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Wool Week October 8-21st

Since the formation of Campaign for Wool by The Prince of Wales in 2010, the company has promoted globally the multifarious benefits of wool, ranging from its versatility in clothing, use in thermal house insulation and its inherent sustainability. As a result the public is slowly becoming more aware of the role wool plays in everyday life from luxury tailoring, carpeting and saddle cloths.

Today, the global endeavour that is Campaign for Wool is growing faster than ever. Wider awareness and international visibility has lead to a host of events, talks and pop-ups across the UK ranging from a Wool and the Gang workshop in Covent Garden to a West Yorkshire Spinners trunk show in Wakefield.

Weaving is one of the most rudimentary industries of Britain yet the varieties of woven cloth designs have dwindled over the years. At Dashing, luxury menswear is restored through vibrant colour palettes and complex yarns amalgamated with wool. With a weave design studio in North East London headed up by the Fabric Design Director, Kirsty McDougall, Dashing also works with the best mills in the country to produce cloth. Wool has always been at the core of Dashing’s brand since the beginning, as it is ideal for suiting and a brilliant fibre to dye and weave and the heritage cloth indigenous to the UK.

As the climate in the UK ameliorates so wool yarns from native flocks become finer, some British wools are now almost compariable to Merino wools which have become so popular due to their long fine fibres creating such desirable fabrics. Through the Campaign for Wool, the interest in these exclusive British sheep is increasing and Dashing is planning on bringing you ‘single estate’ collections coming soon.

Due to the richness of events, Campaign for Wool have had to organise a 16 day week as there are so many participants this year. Marking its ninth year running, Wool Week is on until October 21st, so to get the chance to visit any workshops or events do check out the schedule here.

If you would like to book a Made to Measure appointment to add a dash of British wool to your wardrobe, please visit us on 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or drop us an email at holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk

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Tailors Uncovered: Edward Sexton

For sheer rock n’ roll sex appeal combined with a timeless elegance and impeccable tailoring there is only one man to visit, Edward Sexton.

His sculptural forms have been worn by iconic stars of the twentieth century from the Beatles to Twiggy. Mick and Bianca Jagger were married in matching white trouser suits cut by Edward, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss regularly partied in his suits and now-a-days Harry Styles is often seen in a hallmark Sexton suit in bright fuchsia.

Edward made his name whilst working for Tommy Nutter. At the time in the early 1970’s bespoke tailoring and high fashion still went very much hand in hand and the team at Nutters of Savile Row created an architectural style with a strong rope shoulder, wide peaked lapels, high arm holes and a long waisted one button jacket that when combined with the panache of the customers set the era alight.

Not only men flocked to have suits cut by Edward, Twiggy with her gamine beauty, started a whole new trend for ladies tailoring and the body fit required to accentuate a feminine form through mens tailoring methods meant that Edward had to develop patterns and a fit that hugged the body like no other.

Refining his skills and with a list of eager customers Edward decided to move closer to where they lived, setting up his atelier in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge. Now with the help of his two right hand men Dominic and Peter as well as his grandson Henry the house is still thriving with a busy workshop and keen apprentices eager to learn skills that only Edward can teach.

Dominic Sebag-Montefiore joined over ten years ago after working with Maurice Sedwell as a trouser cutter and now as well as cutting many of the suits he helps manage their offshore ‘bespoke’, a chance to snap up a Sexton suit for a deal less then the in house ones. Interestingly chatting with Dominic, he sees a whole new desire for tailoring by the younger generation.

The creative and tech industries have turned things on their head, as “athleisure” has replaced the suit at work so tailoring has become the choice for nights out and weekends. Without the constraints of dull greys and navy the choice of colour and cloth is more important. Time to pay Edward a visit and add an iconic Dashing x Sexton suit to the wardrobe.

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Tailors Uncovered: Kathryn Sargent

Having a suit tailored by Kathryn Sargent is the most creative and collaborative process. She is fascinated by the psychology of tailoring, how a suit can become an extension of your personality or a projection of your chosen image. Through discussions and observation on the way you move and walk Kathryn is able to make you anything you could possibly desire, from Edwardian styled frock coats and riding habits to unstructured travel jackets. There is no doubt that she has the skills and training to tailor for men and women at the highest possible Savile Row level.

This comes as no surprise when you learn that before Kathryn ventured out on her own she was the first ever female head cutter in the 200 year history of Savile Row, and not with any small outfit but with the iconic tailors at No1 Savile Row; Gieves and Hawkes.

