My teeth set on edge whenever I see someone describe a suit or jacket as "tonic"



When what they really were trying to say was Tonik - a Dormueil trademarked mohair fabric. You just know that they're trying to flop out some man-made [is[/ihit.

I paid over £300 in 1971 for a genuine Tonik suit, I was earning £12.50 a week at the time

You'll be after a gun and a hunting dog next.

Tonik was huge for Dormeuil.

That and [iSportex.[/i

Quote ="Dave Lister"I'm leaning away from a suit now and I'm instead on the lookout for a tweed jacket. Anyone got any experience of www.vintagewhistles.co.uk? I've also found this shop on eBay: stores.ebay.co.uk/THE-ENGLISH-SQ ... 4340.l2563 Some extremely reasonable prices, almost seems too good to be true considering the price of new jackets, which I appreciate are a rip off in most cases.'" If you can't find a decent Savile Row tweed at reasonable money, then go for a Harris Tweed or a Donnegal at a push. They're woven by crofters and if you look hard, there's some stunning Harris patterns

Quote ="Dave Lister"I'm leaning away from a suit now and I'm instead on the lookout for a tweed jacket. Anyone got any experience of www.vintagewhistles.co.uk? I've also found this shop on eBay: stores.ebay.co.uk/THE-ENGLISH-SQ ... 4340.l2563 Some extremely reasonable prices, almost seems too good to be true considering the price of new jackets, which I appreciate are a rip off in most cases.'" If you can't find a decent Savile Row tweed at reasonable money, then go for a Harris Tweed or a Donnegal at a push. They're woven by crofters and if you look hard, there's some stunning Harris patterns

At the moment I'd kill for Nucky Thompson's wardrobe, if it wasn't for that skinny bastad Steve Buscemi

One down, one to go.

Just won an auction for two BNWT Seaward & Stearn silk ties at their starting price of 99p

Quote ="Dave Lister"I'm leaning away from a suit now and I'm instead on the lookout for a tweed jacket. Anyone got any experience of www.vintagewhistles.co.uk? I've also found this shop on eBay: stores.ebay.co.uk/THE-ENGLISH-SQ ... 4340.l2563 Some extremely reasonable prices, almost seems too good to be true considering the price of new jackets, which I appreciate are a rip off in most cases.'" Oh, now you've done it ... I hadn't seen The English Squire. I can now imagine me turning up at a client's site in a Norfolk jacket ... or maybe not. Had a look at Bookster? at ---> www.tweed-jacket.com/ Some nice tweed cloth there.

Quote ="Dave Lister"I'm leaning away from a suit now and I'm instead on the lookout for a tweed jacket. Anyone got any experience of www.vintagewhistles.co.uk? I've also found this shop on eBay: stores.ebay.co.uk/THE-ENGLISH-SQ ... 4340.l2563 Some extremely reasonable prices, almost seems too good to be true considering the price of new jackets, which I appreciate are a rip off in most cases.'" Oh, now you've done it ... I hadn't seen The English Squire. I can now imagine me turning up at a client's site in a Norfolk jacket ... or maybe not. Had a look at Bookster? at ---> www.tweed-jacket.com/ Some nice tweed cloth there.

James Mason at his finest.

[iThe Shooting Party[/i

He would have looked good in the 1950s vintage Moss Bros bespoke Crombie overcoat I'm currently flopping out.



Cut on military lines with full-working cuffs, football buttons etc etc

Another Yorkshire lad was James Mason.
Once had a chat with him on platform 1 at Wakefield Westgate.
Yes, I am that old.

He was, of course, immaculately dressed.
I'd put money on his suit having been woven in Huddersfield.

Possibly supplied by Dugdale Bros out of Huddersfield.

They weren't anywhere nearly as established as the outfit I worked for in London in the mid 80's but Dugdales daughter 'Bobby' used to come down to the smoke and rep for them around the West-end.

She was rather trim, and in her mid-20's, similar age to me, and I regularly bumped into her at shared customers.

I walked into Vigos Wine bar round the corner from Savile Row one mid-week afty and she was in there, deep in conversation with Edward Sexton (he had his own outfit on Savile Row and thought he was the bees knees), who was obviously sniffing round her, filling her full of bollox.
She'd obviously had a couple of vinos and I was stood at the bar and it wasn't long before she was rubbing her stillettos up and down my suit trouser leg. (this sounds better than Mills & Boon

).

