Escorial Wool – Rare Cloths of Royal Distinction
This single breasted, notch lapel jacket is cut in an undyed brown Escorial wool, using the natural undyed fiber of the Escorial sheep – a unique cloth, originating from the Spanish Royal flocks of El Escorial, producing a rare and luxurious wool. Small numbers of Escorial sheep are found today in Australian and New Zealand, with a history stretching back through centuries. In 1340 Spanish Royalty took possession of a unique flock, originating in the North African Mahgreb, to nurture on the Escorial plains north west of Madrid. The sheep became known as The Royal Escorial Flock when, in the sixteenth century,...
Gift Giving Made Easy
Elevate Your Gift Giving This Christmas. Our Creative Director, Oliver, has handpicked the finest festive gifts to suit every discerning recipient - these pieces promise to bring sophistication and style to the festive season.
Whether you’re gifting or treating yourself, discover a collection where craftsmanship meets elegance. Let us help you make this Christmas truly unforgettable.
Unpicking the Client Tailor Relationship, by Eric Twardzik
If you’re lucky in this life, you’ll experience a relationship with someone who builds up your strengths, soothes your insecurities, and knows every inch of your body. We are referring, of course, to the relationship between you and your tailor.
Hop to It: The Airy Appeal of Hopsack
As temperatures rise, those who aspire to dress well often look to linen. And while we don’t have a bad word to say about linen — we positively love Irish linen — we realize that its guaranteed-to-wrinkle nature isn’t for everyone.
Style Guide – A Need for Tweed Suits
This month’s style guide is dedicated to the considerations you should make when choosing tweed suits – a staple in the style conscious, modern man’s wardrobe. The tweed cloths we carry come from some of the finest British merchants, who to this day are the envy of woollen producers across the world.
The Ultimate Travel Suit
Cad & The Dandy New York teamed up with cloth merchant Gladson, selecting some key menswear influencers to create The Ultimate Travel Suits in Glasdon’s iconic Made in England Fresco cloth.
Here Comes the Cavalry: Charging Forward with Cavalry Twill
With the advent of cooler weather, it’s time to break out the tweeds and complementary trousers to go with them. We’re willing to bet your rotation already includes a pair of grey flannels..
How to Buy a Bespoke Overcoat
It’s worth remembering that a bespoke overcoat is the first thing people see. Plus, what’s the point in buying a beautifully tailored, bespoke suit, only to squash it underneath an ill-fitting overcoat
Style Guide – Combining Tailored Separates
Here at Cad & The Dandy we are seeing an increasing number of our customers investing in tailored separates. By far the most popular of these are jackets and trousers, as contemporary style evolves to determine that the regular business suit is not always the dominant uniform of the workplace.
How it Works: The Bespoke Essentials
Those new to the world of bespoke tailoring can often feel nervous when crossing our threshold for the first time. So, we’ve compiled a concise list of the bespoke essentials, taking you through every stage of bespoke suit, custom suit and bespoke shirt consultations.
Great Expectations: Embracing the Greatcoat
Much attention has been paid to the shrinkage of the suit over the last few decades, but trends and designers also directed their attentions to another key piece of the male wardrobe: the overcoat.
The Classic White Pocket Square
Gathering the building blocks of a contemporary bespoke wardrobe, we’re starting the year with a focus on the classic white pocket square. This is the pocket square for which there are no rules, working with every suit jacket, blazer and tie combination, in any color.
Morning Suit Etiquette
Formalwear can be a bit of a minefield and, with this in mind, we’ve put together a simple guide to traditional morning suit etiquette. The morning suit, also referred to as morning dress, remains a popular choice for weddings and other traditional events, as well as for days at the races.
WHITE TIE DRESS: THE EXPERTS’ GUIDE
Beginning with an interesting aside, it’s worth noting that the classic “white tie” outfit – top hat, tailcoat and the rest of it – started out at the end of the 18th century as sportswear, in the form of riding kit.
Bespoke Shirts – A Buyers Guide
Hand made in our Cad & The Dandy workshops from the finest cotton shirtings, every one of our bespoke shirts is the ultimate in premium quality. Rigorous quality checks are carried out at all stages of the cutting and making process to ensure the finished product is of the highest possible standard.
Bespoke Jackets – Fully Lined Vs Unlined
It’s a heated debate and with good reason. There are a few key points to consider when deciding on the internal finish of your bespoke jacket, amid many misconceptions about which option is best.
Bespoke Engineering: Jacket Pockets
In terms of the features that shape the appearance of a suit or sport jacket, pockets are secondary only to fabric and lapel shape. But while the difference between a notched or peak lapel is exclusively aesthetic, the decision to add a ticket pocket or go flapped vs patch is also a matter of functionality.
Wedding Suits – Marriage Guidance
Wedding suits play a big part in most wedding days. Traditional morning tails or contemporary frock coat? Dinner jacket, or eccentric individual style? Read our Marriage Guidance with the confidence to know that whatever look you decide upon, our complete wedding suits tailoring service will ensure you make the perfect groom.
