On the finish of final autumn, I requested Steven Hitchcock to make an overcoat – it was somewhat late to begin interested by it, however I hoped to have the ability to put on it by the top of the winter. Sadly my travels and Steven’s obtained in the way in which, at it was just a few weeks in the past that we had the second becoming, proven right here.
I used to be to get an overcoat from Steven as a result of I had seen a few English-drape coats on pals over the previous couple of years, and actually admired the fashion. They seemed good and stylish, with out the drama of items I’ve had from the likes of Cifonelli or Edward Sexton.
Additionally, this was one of many few coat types I hadn’t coated in our Fashion Breakdown collection, so there was a usefulness past the private. I selected Steven as a result of, as described in my piece on my favourite-ever tailors, he has proved to be one of the best and most constant when it comes to match and end amongst these slicing this fashion.
The material is Fox Tweed, which is heavy for tweed (17/18oz) however gentle for an overcoat. I nonetheless picked it due to how helpful I’d discovered my Liverano tweed coat, in an excellent lighter tweed (the PS Harris Tweed), and since I knew how a lot I appreciated the standard.
(When speaking about material, ‘high quality’ refers to not how good it’s, however the explicit mixture of yarn, weave and end – every part besides the color principally.)
I had additionally seen the identical material used as a jacket on our pal, the editor Paul Croughton, and the yarn colors have been the identical as the PS houndstooth tweed, so general this tweed was a fairly protected guess. As I’ve talked about just lately, I more and more make material selections on this foundation. It may appear boring, however I positively make fewer (costly) errors than I did up to now.
An instance of that is utilizing De Le Cuona material for latest commissions, which labored out effectively for this cream jacket however much less so for this orange one. The difficulty with the latter was that it proved to be bolder than anticipated, so it nonetheless will get worn however solely in fairly explicit circumstances (each heat and barely dandy TPO (time/place/event)).
The primary becoming with Steven was good, and this second one had virtually every part nailed. It was what I anticipated from Steven, principally, which is all the time good.
Within the picture above you’ll be able to see the distinctive mixture of a delicate, pure shoulder however particular sleevehead and full sleeve. One of many methods through which Steven differs from Anderson & Sheppard, the place he initially skilled, is that he likes a cleaner end to features just like the sleeve, whereas retaining as a lot fullness as doable. The identical goes for the drape within the chest.
It’s now 26 years since Steven arrange on his personal, and I’d solely confer with A&S to those who don’t know him in any respect, for fast context. To others I’d describe this mixture of consolation and cleanliness, softness and class, which is he has refined over that point. You may see it within the jackets under he has made for me over time – and naturally all examples could be seen on his devoted web page, like all manufacturers/makers.
The coat is a traditional 6×2 double-breasted (six buttons, of which two on the surface could be mounted) with turnback cuffs and what Steven calls a guardsman’s again. I’ll go into extra particulars within the full evaluation article in a couple of weeks, however the turnback cuffs have been the one design element I allowed myself (and even then, as a result of they could possibly be so simply eliminated).
One of many belongings you typically be taught slowly with bespoke is that ‘fashion’ is extra concerning the general outfit than the person piece, and that subsequently it’s good to not get obsessive about plenty of design particulars. If all the garments have that, they’ll be a multitude when all put collectively.
I’m really working with a consultancy consumer for the time being who’s coming to tailoring for the primary time, and it’s attention-grabbing to see how buried he has rapidly change into within the particulars – regardless of being middle-aged, wealthy and profitable. I don’t assume we ever be taught these classes except really identified to us, or we undergo the method ourselves.
Fittings with Steven now happen in his flat/workroom in Fitzrovia, as he and Celia dwell exterior London more often than not. It really works effectively – the place feels private however skilled, and he has management over it, in contrast to utilizing a material service provider’s premises or resort suite. It’s additionally 5 minutes from our showroom.
Steven now successfully closes his books every year when he has as many orders as he can take, and I feel that is usually a superb method for bespoke artisans.
It’s all the time tempting to take extra cash, however this method means they’ve safety in what isn’t essentially essentially the most dependable career, and so they can cross that onto the coatmakers, finishers and others that work for them.
It additionally rewards repeat clients, who typically have the possibility to re-order earlier than the guide is opened to new clients. And it means all clients get a constant product, with out delays attributable to fluctuations in demand. In any case, except there are makers sitting round doing nothing (very uncommon today) the one approach for small operations to take care of additional demand is to increase ready occasions. Which no person needs.
The material is TD20 from the Fox Brothers ‘Fox Tweed’ bunch. The coat price £6500 plus VAT; the beginning worth for an overcoat is £5900 plus VAT.
The completed coat will likely be reviewed in a couple of weeks. I will discuss features just like the again and the button alternative then.
