Tag Archives: Henry Herbert

Wool: the Cloth of Kings

As part of “Throwback Thursday”, we thought it was timely to revive this piece, written by Henry Herbert founder Charlie Baker-Collingwood on Wool: the Cloth of Kings.

I felt extremely privileged to attend the Society of Dyers & Colourists conference at the magnificent Clothworkers’ Hall in London. We were treated to a fascinating group of speakers – including the Scottish weaver Malcolm Campbell who gave a truly gripping talk about wools. Wool is an extremely important textile in so many ways and indeed the cause has been taken up by HRH Prince of Wales with the Campaign for Wool. I  tried to scribble down as much of what he said as possible,

“In 1792, James MacArthur arrived in an inhabited Australia with eight yews and two rams. The Australian wool industry grew from that and today the country, as a result, has over one hundred million sheep. Indeed the global population of over six billion people live amongst a global sheep population of over one billion….56 million of those sheep living in Iran alone (the UK has a sheep population of about 25 million).

Wool can come from a variety of sources including camels, buffalos, sheep and many other animals and they can be spun to accommodate local preferences – buffalo wool for suits in America, cashmere wool for the Indian market and camel wool for the Sheiks of the Middle East. Indeed the tennis balls at Wimbledon are made from wool and the versatility of the fibre means it can be used from carpets to lingerie….and of course for suits.

Wool is a bacteria preventing, temperature cooling, water absorbing, and protecting fibre – all qualities that provide an excellent foundation for suiting. It keeps you warm when it is cold and cool when it is too hot. Master craftsmen and finishers today can add technical applications to wools including stain resisters, water resisters or a silver shield to give this fabric an even more hi-tech touch. Only wool can offer the variety of colours, provide the drape and guaranteed durability that every good suit needs. We must accept that wool is an expensive and valuable fibre, not only to preserve the quality of great looking suits but just as importantly to preserve the livelihoods of the wool farmers themselves. There have been reports of some wool farmers turning to growing grapes, or even marijuana plants (where it is legal for medicinal purposes) because the competitive pressures of producing wool have been too great. By purchasing a tailored suit with the finest wools, you are not only treating yourself to a glorious garment – you are supporting a precious industry.”

~ By Charlie Baker-Collingwood of Henry Herbert, October 2010

The English gentleman

Bespoke suit fabric: Blue wool

Fabric source: Peebles, Scotland

Suit Cut: Slim, Single Breasted, Two button

Bespoke suit occasion: Everyday suit

Notes: A blue suit made for a young gentleman in West London.  A great hard working wool for an every day business suit – but still finely cut to offer a tailored finish.

Henry Herbert is recruiting!

Henry Herbert Tailors are looking for new Tailoring Specialists.

The team at Henry Herbert is growing. Lots of customers look to us to enable professional and high quality bespoke tailoring and now we’re looking to you to help us grow and spread our Savile Row by Scooter Service.

If you want to make measurable changes to how Savile Row tailoring is delivered  then Henry Herbert might be for you. And if you’re a talented and innovative true-believer you might be for Henry Herbert. We’re looking for clever and conscientious people to work in a supportive and diverse environment. Hint: a personality as fun as our brand is not just a plus – it’s A+.

The role of a Tailoring Specialist would involve visiting existing and new customers on a Vespa scooter in central London.

The successful candidate must have: • Outgoing, friendly personality • Fluent spoken and written English • Preferably experience in a customer service role • Ability to multi-task efficiently • High level of personal drive and sound judgment • Outstanding communication and administrative skills • Strong attention to detail • Ability to work on your own initiative • Reasonable travel time to our office in central London.

Please apply with CV and covering letter to cc@henryherbert.com

The DB is Back.

Fabric: Fine pure wool.  Fabric source: England. Cut: Double breasted. Price: Contact Henry Herbert Towers.

If Your Suit Is Jetlagged – Just Turn Speakers Up & Press Play……

Roman holidays….Silvio & Babarella join the HH fleet…..

Silvio & Babarella…theyjoin 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!

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?

Liberty Print Shirts

Henry Herbert Tailors offer a bespoke shirt making service with Liberty prints. The service is simple and quick.

1. Buy your fabric from Liberty, either online or from the world famous Liberty store on Regent Street. You will need to buy two metres of fabric.

2. Send the fabric to Henry Herbert Tailors, quoting your collar size. The address is Henry Herbert Tailors, 156-158 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8ED. Please include your full name, address and contact email & telephone number.

3. As soon as we receive the fabric, a Henry Herbert tailor will be in touch to confirm your order. Each shirt is £175 incl. VAT which includes all tailoring and delivery charges. Payment will be taken upon confirmation of order with a Henry Herbert tailor.

4. You will receive your Liberty print shirt three weeks later by special courier service.

5. That’s it! To learn more about Henry Herbert Tailors just visit our About page or please feel free to contact us.

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.