Black Tie Etiquette
Not just for formal events, black tie is becoming evermore popular at weddings. Don’t know your cummerbunds from your dress stripes? We’ve put together this simple guide to help you navigate this sharpest of all the suiting looks.
Business Suits Guide
There are several elements to consider when choosing your business suits. The texture, quality and practicality of the cloth, the style, cut and fit, and of course a price to suit your budget. So, we’ve put this Business Suits Guide together to help you make the right choice.
The US Team / 2024
As we open our latest store in New York, we pay a visit and catch up with the team in Midtown, home to our new Ready to Wear store on Billionaire's Row.
New York / 2024
The fall of 2024 brings us to a new chapter in our history. With the opening of our first Ready to Wear store outside of Savile Row, we launch our AW24 collection on streets of W57 and our local neighbourhood.
Mackintosh x Cad & The Dandy / 2022
Our parternship with Mackintosh creating one off, bespoke Raincoats. Handmade in the original way and by the creators of the original waterproof coat, first sold in 1824. Discover our shoot, relishing the classic English weather, establishing our new partnership.
Gusbourne / 2022
A tour around the Gusbourne Vineyard in the Kent countryside. Gusbourne seek to create the finest wines in the world and are famous for their English Sparkling Wine. Join the team as they celebrate in style in the cellar after an arduous time traversing the vineyard, sampling the best of what's on offer.
London in Winter / 2023
The art of layering in the city as winter steps in. Stay warm with our latest collection of fine wool outerwear, handmade knitwear and statement colour cashmere accessories.
Summer Tailoring / 2023
Join Glen as we explore the streets of Mayfair, our home in London, showcasing the best of the new Summer Collection. Featuring wool, silk and linen tailoring, lightweight knitwear and jersey shirting. Tonal, cool and understated.
London in Spring / 2023
Discover our latest Spring drops as Glen makes the street his own in a series of wool, silk and linen tailoring options. Paired with crisp linen shirts and the first sun of the season.
Fairfield, Connecticut / 2024
Follow Jislain in our latest campaign. Discover the soft hues, warm light and astounding terrain of the Fairfield countryside, styled with new releases from our Autumn Winter Ready to Wear Collection.
Peak District / 2023
The rough landscape of the Peak District was matched only by the quality of the jacketing & outerwear on show. For our winter campaign we headed outdoors to brace the cold & wind in undyed English wool, rich tweeds and robust flannel.
London / 2024
Getting the team together outside our flagship shop at 7/8 Savile Row, showcasing their best angles and most recent bespoke commisons.
Cassis / 2024
Staying cool under the summer sun requires the correct clothing and possibly a glass of two or the local tipple. Browse the second instalment of our summer road trip to the South of France, showcasing our latest summer Ready to wear Collection.
Florence / 2024
The yearly pilgrimage to Florence takes us to Pitti Uomo 2024, for the bi-annual menswear event and trade show. Join our team as they traverse the cobbled streets in hunt for the finest Bisteca Fiorentina and highlight their latest bespoke commissions and ready to wear finds.
Summer in Provence / 2024
A stroll through the idyllic town of Aix En Provence, showcasing our latest summer collection. From breezy linen shirts, crisp wool tailoring to featherweight knitwear, the collection takes its cues from the warming tones of the riviera under the sun.
The Best of Boston
Cad & The Dandy has a North American HQ in the form of its Midtown Manhattan Penthouse, but it continues to take the show on the road with frequent stops to other cities across the “Acela Corridor.” Among the most frequent of these stop-offs is Boston, which can count on a visit from Cad & The Dandy tailors six times a year (with the next coming on July 24th—reserve a spot here).
Maison Hellard: Reviving The French Aesthetic Through Linen, by Eric Twardzik
When it comes to tailoring there are two kinds of linen. There’s the heavier, coarser and less crease-prone fabric that comes out of Ireland. Then there’s the crisp, tissue-paper-light textile that’s more identified with Italy. So it makes sense that a linen that sits between the two springs from their geographic midway point: France. Enter Maison Hellard Linen Maison Hellard was founded in 2021 by Nathan Hellard, who on paper sounds like an unlikely lead for a textile firm. A former paratrooper and a graduate of the elite French military academy Saint-Cyr (founded by Napoleon in 1802), Hellard hung up his sword to...
Cloth Spotlight: Lovat Mill, by Eric Twardzik
Lovat Mill, based in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick, proudly styles itself as the “Home of Tweed.” It’s an audacious claim to make, but one that the independently owned and operated fabric weaver can back up with history. In the mill’s own telling of the tale, in 1826 another Hawick weaver named William Watson & Sons dispatched a batch of fabric to a London merchant. The woolens had been labeled “tweels,” the equivalent of “twills” in the local Scotch dialect. However, the merchant misread the word as “tweeds,” which made a certain amount of sense. The robust wools would...
Up in Arms: The Raglan Sleeve, by Eric Twardzik
The raglan is a distinct style of sleeve that’s often employed in tweedy outerwear like balmacaan coats, though it’s also a distinct feature of Barbour jackets and baseball tees. Distinct from the standard, “set-in” sleeve common to tailoring, wherein a sleeve begins where the shoulder ends, the raglan starts at the collar itself and extends in a single piece to the end of the wrist.
