Monday, 9 January 2017
Research; 60s style
Thom Sweeney's house style is largely based on the 60s aesthetic, some specific details they include in their suits are;
- slightly wider lapels
- slightly shorter jacket
- slightly shorter trousers
- trademark horseshoe waistcoat
Since I'm doing womenswear, I will have to find a way to include at least some of these trademark factors into a ladies bespoke suit.
The 60s was an iconic era for women, women were starting to get jobs, not just stay in as a housewife.
Iconic 60s women;
- Jean Shrimpton - one of the world’s first supermodels, appeared on the cover of countless magazines, helped launch the miniskirt, part of new era of skinny long-legged models. Iconic fringe and pout.
- Aretha Franklin - The Queen of Soul, first female performer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- Audrey Hepburn - most iconic role was as Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffany’s in 1961. The little black dress she wears at the beginning of the film defined LBDs forever.
- Charlotte Rampling - became an international style icon due to brazen minidresses and creative pattern situations.
- Mary Quant - She pioneered the miniskirt and hot pants, and encouraged women to treat fashion as a fun game and dress to make themselves happy. About the miniskirt, she said, “It was the girls on the King’s Road who invented the mini. I was making easy, youthful, simple clothes, in which you could move, in which you could run and jump and we would make them the length the customer wanted. I wore them very short and the customers would say, ‘Shorter, shorter.’”
- Cilla Black - Most famous for the crackling single “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” English singer and actress Cilla Black was a style icon everywhere in the universe.
- Elke Sommer - The German-born sex symbol was one of the most popular pinup girls in the ’60s, posing for Playboy twice in 1964 and 1967.
- Jacqueline Kennedy - The first lady of our hearts managed to maintain her impeccable, influential style throughout her time in the White House and even as she lived through unimaginable tragedy. Her look managed to combine the grace and elegance of classic looks with a charming youthful sensibility that she maintained for her entire life.
- Ursula Andress - Swiss-born Ursula Andress was best known for her role as Bond girl Honey Rider in the very first James Bond film, Dr. No, where her white bikini made her a sex symbol and a star. She was quoted as saying, “This bikini made me into a success.” In 1965, she posed for Playboy and when asked why, simply replied “Because I’m beautiful.”
- Brigitte Bardot - A world-famous French bombshell and actress who was the subject of a 1959 Simone de Beauvoir essay declaring her a “locomotive of women’s history” and the most liberated woman of post-war France. Bardot’s style was unabashedly sexy.
- Twiggy - Teenage supermodel Lesley Lawson (née Hornby), better known as “Twiggy,” was declared “The Face of ‘66” after agreeing to get her hair cropped short by celebrity hairdresser Leonard. Her signature look was both boyish and whimsically feminine; a stick-thin figure, the haircut, exaggeratedly long fake eyelashes, and adorable boxy short dresses.
- Audrey Hepburn - most iconic role was as Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffany’s in 1961. The little black dress she wears at the beginning of the film defined LBDs forever.
- Charlotte Rampling - became an international style icon due to brazen minidresses and creative pattern situations.
- Mary Quant - She pioneered the miniskirt and hot pants, and encouraged women to treat fashion as a fun game and dress to make themselves happy. About the miniskirt, she said, “It was the girls on the King’s Road who invented the mini. I was making easy, youthful, simple clothes, in which you could move, in which you could run and jump and we would make them the length the customer wanted. I wore them very short and the customers would say, ‘Shorter, shorter.’”
- Cilla Black - Most famous for the crackling single “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” English singer and actress Cilla Black was a style icon everywhere in the universe.
- Elke Sommer - The German-born sex symbol was one of the most popular pinup girls in the ’60s, posing for Playboy twice in 1964 and 1967.
- Jacqueline Kennedy - The first lady of our hearts managed to maintain her impeccable, influential style throughout her time in the White House and even as she lived through unimaginable tragedy. Her look managed to combine the grace and elegance of classic looks with a charming youthful sensibility that she maintained for her entire life.
- Ursula Andress - Swiss-born Ursula Andress was best known for her role as Bond girl Honey Rider in the very first James Bond film, Dr. No, where her white bikini made her a sex symbol and a star. She was quoted as saying, “This bikini made me into a success.” In 1965, she posed for Playboy and when asked why, simply replied “Because I’m beautiful.”
