Marylebone tailors -

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 14th – 22nd September

London Design Festivalreturns to the capital for its 17th year this September with an inspiring programme of events and installations across the city.

Initially established in 2003 by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans, London Design Festival is an annual citywide celebration that brings together a global community of designers, artists, architects and the creative industries with a vision to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world. Since its inception, London Design Festival has grown to encompass a broad range of activities, and attracts visitors from around the world from over 75 countries and the 2018 Festival welcomed a record-breaking 588,000 visitors.

This year also marks 11 years with the V&A as a collaborating partner and the official Festival hub. During the Festival, the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance will once again play host to a series of specially-commissioned projects by internationally-renowned designers.

As a citywide event, London Design Festival is an essential platform for the capital’s major trade shows taking place across London as well, including: 100% Design, designjunction, Focus/19and London Design Fair.

These shows feature work from a local and international network of both new and established exhibitors. This year there will be 10 official Design Districts from East to West; North to South. Design Districts are areas where there are distinct concentrations of design activity and events that can be traversed easily on foot. Each District is organised locally and independently via the platform of London Design Festival.

This year will see a new Design District taking part in the Festival; Kings Cross Design District. It joins Bankside Design District, Brompton Design District, Clerkenwell Design Quarter, Chelsea Design District, Marylebone Design District, Mayfair Design District, Pimlico Road Design District, Shoreditch Design Triangle, Victoria Connections Design District and West Kensington Design District. In addition, the Festival is delighted to welcome back Paddington Central Design Route as a Design Route.

We are really excited to be hosting an event alongside our Marylebone Design Districtneighbours. Each district has a designated day to host events making visiting them all that little bit easier.

Marylebone’s main events will take place on Wednesday 18th September, which is the night of our new Menswear collection launch. Watch this space for more information about this in our next newsletter and to RSVP follow this link.

MILL OF THE MONTH: Stephen Walters

Photography by Ant Jones

Fit for a King or indeed a Queen is an expression we don’t hear much nowadays but one that would work well when talking about our jacquard fabrics woven for us by Stephen Walters.

The silk weaving company founded in Spitalfields in 1720 is now based in Sudbury, Suffolk and has been making fabrics for royalty for hundreds of years, major commissions include Queen Elizabeth II coronation robes and wedding dresses for Princess Anne and Lady Diana Spencer amongst many others.

Here at the Dashing HQ we are easily satisfied with the best so working with Stephen Walters is a natural choice. Regular loom weaving is a process by which the vertical warp threads are lifted together to form patterns such as twills and herringbones. These looms have been around in various forms for thousands of years and are what we use most of the time for our classic tweeds.

Jacquard looms have much more complex mechanisms by which individual warp threads are lifted, enabling highly complex patterns and even photographic images to be woven into cloth. The technology dates back to the 17th Century and includes innovations such as the invention of punch cards the earliest form of binary data storage later adopted by computers. We can thank King Louis XIV for renouncing the Edict of Nantes and causing skilled Huguenots to flee France and bring us the technology.

As with many powerful tools the skill is in control; we have used Jacquard weaving to provide an element of humour to our designs that would not be possible by regular weaving. Our Threadbare design is woven in pure cotton with the idea of emulating a garment worn to threads, we thought it amusing to use the Jacquard loom to give the supposed warp and weft an open wiggling shape as if stretched with age. The scale of the design does contain a regular repeat but this adds to the optical element of the fabric. The cotton cloth adds another dimension to our staple of woven wools and makes up in to a delightful summer jacket.

Our Exploded Houndstooth is another playful idea executed on Stephen Walters’ jacquard looms. The idea was to extrapolate a classic houndstooth design to a scale not otherwise possible on a classic loom, a zoomed in version of a weave made with a fine silk weft on a cotton warp. The resulting fabric is arresting to look at yet strong enough for a wild night out, perfect for a player and fit for a king of clubs.

Our jacquard designs are now also available through our Dashing Classics range meaning they will be stock supported going forward. However if you wanted these designs in a slightly different colour way, this is also possible but at a premium through our bespoke services. To find out more, do email Naomi@DashingTweeds.co.ukwho looks after all our cloth production.