‘You’ Season 4 – Costume Design
ABOUT YOU – STYLING According to The Guardian the latest season of ‘You’ is ‘a guaranteed rollercoaster in a tweed jacket’. While the drama belongs to Netflix, the tweed (among other things) is Cad & The Dandy’s. If you are unfamiliar with the series, ‘You’ is a psychological thriller starring Penn Badgely as Joe Goldberg whose obsessive tendencies often culminate in murder. In Season 4 Joe has relocated to London and is masquerading as Jonathan Moore; Professor of Literature and high society member. For Joe, a new identity comes with a new wardrobe and in Spring 2022 Cad & The Dandy were asked to create a more...
Cad & The Dandy Whiskey
After reminiscing about the sartorial and gastronomical elegance of Pitti 103, Cad & the Dandy is pulling focus back to Great Britain and honouring Scottish craftsmanship. Burn’s Night celebrations are abound this week and Cad & The Dandy will be toasting the master poet with a dram of our very own Scotch whiskey. Few things speak of luxury like a fine whiskey. As with tailoring, quality whiskey is driven by tradition, materials used, and skill employed in the making. It was therefore imperative that Cad & The Dandy whiskey reflected the care and intent ingrained in our tailors. We partnered with...
What is Pitti? – our Guide to Florence and the people that attend Pitti Uomo
Those that even loosely follow menswear will no doubt have heard about the biannual migration of the style cognoscenti to the birthplace of the renaissance, the city that Mark Twain one described as the ‘City of Dreams’.
Florence has hosted this event since 1972, being conveniently held just prior to Milan’s fashion week, a trade-show for the world’s craftsmen and retailers to buy and sell their wares and for journalists to write about the latest trends.
Smoking Jacket or Tuxedo? Discerning the Difference
“Smoking or non-smoking?” In a bygone era, such a question may have determined whether you wished to light a Marlboro between your appetizer and entrée course. But in today’s tobacco-free world, its most relevant use may be differentiating between whether a formal garment is a smoking jacket or a genuine tuxedo. To begin, we’ll state the most obvious difference: as the name would imply, a smoking jacket is a single item of clothing, while the tuxedo is a two-piece suit, consisting of a tuxedo jacket and tuxedo pants. However, as we’ll discover the smoking jacket and tuxedo jacket were once...
New Beginnings for Jeremy Haines – Winter
It didn’t take long for Jeremy Haines to find his feet in New York. He had been in the City for all of three days and already felt well adapted to the change in pace, far removed from the London he had left behind for this work trip. He knew what streets to avoid, to walk fearlessly at pedestrian crossings, and that most waiting staff don’t want a genuine answer when asking, “How are you doing today?”. Jeremy fancied himself a cosmopolitan man now. Since Spring he had been to the opera, joined a weekend hunt party in Scotland and
Pocket Squares for Ukraine
Cad & The Dandy are proud to be partnering with Ukrainian bespoke atelier Indposhiv, in this charitable initiative in support of victims of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, via a series of unique designed pocket squares. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Indposhiv has created a War in Ukraine series of silk pocket squares. Featuring original and vibrant drawings from children affected by the conflict, as well as one illustration in muted colours with a final farewell theme, by the Odessa based artist Tina Tikhonenko. SKY POCKET SQUARE PLANES POCKET SQUARE THE PATHS WE DID NOT CHOOSE POCKET SQUARE BEATING NOT BROKEN POCKET SQUARE ONE...
Get in Line: Understanding Linings
As is the case with everything from romantic partners to Cadbury’s Creme Eggs, it’s important to pay attention to what’s on the inside. Bespoke and custom tailoring is no exception, which brings us to the topic of linings. Put simply, “lining” refers to the fabric that’s been sewn onto the inside of a jacket (or the upper portion of a pair of pants). Jackets may be lined or unlined (or something in between—more on that later) with a variety of fabrics ranging from polyester to pure silk. To better explore the topic, we enlisted the aid of our old friend...
New Beginnings for Jeremy Haines – Fall
In the broad expanses of opportunity and luck that we call time, only a few make such advances, in such short periods, as Jeremy Haines. If you recall meeting Mr. Haines just a few months ago, he was in a rut with a job that bored him and a girlfriend whom he bored and not much else besides his fat little terrier, Goose, and the indefatigable restlessness of a life unlived. Fast forward a few months, and life is very different. Jeremy couldn’t help but smile at this thought while examining his sunburn in the mirror of the small seaside...
