Interview with Tom Ritson

0

May 18, 2013 by Ville Raivio

’27 years old, Apprentice Cutter to Mr. Thomas Mahon of English Cut, Savile Row, London. Secondary School. I joined the military aged 17, which means I missed the boat in terms of higher education. Currently no commitments, single with no children. Enjoying this situation for now. My mother was supportive, although my father and brothers were skeptical about a career in tailoring. I am not too sure of their reasoning, but I knew I would be following my passion, so the opinions of others did not affect my decision. My mother informs me that by the age of 5 I had an acute awareness of what I was wearing. If I wasn’t happy with an outfit combination, or an item of clothing had a small blemish, I would refuse to wear it. So my obsession with apparel must have always been in me.

Products from Pukimo Raivio

Kiton, grey sports jacket, size 50EU
Ralph Lauren, Black Label suit, size 52EU

Interview_with_Tom_Ritson_at_Keikari_dot_com

After four years in the Royal Air Force, my passion for tailoring was able to become a serious interest in my early twenties. My trade in the RAF was Air Traffic Control and Flight Operations, which has lent itself very well to the discipline and organisation needed in the tailoring trade. My practical knowledge thus far has purely been gained from being an apprentice with English Cut. After learning the logistics of the business, I was taught to chalk in patterns, then progressing on to cutting myself. Learning to draft patterns will come later in my apprenticeship. I do own tailoring books for my own interest, the best and most comprehensive I have found is: “The Modern Tailor, Outfitter and Clothier” which consists of three volumes. I own the antique originals, but you can find re-prints out there.

As far as courses go, there’s nothing English Cut can’t teach me. Although sometimes it’s difficult to receive the dedicated time for my training, which means later this year I will be attending an advanced pattern cutting course in London. This will add to what I’ve learned thus far. Living in hotter climates such as Italy, and in affluent economies such as Germany, have undoubtedly given me a more international view on apparel and fashion culture. Travels to Sweden were also important in this respect. Outside of my profession where I am fortunate enough to wear mostly bespoke, I enjoy finding quality vintage clothing, and make my own alterations. My style is always classic but I try to have as much fun with it as possible. Living in Germany has certainly ensured hints of bold colour are apart of my look. The rest day to day, in terms selecting a coherent look, revolves around the jacket I’ve selected. I don’t have a need to purchase RTW makes. If I did, I would likely look for small boutiques where I can find something a little different.

Upon returning from the continent, I noted that English Cut had just moved workshops to my home town of Brampton. Given my passion for tailoring I spared no time at all in sending Mr. Mahon a persuasive letter, expressing my suitability as his next apprentice. Luckily for me, he was indeed looking for an apprentice at the time…and as they say, the rest is history. A house of Tom Ritson? Well, it’s of course very early day’s for me in the trade. And I can see a fantastic future here at English Cut, so I’m not sure I can see past this at the moment. That said, I already know I will have my own small-scale projects, which I will be exploring in my limited spare time.

My initial goals are to complete my apprenticeship, learning as much from my teacher as possible, ultimately reaching a point where I will be able take on more bespoke clients as well as the international travel commitments this brings. Mr. Mahon has made it clear to me that I’m to replace him within the next five years, providing I can develop the skills and experience required. Fortunately for me, a bright future lies ahead. During this time, purely as a side project, I would like to develop design ideas for both men and women, and perhaps produce a small collection in the future. Being able to design clothing purely for enjoyment and the need to create is something I very much look forward to.

Most cutters these days use a “block pattern,” a generic pattern that is manipulated according to the client’s measurements, taken from the first consultation. Rock-of-eye is an old cutter term for someone who does not draft a pattern for a client using a “block pattern”. They instead use the measurements and draft the pattern mostly free hand. There used to be many who cut in this way, although I think there are less of these gentlemen around these days. As I am learning this method, I can say that I am glad to be a pupil of it. The first time I saw Mr. Mahon use this method, as he has always done, I remember thinking “Wow, that will take 20 years for me to do that”…but with luck on my side, I’m aiming for less than ten.

Our house style is classic and understated. Relying on fit, quality of workmanship and the understated nature to speak volumes to the discerning gentleman. The only comparison to our house style would be Anderson & Sheppard. Given that Mr. Mahon spent years at Anderson’s as well as our coat makers, this isn’t really surprising. I am of course very much committed to our house style. With more years in the trade under my belt, there might be an opportunity for me to add some “tweaks,” but for now, I have much to learn. That’s true, there are a number of great tailors in England. We have a long and distinguished lineage. I think those who have decided they would like a bespoke suit, set out to do their research.

Other than personal recommendations from our existing clients, many have made contact with us after following our blog or spending lots of time scouring the Internet for reviews. Luckily, we have always done our best and though clients wait rather a long time, they always feel it was worth the wait, and are ordering again and again. I can’t really justify why someone should visit English Cut over other Savile Row firms, as at this level, you can’t go wrong with the top firms. The tailors and cutters I am meeting on London’s Savile Row and in our workshop are the main sources for my inspiration. These gentlemen have been making and cutting for decades and possess such unparalleled knowledge. Many who I meet have made for the most famous and influential gentlemen on the planet. It is really quite amazing how I have found my place in this incredibly special trade.

Setting aside what makes a style good or bad. I feel the common denominator in any style is coherence. For a style to be a style, it needs to be a coherent collection which naturally flows together. If someone “has” style, they have the ability to select individual garments that make up a coherent whole, of colour and flow, which are fitted correctly in accordance with the desired style of that individual. Style is like art, it’s completely open to interpretation. I see many people with great style but I don’t have to like it in order to appreciate it. Through developing a vision of how you would like to dress, and then having no fear when it comes to experimenting with how to get there, you will undoubtedly develop a style. Good or bad.

My hobbies are:

Horses – I’ve been around horses from a young age.

Fitness – Always had a strong motivation to keep myself fit and healthy.

Painting – I paint acrylic abstract paintings from my studio here in England. And I’ve completed two exhibitions so far this year. For more information please visit: www.tomritz.com

www.facebook.com/ArtByTomRitz

Fashion Photography – I’ve put together two show reels I’m currently distributing to two large retailers in the UK, here they are:

https://vimeo.com/64342072

https://vimeo.com/64957373

I guess what strikes me a lot of the time is the importance men place on brand name clothing. We produce some of the best quality hand made garments in the world, but clients don’t come to us because we are called English Cut. They come to us because of the high quality product we produce. In fact, we actually hide our label inside pockets to be completely discreet. My advice to anyone would be to select apparel on quality alone. Spend time to actually feel the material in your hands, and really study the fit (for a suit, read up on correct suit fitting). Examine in detail what you’re paying for and forget the brand, as brand does not necessarily dictate quality.’

http://www.englishcut.com/

 

Picture: © Tom Ritson


0 comments »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *





Pukimo Raivio.

Only a beautiful life is worth living.


"If John Bull turns around to look at you, you are not well dressed; but either too stiff, too tight, or too fashionable".

Pukimo Raivio.
~ Beau Brummell

Archives