P.S – *SAVE THE DATES*

We are also hosting two events in September for our official womenswear collection launching on the 17th September. To RSVP, please click here.

We will also be celebrating a private view of a new collaboration with 1960’s celebrity tailor, Dougie Millings on the 18th September. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

DASHING MEN: Hans Witteveen

When it comes to all round action then Hans is your man. Whether speed skating frozen canals in the Netherlands, cycling the alps, tearing up a tennis court or simply busting moves on the dance floor Hans is there with debonair aplomb.

A partner of law firm Stibbe and Head of the London practice, I am lucky enough to have Hans as my neighbour in Primrose Hill, with his film making wife and two teenage daughters he’s also a consummate host and a good cook.

Growing up in Amsterdam Hans started playing tennis almost as soon as he could walk and would also regularly train on the 400m skating tracks that are popular in the country. During the now rare cold winters the whole country becomes enthralled by the famous Elfstedentocht tour of eleven historic cities in the Friesland district. The tour stretches 120 miles along frozen canals, lakes and rivers and Hans was lucky to be able to participate and finish in the last race of 1997.

All this action has honed Hans’ physique into a proportion that looks excellent in a tailored suit. Earlier in life whilst working in his New York office Hans found the boxy American suits were not to his taste and favoured the more fitted silhouettes of Italian and particularly English tailoring. Dressing well for work is essential but the pleasure for Hans is when he can wear a great fitting suit for the shear pleasure of it. Starting with designer pieces from INA NYC in his younger days Hans is excited to have now discovered Dashing. His personal taste is for a close fitting well tailored suit that drapes perfectly, he prefers his trousers to hang just short of this shoes with no break, a look that gives sharp clean lines.

For sheer exuberant pleasure Hans loves his double breasted suit in the Dashing Stripe and is never short of compliments when donning it for a night out. The cut is derived from a famous suit tailored by Mr Fish in 1968 and now on display at the V&A museum. In the mid sixties Mr Fish had a renowned shop in Clifford Street just off Savile Row and as well as inventing the kipper tie he tailored for all the stars of the time from Mick Jagger to Peter Sellers.

Hans also loves the wit of his suit in the Clerkenwell Stripe a navy worsted with a boucle pinstripe. As a lawyer, friends are initially not surprised to see Hans sporting a pinstripe suit but as they get closer it becomes clear that the textured looped yarns of the stripe are altogether more humorous than expected and place Hans in a whole new light.

For those who don’t already know, be sure to drop by Dashing before the 31st August to shop our summer sale, with 30% off RTW, 20% off cloth and 10% off made to measure.

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

Meet MiRo the Dashing Robot

Tweeds were designed for dressing everyone on your estate, a jolly uniform of sorts. Our modern tweeds are a great way to personalise your robot.

Robots are coming, whether we like it or not. They’ve been dramatically present for decades as little helpers such as R2D2, guardians in the form of Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Terminators from the future. Luckily the reality is not yet so blatant. Instead they are sidling in from the periphery without being too noticeable, yet.

Fascinating work is taking place on how we would like to communicate with the workers of the future; too metallic can be distancing and yet too human gives you the creeps. Their roles are also still to be decided. In Japan, where the unbalanced population is ageing and there is a dislike of immigration, robots are helping with the weight of looking after the elderly, replacing a previous generation of staff.

In the current tech revolution it seems that there is a democratisation of services once reserved for the aristocracy. We think nothing of having food delivered, transport summoned and dictions taken by devices. The next stage is surely an army of compliant staff. This leads to the big question of what they should wear.

To start things off in terms of robot raiments we have worked with Sebastian Conran and his biomimetic programmable autonomous creation. MiRo is a very cute looking artificially intelligent robot developed mainly for teaching and understanding how people will use robots in their lives.

