Roman holidays….Silvio & Babarella join the HH fleet…..
Silvio & Babarella…they join the Henry Herbert fleet today to serve our Savile Row by Scooter Service. Serving up traditional and authentic English tailoring, our Vespa’s can meet you around the clock – wherever and whenever is good for you. Ciao bella!
A-Z of Tailoring: ‘D’ is for ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down.’ COLOURS by Henry Herbert Tailors….
Well, that’s a first for HH!
Well, that’s a first for a Henry Herbert suit. A request for epaulettes on a customer’s suit – probably last seen in the 1970′s. They are fastened to the shoulder by a strap or “passant“, a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam and the button near the collar. This particular customer may prove to be a trend forecaster…who would have thought double breasted suits would make a comeback afterall?
Relishing the Jaguar E-Type successor….
Although not strictly related to Savile Row tailoring, I love the new Jaguar E Type successor: luxurious, iconic, elegant, bold and fast – it is pure Jaguar with its long bonnet and world famous grizzly grill.
Inside Yves Saint Laurent
Inside the world of Yves Saint Laurent - one of the greatest names in fashion history and the most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years.
The Nehru jacket
We have been invited to design and tailor a unique Nehru jacket for a gentleman’s wedding. The Nehru jacket is a hip-length tailored coat for men or women, crated in India in the 1940s. The jacket essentially blends the collar of the achkan, historically the royal court dress of Indian nobles, with the Western suit jacket. It was popularised by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. (Source: Wikipedia).
The Mad Men Suit – be as Dapper as Draper….
You can’t drink Patio diet cola anymore and you probably shouldn’t smoke in your office, but you can still live the Mad Men lifestyle with a mad men suit. Henry Herbert Tailors, as bespoke suit makers, are able to re-create the craft and style of the Don Draper mad men suit, made from gray sharkskin fabric, two-button jacket with narrow lapels, diagonal pockets and side vents. Hungry to find out more? Watch Henry Herbert’s video on what makes the classic Mad Men suit below. To make your Mad Men suit with a Henry Herbert Tailor, simply book an appointment.
‘Serge le Temoin de Playboy’ & Co. Sartorial elegance in Congo
I have mentioned this fascinating story before, but it is so gripping, it is worth talking about it again! SAPE stands for “Societe des Ambianceurs et Personnes Elegantes” which translates as the “society of atmosphere setters and elegant people“. Its members put fashion above all the other issues a developing country like Congo is facing right now.
The origins of La SAPE can be traced back to when the first French colonists arrived. They brought with them their famous fashion sense and inspired the locals who regarded the white man as far more elegant and educated than they were. In 1922 Andre Bernard Matsoua was the first local who traveled to Paris and came back dressed as a true French gentleman.
Since then, members of “La Societe des Ambianceurs et Personnes Elegantes” have been trying to get their hands on the newest, most expensive pieces of designer clothes that appear in Europe. There are some luxury shops in Brazzaville and Kinshasa, but most “sapeurs” prefer to get them directly from the Old Continent. This is actually every member’s dream, to travel to Paris and get their hands on killer wardrobes at the source.
Sapeurs spend thousands of dollars on suits, shirts, shoes and accessories, but this doesn’t mean they’re rich. In a country where the average salary is somewhere around $300/month, most of these guys don’t even have a job. Most of them lend their clothes for a living (renting a designer suit costs about $25/day), while those who travel to Europe bring the latest designer labels and sell them for a small profit.
All members of La SAPE have unique styles and crazy names: ‘Parfait le Bodeur‘, ‘Serge le Temoin de Playboy‘, ‘Baleine Sarkozy‘ or ‘Christian Dior‘. They live for fashion and feed off the attention they get when parading on the dusty streets of Brazzaville. The photos below are part of Francesco Giusti‘s La SAPE Collection, which recently won him an award for photography. They really do capture the charm of these special sapeurs. There is a beauitfully presenetd musical photo montage which tells the story too.
A Henry Herbert shirt….now just a few clicks away…..
Henry Herbert Tailors now offer an online service for getting your tailored shirts. With just a few clicks, you can now have your shirt made from the comfort of your aeroplane seat, boardroom laptop……or wherever you may be. Check out our new online shirt service.
