheppard jacket is also given greater movement by the stitching along its shoulder seam. Even some of the most expensive tailors prefer to sew this part by machine, either because it is easier or because they believe it produces a cleaner line. A&S does it by hand, so there is greater movement in the seam. Pick a jacket up if you have the chance and try to stretch the seam – holding the shoulder in one hand and the collar in the other. Then try it with a normal suit. The difference is marked.

Finally, for a little nostalgia, below is a page from a 1960s guide to being a tailor – with the man illustrated sewing part of the chest. This guide was given to managing director John Hitchcock when he joined Anderson & Sheppard and he was kind enough to show it to me. Behind the book is Mr Hitchcock’s exercise book from the time, with each page containing painstaking illustrations and neat commentaries. Nothing about the Anderson & Sheppard chest has changed since then.

Photography: Andy Barnham

I was recently invited to try to the made-to-measure shirts of Ign. Joseph, a shirt brand founded by the eponymous Ignatius Joseph in 1997. Mr Joseph lives in Dusseldorf, Germany and the brand is better known in central Europe – where he is rather renowned for his eclectic dress sense and red socks.

But the brand is now stocked in several London establishments (see list at the bottom of this article). Made-to-measure costs between €220 and €240, depending on fabric, and ready-to-wear between €189 and €210.

I sent the factory (in Castellamontre, Italy) a sample shirt that fitted pretty well – one made by Edward Tam in Hong Kong – and they copied the fit. You can also be measured in one of the UK outlets.

A few weeks later I received the shirt, an Egyptian cotton in pale pink. And I have to say the feel of the material was impressive. I am a beginner when it comes to shirt cottons, but it felt smoother and softer than, say, Ralph Lauren Purple Label and on a par with Turnbull & Asser’s Sea Island-quality cotton.

The collar is a hallmark of Ign. Joseph, all handmade and unfused. It was impressively soft and comfortable, yet retained its stiffness along the front edge. The fit was perhaps a little bigger than I had anticipated, but it has yet to be washed so that may change.

The tails were longer than those of most brands, though still a little shorter than what I prefer. And the waist could have done with taking in an inch or so. But then this is made-to-measure rather than bespoke. The fit was still better than any ready-to-wear shirt I have.

The buttons were nice, chunky mother-of-pearl. Once you have shirts with real mother-of-pear it’s pretty easy to spot imitations. There is far more depth and brightness to the colour.

Quality manufacturing, or rather the industry’s lack of it, is rather a bugbear of Ignatius’s. Indeed his press release begins: “After years in which the luxury conglomerates have bought and consolidated traditional names, everything from watches to cashmere stockings would appear to be made in the same factory but, in the manner of the old vertically integrated US carmakers, just stamped with a different label to capture naive clientele.”

The shirts are expensive but the quality is impressive. The designs also venture into the outlandish, which will suit some tastes. A strong impression, overall.

www.ign-joseph.com

Stockists:
VINCCI LTD, 60 Jermyn Street
RICHARD GELDING, 27 North Audley Street
IVOR SATORIA, Allitsen Road
CATER CLOTHING COMPANY, 43 Howard street, Belfast
UK representation: George Remmler, Fashion Innovations Ltd

I liked the trial shirt from the moment I saw it. All neatly pressed and arranged, the cardboard collar finishing in a tab at the front that declared ‘By Royal Appointment’. A nice touch, as was the label (black, discreet, reading ‘Turnbull & Asser Bespoke’) and the bag (also black, with the same bespoke message, but a little less discreet).

This was the trial version of my first bespoke shirt (as previously described on this site, here). The idea is that you wear it three times and wash it as you would your normal shirts, so you can try the fit and so the guys at Turnbull & Asser can see how much you are likely to shrink your shirts over time. You then have a fitting with the worn and laundered shirt, before the final measurements are sent to factory.

When I tried the shirt on, I was pleased with the cloth – a Sea Island-quality cotton in white. The tail was impressively long (no scrimping there). And I liked the higher collar that had been suggested because of my relatively long neck. While not being as large as some fashion-led shirts of the past few years, the extra height was still noticeable and flattering. It also fastened with just the one button – having two or more is unnecessary, even for very high collars.

However, I was rather concerned with how big the shirt felt everywhere else. I could get four fingers under the collar (it should be more like two); the gap between the sides of the collar seemed rather large; the sleeves seemed to be slipping far below the base of my thumb; and the waist and hips felt rather bulky. It also felt like there should be one more button at the bottom of the placket – when the shirt rode up it seemed to gape and expose my mid-riff.

Little changed after three washes (one of them at 60 degrees, to be on the safe side). But then I don’t tumble dry my shirts, which is a big culprit in the shrinking of shirts.