Robots will be the eyes, ears and hands of the intelligent house or the smart office and it’s important that they fulfil this role with aplomb. We tailored a collar for MiRo in our hi-tech Lumatwill cloth a firm favourite of Sebastian’s for his personal cycle jacket and a befitting fabric for a robot. Not only is it attractive but the collar helps protect the motorised neck joint of MiRo a potentially vulnerable area of the otherwise hard shell.

SUMMER SALE

I’m always one for a distraction and homonyms are a good start when it comes to veering off the point. Writing about how we are going to offer a 10% summer discount off our made to measure services, 20% off our cloth and 30% of our ready to wear creations starting on the 1st August is very exciting but that’s about it in a sentence. More elucidating is an article I have just been reading about the wool sails of Viking boats.

Without wool we would have had no Viking invaders towards the end of the first millennium AD. Having known that the Pheoenicians made their sails of woven flax or papyrus over five thousand years ago I assumed that this material would be in common use world wide, but not so. In fact the Vikings had to step up their wool cottage industry hugely to prepare for their raids.

European short-tailed sheep were sheared and had their fleeces spun into two types of yarn. The hardy sheep have longer tough wool on the outside and shorter softer strands close to the body. The outer wool was spun into strong fibres of use in the vertical warp on their weighted looms and the softer wool was used in the horizontal weft, packing all the holes in the sail cloth. A slight felting of the sail cloth and immersion in fir tar, fish oils and tallow was all that was required to make strong wind proof sails ready for a jolly raiding party on us poor Angles.

As we know the Vikings came to raid all our riches of which there were plenty, fabulous silver and gold items were looted and exquisite textiles were had at a steal. Which brings us full circle back to our sale. Our fine Merino wool summer cloths are going for a song with a fifth of the normal price as are our British wool tweeds. Ready to wear jackets and suits can be had for a snip at almost a third off.

We will also be having a sample sale with 50% off all suits in the shop so now is the time to treat yourself to a tailored jacket or get yourself a made to measure suit which will be ready as soon as summer fades. So sally forth to Dashing at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone and grab a bargain but perhaps leave the seax at home.

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The Panache of a Panama

There are very few entirely hand made products in our lives nowadays. Ones where we can saviour the provenance and take pleasure in the generations of handed down skills that have accumulated to provide us with a useful item of joy. A Panamahat is one of those little luxuries that everyone should save for, not only are they potentially life saving when in the sun but they also have that rare combination of practicality and elegance. There is just no real replacement for a fine Panama hat.

At Dashing, we are working with Pachacuti a fair trade company set up by Carry Somers over 25 years ago. Avoiding middle men, who locally take a large cut from the weavers, they work directly with the makers ensuring they earn a decent living. This has enabled hat weaving communities to move away from the coastal regions of Ecuador and set up in the idyllic forested hills where they can encourage a new generation to continue the livelihood.

Interestingly, Panama hats come from Ecuador and acquired their name through numerous sales of the hats as they were transported for distribution through the trade routes. In the gold rush era any wise prospector would pick up a hat or two along with their gold digging tools, helping spread their popularity.

The enduring appeal of the Panama hat has to do with their superb quality. Toquilla straw is hand cut, boiled, split and dried before being hand woven in a continuing spiral that can take up to 8 months for a fabulously fine example. The skills have been passed down for generations and the only thing that has really changed is the style of the shapes.

Our Dashing Panamashave additional panache through the use of our unique cloth designs. These are applied by hand to the headband, giving the already desirable hats a peerless appeal.

We have a few sizes and designs left in the shop so come and snap one up before your summer adventures begin. They will serve as faithful companions on your journey, protecting against the elements as you forge ahead.

Should you be one of those people for whom only the best is good enough then there is a chance for you to commission the world’s finest hat. Mark from Pachacuti went on a recent trip to Ecuador and met the man who is widely regarded as the finest hat weaver in Ecuador. The world record stands at close to 4000 straw picks per inch and given close to a years work he is keen to try and break this record for you.

For more information, do check out Pachacuti and to customise your own Panama band using our cloth please drop an email hereor pop into Dashing at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone.