The Ledbury
Amongst the top 25 restaurants in the world, we were approached to design a new tailoring concept for The Ledbury’s front of house team, as part of their recent re-launch. Located in London’s famous Notting Hill, The Ledbury is one of the city’s destination eateries, founded in 2005 by Australian chef Brett Graham. Winning himself two Michelin stars and a serious foodie following, tables are in high demand, and best reserved a few months ahead. With service being one of the things that sets The Ledbury apart, we were set the task of dressing staff to maintain a clean, crisp appearance
Bespoke Garment Wear & Care
In recent years we have seen a gradual shift in bespoke commissions, with Covid bringing about the biggest changes to work life and dressing. And, while the classic two piece bespoke suit remains our best seller, we’ve seen greater demand for suits with softer silhouettes and relaxed wearability, as well as increased orders for both smart and casual tailored separates. Whatever the garment, all bespoke clothing is an investment, and as with any investment, should always be well looked after. Following these simple guidelines will not only preserve the shape and appearance of your garments but will also maximize their
Bespoke Engineering – Part I: Casual Shirt Collars
The world of bespoke tailoring comes with an array of details and style terminologies, covering everything from lapels, pockets, hems and yolks, to pleats, buttons and beyond. In this new series of Journal posts we aim to illustrate just a few. Starting with collars, we focus on the casual end of the shirt collar spectrum, providing a bit of background on four of the more popular collar styles available across our bespoke shirting services: the button-down collar, the band collar, the Riviera collar, and the polo collar. Button-Down CollarMany icons of the male wardrobe owe their existence to sportswear, but...
Linen to be Lived In: The Joys of Irish Linen
As summer temperatures reach their peak, it’s inevitable that anyone with a penchant for tailoring might turn to linen for relief. The plant-based textile can be a life saver in the warmer months, as its natural properties make it lightweight, breathable and moisture-wicking, a natural performance fabric. But you may have noticed that not all linen receives equal billing: Irish linen is held in high esteem, particularly for tailoring. To solve the question of why linen spun on the Emerald Isle should prove so enticing, we’ve picked the brain of Brad Herzlich, who serves as a Business Development Strategist for...
New Beginnings for Jeremy Haines – Summer
On the morning that Jeremy Haines was due to go to Glyndebourne, he was not awoken peacefully by chirping birds or a polite knock from the maid, on the door. Instead, Jeremy was woken by the long sigh of Natasha, his girlfriend of almost three years. He lifted one eyelid a fraction to make out, in the bleary daze, the wood paneling in the hotel room, where they had arrived the night prior. Jeremy quite liked the room. It was comfortable with a spicy perfume of books, though no books were in sight. He thought it must, at one time,
Art at The Penthouse: Jean-Michel Basquiat by Richard Corman
From now until the end of June, Cad & The Dandy’s New York Penthouse will be exhibiting portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat, taken by Richard Corman in 1984. A prolific portrait photographer, Corman has captured subjects including Muhammad Ali, Ralph Lauren, Paul Newman, Madonna and Nelson Mandela in a career spanning four decades. His work has appeared in numerous publications including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone and Architectural Digest. The exhibition, created in partnership with Manhattan restaurant and art gallery Frevo, depicts the late artist wearing an oversized herringbone jacket—a synergy between style, self-expression, and New York that we couldn’t resist.
New Beginnings for Jeremy Haines – Spring
Introducing a series of fictional short stories, written by Brett F. Braley-Palko, following the journey of protagonist, Jeremy Haines, as he navigates the new opportunities that unfold with his bespoke suit commissions from Cad & The Dandy. SPRING Jeremy Haines was the regional supervisor at a London bank. Called Jim by his friends and Mr. Haines by his secretary, his days were spent helping the bank clerks make good decisions. “Did you see the new rates on auto loan policies?” he’d remind his staff. “Did someone refill the toner in the printer?” “Did anyone file this application?” “Where are we with...
Team Talk – Steve Knorsch
Our New York MD, Steve Knorsch, talks us through his start in menswear, sartorial differences between New York and London, our new Penthouse location, the joys of houndstooth and his summer suit wish list.
Client Profile: Eric Twardzik
In partnership with the fine fabrics wholesaler Gladson Ltd., we recently made bespoke bamboo jackets for some creative friends with an interest in men’s style. One such recipient was Eric Twardzik a freelance writer specializing in tailoring and classical men’s style. We spoke to Eric about his work and how it has shaped his own sense of style. C&D: Where did your interest in men’s style come from? I have been interested in clothing and style as far back as I can remember. As a young boy, that took the form of an interest in toy soldiers. I particularly loved
Client Profile: Daniel Falcón
In partnership with the fine fabrics wholesaler Gladson Ltd., we recently made bespoke bamboo jackets for some creative friends with an interest in men’s style. One such recipient was Daniel Falcón, a New York-based artist who incorporated his own designs into a custom silk lining. We spoke to Daniel about his artwork and how it intersects with his sense of style below. C&D: How would you describe your background as an artist?DF: I have enjoyed the arts and working with my hands since I was a kid. In my early teens I picked up my father’s film camera and was taught to...
Bringing Up Bamboo: Embracing an Earth-Friendly Fabric
In the annals of year-round suiting and jacketing, a few choice phrases come to mind: “tropical wool,” “cotton-linen,” “wool-silk,” etc. But how about bamboo? Yes, that bamboo: the one that belongs to the grass family of plants and can grow up to 910mm in a single day. Well, there’s reason to rejoice in its unsurpassable growth rate, as bamboo happens to make a wonderful fabric for tailoring. This wasn’t always the case. While bamboo was first utilized as a textile in the 19th century, it didn’t gain traction until the early 2000s, when it was used to make bedding, shirting,...
