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.

Most people just take their jackets off mate.

Or have a Gentleman's Gentleman to do it for you!

Another one to consider is Brioni, if you like the Italian style - really soft, brilliantly cut.

And ridiculously expensive for a RtW suit, Canali & Zegna are in a similar bracket, you also need the build of a racing snake to wear them properly

Quote And ridiculously expensive for a RtW suit, Canali & Zegna are in a similar bracket, you also need the build of a racing snake to wear them properly'" Pretty sure Brioni does MtM (Kiton too). When the Pound was strong, you could get their second hand RtW jackets from Europe cheaply on eBay. "The Chap" magazine's Web site has a list of tailors and vintage clothing stores. Includes Savvy Row (sic) and Vintage Whistles thechap.net/content/section_links/index.html

Quote And ridiculously expensive for a RtW suit, Canali & Zegna are in a similar bracket, you also need the build of a racing snake to wear them properly'" Pretty sure Brioni does MtM (Kiton too). When the Pound was strong, you could get their second hand RtW jackets from Europe cheaply on eBay. "The Chap" magazine's Web site has a list of tailors and vintage clothing stores. Includes Savvy Row (sic) and Vintage Whistles thechap.net/content/section_links/index.html

That is a great web site by the way with some fantastic user names.
I notice you are on there

Quote ="tw15" Pretty sure Brioni does MtM (Kiton too). When the Pound was strong, you could get their second hand RtW jackets from Europe cheaply on eBay.'" You still can but charity shops are usually cheaper Quote ="tw15""The Chap" magazine's Web site has a list of tailors and vintage clothing stores. Includes Savvy Row (sic) and Vintage Whistles thechap.net/content/section_links/index.html'" No need when I can get something like this for £6.99 John Lester bespoke (works out of Harvie & Hudson), fine weave English wool, fishtail pants, working cuffs. In immaculate condition, just needs my seamstress to take an inch or so out of the waist & chest, the shoulders fit perfectly, so that shouldn't be a big job. Here's my latest find from eBay: Savile Row tailored, Isle of Islay tweed, fits like a glove

Quote ="tw15" Pretty sure Brioni does MtM (Kiton too). When the Pound was strong, you could get their second hand RtW jackets from Europe cheaply on eBay.'" You still can but charity shops are usually cheaper Quote ="tw15""The Chap" magazine's Web site has a list of tailors and vintage clothing stores. Includes Savvy Row (sic) and Vintage Whistles thechap.net/content/section_links/index.html'" No need when I can get something like this for £6.99 John Lester bespoke (works out of Harvie & Hudson), fine weave English wool, fishtail pants, working cuffs. In immaculate condition, just needs my seamstress to take an inch or so out of the waist & chest, the shoulders fit perfectly, so that shouldn't be a big job. Here's my latest find from eBay: Savile Row tailored, Isle of Islay tweed, fits like a glove

Cod'ead you must be the best dressed customer in that boozer you frequent.

It has been said, mostly (someone else's) bespoke too. I'm now looking for a pair of Trickers Stow brogue boots but they're proving difficult to find at the right price, especially in an 11.5UK

Now you're talking ... Trickers are fantastic boots.
Trouble is, I've never seen them at prices that could be called cheap, despite substantial reductions, and I won't wear shoes/boots that someone else has broken-in.

I wear brogues/boots most of the time and have a long-nurtured love of tweed.
Looking around at passers-by at Waterloo this morning, it seemed that fashion has caught up with what I have always liked.
When fashion moves on, I'll still be wearing it.

Fashion is transient, style is timeless

I'll have to have a word with Ian Paver. Pav always sorted me out with Loakes at a good price, they're not in Trickers league but I found a last number that fits me perfectly and all I'd do is phone him up and then arrange to collect them from whatever shop I happened to be close to. As far as breaking in is concerned, you'd be surprised at how many pairs of quality shoes can be found that have been worn once, if that. Emma recently blagged a pair of Lobb's for £25, when they arrived, I reckon the sole had the scratches that evidenced one outing, there wasn't even a hint of creasing to the uppers.

First it was Trickers and now Lobb.
Behave, I'm drooling here.

Worn once ... I could cope with that.

They now have a factory shop on eBay.
Not absolute giveaway bargains but cheaper than normal retail.

Is that factory shop in India?

'cos that's where many Loakes are now made, I think even the English Bench Made are cut in India now