Looking Back....

Casual Black Tie

Yes, sounds like a paradox, but it is amazing the growing number of expressions attempting to define or describe a certain dress code that leaves the guest as clueless as the host who extended the invitation. For those occasions and many more, this is our version of "casual black tie". An unstructured (no shoulder pads, no canvas) jacket made in high twist english woven "Rangoon" fabric, with a skull and cross bone motif on the outside breast pocket. The jacket is available to order in other colours and with other motifs.

Paired with a dinner shirt with rounded collar and cocktail cuffs, this shirt is also a contradiction, but together they work. Dress jeans also available.

Black high twist "Rangoon" wool piped club jacket                                           £895.00
Round collar marcella dress shirt with cocktail cuffs                                         £205.00
Black self tie (what else?) satin bow tie                                                           £  55.00

Camelhair Cardigan - golden retriever and pipe optional

Mr. Udeshi fought against cardigans for the longest time, but they are just so damn comfortable, easy going and can be thrown in a corner (okay placed carefully in a corner) and come out more or less wrinkle free.

Knitted for us in Scotland in fine camelhair in a tapered fit, our camelhair cardigan is ideal for taking a dog (or a cigar) for a walk, or entertaining at home around the fireplace. Be careful - partners love stealing this garment and making it disappear in their wardrobe. £375.00

Casentino è arrivato

CASENTINO WOOL, A TUSCAN TRADITION

Known to avid followers of style blogs, people who have visited Florence in winter and Florentines, Casentino is not for the faint hearted, even less so in this traditional “Goose beak” colour. It makes a statement and then some, and then some again. Traditionally lined in wool, our version is a little more fitted, a little more elegant and with double vents easier to sit down in while basking in the winter sun, sipping an espresso at Gilli on Piazza della Repubblica (toscanello optional).

The look would not be complete without peccary gloves, another Florentine specialty – we are probably the only place that stocks four colours in the United Kingdom (so three more colours than anybody else).

For those who have the “palle”, goose beak, otherwise also available to order in chestnut, chocolate, bottle green, navy…..

Becco d’oca Casentino overcoat lined in wool                    £1495.00

Purple Casentino double breasted overcoat                      £1395.00

Milanese blue vintage cotton shirt                                   £  195.00

Cashmere neck scarf                                                      £    95.00

Peccary gloves handmade in England                              £  205.00

A short history of Casentino Wool

In the 14th century, a thick wool cloth was produced in the Casentino valley of Tuscany. The Florentine wool guild commissioned producers in this area to carry out a finishing process for them, but prohibited them from making highly refined wools for themselves in order to prevent competition to Florence and Prato’s wool industries, Casentino wool was used for monks’ habits, to cover animals, and was worn by peasants. The rough but warm cloth came originally in brown and dark grey.

In the mid 19th century, with the industrial revolution, they experimented with synthetic colouring, an error led to the creation of a bright orange (becco d'oca – GOOSE BEAK) wool that became characteristic of this fabric. With time, it became very fashionable, and other colours were introduced, including the second most common Casentino colour, a green the hue of the felt on pool tables. By the 1950s Casentino fabric was in high fashion, worn by aristocrats and actors as a symbol of Italian fashion.

The characteristic curls on the surface of Casentino cloth, which make it warm, water repellent, seem at first glance to be piling, but were originally a manual carding process using dried thistles inserted inside the loom. The industrial process replaced thistles with metal combs, which produced the same effect.

Wise words

For Francoise

Interesting Quote:

20 BRITISH WORDS THAT MEAN SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT IN THE U.S.

Taken from this post a friend sent to me.

Here in the United States, we speak the same language as our ye old predecessors in Great Britain, but we don't always speak it the same way. So, we asked our oh-so British receptionist, Ryan Lovett, to give us a crash course in some of the more notable discrepancies.

Here are 20 words (along with some accompanying Bigstock images) that have pretty 

different meanings in Great Britain than they do in the U.S. 

1. Jumper 

2. Trainer 

3. Pants

4. Bird

5. Bog

6. Rubber

7. Braces

8. Trolley

9. Chips

10. Coach

11. Biscuit

12. Shag

13. Dummy

14. Lift

15. Hooker

16. Flannel

17. Football

18. Hamper

19. Vest

20. God Save the Queen! 

Bespoke Jeans

A thank you to Mr. Foulkes, and yes he paid for them. The article in the FT how to spend it

Swellboy on…  bespoke jeans
Trust our man to have, of all things, a pair of jaunty jeans specially made up for him – rib-tickler waist included…

Summer Holidays

We are closed from the 12th of August to the 29th of August 2013 for our Summer Holidays. We thank you for your patronage and hope you enjoy your summer holidays - and in style.