Press: Wonderland Magazine – The Wool Beach Lodge

Dashing featured on Wonderland magazine’s website highlighting the sustainable and versatile properties of wool shown at Campaign For Wool‘s latest pop up, The Wool Beach Lodge.

Different Tweeds for Different Needs

When it comes to wearing tweed there are no restrictions at all. From school boys to doddering gents via a whole new wave of hipsters, tweed is for everyone male or female. Our bespoke tweed Nike Airforce 1’s were coveted by both teenagers and mature men. Our caps are sported by young fans of Peaky Blinders, city cyclists and a whole range of interesting people who drop by our shop.

Jackets and coats are best sellers and now that we are starting a made to measure range for ladies and even dogs there is no reason to not add new tweeds to your wardrobe. Colour is the key as tweed is the original way to add a colourful item to your wardrobe. Everyone has a favourite colour and we stock a huge range so get out your metaphorical brush and paint away, as they say ‘different strokes for different folks’.

Tweed is probably one of the most versatile and democratic cloths there is. Historically fabrics such as silk were the preserve of the aristocracy and rough hemps the raiment of peasants but tweed straddled all levels of society. Worn by Lords and poachers alike, the quality and usefulness of tweed has ensured it’s unwavering popularity over centuries, and so today despite the onslaught of synthetics, tweed is as popular as ever and continues in its versatility.

Through selective breeding of sheep and new technologies in spinning and finishing, wools and the resulting tweeds are constantly improving. Menswear is all about an evolution of form and function and all clothing needs to perform to the tasks of the wearer. As we are modernising tweed their relevance to 21st century life is increasingly apposite.

Sustainability is a major benefit of tweed but there needs to be an element of fun to clothes as well. This is were Dashing Tweeds excels, clothes need to bring an element of joy to all concerned and our fabrics transcend all ages and niches of society. For any Made to Measure enquiries or to book an appointment, drop an email here or stop by 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone.

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DASHING EVENT: Talking Ties with Shaun Gordon on the 4th July

On 4th July Shaun Gordonwill guide you through all the ins and outs of ties. There will be a short talk, demonstrations of techniques and a chance to learn new knots that will not only impress your peers but lead you to a more fulfilled life. The event will also give you the chance to preview ties from Shaun’s latest collection, which is inspired by the sculptures in the Medieval and Renaissance hall at the V&A museum.

Shaun’s personal mantra is one that we would all do well to follow. The essence is that if you look good, you’ll feel good and so will others around you. Shaun acquired his sartorial skills from Alvin, his impeccably dressed Grandfather and I’ve never seen him look less than immaculate. His belief certainly holds true and I always find it a pleasure to see what he’s wearing.

Shaun’s elegance is very much based around his beautiful ties, he chooses colours and patterns which pleasingly offset his mixture of vintage and bespoke tailoring to create a lively freshness.

Ties have become a maligned item of clothing in our current dress down culture. Americans have been debasing sartorial standards in the City for years now, with the introduction of casual Fridays, giving ties the boot and replacing well hanging wool suits with wrinkly cotton chinos and indecision.

On the up side, it’s never been easier to look impressive and make an impact both at work or play. Traditional English tailoring is all about attention to detail, creating a gently sculpted chest and nicely shaped waist using an elegant worsted cloth, wearing a good fitted shirt and of course adding the perfect silk tie as the finishing touch. Savile Row has spent close to 200 years refining this look so it was no surprise that Shaun’s search for neck wear perfection led him to dissecting vintage pieces in order to learn how to make his own.

With a degree from London College of Fashion, industry experience working for Turnbull and Asseramongst other companies and an additional two years of personal tie making research, Shaun decided to set up his own company. His designs radiate a joyful elegance which would suit any gentleman.

The history and social implications of tie knots is a fascinating subject that one could talk about for hours. When was the four in hand first used? Is a double Windsor twice as good as a single? Is a small Kent knot hipper than a square knot and should I even attempt a Merovingian from The Matrix?

There will also be an exclusive 10% off all Shaun Gordon ties during the event, so get your ties ready and dress your neck for the evening!

