Keikari.com

“I’m sixty-four years old and have a background in diplomacy, the business world and the entertainment industry, but also have more unusual items on my CV, such as surviving 53 days on a deserted island [with Robinson series]. Global travelling has been an integrated part of my professional and private life, resulting in all countries but 6 visited and 6 languages spoken. In spite of my five marriages, I’m not blessed with children. I’m an expert in international Etiquette and Butlering and work as a consultant to Film and TV companies, as well as corporate and royal households and individuals as such.

For picture credits and worn items see end of page

I believe my raison d’être and the base of my reasonable success is the fact that I, contrary to most books and so called experts in this field, have my knowledge from generations back, the difference being that although you can learn all the dos and don’ts from studying the literature, the Forums etc. In order to be truly stylish – you need to know how and when to break the rules! I was on the receiving end of Butlering services the first 21 years of my life but have also taken the formal training from the Ivor Spencer International School for Butler Administrators/Personal Assistants & Estate Managers in London. I also have a career as a close-up magician.

[I choose classics as] I cannot afford fashion! The sartorial state worldwide is indeed a sorrow one at this time and date, and the reason I appear on the internet is only because I’m being approached by people such as yourself. If I can do my humble bit in creating and maintaining a certain level, and perhaps inspire the men of today, I regard this as my pleasure and duty! Coming on to the sartorial aspects of this, I find that I dress instinctively, hopefully correct to every occasion, but don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. I probably do not possess the intimate knowledge of some of the internet forum members when it comes to tailoring techniques etc., and also don’t have an interest in these details, I do, however, take a great interest in the style, fit and wearing of a bespoke garment and have of course certain idiosyncrasies.

I detest a full Windsor. I detest 3-button SB coats, I detest even more single (center) vent coats – first of all I don’t like the look, but, more importantly, they crease in a disgusting manner when you have sat in them. I consequently wear 2-button SBs with side vents or, in the case of certain sports/blazer jackets, no vents. My DBs have 2 or in a few cases no vents. Apart from draping nice (unless you are derrière-challenged), the added advantage of ventless coats is that if you tuck them in when sitting down, they not only do not crease but are actually freshly “pressed” when ascending!

I like my waistcoats to be very high cut, a bit old-fashioned, I know, but it elongates a short figure such as yours truly, and as I like the traditional English concept of going a bit wild with striped shirts with white collars/cuffs, it provides a discrete glimpse of just that! Following that line, I also go a bit wild with piped coat linings colour-wise. Nobody but I and my significant half will ever know! My trousers are worn with braces in case of all formalwear, which has fishtail backs, and  other garments when worn with a waistcoat. When not, I use belt loops with a belt. Side adjusters are not to my taste.

My dress suit is worn with the white waistcoat not showing under the dress coat front, as specified by the Prince of Wales and subsequently Fred Astaire. Another pet peeve of mine is that it seems nowadays the waistcoat for lounge suits is often too short, not covering the top of the trousers properly (and often showing a belt buckle, oh dear!) I use gauntlet cuffs of various designs a lot, SB and DB – an old family tradition due to its military background. My buttonholes are not only working for traditional reasons; when I do close-up magic I often roll my sleeves up, to prevent any: “Ahh, it vent up the sleeve” -accusations! Thus I’m probably the only bespoke customer with an actual reason for these.

I’m really partial to deep collars, even to a degree that I wear old’fashioned 2 1/2” Imperial collars sometimes, heavily starched and polished, of course (request “Toastmaster Service” from Barkers, the best for collar laundry, IMO). My collars are wide spread, sometimes very wide spread and designed by yours truly. Even the world’s best shirt makers will (under pressure) admit that it is not possible to make a non-detachable collar as elegant as a detachable (watch an old movie of a dinner party with gents in evening wear, and you will understand). [My hobbies include] Mogul and helicopter skiing in Canada.

I like to wear odd jackets with trousers and waistcoat of a different cloth (but never the other way around, unless it is “city dress” as they used to call it: A black “stroller” jacket and waistcoat and striped cashmere trousers ( does anybody know why this striped cloth is called cashmere, which it is certainly not, by SR?) I will not buy anything which forces me to walk around and advertise a logo (apart from some Hermès ties, with very discreet H-patterns, anyway my initials are HH) the extreme example of this is the wonderful Louis Vuitton trunk, which I have covered with newspaper, glued and lacquered on! I dislike the logo and it is a dead ringer for thieves when travelling, of course. I do not own an overcoat — I wear a Spanish “Capa”  —  a wonderful and very useful garment in Winter!