Chart a Course for the Peacoat
Alongside the turtleneck, the deck jacket, and the double-breasted blazer, the peacoat belongs to that esteemed club of menswear classics first introduced as naval wear. But while others may forever carry a whiff of sea salt about them, the peacoat feels perfectly urbane: in recent years becoming something of a New York uniform. But let’s start at the beginning. The first print reference to a “pea jacket” can be found in a 1720 edition of The Boston Gazette. The word’s etymology is not entirely clear, but there are two theories. The first holds that it’s a bastardization of the Dutch
TEAM TALK – HARRY HIGHTON
Continuing with our series of Team Talks, Brigita had a chat with the newest member of Cad & the Dandy’s Savile Row team, Harry Highton. Over coffee, Harry gives us his views on tweed, black suits and those all important style icons. B: Let’s set the scene – we’re seated outside The Service, Savile Row’s favourite coffee shop, on a brisk, bright January afternoon. Talk me through what you’re wearing. Harry: I’m almost head to toe in Cad & the Dandy Ready-to-Wear, shock horror! With the newly opened flagship Ready to Wear shop, at 7-8 Savile Row, I may have gotten a bit over...
Black Tie Dress: The Experts’ Guide
Now that a sense of normality seems to be returning to daily life what will we wear in public? Particularly at holiday gatherings? Will we want to show up in the pyjamas we’ve been wearing for the past year-and-a-half, or will we want to make these special occasions special? Will “Black Tie or “Formal Dress” continue to be the ultimate evening party look? Many are chaffing at the bit to step out in some real finery again. And for men, Black Tie dress – the tuxedo, dinner jacket, or le smoking if you will – is both the easiest and
Don’t Cut the Cord: The Case for Corduroy
Some fabrics, like a fine, worsted wool, effortlessly blend into the background by nature of their dry hand and uniform texture. Corduroy, it should be said, does the exact opposite—by design. This is thanks to the nominally cotton fabric’s raised ridges, which are also known as wales. Wales are introduced to the fabric via the weaving process, and as such can vary greatly in size. Every corduroy fabric will have its own wale count, which is the number of wales per inch of fabric. As a general rule, the lower the number, the larger the wale; and the larger the...
A Return to the Office, Part II: Back in Business Casual
In this second part of our series on return-to-office attire, we’re focusing on the workplace that doesn’t require a suit and tie. To read the first article in the series, click here. “Business casual” was a nebulous term even in the before-times, covering everything from a sports jacket and tie with trousers to a button-down shirt and chinos. Now that the phrase again has real-world applications, from office dress codes to cocktail parties, it’s worth considering what falls under the business casual umbrella. Sitting atop the spectrum is the sports jacket. By virtue of it not being coupled to matching
A Return to the Office, Part I: Following Suit
After a long, strange year-and-a-half, many of us are preparing to return to our offices for the first time since March 2020. And while we can reasonably expect our desks and Keurig machines to be right where we left them, a key concern is shrouded by uncertainty: what we’ll be wearing. Over the course of Covid-19, the professional male dress code experienced its greatest upheaval since the “Casual Friday” revolution that swept offices in the 1990’s. The long march to casualization, which began decades ago by exchanging suit and tie for open-collared shirts and chinos, reached its apex as we...
TEAM TALK – STEPHEN ALLEN
Brigita took a stroll through the streets of London’s Mayfair with Stephen, our Head Cutter at Cad, to talk about his years of experience as a tailor… And what you should wear on a cruise. B: How did you come to the world of bespoke tailoring? Stephen: My father was a tailor at Kilgour’s in the 50s and 60s. He was a coat maker. My uncle was also a coat maker, my cousin is a cutter… You could say it’s in the blood, but I didn’t grow up dreaming of Savile Row. I thought I’d give it a go, as
Mad for Madras: Checking in on a Summer Classic
“No excuse to be so callous, dress yourself in bleeding Madras” croons Ezra Koenig on “M79”, a track from his band Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album. Not many fabrics get name-checked on platinum-certified studio albums, but madras is no ordinary fabric. Its name is derived from the city of Madras, (now Chennai) India, which was established by the British East India Company as a trading post. Smelling a profit, the company invited local weavers and dyers into the city, with the aim of selling the lightweight, vegetable-dyed cotton they produced. In time, this distinctive fabric—which came to be dyed in...
Seersucker
Few fabrics come with such built-in mythology as seersucker. First there’s the fascinating, and oft-repeated, story of its etymology: “seersucker” is derived from the Hindi words shîr and shakar, meaning “milk and sugar,” in reference to its variating, smooth-then-bumpy texture. Like many fabrics in the modern menswear canon, seersucker traces its origins to India, and more specifically, the British Raj, which is how it first came to Western attention. After its importation to the United States it became favored in the American South due to its ability to disperse heat and was even used to make the M.C. Hammer-like zouave
TEAM TALK – ALEX MCKIE
Savile Row Manager, Alex, takes the spotlight in this latest addition to our Team Talk series, with a focus on his most recent bespoke commission, a chocolate brown Solbiati linen suit. B: That’s a gorgeous linen suit, Alex. Tell me about it. A: Thanks. It’s cut from a chocolate Solbiati linen cloth, made with yarn that is 50% finer than standard linen. It’s something of a current favourite at Cad, with a few of the team having had suits made up……we’re basically one member away from a barbershop quartet. B: Nice! So, besides the color, what’s so special about it?...