When I went back for my fitting, master shirtmaker David Gale was very reassuring. He repeated his previous message that it is always worth making a shirt big as it can’t be enlarged, only cut down. So we took 3/8 of an inch out of the collar and made the cuffs each ¼ of an inch smaller. We also reduced the gap between the ends of the collar, the presumption being that one would wear a bigger tie knot with a spread collar like this. I don’t.

Finally, we cut down the chest, waist and hips – originally the excess here had been 5, 4 and 4 (inches); that was reduced to 3.5, 1 and 3. I’m sure this will fit well, but I did wonder why the trial shirt itself was not closer to the mark. I also asked for one extra button to be added to the bottom of the placket.

The shirt and the new, adjusted pattern will now be sent to the factory. The next instalment in this series will be a visit to the factory to watch my shirt being made.

Milan can easily be underrated by men who love classic style. Given the choice of Italian cities to visit, they would always pick Naples – the home of soft tailoring, that very distinctive shoulder and companies like E Marinella and Kiton (not to mention all the dozens of smaller, local tailors). Even Rome, the home of Brioni and the original Caraceni, often gets more attention. Milan can easily be dismissed as the (albeit worldwide) centre of ready-to-wear, disposable fashion.

It deserves better, if only for houses like Bardelli, Larusmiani and Al Bazar – which mix the traditional, luxurious and idiosyncratic sides of Italian style respectively. But it should also be known for its shoemakers. In particular, the very traditional firm of Rivolta.

Sitting on Via della Spiga, in the centre of fashion’s Golden Triangle and surrounded by Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana and the rest, Rivolta is quietly trying to start its own little revolution in men’s shoes.

Rivolta is an old, Milanese name. The company was founded in 1883 and survived both world wars making bespoke shoes for a strong, loyal client base. But it was forced to close down in the 1970s under pressure from mass-market producers.

Then in March this year, it was bought and relaunched by the son of the Rivolta family. He fitted up a new store in Milan, complete with a mini-museum of old Rivolta shoes. He found an artisan factory outside Florence to begin making Rivolta shoes again on the classic round-toed shape that was the firm’s trademark. And he did something a little bit different – he installed an electronic scanner that would enable Rivolta to make bespoke shoes in an entirely new way.

Shoemakers have many different ways to produce shoes that fit. Ready-to-wear shoes usually come in several different ranges, all on different lasts and so different shapes – some will suit men with wide feet, others will be best for those with high arches. Those lasts will come in different sizes – better shoemakers will have more variations in size and in width.

Bespoke shoemakers, on the other hand, trace your feet onto paper, measure them and produce unique lasts (shapes) that are used to create shoes. You will have more than one fitting, often with a half-made shoe that can be tried out before the final pair is made.

Finally, some shoemakers (such as Lodger) try to combine aspects of the two – the shoes are not bespoke, but they come in many different sizes, and an electronic scanner is used to measure every aspect of your feet to find the right last, length and width.

Rivolta is different again. It applies the same scanning technology but uses it to create a personal (plastic) last. That last is used by shoemakers to create bespoke, handmade shoes. No fittings, no paper measurements. Just bespoke shoes in 40 days, for around €1400.

Customers can pick from several different colours of leather, and between calf, suede, patent and cordovan. There is also a tumbled calf that the firm refers to as its English leather, and a waterproof suede. You can pick from Goodyear-welted, Blake or Norwegian (where the welt is sewn to the outside of the shoe).

There are several different styles, including two Oxfords, a Derby and a monk. The shape is quite classic and round – redolent to my eye of the Budapest shoe made famous by Vass. There is also a new last being introduced soon. The shoes are all hand-clicked, lasted and finished, with the welting done by machine.

Although still a little clunky, Rivolta also has a floor-to-ceiling computer screen that allows you to select your colour, model and leather, and see it transposed onto your feet.

Now critics will say that bespoke shoes need fittings. As I have written on my blog Permanent Style in the past, there are men that have their own last made (usually at Springline in the UK) and use independent closers and makers to make their shoes for them. This is usually cheaper than full bespoke from Cleverley’s, Lobb or someone else. Plus you have your own last that you can take elsewhere.

The problem is, it takes a while to get that last right. It usually takes one or two attempts with a half-made shoe, and resulting tweaks to the last, before you can find a perfect fit. Just like having a suit made: bespoke means fittings, often a few of them.

So can Rivolta’s scheme work? Well, store manager Elena Invernizzi says they have had several very happy customers already, some of whom had had full bespoke shoes made in the past. So the method is obviously living up to some people’s standards. Personally, I’ll wait until I try it myself – or know someone that has. In the meantime, plaudits to Rivolta for a brave and innovative move in men’s footwear.