Interview with “in-stitches”
0April 15, 2013 by Ville Raivio
‘I am 30 years old, and I work in the jewelry industry. Most of my work is concentrated in the operations/purchasing arena. I am involved in some sales through the eBay auctions I put up for our company, as well as some custom work, and luxury watch sales I have had done for friends and members of the Styleforum community.
I attended grade school through high school in Baltimore, MD. I attended a few years of post high school judaic studies in Philadelphia and Israel, and returned to Baltimore where I received my Bachelor’s degree.
Thank G-d, I have a lovely wife and 3 wonderful children ages 2, 6 and 9. I would say that my wife “puts up” with my style enthusiasm. She appreciates the importance of looking good and strives to do the same. However, she is more price-sensitive and less brand sensitive than I am, and is satisfied with fewer items to round out her wardrobe. She also does a lot of seasonal turnover, whereas when I purchase something, I hope to use it for many years. My oldest child, my 9-year-old daughter, seems to have picked up fully on my style enthusiasm. She already enjoys shopping and is very brand and style-conscious. I enjoy that she is stylistically inclined, though I fear the impact it will have on my wallet.
My parents, while they do not quite share my interest in style regarding their own dress, both very much enjoy and appreciate the fact that I always do my utmost to look my best. At no time did they ever try to dissuade me from perusing my interest in style, though my father did do his best to teach me to be financially responsible. The jury is still out on how successful that was.
I am the eldest of 6 children, 5 of whom are boys. Three of my younger brothers have followed my lead and share my enthusiasm for style. Their personal styles all vary greatly, some more trendy, others more classically inclined. I often go shopping with them, and help them to develop their personal style, as well as pass along some of my clothing items when I feel it’s time to move on from them. It provides a great venue for us all to bond and share a common interest in something.
My interest in fashion and style began in 7th grade, and I clearly remember the first brand name items I bought — a pair of navy chinos and a plaid polo shirt from Structure (now Express for men). I think that interest was just something my eyes were naturally drawn to — an appreciation for the details in what makes something aesthetically pleasing, an understanding of where and what quality is, and wanting to understand and see more of it. My mother says I get it from her side of the family.
Both the high school and college I attended required dress trousers and button-down shirts daily, and SCs/suits and ties on occasion. That dress code certainly furthered my inclination toward classic style, though for a while a lot of fashion/trend items were in the mix. It took a while for my style to develop any real intention to it, and a sense of coherency, if it even has one. Without question, the final step in that process was Styleforum. I think that some, who are more conservative-minded in their dress, would say that I am still more fashion-inclined than classically-inclined in my dress, but I think that my overall look leans more toward classic dress than fashion dress.
How did I find Styleforum? I had found a Canali suit in Nordstrom rack for $800, and I was searching to see if it was considered a good find price wise. A quick Google search lead me to Styleforum, and I joined so I could ask about the suit. The general response was that is was an ok price for a NWT mainline, which it was. I ended up buying the suit and still have it, though I rarely wear it — the fit is off. Live and learn, I guess.
As many know, once you join SF, you are likely to stay. I stayed because I immediately recognized the forum as a place where I could continue to learn a great deal about tailored clothing, and I was not let down. I stay because there is always more to learn and because the forum is filled with great people who provide a fun and enjoyable place to hang out. I have met a number of people from the forum, and they are all, without exception, great guys. As has been famously said by the forum moderators, “people come for the style and stay for the conversation” or something like that.
Classic dress appeals more to me because I feel it has longevity and a proven track record. You don’t run the risk of looking at your closet in 6 months and realizing you hate everything you own. While there are things about the trends of today that I do enjoy, much of it will be yesterday’s news sooner than later. However, the general trend in increased interest in menswear is a great thing, and it helps men to head in a good direction. The fact that people are even interested in looking good at all is a huge step, even if sometimes it is toward a look that I may not always love. Not everyone is looking for the same goal in their dress, and that’s 100% cool with me.