Fun in the Sun: On the Enduring Appeal of Solaro
Not all fabrics begin their lives as sunscreen alternatives, but Solaro is not your average fabric. This warm-weather favorite was created around the turn of the 20th century by Louis Westenra Sambon, an English-Italian physician in the employ of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Tasked with creating uniforms that would protect British colonial troops from harmful UV rays in tropical climes, Sambon envisioned a fabric that could do the job by way of sheer iridescence. As it turns out, Sambon’s theories on UV deflection were wrong, but the fabric he created proved a sartorial success. You can chalk that
The Sunday Times – Suits to WFH in
It’s no surprise that office wear sales have plummeted over the past twelve months, with so many working from home and opting for a more comfortable line of attire – read pyjamas and track pants. With a return to the office now imminent for some, is the future of workwear somewhere between the old and the new, a hybrid of less structured tailoring in softer fabrics? The Sunday Times interviews our MD James Sleater, among others, to find out.
Read the full online article here (subscription required).
CITY AM – WHAT TO WEAR TO THE OFFICE
With some form of return to the office fast approaching in the UK, City AM speaks to Cad & The Dandy, among other designers, tailors and fashion brand founders, about the post lockdown clothing we expect to see people wearing over the coming months, from statement pieces to sleek everyday items in reassuringly stretchy materials.
Read the full article here.
Square Mile – The Row’s New Guard
Surviving the fallout from Covid continues to be a monumental battle for the retail industry, with Savile Row being no exception. But, with Cad & The Dandy forging a creative and collaborative approach, London’s most famous sartorial street is fighting back.
Travel + Leisure – A Special Cut
Adapting to a Covid world, where athleisurewear has been the order of the day, Travel + Leisure magazine uncovers the New York tailors evolving with the times. MORE New York Post – Bridgerton Themed Weddings Bespoke Jackets – Fully Lined Vs Unlined Team Talk – James Graham-Brown
NY Post – Bridgerton Themed Weddings
The success of Netflix’s period drama, Bridgerton, with its raunchy storylines, stunning set designs and period costumes, has firmly caught the imagination of couples planning their weddings for this summer and fall. This NY Post article reports on the increase in those seeking out 19th century inspired wedding dresses and grooms wear, including bespoke morning dress by Cad & The Dandy.
Read the full article here.
Team Talk – James Graham-Brown
As winter kicks in, we’re asking our team of tailors to give us the lowdown on their individual taste, style and extensive tailoring knowledge. One tailor at a time, the second in our series sees James Graham-Brown in conversation with Beth Bisney, at The Service, 32 Savile Row, the street’s only dedicated coffee shop, exhibition and retail space. B: That’s a very fall colour palette you’re sporting today James. J: It is indeed! I’ve based it on these new cord trousers that I’m giving a trial run around Savile Row. B: Yes let’s talk about these. The first pair of trousers...
Team Talk – Freddie Harris
As winter kicks in, we’re asking our team of tailors to give us the lowdown on their individual taste, style and extensive tailoring knowledge. One tailor at a time, the series kicks off with Freddie Harris, in conversation with Beth Bisney, at The Service, 32 Savile Row (where they serve the best coffee and cronuts in Mayfair!). B: So let’s start with a bit of insight into your background – how long have you been in the tailoring industry? F: Just over 4 years. After leaving school I did a course in art & design and realised I wanted to...
Robb Report – Surviving Covid
What does our co-founder, James Sleater, think of Savile Row’s chances of survival during and beyond these Covid times? The latest in depth feature from Robb Report is here to find out.
Read the full article here.
GQ – Savile Row Guide
British GQ article detailing everything you need to know about buying a bespoke suit from Cad & The Dandy and all the other Savile Row tailors on the world’s most famous suiting street. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE MORE Robb Report – Best Cloth Face Masks The Journey Shirt – 5 Ways Luxury London – Ultimate Savile Row
Robb Report – Best Cloth Face Masks
Featuring our premium cloth facemasks, the Robb Report rounds up 34 of the most stylish face masks available, helping you to stop the spread of Covid-19 and look great while doing it.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
The Journey Shirt – 5 Ways
Similar in its styling to a normal work shirt, our denim Journey Shirt has been designed to improve with wear. The luxurious 2 ply denim softens beautifully, evolving over time to improve with age, taking on a character all its own. Starting out a rich in colour, this shirt will naturally shade and fade over time, through the process of regular wear and home washing. A wardrobe essential, here’s our suggestions of five ways to wear it. WEEKEND Jacket – Tweed Prince of Wales Check (Abraham Moon Tweed) Journey Shirt – House Cloth Chambray Shirting (100% Cotton) Denim – Vintage
Luxury London – Ultimate Savile Row
Savile Row: the ultimate gentleman’s guide
What’s less than a hundred yards long, with an influence spanning many thousands of miles? Savile Row, of course. This Luxury London article guides you through the most notable tailors on the Row and what to expect from them.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
GQ Australia – Savile Row After Covid
“This Is Darwin In Motion”: Savile Row Strides Out Of Lockdown, Into A Socially Distanced Future. How do you measure a suit whilst maintaining social distance? And following months of WFH loungewear, is there even an appetite for getting suited and booted again? Zoey Goto paid a visit to see how the world’s most exclusive fashion street is adapting to the new post-Covid normal. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE. MORE Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #7 Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #6 Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #5 “This Is Darwin In Motion”: Savile Row Strides Out Of Lockdown, Into...
