Journal

One of the advantages of coming to Kipper & Chalk for his suit, is that we can print any of your photos onto you lining for a truly one-of-a-kind garment.

I played around with a couple of placement options. Given that Whisky is a sausage dog, I initially pictured him running down the length of the sleeve but the problem with that would be that no one would see him. So the groom settled on the second option, poking up into the armhole. 

For their latest collection, which Patrick Grant was keen to point out doesn’t “change so much from season to season that you will feel you need to buy something new”, E Tautz collaborated with textile recycler Astco. Ransacking their stash for bed linen, white cotton shirts, and denim, A/W’20 is a glorious mash up of Zoot suits, Kevin & Perry and Maria Von Trapp. And I mean that as the highest compliment.

And that leads me onto arguably the men’s brand of the decade. Gucci. Oh how far it has come. The 2010 show is everything I had come to expect from the Italian brands of old. White skinny jeans, tan leather jackets and loafers with no socks. But then in 2015, Alessandro Michele was appointed Creative Director and there was an explosion. 

    Brief: Linen, which looks smart 3 Piece, Single-Breasted.  Cloth: Linen/Wool/Cotton Blend - Bateman Ogden 50% Wool, 25% Linen, 25% Cotton Lining - House Lining Navy Viscose.   Made to Measure...

Many luxury fabrics and materials had been used during the war effort, which thrifty seamstresses would use afterwards to create masterpieces on a budget. Parachute silk, in particular, was much sought after. The huge panels of parachutes made them easy to recut and the high quality, lightweight silk was often transformed into stunning wedding dresses.

I often get asked about our name: Kipper & Chalk. The chalk bit is easy, it’s a tailor’s best friend. But what do fish have to do with tailoring? According...

Brief: Linen, but not navy or sand. Cloth: Linen/Mohair Blend - Harrisons Mersolair 54% Mohair, 46% Linen Lining - The Lining Company  Flamingos. Viscose.   Made to Measure Notes: Linen...

An alterations tailor can be a wizard or a headache so do a bit of research and find a decent one. It is worth paying a premium for a job done well. I have fixed so many botched alterations over the years which means the client has ended up paying twice! Buy well. Buy once.