Made to measure (part three)

Spoken for. I love this handwritten label. Tailored for Mr Salter. That's me!

I know a few of you have enjoyed this series of posts and have been quite eager to see the finished suit. Well...so was I! I have been desperate to post this made-to-measure finale sooner but the recent terrible weather just wasn't playing fair and severely reduced the photographing opportunities. At the weekend, the rain clouds vanished long enough for me to slip in to my tailored, crosshatch voile second skin and I can finally share them with you.

A moustache covered package arrived last Monday and it has to be the best piece of post I've received all year. Christmas has certain come over. The wait is over for both of us. When I left the fitting on the Monday before I returned home to London I did not imagine having the finished suit in my hands the following week. Now that it was I carefully ripped open the package (trying not to rip any of the moustaches) and peeked inside...

Once inside I inspected the craft of the two piece. I have the utmost respect for a true tailor. It is something of a dying art, kept alive by the passionate few. We can only admire and support people like the chaps at j.a. daye. This duo certainly help keep the tailoring ticker in good health. j.a. daye is my idea of what a good twenty first century tailor should be, a bespoke experience for a generation raised on the ease of ready-to-wear shopping, with classic styles made with a distinguishable modern point of view in unexpected fabrics. From the moment I stepped in to the store and met the owners I knew that this was the place for me.

Throughout this whole process I trusted and had full confidence in Ellis and his tailors. He seemed to know exactly what I wanted. After succinctly describing how I wanted the suit to be and how I would wear it, he was soon in tune with my way aesthetic. I take great pleasure in declaring that the finished suit is perfect for me. Whilst there is nothing that I would change, there is plenty for me to wax lyrical about. First off the fabric, the cross hatch voile. It appears both traditionally Japanese and very modern at the same time.

A close up of the cloth.

As mentioned in the previous post on this series, the baste (the blueprint for the finished suit) can be radically altered if necessary. Thankfully, no drastic alterations were required during my first and only fitting, only a few tweaks which have now been made...

After I confessed that I was in the habit of rolling up my suit jacket sleeves during the Summer months, rather than roll his eyes and tell me off he suggested cutting them a little shorter to reveal more cuff. Furthermore, the addition of the polka dot sleeve lining would make for a more interesting reveal when I decided to wear the suit more casually. The end result is even better than I imagined.

After investing so heavily in my shoe collection in recent months it is only right that I wear trousers which show them off. So, I opted to cut them a touch shorter to reveal a little more sock and shoe stock than I normally would. The trousers are my vision of the ideal Sunday Best. On their first outing I decided to pair them with my Lodger's breathtaking Striped Oxford. Inspired by the Duke of Windsor the design is a interesting blend of fine Scabal striped linen and burnished French calf. Perfect for the warmer months making a happy marriage with my cross hatch voile suit.

Showing off the shoes...

Now that I have the extremely well cut suit on my back I am reminded of something Ellis said as we wrapped up the fitting and made our farewells. He warned me that it is quite easy to become addicted to the world of bespoke and made to measure. Even after trying on the suit for the very first time I can see why some people find it difficult to go back to ready to wear tailoring.

"Hi...I'm Steve and I like well tailored suits..."

After experiencing the level of service and viewing such craftsmanship first hand at j.a. daye, I am most keen to save up those pennies so I can get another fix. Ladies and gentleman, you are looking at a potential tailoring junkie...

A little wind swept...suit worn with Striped Oxfords from Lodger, white club collar shirt from Bespoken and polka dot handkerchief from Muji.

EDIT - I have amended the full outfit shot because the windy conditions on my balcony were playing havoc with the fall of my trousers.

Posted in: Tailoring