I have chosen Steven Hitchcock as my primary tailor, he is, to the best of my knowledge, the latest and last Savile Row Master tailor apprenticed and trained as both cutter and tailor, first of all because I like the soft tailoring and quality of the Anderson&Sheppard style, and I believe it is easier to get one’s ideas come true with a younger and very likeable person, such as Steven, and I don’t need to pay the huge overhead generated by Anderson&Sheppard front room staff, rent etc. Hitchcock uses the same tailors, fitters, pressers etc. as Anderson&Sheppard, the quality is always impeccable and I must admit I’m not beyond enjoying the looks and attention one gets from other tailors when walking down SR, or, for that matter, Milan’s “passeggiata” — get the picture!

He is now the only tailor to practice the soft approach in SR (rumor has it that he made the Prince of Wales’s vicuna winter coat — and has made several other items such as Dinner jackets for TPW, during his time at Anderson&Sheppard, where his father, by the way, is Managing Director and Head Cutter. Hitchcock is very patient with my strange demands for lots of secret pockets for my magic requirements and my preference for “European” style reverse trouser pleats. I have on a few occasions used Rubinacci in Naples for summer stuff. My shirts are made by Turnbull&Asser and Sean o’Flynn, whereas my collars are made by Budd of Piccadilly. John Lobb of St James’s is my cordwainer.

Some thoughts on Men’s Internet Fora: A good outfit should be based on the overall composition, not on nitpicking minutiae. An outfit should be assessed dynamically as well as statically — the typical “Robot pose” (with the following nitpicking, mostly by non-bespoke members!), does not represent how the outfit works in real life. We move in our clothes. Nothing is moving in a still image. Every minuscule negative detail jumps off the screen ripe for being scrutinized, literally framed for attentive viewing. I think too many pics are shot in a position you only take when watching yourself (for too long probably!) in the mirror!

The obsession about avoiding being “matchy, matchy” is in my view exaggerated — obviously one should never wear matching tie and pocket square — but some  matching of colors between shirt, tie and jacket can be very elegant — not easy to do, though! The question of how to mix patterns; checks, stripes, dots for shirts, ties, jackets etc., or rather not to! It is a very difficult and rarely succeeding art, IMO. I actually believe that the singular most ridiculous look a man can obtain is when the trousers are too short, like what the Americans used to favour, and what seems to be the fashion now — you could be Gary Grant and still look like an idiot!

If a young man today develops an interest in style and bespoke versus fashion — I think the most important thing to do is to start with one suit, grey or navy, one sport jacket, tweed or cashmere, a blue blazer SB or DB, a few trousers, cords, moleskins and flannel. 10 shirts of varying formality, mostly blue and white. Jackets all soft style, draped, trousers pleated, perhaps braces. Forget about bespoke footwear initially, but get really nice accessories — belts, ties, pocket squares, socks, etc. With this you can do anything (except formal evening occasions, but they are few and far between). Never, ever wear a suit jacket as an odd jacket and never wear a suit jacket without a tie (in spite of all the politicians, journalists and “creative” professionals who do!!!

What saddens me the most about today’s sartorial state with regards to men’s clothing is that the world seems to wear the same sneakers, T-shirts and baggy pants for all occasions, be it a funeral or a wedding and anything in between! No variation, no respect for the occasion or the host’s wishes or for the probably very nicely dressed, female accompanying one!!! Finally, don’t ever worry about being overdressed or ridiculed  — do as I do and say to yourself: I’m not overdressed, they are underdressed and I refuse to join the ranks of mediocrity! Nothing snobbish about it, it is a question of aesthetics.”

Picture credits and details:

1 – 3: SH 3 piece, T&A shirt, Budd collar,Hermes tie, Lobb St. James’s boots  credit: Private

4: SH Black coat,  T&A shirt, Budd collar,Hermes tie, OTR trousers, Lobb St. James’s suedes – Private

5: SH SB Flannel Blazer, T&A shirt, Hermes tie, Cordings Moleskin trousers, Sam Hober PS – Private

6 – 7: SH SB Flannel Blazer, Napoli Su Misura shirt, Hermes tie,SH 18 oz flannel Winter whites,Rubinacci PS. Private

8 – 9:  SH Dinner velvet Dinner jacket witj gros grain peak lapels, ventless, backless gros grain waistcoat, T&A shirt, Budd Imperial collar, SH bespoke gros grain batwing bow,  Lobb St. James’s patent leather shoes, T&A PS – Journal of Style

