musings of a - bespoke tailors of savile row, london · breasted green suit coat makes a most...

Travel Essentials

MUSINGS OF A SEASONED TRAVELLER

For more than sixty years I have had the pleasure of travelling around the world to meet our clients and fit them for bespoke suits.

Of course, for many years before our Richard Anderson journey began, I had been visiting the USA and beyond. When I started travelling, there were no jet engines, plane journeys from New York to London were close to twelve hours, not six or seven like they are today.

I joined Huntsman as a 16-year-old in February 1955, fresh out of college, where I was studying textiles; by August that year I was asked to go to America on a six-week trip to shadow our Sales Manager. As a seventeen-year-old of course I leapt at the chance. I wasn’t sure if my father would allow me to go however, not knowing that that decision had already been made for me; before telling me about it they had contacted him and requested permission; it was a nice surprise.

Not long after, we travelled out on the Queen Mary with two trunks, six suitcases and our personal luggage; The amount of luggage certainly warranted the two of us going.

My first trip to the United States lasted only six weeks, however the Sales Manager was there for four and a half months. There started my love affair with travel and tailoring, the opportunities it gave me to meet amazing people and the rewarding nature of the work. Travel and business has changed; we no longer need to travel by boat across the pond, we can hop on a plane and be half way around the world and straight into a meeting without too much of a thought.

I have taken my lifetime’s experience into account when developing our clothing and travel accessories range; if you spend a third of your time travelling, it is important to do it in both comfort and style, so this brochure showcases cloths and products that are perfect companions, whether for travel around the world, or just for the daily commute.

Richard and I hope you enjoy it and we look forward to making your travels a pleasure.

Featured here are two wools before they have been treated. You can see the difference between the Cheviot (top) and the Merino wool (bottom) , with the Cheviot showing its coarser fibre and thread density.

RICHARD ANDERSON TRAVEL ITINERARY

We have always admired the virtues and character of Cheviot wool as many of our customers know; over the years we have introduced many variations and our customers have enjoyed the suits and jackets we have made. This natural fibre comes from a breed of sheep found in the rugged and windswept landscape of North Northumberland and the Scottish borders; the area is exposed and the winter climate intemperate. The Cheviot grows a coat suitable to protect it in these conditions and the wool is eminently suitable for the rugged needs of tweed. The cloths vary in weight from a medium-weight 12-13 oz up to a heavy-weight 17-18 oz

We have now sourced a beautiful wool worsted travel suiting that has a wonderful handle, with a resistance to creasing, durability and all-round performance that makes it ideal for travel. Medium-weight and with a wealth of shades to choose from, it is ideal for making up as a suit or blazer. The brilliant cobalt blue featured overleaf shows the character and richness of this great fabric and how well it takes colour; it is a natural choice for those of us at Richard Anderson who travel and we know it will be a firm favourite for those of our clients who have the same needs.

CHEVIOT WOOL


This new Cheviot wool worsted is available in the most beautiful colours. This exceptional wool cloth is a favourite of our customers for its wonderful handle, but is not normally seen in such stunning colours.

Navy blue is traditional and present in every wardrobe as it partners well with other colours, however we have found a brighter, cobalt blue with a depth of luminosity that makes the cloth almost glow. It has become an immediate customer favourite.

The Cheviot cloths come from the rugged hills of North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, where the sheep have been bred to resist the inclement weather over many hundreds of years. The cloth is resistant to creasing, so this is a suit you can travel cross-country in and still arrive looking crisp.

COBALT BLUE CHEVIOT SUIT

CHEVIOT TWEED JACKET

Here one can truly see the subtlety of the Cheviot tweed. This soft grey pattern makes a striking casual jacket or suit, the classic clean lines of the Anderson Cut combine with the complexity of the tonal shades in this single colour cloth to create a coat that is simple and yet wonderfully textured in both appearance and feel.

The model here is a 17oz Cheviot, shown in our classic button one style, with two vents, jetted pockets and notch lapel.


RACING GREEN SUPER 120S WORSTED SUIT

This glorious green is a deep shade with a richness that is irresistible, in a cloth that is versatile as well as practical and light-weight. This bold colour will make a striking addition to your travelling wardrobe.

This cloth performs exceptionally well in hot weather and when travelling; it is cool and comforting as it is a fine cloth of only 10-11oz in weight. Our suits are perfectly complemented by our range of accessories; our silk hank in a deep racing green with flecks of yellow sits beautifully in the top pocket to bring out the richness of the cloth; our grenadine silk ties have become very popular for travel.

For more information about the Cheviot and the Super 120, visit our web site to read the full story; on the web site you can also browse and buy our range of accessories.

VENTILE™ RAINCOATS

The water resistant Ventile™ fabric, developed by scientists at the Shirley Institute in Manchester, was a revolution that protected the pilots from immediate soaking and extended life expectancy to 20 minutes. The fabric became a staple supply for the RAF and is still used in RAF and NATO flight suits. One of the problems with raincoats today is the lack of style; Richard has applied his own unique styling to these raincoats; you will clearly see our distinctive cut, high in the armhole, waisted and with a certain flair.

Our raincoats are light-weight and perfect for wearing over a suit on rainy days, offering protection and comfort. We are delighted to offer them in the two colour-ways shown here.


CASHMERE OVERCOAT

Our overcoat is a pure navy cashmere that boasts both incredible comfort and warmth as well as being lightweight, perfect for any travel, walk or a chilly winter’s day. It features buttoned cuffs, two large outer pockets and is available immediately as a ready-to-wear, or can be made bespoke to your specifications in a small range of colours (blue, grey, black, camel).

