Veddy, English, Cut

One of the blogs I occasionally look in on is Clive Thompson’s Collision Detection, which didn’t actually have anything too interesting recently, but pointed me to English Cut, the website of Thomas Mahon, a Savile Row tailor.

I am a fop. I’m actually a retired fop, at this point; I rarely dress up for anything, and I have settled into a look that is, whilst individuated, easily put together from parts found in an average mens’ clothier. Still, when set loose in London, I walked up Jermyn Street, marveling at the stuff in the windows, and took a turn onto Savile Row. By the way, if you haven’t been, it’s a great example of the presentation of English class. In Oxford Circus, signs scream SALE!; on Jermyn Street, signs admit to Reductions. On Savile Row, the signs admit to nothing. In Oxford Circus, the flashiest suits are displayed in large, well-lit windows; on Jermyn Street, staid suits are positioned in small, dimly lit windows. On Savile Row, you might get a squint at some magnificent bolts of cloth. On the other hand, you can see the various coats of arms. Trousers by appointment to his Majesty the Prince Consort, dontchaknow. It’s dreamy. Of course, I also stood outside a shop window at (if I recall correctly) the Burlington Arcade for half an hour, just looking at the waistcoats.

Still, considering how much I like clothes, I know very little about them. English Cut is teaching me a lot. And, even, making me think a bit. When I read

Regardless of your budget, whether we're talking about canvasses or buttonholes, I’d personally go for the coat that’s had the most human involvement. Even if the only difference is ten pounds (�10) in the cost, because it’s got the buttons sewn on by hand, that's what makes the difference. It was made by a person. There's a story behind it. It has an energy to it no machine can ever recreate. And this hold true whether you're spending �2000, or �20.

I was a bit skeptical. I’m always a bit skeptical when I read about any inanimate object having an energy, or an aura, or a vibe, even if it is meant metaphorically. On the other hand, it’s true that I like wearing handmade. I wear sweaters my mother knitted in 1983; I like wearing it, in part, because I know she knitted it. I have a magnificent tie made out of marbled silk; I only met the craftsmen at the fair where I bought the tie, but I’m awfully fond of the tie. It’s not reasonable, it’s not sensible to have an attachment to some bits of cloth that were stitched or woven by hand rather than machine, but it is part of my nature to anthropomorphize. A lot of people are like that. And for that, yes, perhaps it really is worth a few extra bucks to have an irrational affection for a bit of cloth around your shoulders.

Thank you,
-Vardibidian.