“Take the colour out of the equation for a moment and it’s the subtle details that make this suit so special. Fred has shaped the lapels just so over the course of a couple of fittings; shaving and sculpting them into lines that are as flattering as can be. The spaced cuff buttons are lifted from mid-century Brooks Brothers illustrations, and together with patch pockets and the trousers’ distinctive hunting pockets, help this suit to feel ‘sporty’ enough to break up and wear as separates. It’s elegant, but relaxed.
Regular readers might remember that Timothy Everest made me a cashmere houndstooth sports coat last autumn, and one of the great joys of that project was how easy the whole team made things. The jacket was cut, fitted and perfected in a smooth six-week timeframe. Of course, lockdown got in the way this time around, but the team’s flexibility and efficiency has remained a joy from the perspective of a fussy customer. Fred just gets on with making a great suit; he knows his business and his craft – there are no dramas and no fuss. Tony offers a wealth of sartorial inspiration and exciting ideas for new orders – and always has a new cloth bunch to share with you, while Lee keeps everything running like clockwork. I really do feel that shows in Everest’s tailoring.”