I always try to keep an open mind in my dress and try to learn as much as I can. If I think an item or combination might look good, I will happily try it out and look for feedback to see if it is something that works. Whether it is a “fashion” item or classical item, if it looks good, I am game to try it. Rules are great guidelines, but if something looks good, that carries a lot of weight to me, even if it may seem to vary from some perceived classical ideals.
It’s hard to go all the way back and remember exactly where I first started learning about clothing and fashion, but if I recall correctly, in my early teens, it was mostly from print advertisements and some articles in regular men’s fashion magazines. After this, much of it was from talking to sales associates in the stores I shopped at, and talking with friends who had similar interests in fashion.
It really came to a head once I happened upon Styleforum. A lot of what I have learned came from reading the vast amount of sartorial knowledge that has been shared there. Much of what I learned that went beyond just general book knowledge of clothing, and really was applicable to my personal style, came from advice and tips that the many members of the forum were kind enough to share with me via Private Message, email, or other forms of communication. There are a lot of people out there who have a great wealth of knowledge and are kind enough to share it with others who are truly trying to learn and develop their own personal style. While it is dangerous to mention any names for fear of leaving anyone out, members Spoopoker, DerekS and dcg all provided me with a lot of very useful and practical help.
For RTW, I have a long list of makers I favor, but at the top I have a strong affinity for Isaia, Luciano Barbera, Zegna, Borrelli, Barba Napoli, Gaziano and Girling, Kiton, E. Marinella, and much of what RL puts out in his many lines. The one brand that I have not had the chance to own, but really would like to, because I love what they make and really relate to their style, is Brunello Cucinelli. Unfortunately, I have not come across very much of their items where I shop. If Iwould ever win the lottery, I could definitely see myself with a closet full of Cucinelli wares.
I have not had a lot of experience with bespoke, but I have used Panta Clothing for a pair of custom pants, and hope to be working on a jacket from them as well. Styleforum member edmorel, owner of Panta Clothing, has been great to work with, and has provided me with a great deal of general help in my understanding of classical mens clothing. I have had Sam Hober and Cordone 1956 make me a handful of bespoke ties, and I could not be happier with them. I would highly recommend all these makers to anyone looking for custom work.
I use a local tailor for the regular day-to-day things, like hems and jacket cuffs, but for anything that needs “serious surgery”, so to speak, I use Fields English tailor in Washington DC. I could not speak highly enough of Will Field’s work and professionalism.
I have a hard time pinning down exactly how I would describe my personal style. I think “open to new ideas” is possibly a good way to describe it in short. Most days I wear a sport coat and trousers, usually with a tie, and a suit/tie rig about every other week, but that is simply because I have far more SCs than suits. Within that, I would classify my dress more toward traditional/classic men’s dress. Not really CBD, but certainly more traditional than #menswear. Most of what I wear is more sedate and muted, with a lot of solids or small patterns, but I certainly have some fun pieces that I wear as well, whether that be in pattern type or brighter colors. On occasion I do dress on the casual side as well — usually chinos, a more casual shirt and sweater, and more rounded, heavier shoes, like suede bucks or a pair of Tricker’s. Again, I am always open to new possibilities and change, and am willing try new looks if I think it will look good.
Unfortunately, I don’t have much time between work and family for other hobbies, but I have always enjoyed sports. It has mostly become watching these days, as I have not had a chance to get out and play in a while — something I hope to remedy.
There are many things that I wish more men would know about fashion, but the thing that stands out most is that men shouldn’t take everything they read or see about fashion at face value. Learning is great, but take a step back and think if it’s something that makes sense to you and if it’s something that will look good on you. What works for one guy, doesn’t always work for the next. Looking good is not about imitation, it’s about understanding yourself and what you want to look like. I wish more men would be more conscious of proper fit and coherent clothing matching. I’m no expert, and I am certainly trying to improve as each day passes, but these are things I try and keep in mind. Just because an item is great doesn’t mean it will look good on you if the fit is off, and even if it does fit great, wearing it with conflicting items will only detract from it.
