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.

The English Cut Suit

English suit tailor

There is nothing as thrilling as an English cut suit made in England using British cloths. Perfectly fitting, every bespoke suit should be every man’s dream and should do one thing only: make you feel good. The bespoke suit should be accompanied by a bespoke service: an exquisitely cut suit matched by an exemplary service.  meeting the high standards of Savile Row.

The Double-Breasted: The comeback kid?

Double Breasted

We have had an increasing amount of requests for double breasted suits. GQ magazine have devoted some of their pages to showcasing double-breasted suits too. Indeed, the V-shaped man in the double-breasted suit is making a comeback, adding stylish swagger to city streets and cool tailoring to corporate offices. The double breasted silhouettes and swooping lapels, broadened shoulders and extra chest, are once again making a resurgence.

Double-breasted jackets have their origins in English sportswear and the classic double-breasted jacket originated with the frock coat, worn in the early Victorian era, in the 1820’s and 30’s. Today, the double breasted has made a return to the contemporary collections of the world’s finest tailoring houses.

Most double-breasted suits have two rows of buttons, three on each side. The middle button on the left is usually buttoned, as is the inner button, called the jigger button, which keeps the jacket flaps in line. They are complemented by the rich and conservative fabrics, from the best English and Scottish mills. Now is the time to think of one!


Bespoke Weekend Shirts

Images & Video

Relaxed and recreational

Tailor’s Notes
We also make bespoke weekend shirts. With a more relaxed fit and softer fabrics, the shirts will fall across your body with a more gentle positioning. The shirt shown opposite is made from a glorious Sea Island cotton.

The Construction
To make your shirt a perfect fit, our expert tailors will take over a dozen upper body measurements. It will match the precise contours of your shoulders, your preference for cuffs & collars, as well as your habits of watch wearing. Our shirts take between four to five weeks to make.

Details
Every Henry Herbert shirt comes with removable brass collar bones, mother of pearl buttons and each one is finished with the finest single stitching. Our shirts start at £140.

Find out how to order a shirt

A suitably smart Henry Herbert bespoke shirt

Fabric: Egyptian cotton

Cut: Slim

Occassion: Professional

A young man in his bespoke shirt, made for him by Henry Herbert Tailors. A slim fitting shirt, complemented by a great looking tie, in a fine Egyptian cotton.

Henry Herbert makes a suit for Lord Herbert!

Fabric:  Chalk stripe English flannel

Fabric source:  Huddersfield, England

Cut: Traditional, Double-breasted

Notes: The classic English double breasted suit, in a wonderful chalk stripe fabric from Huddersfield based mill, Dugdales Bros. This creation, by Henry Herbert Tailors, was made for Lord Herbert (pictured) – no relation to the firm, but, hopefully, a happy customer in his striking and well fitted suit. His choice of a navy chalk stripe cuts a dashing figure against the backdrop of Chelsea harbour in London.

A Sporting Tailor!

Just what is a sporting tailor? This wonderful illustration hopefully gives an introduction, with a great illustrated example of breeches (not plus 2’s, which bellow far less on the thigh) from the German breechesmaker Hermann Scherrer . With Autumn approaching, time to treat yourself to a country shooting suit!

Savile Row Field Day

On 11th October 2010, Savile Row was fenced off and the road taken over by dozens of sheep. The day was intended to launch the Campaign for Wool – an initiative convened by HRH Prince of Wales and designed to highlight the benefits of wool as a textile and to the industry it supports. Wool is an absolutely fascinating fabric – read more about it’s importance here.