Drapers – Socially Distanced Tailoring
Drapers article covering how Savile Row’s bespoke tailoring can adapt in a socially distanced retail world. Virtual consultations, extended opening hours and home visiting services are the new reality for tailors when stores reopen under social distancing guidelines.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #7
After our previous special feature on Edward Fox, courtesy of Bruce Boyer, we’re returning to our original format with this week’s 7th Suits on Film lockdown playlist, including cult classics and old time favourites. 2046 – TONY LEUNG The second appearance in our playlists from director Wong Kar Wai and his leading man, Tony Leung. This Hong Kong set romantic drama has sci-fi novelist, Chow – a suave ladies man, seducing a plenty in his sharply fitted suits. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT – CLARK GABLE Thanks to @johnsouthgate on Instagram – ‘The King of Hollywood’, Clark Gable, plays a roguish.
Robb Report – Tailoring Post Covid
This Robb Report article looks at how Savile Row’s tailors are planning for life (and business) after the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, menswear’s global Mecca was facing challenges. Now, it’s a reckoning. Here’s where the situation stands.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #6
Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #6 May 1st, 2020 This week is a Suits on Film Lockdown Playlist special. Submitted by menswear writer, Bruce Boyer – a regular Cad customer and friend – this is a focus piece he wrote a while ago on the actor Edward Fox. Often cited as an authority on men’s fashion, Bruce was formerly fashion editor at both GQ and Esquire. With a focus on four of Fox’s films that demonstrate stand out sartorial strength, read on for some in depth observations. Never mind that he has an OBE and a Best Supporting Actor award, or that...
HandCut Radio – James Sleater
HandCut Radio is a podcast that explores the world of men’s style with industry insiders, aficionados and the most fascinating men and women in the business. In this episode, recorded a few days before the UK went into full lockdown, host Aleks Cvetkovic talks to James about what motivated him to found Cad & The Dandy, explores why he’s fascinated by applying modern business practice to traditional products, and examines how Cad & The Dandy has cornered its market.
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE.
Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #5
The fifth in our Suits on Film lockdown playlist series includes top suggestions from both customers and staff. Keeping the well dressed dream alive, we’re basking in the voyeuristic pursuit of watching our celluloid heroes in some stand out styles. Don’t forget to share your suggestions for next week’s list via Instagram, using the #cadsuitsonfilm hashtag. CHARIOTS OF FIRE – BEN CROSS Thanks to @thesnobreport for this suggestion, with quote ‘….internationally acclaimed Oscar-winning drama of two very different men who compete as runners in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Costumes designed by Milena Canonera. The clothes echoed nostalgic British tailoring, including
Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #4
As we remain in lockdown, our Suits on Film playlists have become staple fodder for continued sartorial stimulation. Enjoy our selection below and share your suggestions for next week’s list via Instagram, using the #cadsuitsonfilm hashtag. GOLDFINGER – SEAN CONNERY The second appearance in our Suits on Film playlists for Sean Connery’s Bond, this time in Goldfinger. One of the many truly iconic Bond suits, this three piece is made up in a light weight subtle grey glen check cloth. It features narrow lapels on both the jacket and waistcoat, typical of the mid 1960s era in which it was filmed. THE...
Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #3
The third in our series sees some big hitters with even bigger lapels. As lockdown continues, this is a stay at home series to savor over the Easter weekend. Thanks to Jonathan Southgate and Edward Aldridge for #cadsuitsonfilm submissions, included in this week’s list. DIRTY HARRY – CLINT EASTWOOD First in the iconic Dirty Harry film series, this 1971 action thriller sees Clint Eastwood playing San Francisco Police Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan, sporting a distinctive brown three piece as well as layered knits with tweeds. GOLDENEYE – PIERCE BROSNAN The world’s best dressed spy gets another nod in our list,...
Suits on Film: Lockdown Playlist #2
Having been inspired by week one’s Suits on Film list, some of us have started to dress accordingly at home. Mixing up the current daily dress down with our favourite suits, smart shirts and polished shoes (see @mr_nicholas_hm and @spa258 on Instagram). As promised we’re keeping the momentum going with our second Suits on Film playlist, including those gathered via your Instagram suggestions. Posting a new selection every Friday, here’s our next lot to enjoy. Check in for part three, next Friday and remember to add your suggestions via Instagram, using #cadsuitsonfilm.Cad & The Dandy NYC Instagram. GET CARTER – MICHAEL CAINE...
