Brief:
Black Velvet & Whisky
Cloth:
Coat : Smith Woollen | Formal Wear
14 oz Pure Cotton Velvet Suiting. Black.
Lining - Bernstein & Banley | Bespoke Kipper & Chalk
Trousers: H Lesser | Formalwear.
14oz Black Gabardine.
Pocket Squares: Silk | Miscellaneous
Navy and Red to match the colour scheme of the wedding.
Made to Measure
Notes:
This suit came with a fairly strict brief: black velvet, single-breasted, black silk lapels, black silk bowtie and black silk cummerbund.
The wedding took place in December in a beautiful old building in Central London so the groom wanted to keep the look classic and timeless to complement the surroundings and the red roses & white lace of his bride.
However, the groom hoped to add a little bit of personality in the lining. Coming from a musical family he immediately fell for Bernstein & Banley's sheet music lining, continuing the monochrome theme but in a whimsical way.
But the best part of this suit is tucked discreetly away in the sleeve. Aside from the bride, the groom's best friend is a small furry creature called Whisky.
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.
The suit is single-breasted, with 1 button and peak lapels in black silk. Although once upon a time peak lapels were exclusively found on double-breasted coats, nowadays they are a good way to make a jacket a little more formal. Although there is nothing casual about velvet and silk. The buttons at the front and cuff are covered in the same black velvet whilst the pockets are double jetted in the silk of the lapels. If you opt for double jetted pockets, particularly in a soft cloth like velvet, then I recommend having them sewn shut so they don't start to talk over the years. The trousers are a traditional black barathea with a silk stripe running down the outside leg. The suit was paired with a matte black silk bowtie and cummerbund, both sourced by Kipper & Chalk.
I wish Matt and Emily a marriage as beautiful as their wedding. Congratulations to the happy couple.
