Peccary Leather Characteristics
0March 13, 2013 by Ville Raivio
Peccaries are medium-sized mammals belonging to the New World pigs family. The creatures range from 90 to 130 centimetres in length, usually weighing 20 to 40 kilos, and are found from southwestern North America as well as Central and South America. Only the Chacoan peccary is protected, leaving several species available for meat and skins. Peccary leather is prized for its durability, elasticity and soft, grainy surface characterized by hair follicles in groups of three. While hides are occasionally used in footwear and decorations, most pieces end up in gloves. Peccaries are no pleasant farm animals, and most hides display natural cuts and bruises from romps or fights around the rainforest floor. Trade in legal peccary hides is controlled by CITES guidelines, ensuring sustainability and leading to high prices. Peccary gloves usually retail for over 100 euros in Europe, and several hundred dollars in America.
Category Materials
Interview with Steven Hitchcock
1March 13, 2013 by Ville Raivio
“I am 39 years old and my occupation is a Bespoke Savile Row Tailor. I attended Bishop Stopford Church of England School, Enfield, until I was 16 years old. I am in a long term relationship with my girlfriend, Celia, who is now going to work with me on a full time basis. No children. My parents were very supportive, especially my mother because my first job was as a mechanic, and she was fed up washing my work clothes.
My father worked at Anderson & Sheppard and he arranged for me to start an apprenticeship at the age of 16. I immediately fell in love with the idea of Bespoke Suits and that drove me on to succeed. My father went to work every day dressed in beautifully made different Bespoke Suits. On my first day at Anderson & Sheppard I saw Elton John and Liam Neilson. How could I not be impressed?
Over the last 24 years Classic has always outlasted fads and 2 year fashions. Savile Row is not just a classic look, it has substance. The traditional methods used to make suits have carried on over the decades and the result is the most amazing quality. Quality always outlasts Fads!! I was formally trained for 9 years at Anderson & Sheppard and this taught me Bespoke Soft Tailoring. I am probably one of the few proprietors who can actually make from start to finish, a Bespoke Suit.
Anderson & Sheppard gave me all the building blocks which enabled me to go into the outside world and develop my eye and style. I have owned my own business for 13 years and in that time have rubbed shoulders with some of the legends of Savile Row. I have gleaned so much information from them and that has enabled me to constantly improve. They say that goalkeepers are at their peak in their 30’s and I think the same applies with Tailors. I feel confident that my work is of the highest possible standard and this is reflected in the steady increase in orders and new clients.
I believe that I dress in a confident manner and I know what looks good on me and what would be pushing the boundaries. I was brought up on Soft Tailoring and as I champion the cause, I show it off constantly. I firmly believe that the proprietor of a Savile Row Company should wear suits that he has made himself!! In 1990 I decided to take the plunge and set up on my own. My goals were to get the Soft Tailoring Style to as many people as possible and for them to understand the concept.
I am so passionate about the traditions of tailoring and I will trumpet it at every opportunity. I obviously wanted to build up a successful business with clients who were a pleasure to work for. I am lucky enough to be at the stage where I am working at full capacity and I have such a great relationship with my clients. I also wanted to succeed in New York and I am now in my 11th year of going there. I go 3 times a year and it now feels like a second home!!
Wear what you want and be bold. Confidence is everything. Make sure you accessorise well to show off the whole look. Don’t take advice from your mum. I am a mad keen Carp angler and travel to France to fish for a week at a time and live in a tent!! I am a Tottenham Hotspur fan and on match days my mood reflects the result!
If you are ordering Bespoke garments make sure you do the research. Speak to the Tailor who is going to cut the paper pattern and look for examples of their work. The person you see should be wearing one of their own suits. If they are not, alarm bells should ring. There is nothing wrong with stopping someone in the street and asking where they had their clothes made. A Savile Row Bespoke Suit should be made by hand and in England. Don’t be fooled by salesmen. Style is for the individual and you should choose the style that you like and feel comfortable in. Quality and style should go hand in hand.”
http://www.thesavilerowtailor.co.uk/
Pictures: © Steven Hitchcock
Category Interviews, Men of style, Savile Row, Tailors
Sharpologist
0March 12, 2013 by Ville Raivio
Sharpologist features the ‘net’s most helpful videos and advice on the art of wet-shaving. Not a barber by trade, the helpful shave master is all about passion, which – for me – is all one needs. Life is too short for boring and disappointing electric shavers.
Category Links
Tony Gaziano in Quote
0March 12, 2013 by Ville Raivio
“Keep it basic, there is nothing worse than overdesigning a bespoke shoe simply because you have the licence to detail. Many customers can simply add too much detail with bespoke shoes.”
~ Tony Gaziano
Category Aphorisms
Interview with Rolf Holzapfel AKA bengal-stripe
0March 12, 2013 by Ville Raivio
“[I’m] Older than I feel and older than I look (the second bit is probably wishful thinking). For what it’s worth, I am an academically trained art historian. (Speciality tre- and quattrocento with a penchant for “International Gothic” thrown in.) I’m on my own, so I can do what I want. Nobody complains if I eat the last bit of cheese. I did a course once (evening classes) at London’s ‘Cordwainer’s college, maybe 15 years ago’: Basic Shoemaking. I didn’t enjoy it very much as the aim of the course was to produce a number of different styles rather quickly. (We started with a desert boot, afterwards a lady’s pumps and a ‘elastic on instep’). So we were shepherded to ready set-up machines and told to push our shoes through. At the time I didn’t understand, why certain steps were necessary and what the actual purpose of some of the steps were.
[My knowledge comes from] talking to as many people as possible, everyone has different ideas. Like everywhere in life, things are not simple and black and white. Just avoid the front-of house people. As they try to sell you a product not yet made, they have to sing their own praises and put the competition down. I also have a number of historical books. KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid). There was a time I would have run to every trendy restaurant and became exited by weird and wonderful, ‘modern’ hybrid dishes. Now you can please me with plain, traditional bourgeois food, just well prepared. Same thing applies to shoes or clothing.
I have my own last, I can make my ‘standards’ and design my patterns. Although I still have hesitations to cut into a hide, hence I get my closer to do the clicking. I work with individual artisans, who are also outworkers for the leading West-End shoe firms. This has also the advantage, if I am unhappy with something on the way, I can either change it or kill it. I still have an extreme fondness of Edward Green (although I haven’t bought any in the last few years). There is such a degree of being ‘right’ about EG shoes, which I find extremely satisfying.
[My journey to Styleforum was] hardly a ‘journey’ as in a ‘Bildungsroman’, http://en.wikipedia.org/
Less is more! (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe). I believe that recently Robert Venturi has withdrawn his “Less is a bore” challenge to Mies. You only need three pairs of shoes to deal with almost any situation: a black ‘Oxford’ (plain cap, no brogueing), a brown ‘full brogue’, with wing tip and brogueing to virtually every edge. Third one is a penny loafer (maybe in suede). Then, if you want to, you can go on to more fashionable styles (like a double monk). But you start with the basics.”
Picture: Rolf Holzapfel
Category Interviews, Styleforum
Copyright © 2013 Ville Raivio