For those starting to build a wardrobe, as was told to me on Styleforum, think before you buy. Start with items that will be versatile and won’t make you stand out as the guy wearing the same thing every day. Mid-gray trousers, navy SCs, suits in both those colors, browns are great too. Sedate, solid and small neat pattern ties, classic brown and black shoes like cap toes and simple oxford brogues…things like that. Once you have a foundation, go ahead and add fun pieces that you feel reflect your personal style and make you excited about what you have in your closet. I ended up doing it the other way around, only because the advice I received was given as a result of my habit to buy odd items that weren’t easy to combine in more than a few applications, but it would have been much easier had I not done it backwards.
I recently passed on a great Kiton denim-ish blue dress shirt I saw in Neiman Marcus Last Call because I had no idea what would wear well with it. It would be a cool item to have, but would never look as good on me as it did on the hanger. It was just not my style. As well, I have returned many items I thought were fantastic because they did not fit right and would have just ended up sitting in my closet, taking up space. Some of my biggest purchase regrets are great items that I had to sell or are still sitting in my closet because they don’t look right on me for one reason or another.
Lastly, if you are not sure, ask someone who you trust and you know has a solid sense of style. You would be amazed at how much help is out there. All you have to do is ask. This is all of course, based on my experiences in how I have learned what I have, but I think these are things that can in some way or another apply to most people trying to learn and improve upon their sense of style.’
http://www.styleforum.net/u/92410/in-stitches
Pictures: © in-stitches
Category Bloggers, Interviews, Men of style, Styleforum
Richard Merkin
0April 15, 2013 by Ville Raivio
“My sartorial aspirations lie somewhere between the Duke of Windsor and the Duke of Ellington.”
~ Richard Merkin
Category Quotations
Interview with Ignatious Joseph
1April 14, 2013 by Ville Raivio
‘I have been a merchant all my life. I began my career assuring the comfort and satisfaction of an international clientele in the hotel and hospitality sector. Fourteen years ago, I decided to focus on gentlemen’s attire. Since then I have been producing my own shirt designs under the name Ign-Joseph. I attended school in Sri Lanka and then went on to Switzerland and Germany, where I took a degree in business administration. I have always considered my family a private matter. Of course I can say that I have been inspired by experiences from my childhood, and with the people to whom I am close. My mother was always very strict and insisted that I was properly dressed.
I grew up in the waning days of British Ceylon. Gentlemen didn’t pick tea; they just drank it — in comfort, of course. They played cricket and met during afternoons in their clubs. My father was a local official in the colonial government. We were surrounded by those who cultivated the British sartorial style, not that of Northern Europe, but the version developed in the more tropical regions of the empire. When I was growing up there was no such thing as „men’s fashion“. You know, much of European sartorial tradition originated in Central and Southern Asia. Britain only attained command of the world textile industry in the 19th century after subduing the craft-based industry of South Asia, mainly in her Indian empire. That was fine for an economy based upon machine production to satisfy a mass market without regard for quality.
I do not design or produce clothing for a mass market. My first priorities are quality fabrics and tailoring — that means 100% craftsmanship from the mill to the twill, so to speak. The classic cannot be created overnight. Rather, it is by nature the product of historical development in the craft itself. True classics embody history. Mere fashion doesn’t need any. I have always been a curious conversationalist. When I see something that interests me I want to know all about it. I read and travel a lot. Then there was my tenure in the international hospitality business. Probably I learned the most when I decided to produce in Italy. I went from company to company — almost all family-owned and operated— searching for the artisans and merchants capable of delivering what I imagined at the beginning as my ideal shirts. Even today I learn most from talking to customers and the artisans themselves.
