A Young Man has Chosen Bespoke Suits

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bespoke suits

Bespoke suits and handmade shoes. Jeppe in a double breasted charcoal suit made by Musella Dembech. Oxblood shoes from Jan Petter Myhre.

Proper clothing

When I ask Jeppe to describe his style, he says:

“In one word I would say “proper”. Maybe that sounds boring, however in regard to clothing “proper” works in several ways. It means that I care for fit and proportions. It also implies that I choose clothes that I can use on a daily basis. It should be suitable for bicycling, work, theatre going, playing with children, dancing, drinking wine, and more.”

Conservative but not boring

To many nowadays bespoke suits and handmade shoes are more than proper. They will categorize a bespoke style as weirdly refined and oldwordly. However, within the context of classic style and bespoke I get what Jeppe means. He doesn’t show off. He is very conservative in his combinations, though never boring.

bespoke suits

Fitting a coat with Francesco Guida.

Caught up by bespoke suits

I ask Jeppe how he got caught up by bespoke suits and clothing.

“In high school I wore skinny jeans like most other guys. I listened to The Strokes and White Stripes. Everyday, as soon as I got home, I pulled off my trousers. Then I could relax. One day I realized just how foolish my clothes was, and I decided to find clothes that fit me. When I studied in Paris I ordered my first bespoke shirt. Experiencing that I could decide for myself was a relief, and there was no way back for me.”

bespoke suits

Getting the design right.  Jeppe with Francesco Guida and his assistant Emilio.

Photography: Sartorial Notes

Bespoke Tailor in Stockholm: Götrich

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I came across Götrich, bespoke tailor in Stockholm, first time 10 years ago, when I was searching every corner in Scandinavia for bespoke tailors. Along with A. W. Bauer Götrich was the only classic tailor left in Stockholm, I concluded.

That number still holds up I think. The situation has changed though. Bengt and Christer Götrich, the brothers, who founded Götrich in 1964, have died. Now Christer Götrichs’s widow, Elisabeth Götrich, continues the shop, which they moved to Linnégatan No. 75 in 2012. Mrs. Götrich tells me she employs three tailors. Two of them have learned the craft from her husband.

The Götrich brothers, who were sixth generation tailors, were reluctant to tell about their famous clients, yet the Götrich firm has been tailor to Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf all his life, the Bonnier family, and Ingmar Bergman among others. That I can gather on the web.

Quotes from Christer Götrich

I found a short interview with Christer Götrich from 2008. A few quotes:

“Today fashionable doesn’t mean well-dressed. Everything is allowed. You can buy a pair of very expensive jeans, which are worn-out from the beginning.”

“I’m all for well-polished shoes. I change my shoes several times daily. Trousers, which are too long, and unpolished shoes are the ugliest things I know!”

And a quote from an interview with Christer Götrich in 2012:

“A two-piece suit takes about 50 hours to make, and then you have the fittings. If the wife participates, the process will take somewhat longer.”

Visit Götrich’s website here (IN SWEDISH).

Photo: Henrietta Asplund

Suede shoes and suits

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The Prince of Wales of the 1920s authorized combining suits and suede finish shoes. As I understand it, the PoW paired a medium or light grey flannel suit with brown oxford buckskin shoes.

Nowadays, suede finish shoes have spread to worsted blue and grey suits. While I recognize that few dressing rules and norms apply anymore, I do find the combination off now and then. The smooth worsted and the “dirty” suede become an odd couple easily.

I like how the man on the left in upper photo approaches the configuration. Instead of the common brown suede shoes, he sports a pair of black suede monks with his striped navy blue suit.

Another solution, if you prefer brown suedes, is choosing a French blue or lighter blue suit. It makes the suit less formal, and it brings it closer to the nature of brown suede.

Source: The Journal of Style in Italy

How to wear a suit

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Sometimes I reach the conclusion that only older men know how to wear a suit. I am wrong, of course, but when I am to point out a truly well-dressed man, he is always 50 years old or more.

It is not that the older well-dressed man wears very different garments and accessories from younger men. He wears them differently.

Above all, he feels comfortable wearing his clothing. He enjoys it. He is not obssesed with conveying a message.  He he not working on his identity. His identity is established.

Secondly, he is experienced in dressing. He is a craftsman in his own way, who knows all tools, including cut, textures, colours and patterns, and, how to apply them.

Source: The Journal of Style in Italy

Classic DB in the making

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Double breasted suits are a rare sight in Copenhagen. I have decided to do something about it, since they flatter lots of men, especially lean and tall men, and we have quite a few of those creatures in Copenhagen.

The double breasted in the photo is a solid grey worsted from Dugdale’s Royal Classic range. I am having it made up by an Italian tailor.

Photo: The Journal of Style

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