The event is free, but please RSVP hereand stop by our shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone on the 4th July. We look forward to seeing you then.

6.00pm – 6.45pm Arrival drinks

6.45pm – 7.15pm Talk and Demonstration

7.15pm – 7.30pm Q&A

7.30pm – 8pm Networking

For the love of Harris Tweed

Authenticity is the new luxury. Machines that were once just sci-fi fantasies are now a reality and if Captain Kirk wannabes ask their replicators to make a tweed I’m sure the outcome will look pretty good. But is it the real thing? Tweed clad philosophers could theorise the night away spinning arguments with quotes from Plato to Bertrand Russell but one point they would all have to agree on is that the synthesiser could not make Harris Tweed.

Rules for the weaving of genuine Harris Tweed cloth from the archipelago Islands off the West Coast of Scotland are incredibly strict and were recorded as acts of Parliament over a century ago. Genuine Harris Tweeds are produced by just a few mills and many are hand woven by crofters living a self sustaining life on the island ensuring a very low carbon footprint for the fabric. The Harris Tweed Authority hand checks all production and authenticates it with the famous orb logo.

As climates ameliorate the islander have adapted and produce what they term “feather weight” qualities. These weigh in at around 14 oz, which may say as much about the local bird population as the climate of Scotland. However, if you are going to invest in a Harris Tweed jacket or suit it’s reassuring to know that the hardy fabric will wear for many years.

A while ago we worked with the Carloway Mill to weave some original designs for us. These were highly prized by tweed aficionados around the world and especially in Japan where the love of originality is endemic in the highly cultured population. Sadly, the Carloway Mill has now laid down its shuttles, but there are others and we are stocking a large range of glorious coloured tweeds woven by Harris Tweed Hebrides. We have close to a hundred different colour ways of classic Harris Tweeds to choose from.

In addition to the classics we have our unique collaborative design Iona as below. This fashionable royal blue barley corn weave structure is a more modern design and suitable to wear in town and out in the country.

Our Iona cloth is handwoven on a Hattersley loom as below. If keeping a low carbon footprint is as important to you as it is to us then you will be interested to know that these looms are driven solely by foot power. The weaver literally puts his all into the production, boldly pedalling as no man has before…

Beam down to our shop at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone and even if your everyday items are facsimiled you can be sure your new Harris Tweed jacket is an original. Do drop us a line at Holly@DashingTweeds.co.uk if you have any questions or would like to book a Made to Measure appointment using one of our Harris Tweeds!

Going Short!

One often reads that economics effects the amount of leg you see or visa versa. The so called skirt length theory suggestS that the observation of hem lines is a good indicator of market direction with traders looking forward to a bull market as they spot more knees. Now in our times of equality, its high time that men get their knees out in the open and perhaps the economy will start picking up. There may be several years of more data to collect but signs are that shorts are on the up.

Short suits for work, once a novelty rarely spotted outside of Sydney or outposts of the empire are now no longer to be scoffed at, at least outside of the square mile. As global warming kicks in shorts will be on the rise. Needless to say, shorts are the garment of choice for summer holidays with the purchase of a pair imparting one with an almost immediate air of tranquility.

Enjoyment is an important ethos of Dashing Tweeds, our fabrics are designed with a wit that is often missing in menswear. The colourful nature of our sophisticated fine Merino cloths make for fabulous shorts and with my preferred cut, slightly wider with a turn up just at the top of the knee you can tell that good times are ahead.

To order a pair drop us a line to Holly@DashingTweeds.co.uk or come by the shop to be measured up. We have a great choice of short suitable light weight fabrics and you can order a pair to any length depending on your mood.

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Celebrating Craft in London 8th – 12th May

Not so long ago craft was a word to be avoided. People and companies did not wish to be associated with some sort of pre industrialised cottage activity, conjuring images of peasants spinning something fluffy by the fireside. Modern life should be clean, efficient, functional with high design.

How times have changed. Many a lifestyle blog now promotes the simple country life, homemade faire, no phones in sight and a plethora of handicrafts from macrame to felting. Modern life now tries to straddle these two extremes and interestingly technology and connectivity has enabled old crafts to thrive in our modern world and more importantly be sought after and sell.