Without realising it the road to the row was her destiny. Growing up in Leeds, the centre of Britain’s textile industry, cloth merchants and tailors were an everyday sight and bespoke suits were more of the norm. Kathryn was fascinated at how her father transformed for work by donning tailored suits, she felt an urge to create with textiles.

Being a ‘bit of a mod’ helped as the sharp lines and slick look of role models led to a desire for technical knowledge. Enrolling at Epsom Fashion College with the idea of becoming a fashion designer involved work experience at Denham and Goddardjust off Savile Row, the idea appealed not least because of Alexander McQueen’s success following training at Anderson and Sheppard. Arriving on the row Kathryn soon realised that just passing through was not enough; here was a place she never wanted to leave.

Eager, intelligent and interested Kathryn jumped at the chance when an opening as a trimmer at G&H under Peter O’Neill became available. At the time fifth generation Robert Gieves was still in the house and Kathryn marvelled at the way he related to customers, finding out exactly what they were looking for. The step up from trimming to striking out cloth, enabled Kathryn to start her journey through the ranks and to cut the story short by 2011 she was the head cutter of Gieves and Hawkes.

Always keen on learning more and relishing tailoring for even the most challanging body shapes Kathryn made the brave move to venture out on her own, taking a spare table at the classic tailoring house of Meyer and Mortimerin Sackville street. Here some of the most skilled of them all reside including the famously skilled Malcom Plews who was always happy to dispense his words of wisdom should pattern conundrums arise.

Coming from Leeds, Kathryn is always keen to champion British cloth, often steering her clients away from super soft expensive fabrics which are design with softness rather than longevity in mind. She is a great fan of our cloths, loving the “intelligent designs, innovative use of yarns and Britishness”. When I was last round several Dashing pieces were going through her workshop, one in our reflective raver for a lady who loves to cycle in town as well as dance the night away.

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The History of Colour

For men, wearing colour is much more than just a mood thing. You may be feeling blue or having the luck of a purple patch but the colour of your attire is much more important than mere whim.

We have lost the subtle associations of the value of colours over the years, the fact that to obtain enough purple dye for Marcus Aurelius’ toga, over 100,000 Murex snails had to be ‘milked’ of their prized mucous secretions puts this into perspective. Equally, cochineal red dye used for the red coats of British soldiers up until the mid 19th century relied on a small army of Mexican farmers. Eighty thousand insects, each about a half a centimetre long had to be prized off spiky cactus plants and ground up just for a kilo of dye. A worthwhile investment for army generals who choose red uniforms primarily to disguise blood stains of the wounded. The shocking sight of a bleeding friend could dampen the fervour of your assault.

Colours, now without monetary associations are still charged with social implications. I find it hard to look at bright orange with out thinking of Guantanamo Bay prisoners and softer shades of saffron cause an inverse Pavlovian response as my ears prick up for the passing bells of Hare Krishna’s. Yes, colour is fraught with so much social coding that it is understandable why many benighted folk retreat under the cover of black. To wear colour well you need a greater deal of sophistication than our average goth or chromatic objector, but the rewards are manifold and both your own life and those around you will be enriched.

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As with so many art forms learning a few simple rules makes it easier to get started on your polychromic journey. Music provides a good analogy, jumping into dissonant, twelve tone compositions is unlikely to win over your friends, even Boulez and Stockhausen started with simple scales. Leave a clash or even a riot of colour till your have mastered harmony. Start with a simple tone you like, all skins have different hues, it is easier to wear brighter colours if your skin is darker but perhaps start with your eyes and choose a darker shade of blue, green or brown. I have noticed that brighter blues have been becoming more popular over the last few years. The colour I call Pitti blue (after its popularity at the menswear shows in Florence) looks good on most people, it is more vibrant than navy and anything you with wear with it tends to pop out in a pleasing way. Our Seti cloth is slight brighter than navy and the colours of the Japanese yarn stripes are a great start for colour harmonies if you experiment with combinations of shirts, socks and neck wear.

Ties are a traditional way to apply colour as well as providing coded signals of your interests, clubs and education to the informed. Whilst I’m not advocating a change to traditional formality in the workplace, quite the opposite, I wish I saw more classic gents wearing three piece pinstripes, bowlers and red carnations when I visit the square mile, I do think that your off duty attire should become a time for you to enjoy playing with tonal compositions.

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The trend for brighter menswear is a last gathering pace again, not some much as in the love children of hippies but in the more sophisticated intercourse of tech sports wear and tailoring. Some have named this trend ‘Athleisure’ a bastardisation whose rightful heir is of course Dashing Tweeds.

If you have any questions or would like to book a Made to Measure appointment, please visit us on 47 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 7ND or drop us an email on holly@dashingtweeds.co.uk