I usually leave it to those who see me to describe my attire. I am not vain enough to talk about my own clothes. However, like any professional — and by that I mean someone who believes or professes what he or she does — I choose clothing according to my own sartorial convictions. I would not sell anything I could not conceivably wear myself. Of course, for some observers my style is eccentric. I confess that I dress “outside the orbit” of conventional mercantile attire. In that very literal sense I admit my eccentricity. But my philosophy of clothes — to borrow a term from a classic Scottish philosopher — is based on personal courage and integrity.
One cannot see inside the soul, but it is possible to act in ways that people recognise one’s beliefs and take them seriously. As I said already, I am not a politician, but an ordinary citizen. My clothes might be seen as a statement of modest daring, hard-earned self-confidence rather than reckless originality. And since a good cliché belongs to every interview, let me say my style combines discretion with the more colourful aspects of valour. My red shoes are the most recognisable expression of this ideal—and they are not made by any international, high-end fashion house.
Obviously, readers can only choose the stores that supply what they usually need or desire. When they decide to buy shirts, suits or accessories by Ign-Joseph, then they will have to turn to the selected, exclusive retailers that sell them — there is no online-shop. In my opinion there are two reasons to start a business — to make money or to satisfy a need, either one’s own or the needs of others. Of course, as a merchant I have to make money but that has never been my goal in life. Since my childhood I have been interested in fine dress. However, in a very warm climate like that of Sri Lanka there was always the contradiction between elaborate clothing and its practicality. In other words, how does one arrive at comfort and elegance without reaching a state of exhaustion along the way?
I believe it is fair to say that my shirts and the Spirit of Ign Joseph have been well-received precisely because they embody what I call “effortless elegance”. My customers are often amazed at the simplicity of the designs. The skills and finesse are embedded in the final product so that the quality is felt very personally. That is why there is no need for some flashy label or logo. My customers’ visible comfort is the best banner for the quality and style in each item.
Of course, as a traveller and someone with years in the hospitality trade, I truly enjoy fine cooking whether in country taverns or in metropolitan restaurants. Europe has so much to offer for someone like me who is selling from Norway to Naples or from Bristol to Budapest. When I return to Asia on business or vacation, I enjoy wandering through the extended kitchen, the amazing Asian cuisines with which I grew up. Like my father, I have always had a passion for politics and cricket. But, you know, a civil servant does not see politics like a politician. I learned to enjoy conversation and follow world events while doing my own work. Cricket is another story. I followed it on the radio and played passionately at school in Sri Lanka. Today, I still follow international test cricket and when I have the chance I am quite keen to put on my flannels and step up to the crease.
[As for tips] I tried to answer the question in what might be considered an oblique way. A month or two ago I was asked a similar question and I replied, “there is no self from the shelf”. Style is an expression of a person’s self-knowledge. It is really hard to get to know oneself without history, without communication with other people — both in one’s own culture and in those cultures one initially experiences as foreign. The basic problem for youth has always been; how does one establish the qualities necessary to grow, when one leaves the mother’s care? Where do they get their examples?
A whole generation of men were influenced by the eccentricities of Agnelli. Today the connections between generations — although people live longer than at any other time in history — are weaker than ever. This is because our culture is obsessed with youth as if it were the only stage in life. Young people echo each other because there is no one to whom they have learned to listen — never mind the electronic obstacles placed in their way.
So, given a world in which youth are trapped in a clothing culture which, like the rest of the culture, never ages and never matures, it is very difficult to find sources of imitation for later in life. Yet you did not ask me to just explain the problem. You want me to at least hint at answers.
I think that there is something positive when young people start to ask where their clothes originate and who made them. There are far too many famous names which attract young buyers with what are really poor quality clothing items for very high prices. They have turned high price and marketed exclusivity (rather than genuine rarity) into a fetish — regardless of product quality.