London Craft Week was set up four years ago to showcase artisans at the highest level and enable customers to commission hand made pieces. Craftsmen demonstrate everything from watchmaking to weaving and glassblowing to calligraphy at various events across the capital.

This year the events take place all over town from 8th – 12th May. Do check out the programme here and I guarantee there will be something to interest you. I like the idea of weaving waste at Battersea Power Station and organ making at the Royal Festival Hall.

Being busy in our new shop we are not on the programme this year but we do always have a loom in the shop and Holly is happy to illuminate you about the woven arts anytime, so do stop by and say hello at 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone.

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Turning heads with Twisk!

One of the most admired traits of an Englishman is his individuality, the whole world admires characters from Terry Thomas to Boy George who have the courage and conviction to live the life of an original.

We live in an age where the world wide web has spread homogeneity, yet distinctiveness is still highly prized and admired. It is possible to buy practically anything from anywhere but surprisingly it has become increasingly hard to seek out something others may not have.

Shoes have a status in menswear that far exceeds their simple function of keeping your feet safe and dry. They have long been a symbol of wealth and status as well as signifying ones attention to detail, and on the other foot phrases such as ‘down at heel’ reflect the whole person not just the shoe.

Twisk was launched to provide shoes for men who admire both quality and unique style. They are designed in England, made by the skilled hands of craftsmen in Italy and exude a rebellion that Sir Francis Dashwood would certainly be at home with.

Not shying away from their own brief, Twisk have pioneered a welt shape like no other. The sole is curved to five distinct points analogous to pentadactyl limbs or perhaps spiritual pentagrams and crafted in leathers of exuberant hues as well as rich chestnut browns and blacks.

We are now stocking Twisk shoes and boots in our Marylebone flagship store at 47 Dorset Street in a range of sizes and styles. Do drop by anytime to try them on. They look surprisingly good at the end of your legs.

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EVENT: Return of the Jocks

In celebration, on the 16th May from 6pm – 8pm we are hosting a launch event for Marcus Agerman Ross and his new print edition of Jocks of Nerds.

He will talk about all aspects of the magazine as well as spinning the decks. So do drop by for a drink and chat, you never know what new friends you’ll meet.

RSVP by clicking the link here.

One often hears about Golden Eras, times that you have just missed which are eulogised about for years to come. As far as menswear is concerned the Golden Age of the fashion magazine has to be the last two decades of the 20th Century. Pioneering new titles such as The Face, i-D and Arena all started up in the 1980’s and literally turned everything upside down. Inspiration came from the streets, real people from all backgrounds were cast as models and the images that were created deified convention and filtered up to influence the fashion industry in a whole new way.

Marcus was lucky enough to be working at the coal face of this mine of creativity albeit during the sunset period before the dawn of digital. By 2003 he was theFashion Editor of i-D magazine with a fist full of contacts that such a position bestows. Vice magazine lured Marcus away and offered him a role that was more concerned with business development and an understanding of the nuts and bolts ofmagazine production. However, the behemoth that is the internet was starting to flex its muscles, extending its limbs into all of our lives. Those publishers with foresight saw the impending peril and cleverly prepared to jump ship or at least straddle theold and new vehicles of content delivery.

Marcus was one of the wise and in 2009 started his own magazine online. At thetime the idea of creating something as beautiful as an art directed magazine for consumption on line was anathema. For a start only four fonts were available to use and Moses was still the only bearer of a tablet. Starting as so many pioneers before him, Marcus took to his kitchen table armed with only immense enthusiasm and a desire to do for his generation what the likes of The Buffalo Boys had done for theirs.

Jocks and Nerds was the working title Marcus gave to his magazine subtitled ‘Style, History, Culture’. The idea was to create a dialectic discourse exploring the almost Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomies within us all and implicit in the title. As well as creating content himself Marcus commissioned writers and photographers to shine a light on subcultures exploring their roots and desires as well as explaining theintricacies of their dress codes. As with all good London scenes fans would meet in Shoreditch pubs and clubs in the days when the area could still be described as edgy and Marcus would impress with his skills behind the decks. These night were always amusing as cliques would mingle, some on Vespas others on fixie bikes, some in leathers and others in tweeds.