Not only has travel changed - but everything

about a fitting has changed too. Today our

phones can carry out many a complex task with

one touch of a screen. so far removed from how

we worked in the 50s.


PICTURES FROM MONTREAL

Montreal is a beautiful city and full of wonderful sights, sounds, and bitterly cold winters.

When I first started to travel to Montreal, we took measurments and posture notes so that we could cut our customers’ clothing on our return to England. Being very interested in amateur photography, I thought this process would be much improved by taking photographs during the fittings, so I included this idea in our trips. In the days before digital cameras we needed the camera, the shoe and a bulb for each photo. This meant travelling around with a full case of bulbs, batteries, a tripod, two trunks, my own luggage and goodness knows what else.

As we needed a bulb for each photo, we would run out if we were particularly busy, so finding new bulbs while on the road became a routine feature of our trips. In addition, we needed to get our photos processed to ensure that we had taken them correctly (no use finding this out in England!). On one occasion I found myself wandering the streets of Montreal for hours in -20°C (-4°F), trying to find somewhere to get them processed; not an ideal scenario when I needed to be on a train the following day; there was no one-hour photo processing in those days either.

We got there in the end, although I was lucky not be returning with frostbite. Thank goodness for the evolution of digital photography and cloud storage; our fitting photographs are now in our London showroom for the tailors to see within minutes of being taken; perhaps next year we will live-stream our fittings to the tailors!

GREEN LINEN SUITDUCK EGG COAT/JACKET

This strikingly handsome double-breasted green suit coat makes a most beautiful addition to your wardrobe. It is made from the finest 10 oz. Irish linen and features the classic button two, show three front, double vents and two side patch pockets. The black piping enhances the rich green, making it ideal for summer evenings and sporting events and a pleasure to wear whilst you are travelling.

This natural fibre mix produces a most appealing appearance. The delicate duck egg blue is subtle and elegant. Cut in our single-breasted button one style, with double vents, this coat has two slant side pockets to complement the nature of the fabric, making it ideal for day or evening wear and for travel to warmer climes or for spring and summer. Dress it up or down with smart slacks or our exclusive Kurashiki denim jeans.


The Richard Anderson accessories collection continues to grow with silk handkerchiefs, our grenadine silk ties, and our new range of cufflinks; they are all made exclusively for Richard Anderson in the United Kingdom. We welcome you to view our constantly changing collection of accessories on our web site, where they are all available for purchase and delivery to your home.

Made in England exclusively for us and marked with our name, our beautiful hanks are made from rich silk, with paisley motifs and geometric patterns that are visually interesting and allow these beautiful silk squares to be worn both formally and casually.

We understand the importance of impeccable details. Our beautiful ties are hand-rolled in England from high-twist silk yarns woven on traditional wooden looms, ensuring an unparalleled handle and depth of colour.

ACCESSORIES

HANDKERCHIEFS

TIES

Created exclusively for us and hand-made in London by makers famed for their pioneering of the stainless steel mechanism. Our collection features ten different handles of the finest woods including whangee and malacca. The 9ct gold collars bearing our name can be personalised with your initials for a small extra charge. You can view and order the full range on our website and we will be pleased to discuss your requirements for personalisation.

Our range of socks has been made especially for us. Such a simple item, but our customers have come to love them. They are available in a veritable rainbow of colours, from sober dark greys and blues through to vibrant reds and purples. The socks are 75% cotton and 25% elastane, offering perfect comfort combined with practicality. You can place orders for our socks online through our web site.

UMBRELLAS SOCKS


These beautiful bags are made exclusively for us in England, using our Anniversary Tweeds. They are trimmed with English hide, canvas lined, with zipper pocket one side, open pocket the other, shoulder strap and brass fittings. They are ideal for weekend travel. The leather plate can be blind, silver or gold embossed with your name or initials, or a family crest. This range was inspired by comments made about the bags made for Brian’s own use; a true case of customer demand leading innovation.

We advise our customers to care for their clothes, prolonging their life and appearance. Many take advantage of our cleaning, sponging and pressing services. With this in mind, every suit or coat we supply is offered in a garment bag. The most frequent request for advice is how to protect clothing from the common clothes moth. A great method of keeping your clothes moth-free is to store them in our garment bags with sachets of lavender; there is full advice on our web site,

TRAVEL BAGS SUIT BAGS

BOSTON CHILLS

In the days when our travel across the United States was by train, we had a long itinerary and had to buy tickets for each leg of our four-month trip.

One year, when travelling with good friend Ken Barnett from Rowes of Bond Street, Fred Lintott OBE and I went to the station in Boston; it was a chilly -11°C; after dropping Ken off at his hotel, Fred and I made our way across Boston Common to our hotel.

On the way I began to feel unwell; the icy wind had cut through to my bones and had left me quite delirious. Fred, very concerned at my pale-ness, managed to get me back to the hotel where he put me to bed and called a doctor. I awoke to a loud voice and a thermometer; the doctor was moving it to and from his eyes, perplexed by the level of my fever. After warmth and lengthy rest my colour returned and I was able to con-tinue my journey.

I found out much later that the good doctor had been pulled away from his dinner, at which he had enjoyed many glasses of good red wine and a little whisky; his apparent confusion at the level of my fever was merely a difficulty in focussing. This experience and those long trips taught me many things, not least that it is always good to travel with friends and that being suitably dressed for every climate is not a luxury, it is essential. I have been snowed in many times since, but I have never been caught out again by the cold.

Richard Anderson Ltd - Bespoke Tailors Sherborne House • 13 Savile Row • London W1S 3PH+44 (0)20 7734 0001 [email protected] www.richardandersonltd.com

musings of a - bespoke tailors of savile row, london · breasted green suit coat makes a most...

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