10 – 13: SH City dress/Stroller/Stresemann (informal day wear) Double breasted waistcoat w. lapels, SH Cashmere trousers, T&A shirt, Budd collar, Gieve & Hawkes Tie and PS, Lobb St. James’s boots – Journal of Style

14 and 16 and 18: SH Morning Coat, grey double breasted waistcoat w. lapels, T&A shirt, Budd collar, New & Lingwood tie and PS, SH Cashmere trousers, Lobb St. James’s boots – Journal of Style

15 and 17:  SH Full evening dress, T&A shirt, Budd collar, Lobb St. James’s patent leather shoes – Journal of Style

19 – 24:  SH 3 piece Lovat Tweed suit SB 2 vent, SB waistcoat( with pockets at same angle as Jacket hacking pockets), T&A shirt, Dolbeau 2 sided silk batwing bow tie, Lobb St. James’s  tassel loafers, Sam Hober PS – Journal of Style

John Lobb Profile from Lawrence Barraclough on Vimeo.

John Lobb from JWP on Vimeo.

Back in 2006, The Wall Street Journal followed Mythbusters in search of lost super markings. The magazine subjected ten suits, ranging in price from humble to hefty, under rigorous scientific dissections. Although the text is dated, the findings speak for themselves: super markings are misleading and should not be used as proof of quality per se. Some budget suits held up very well with regards to fabric strength, some high-roller suits flunked. Buyer beware.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116320267593320299.html.html

“I am 68 years old, my occupation is stylist/designer. I was born and educated in Italy, graduated in 1963 from Istituto Tecnico per geometri in English as Land Surveyor. I also graduated  from the Scuola S.ufficiali Carabinieri military school in Florence, Italy, in 1970. I have 2 daughters, Elisabeth and Cristina, my wife unfortunately died 10 years ago. I still miss her and I will miss her for the rest of my life. I met my wife in Florence, she was American and was there for studies. My love for this woman (Rina) brought me to the USA.

3 days after we met I told her I was going to marry her, leave everything and follow her to this country. I know this seems a little unusual, but this is my personality. By nature I am an incurable romantic, and always follow my instincts and dreams without worrying about the future or consequences. This type of personality is reflected in the style and design of my product.

My products, bespoke and ready to wear, were sold successfully at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks 5th Avenue for many years. In 2001 I opened my own atelier at 12W 57th street off 5th Avenue in New York City. When I was a teenager in Italy, I was fascinated by the 1930s American movies, I was dreaming of dressing like those characters and actors, Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, George raft, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, just to mention a few. When I came to the USA, I did not speak a single word of English. My father-in-law was a great tailor, he was very well known. By default, and not knowing what else to do, I was working in his shop as a bookkeeper. My father-in-law, Joseph Gangemi, with my uncle Nino were my mentors and inspiration; the one for uncompromising quality and sense of proportions, the other for style and panache.

While I was there I learned a lot, and when my father-in-law died, the shop closed, and I had to look for a job. I started working as a salesman and in managerial positions in different luxury clothing stores. The customers liked me, my stile, my presentations and my sense of colors and how to coordinate them. The rest, as a way to speak, is history. I am not a tailor. As a matter of fact I don’t know how to sew a button, I have several talented tailors that work under my directions. My way of dress, I believe, is classic but has its own personality. The style is as much as possible 1930s Hollywood, with emphasis on the cloth itself and its texture and colors. Most of the fashion people talk about style, cut, number of stitches per square inch, etc., but very few speak about the cloth, and what it adds to the style.

Of course what I say is not Gospel and I may be mistaken, but this my humble opinion. My product has been well-received and I enjoy what I am doing, it gives me the possibility to dream!! What is life without dreams? Young men are very much interested in my style, and they really understand it. I learn a lot from them. This, for me, is very important because it gives me hope for the future of men’s fashion. Besides fashion, my interests are; reading (not fashion books), but classics from Victor Hugo, Dumas, Dickens, Melville, Zola, etc., cooking , gardening , listening to classical music all day, long walks and long bicycle rides without a helmet. Pretty boring! Isn’t it?

It is very kind of you to ask me to pass a style comment to the readers, I will try with humility. Educate yourself about fashion, reading books related to it, watch old movies, follow blogs, etc. But always be an individual, follow your own instinct and your individual style. If you really are interested in fashion, you can develop your own style and don’t have to necessarily take for Gospel what you read. Fashion is not an exact science, but rather a vehicle to develop your own stile. In other words, be an individual, don’t follow anybody. If you have style, it will show.”

Pictures: © Domenico “Mimmo” Spano