The success of the digital magazine, in terms of subscribers and readers led Marcus to travel full cycle and defy current trends by publish a print edition. It was at this time that I would often bump in to Marcus around Soho with a fully loaded trolley of copies destined for ‘in the know’ outlets where eagerly awaiting fans would be hanging out.

Producing a monthly magazine independently is no easy task and a while back Marcus had to put the whole thing on hold, but as they say ‘You can’t keep a good man down’, Jocks and Nerds is returning. Join us on the 16th May from 6pm – 8pm to pick up the latest copy for the newly launched magazine and to hear from its curator Marcus Agerman Ross.

Please RSVP here.

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

P.S – *SAVE THE DATE*

Marylebone Food Festival is on from the 24th – 28th April, to find out more and explore the world of food in our local area, follow this link:
https://www.marylebonefoodfestival.com/

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Shining at The Golden Shears

The Golden Shears award is the country’s most prestigious tailoring competition taking place bi-annually at the great Merchant Taylors’ livery hall in the heart of London.

The competition was set up in 1974 and for the last twenty years has been focusing on the talents of trainee tailors and apprentices from all over the UK. It is a huge honour to be selected as one of the 24 finalists for the awards night. During the evening the tailored creations are presented in a professional catwalk show to a panel of the most highly regarded tailors and stylists. Marks are awarded for technical ability as well as for design flair. The students have to create a garment entirely on their own from the conception through to cutting and sewing and since the recent renaissance in tailoring the competition has become extraordinarily tough.

This year Leisha Parlour a 20 year old South Londoner on a Bespoke Tailoring course at the London College of Fashion was very excited to use our reflective ‘Red Raver Wave‘ and ‘The Cyclist‘ fabric for her competition piece. She tailored a fabulous ladies trouser suit with bias cut patch pockets on both the jacket and trousers and other features such as pleated shoulders which enable maximum movement and comfort.

Many of her friends are skateboarders inspiring Leisha to create what she describes as casual bespoke tailoring, taking elements from both baggy skater styles and classic tailoring. The beautifully tailored piece took months of work and received great praise at the event. Leisha has work experience booked with the Italian tailor Riedizione this summer and then another year of study before she would like to work as a cutter for a major fashion house. We wish her all the best!

All the very best,

The Dashing Team

Unlined Jackets for Spring!

You may have noticed that a new form of clothing has been conceived recently; the shacket.

This bastard offspring of a shirt and jacket is actually starting to gain a popular reputation amongst the sartorially conscious, and probably rightly so. As the climate ameliorates and gadgets proliferate, men are left with the dilemma of choosing between pockets or a man bag. Since girdle pouches of the renaissance, stylish men have struggled to elegantly carry everyday stuff, if you are French then it’s just possible to carry off one of those small wrist worn handbags but for the rest of us pockets are a necessity.

A jacket with pockets was one of the most seminally useful items of clothing to have ever been invented and unless you happen to be a sporran wearing Scot nigh on essential.

Whilst untucked shirts sporting pockets can to some extent impersonate a jacket you are better off with the real thing in a light form, and this brings us to our made to measure unlined jackets.

These jackets are beautifully tailored and bestowed with no less than five functioning pockets. Instead of a heavy construction hidden behind a lining the jackets are simply tailored with the exposed edges of the seams elegantly sewn over with a fine lining of your colour choice. By the nature of the pattern the external pockets are patch ones as used on classic cricket or rowing blazers but the internal ones are able to be fastened securely with buttons.

Our new summer fabrics in fine Merino wool are ideal for unlined jackets being strong enough to hold their shape yet let enough to avoid overheating.

To find out more do drop us an email at Holly@DashingTweeds.co.uk, or pop in to our store at 47 Dorset Street.

All the very best,

The Dashing Team