Someone who has spent well over a hundred euros or dollars for two or three tee shirts with brand names pasted on them, could easily buy a properly made shirt with high quality fabric, made by somebody who is earning a living at his craft. This has nothing to do with the amount of money one has. However, it has everything to do with genuine interest in quality and those who produce it. I think the beginning of any search for a suitable aesthetic and sartorial taste begins with curiosity and consciousness. If a young person wants to learn about style, he or she has to start forensically, so to speak.
If I see something I think I want to wear, I try to find out as much about the article as I can, including talking to tailors or even those who sell the item. My primary interest is not who else wears this but whether it fits me. It is tempting to confuse these two points of view. If I wear a pair of shoes made by a real shoemaker, those shoes acquire the form of my foot — they fit me. If they are welted, then I can have them repaired and keep them with me for many years — they are really my shoes for my feet. If I want to walk in style, there is no substitute for experience, indeed trial and error, too.
Those who like to read will find books which discuss taste and craftsmanship. The facts are out there if one wants to know them. We have to talk to others, too. Ultimately, because style is cultural, it cannot be isolated from the rest of the world in which we live. Young people cannot rush in to buy a style. They can, however, look at the basics of men’s clothing and decide what fundamental qualities are important. The rest will come with life and maturity itself.’
Pictures: © Ignatious Joseph
Category Interviews, Men of style, Tradesmen
Carlyleism
0April 14, 2013 by Ville Raivio
“In suits as in legislation, man does not proceed by chance, he is always guided by the mysterious acts of his mind. In every fashion, in every form of dress, the Architectural Idea is ever-present. The body and the suit represent the place and the material on which —and with which— one must construct the splendid edifice of the entire Personality.”
~ Thomas Carlyle
Category Quotations
Interview with Janne Melkersson
2April 13, 2013 by Ville Raivio
‘I’m 60 and a cordwainer. 9 years in school and 10 years working as a postman, at the same time working extra with shoe repairs. 3 years apprenticeship in orthopedic shoemaking, working half-time in ortopedic shoemaking and bespoke shoemaking 1981- 2003 until now, with bespoke only. Four kids, the oldest one works in the banking area and he likes to wear my shoes.
The other are too young to wear bespoke, but they like to stop by at the shop. In 8th grade my father told me, when I wanted to practice in a shoe repair shop, that there were no future in this trade, so he didn’t allow me that trade! But later he was proud of me taking up his and granddad’s trade.
First time in a shoe shop was when I was a kid, following my dad to work in his shop. Since I come from the orthopedic trade, I am mostly interested in bespoke because the challenge is to fit the foot and the client’s request. I really don’t remember what goals I had when I started up in 1981, probably something like being the best shoemaker ever! However, after the first tough years, my philosophy changed to something more realistic, that it would be just fine if I could pay the bills and put food on the table.
I don’t have any particular shoe that I like. If I had to choose, it would be a classic Dressage riding boot which is a real challenge to make. During my apprentice time, I got a ground to stand on. From there on, it is about practice and practice, and to meet colleagues and find all other sources of information of the trade. Sitting alone in your own shop will not take you much further.
I am a trad jeans guy with cowboy boots, which, btw, are probably the most comfortable footwear, but I have bespoke stuff, too. [Your readers should choose me] because I would give them some time of my life. I want to have a relation with my clients or students, and to try to meet their expectations in all ways. [For hobbies] I own a little farm and have two milk cows and like to make cheese.
Your feet carry you through life and some attention and care for them is good invested money. I think the important thing in life is that you follow your heart, and don’t think about so much about other people’s thoughts. It is your life and it is your choice. If you like the classic formal look, just do it even though people thought you are odd, not following the main stream, which ever it is. Some think I am crazy, as I have two milk cows for fun, but what the heck, I don’t care, it is my life!’
Pictures: © Janne Melkersson
Category Cordwainers, Interviews
Copyright © 2013 Ville Raivio