Anyway, cut a long story short, we ended up in the Piccadilly Hotel, across the road on Regent Street, about 4pm in the afternoon banging the fook out of each other.

Plus she paid for the room on her daddys piece of plastic.



Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesult!!!

Can anyone namee some good quality branded double cuff shirts?

Can anyone name some good quality branded double cuff shirts?

I met Perry Mason once.

He was a tallyman on King Goerge Dock in Hull. When you saw him, he was always "resting on a case"

No!
But I see what you did there with the [idouble[/i post.





Mind I have a little anecdote to my earlier story.

Lots.
What's your budget?

I know its all about personal taste but for a nice bit of tweed at a reasonable price I think the Holland Esquire stuff is pretty good value.

Not nearly as good value as I've just managed to blag: A rust-coloured herringbone tweed, tailored on Savile Row from Isle of Islay tweed, brand new, for the princely sum of £26.00 + p&p



And those ties that I blagged last week for £0.99p?

Here they are:

First one is a school tie. You've been had.

We used to do a lot of work with the Employment Service and I was stood in a queue at a Job Centre once waiting to see the receptionist when a bloke who looked like he normally slept under a bush on the roundabout outside sidled up to me, looked me in the eye, nodded and winked.

I said hello, he nodded towards my tie and winked again and said "me too".

I have to say I was dressed in a suit, shirt and smart tie, he was dressed like Worzel Gummidge and I wondered what the hell he was talking about, then he nodded at my tie again, "Army Air Corps" he said, "that was me".

"I bought it in Marks & Spencers" I told him and I've never seen anyone look so crestfallen.

Its true, you can still buy the Army Air Corps regimental tie in Marks & Spencers, someone must have forgotten to copyright the design.

Marks and Spencer now in the decent suit forum.
That's austerity for you.

Mind you, it's mix and match these days isn't it?
On the tube (in that London) this morning, a lady opposite was wearing a Barbour logo jacket, carrying a Prada logo bag (real? I wouldn't know) from which she produced a Cath Kidson spectacle case (logo inside).
At her feet was a Primark cloth carrier bag.
I guess the carrier was where she bought her knickers.

I'm a TK Maxx man meself.

The day I require any fashion advice from a pie-eater would be a bloody cold day in hell

"Army Air Corps" is code for "Fancy a bum", no wonder he was crestfallen, you're a good looking fella.

eBay, charity shops and car boots for everything but underwear & socks. The undercrackers are £5 for three pairs and the socks (ex-Burton) are £1 for three pairs - both from Cheddar market.

Just received my tweed jacket and I'm well impressed, it's far better than the photographs suggested.

I've also had a pretty good day trawling the charity shops of mid-Somerset including:
Magee worsted 2 piece suit
3 x Harvie & Hudson 2-fold, french-cuff, striped shirts
Eton dress shirt, although I now need some shirt studs
Pair of Levi's 516 jeans
Dunn & Co herringbone tweed jacket
Bespoke, peak-lapel dinner jacket with working cuffs
and the piece de resistance: A mint, Harrod's supplied Ermenegildo Zegna dinner jacket in super 130s wool

All for less than £40

Charles Tyrwhitt suits are cut in Thailand, I seem to remember, using Yorkshire wools. If you're a standard size, then they are a fair choice. Well cut, floating canvas, working buttons on the cuff for when you do the washing up etc Marks and Spencer at Marble Arch used to have a Sartorial range, designed by some well-respected designers, that were excellent. Savile Row high waist shape, angled pockets etc. Not been there for a while, so don't know if they still do it. I know someone who got their suit made by Gresham Blake in Brighton, which has a good following. If you can get there for the fittings, then you can avoid the London prices. www.greshamblake.com/ Tweed is fine if you're outdoors or in a building without any heating. Otherwise, it can be uncomfortably warm.

Charles Tyrwhitt suits are cut in Thailand, I seem to remember, using Yorkshire wools. If you're a standard size, then they are a fair choice. Well cut, floating canvas, working buttons on the cuff for when you do the washing up etc Marks and Spencer at Marble Arch used to have a Sartorial range, designed by some well-respected designers, that were excellent. Savile Row high waist shape, angled pockets etc. Not been there for a while, so don't know if they still do it. I know someone who got their suit made by Gresham Blake in Brighton, which has a good following. If you can get there for the fittings, then you can avoid the London prices. www.greshamblake.com/ Tweed is fine if you're outdoors or in a building without any heating. Otherwise, it can be uncomfortably warm.