- Brigitte Bardot - A world-famous French bombshell and actress who was the subject of a 1959 Simone de Beauvoir essay declaring her a “locomotive of women’s history” and the most liberated woman of post-war France. Bardot’s style was unabashedly sexy.
- Twiggy - Teenage supermodel Lesley Lawson (née Hornby), better known as “Twiggy,” was declared “The Face of ‘66” after agreeing to get her hair cropped short by celebrity hairdresser Leonard. Her signature look was both boyish and whimsically feminine; a stick-thin figure, the haircut, exaggeratedly long fake eyelashes, and adorable boxy short dresses.
Monday, 2 January 2017
Research; Thom Sweeney
- Thom Sweeney is a combination of the names and minds of Thom Whiddett and Luke Sweeney.
- Thom Whiddett was an apprentice cutter at Timothy Everest. Luke Sweeney was the head of Timothy Everest’s made to measure department.
- They joined together in 2006, setting up in a room in London’s Mayfair, where they took private orders.
- Thom Sweeney’s first official store opened in 2009 in a former art gallery on Weighhouse Street.
- Their ready-to-wear range launched in 2013, with Mr Porter as an exclusive partner.
- They opened a second store on Bruton Place in 2014.
- Thom Sweeney is now an internationally recognised name, with their tailors travelling as far as New York, Stockholm and Geneva to meet clients.
- Thom Sweeney are the biggest employers of apprentices recruited from Newham College. These apprentices learn from master tailors at Thom Sweeney, ready to be part of the next generation of craftspeople.
"Whether bespoke, made-to-measure or ready-to-wear, the process starts with a conversation. They’ll listen to your needs and give you a drink before offering their expertise.
Like their stores and approach, the Thom Sweeney cut is simultaneously relaxed yet polished. The soft, Italianate shoulder feels natural, comfortable and relevant; at the same time, the chest is canvassed for structure and the waist nipped in flatteringly, as is the British custom. In short, the best of both worlds.
The sophisticated yet comfortable design and construction of Thom Sweeney suits encapsulates the British Savile Row aesthetic, whilst adding a contemporary twist.
Sweeney explains, "We've got our house cut, but we're open minded, it's not our way or the highway. We come from a British tailor, but we enjoy mixing styles." This combination of an inherently flexible, soft house style and an open-minded attitude has been the key to the Thom Sweeney look ever since.
The Thom Sweeney look is known for its versatility and deft use of understated colour and texture. This creates a suit which embodies a contemporary take on the classic British silhouette, with slightly wider lapels and iconic English roped shoulders, but with a significantly softer armhole and chest, reflecting the Italian style.
They have opened up the bespoke market to a younger generation of men.
The stores;
The brand is heavily stylized by film and celebrity culture from the the 1960s. This is conveyed through the store's decor with pictures of celebrity icons, stag heads, leather seating and general rustic vibe. There is also a small bar area where beverages such as whiskey are offered to clients during consultations. This all gives off a suave and sophisticated feeling, putting the client at ease.
On the site of a former art gallery, the flagship Thom Sweeney store is the home of their bespoke garments. There are workshops and cutting rooms upstairs and in the basement so the process is visible throughout. The interior evokes a classic gentleman’s club, and is designed to make clients feel at home.
Each shop is permanently filled with dynamic, sharp-suited guys, all of whom are thoroughly well versed in the mood of contemporary tailored menswear.
Market position;
- Offering bespoke, made-to-measure and ready to wear, Thom Sweeney have broadened their market enabling customers who can’t afford bespoke but still want amazing quality to be able to purchase their garments. Selling ready-to-wear garments means clients have the option to style themselves more casually within Thom Sweeney's collections, for example wearing their bespoke trousers with a ready-to-wear jumper. Other ready-to-wear options are knit wear, accessories, chinos, shirts and casual jackets.
Thom Sweeney are a fairly modern tailors. They keep designs classic and timeless but add a contemporary feel. A mix between British and Italian tailoring, they hit the right balance of tradition and modernity. This opens the market to younger clientele or older men looking to make their style more contemporary. Although their attitude to design is slightly more relaxed, clients still receive top quality suits constructed using traditional craft methods.
Clientele;
- Clients generally aged 30 and below, though older clients have grown with the business.
- Some clients who were previously with Timothy Everest followed Luke and Tom over to Thom Sweeney in 2006.
- Majority male clients though they do make bespoke women’s suits upon request but this is not advertised.
- Some famous faces that adorn Thom Sweeney;
- David Beckham
- Kit Harington
- Eddie Redmayne
- Michael Fassbender
- David Gandy
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- Matt Smith
- Bradley Cooper
Sunday, 1 January 2017
New Term, New Project
This term we have an industry project, working with Thom Sweeney, a tailors located in Mayfair. I studied them last year for one of my projects and I fell in love with their suits! They're more contemporary than Savile Row tailors, and a mix of British and Italian tailoring. When I visited their shop last time they were very welcoming, letting me wander round and take pictures, some other tailoring stores I've visited weren't as kind.
At the end of the project, 2 placements are available at Thom Sweeney and I really really want one of them! We've got to do an industry placement in the second half of the third term which I need to get a placement for so this would be ideal.
I'm not entirely sure what my career plans are for when I finish uni, so the placement I choose will hopefully give me a better idea of which path I want to take. I've wanted to go into dressmaking for a long time, but since studying tailoring I've really enjoyed making mens suits, though I like women's suits too! So I'm really confused...
I don't particularly want to work on Savile Row, though certain tailors I wouldn't mind working for. I also would ultimately have to decide whether I wanted to be a cutter or a coat maker, or a finisher. Being a cutter would entail: meeting clients, measuring, drafting patterns, cutting patterns, fitting, recutting. Being a coat maker would entail: constructing garments, pockets etc. Being a finisher would entail: hand sewing, e.g. stab stitching, D-tacks, buttonholes, buttons, and the final press. I'm leaning towards wanting to be a cutter at the moment, though I like the idea of being a coat maker too. And I quite enjoy making trousers so I could potentially be a freelance trouser maker, meaning I could be working with tailors both on and off Savile Row, but not being tied to just one place. My ultimate goal would be to own my own business, perhaps for tailored womenswear and/or tailored menswear or (and this has long been my dream) bridal! I've kinda had the idea that I could run a business in partnership with someone else on my course, me making bridal and prom wear, and them making men's suits, so we could serve the needs of both the bride and groom (or bride/bride & groom/groom). But obviously I can't just start a business when I finish uni, with all that debt and zero business experience! But only time will tell...
At the end of the project, 2 placements are available at Thom Sweeney and I really really want one of them! We've got to do an industry placement in the second half of the third term which I need to get a placement for so this would be ideal.
I'm not entirely sure what my career plans are for when I finish uni, so the placement I choose will hopefully give me a better idea of which path I want to take. I've wanted to go into dressmaking for a long time, but since studying tailoring I've really enjoyed making mens suits, though I like women's suits too! So I'm really confused...
I don't particularly want to work on Savile Row, though certain tailors I wouldn't mind working for. I also would ultimately have to decide whether I wanted to be a cutter or a coat maker, or a finisher. Being a cutter would entail: meeting clients, measuring, drafting patterns, cutting patterns, fitting, recutting. Being a coat maker would entail: constructing garments, pockets etc. Being a finisher would entail: hand sewing, e.g. stab stitching, D-tacks, buttonholes, buttons, and the final press. I'm leaning towards wanting to be a cutter at the moment, though I like the idea of being a coat maker too. And I quite enjoy making trousers so I could potentially be a freelance trouser maker, meaning I could be working with tailors both on and off Savile Row, but not being tied to just one place. My ultimate goal would be to own my own business, perhaps for tailored womenswear and/or tailored menswear or (and this has long been my dream) bridal! I've kinda had the idea that I could run a business in partnership with someone else on my course, me making bridal and prom wear, and them making men's suits, so we could serve the needs of both the bride and groom (or bride/bride & groom/groom). But obviously I can't just start a business when I finish uni, with all that debt and zero business experience! But only time will tell...
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