Dressing for The Kentucky Derby
At Cad & The Dandy we relish a reason to get dressed up, and our stateside expansion has seen some exciting additions to our sartorial sporting calendar. Back home, Royal Ascot is the big annual racing fixture, an event for which we have dressed patrons and Royals alike. However, this year’s Kentucky Derby is vying for our equestrian sporting top spot. We’ve been told that the UK’s traditional racing dress (morning suit) is too formal for the Kentucky Derby, presenting an ideal occasion to embrace ‘The Dandy’ in our name. As with all bespoke tailoring commissions, the main decisions to...
Winter Cloths: Three Seasonal Favorites
As we wave goodbye to the Indian summer, shorter days and colder weather are an inevitability. But, if every cloud has a silver lining, ours comes in the form of fall and winter cloths. Read on for our shortlist of the season’s favorite fabrics. MOLESKINDespite its rather unusual name, moleskin will be familiar to many readers. Most commonly seen in ready-to-wear trousers, the cloth itself is woven from cotton (sometimes with a miniscule amount of Elastine to allow for stretch) and finished with a suede-like quality that feels soft and slightly furry to the touch. This is where its comparison...
Our Unstructured Jacket
Having added unstructured jackets to our custom tailored repertoire, we’ve provided a break down below detailing how this differs to our existing jackets, with a focus on the shoulders. The Classic Shoulder The classic British shoulder is very forgiving, giving solid structure and an elegant look. It’s great for balancing the shoulders and hiding any physical imperfections. These would include having dropped, forward or rounded shoulders. Definitely a more formal shoulder, it has featured heavily in military uniforms, classic tuxedos and morning suits over the years. The Soft Shoulder Most modern suits are cut with soft shoulders. These give a...
Suiting Up with Ed Sheeran & Stormzy
It was only a matter of time before Ed Sheeran and UK Grime superstar, Stormzy, came calling. Finally, our rightful spot at the forefront of popular culture has been acknowledged. Joking aside, we were approached to be the tailor in the video for their latest collaboration, taken from Ed’s new EP No 6 Collaborations Project. Naturally, we were happy to oblige. Providing a selection of suits and demonstrating the finer aspects of the tailoring craft, our MD James Sleater features on hand stitching. Savile Row Head Cutter, Stephen Allen, gets the most screen time. Getting up close and personal he can...
GQ – New York Tailors
GQ’s Zachary Weiss goes inside New York City’s hidden tower of New York tailors. At our Manhattan home, on 130 West 57th Street, a wide array of custom and made-to-measure menswear sits under one roof. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE. MORE Bespoke Summer Style Video Illustrating Bob With Chris Mitchell Dressing for The Kentucky Derby
Bespoke Summer Style Video
Summer bespoke is all about staying cool and looking sharp. At Cad & The Dandy we dress those looking to impress, whatever the season or occasion.
Not just for work, with bespoke there’s plenty of opportunity to be stylish at play too. Whatever you’re doing and wherever you’re going this summer, find us in New York, London and Stockholm. Bespoke prices start at $1200 for a blazer, $330 for pants and $1400 for a two piece suit.
Contact us for more information about our garments and services or book a consultation with one of our tailors.
Savile Row – The Bespoke Tailoring Experience
Taking you through the bespoke tailoring experience, this video shows the steps we use to make every customer’s bespoke suit. Starting with fabric selection, our tailors guide customers through selection from our thousands of English and Italian cloths. After a full set of measurements are taken, our tailors make up a partial suit as a kind of ‘rough draft’ for the client to try on before final adjustments. This is called a toile fitting, the purpose of which is to ensure a perfect fit. It’s these interim fittings that makes a suit ‘bespoke,’ as well as being the hallmark of...
Illustrating Bob With Chris Mitchell
A collaboration with globally renowned brand icon illustrator, Chris Mitchell, to deliver Bob, the illustrated mascot for our new company branding. ———————– We took a trip down to Epic Icon’s HQ, in Chichester, to catch up with illustrator Chris Mitchell, an artist responsible for developing some of the world‘s most familiar brand and corporate identity icons – many having become global classics of our time. Our short film features Chris, in discussion with our MD, James Sleater, capturing aspects of the creative process leading to the delivery our new company icon. With a similar approach to ours, Chris’ work is...
Cad & The Dandy in Collaboration with Lanificio Cerruti
SIXFORSIX: INCEPTIONLaunching our collaboration with Lanificio F.IIi Cerruti Kicking off a year of events to mark the completion of our tenth year in tailoring, we have joined forces with Italian cloth power house Lanificio F.Ili Cerruti. Comprising a short film and cocktail party, this event is an introduction to the project – a teaser if you will. The collaboration will culminate in June 2019, with the presentation of six stand-out looks constructed for six distinctive personalities. Combining high performance technical cloths with a less structured tailoring approach, the aim of the project is to develop a range of contemporary bespoke...
Building a Custom Tailored Wardrobe: Part 2 – The Additions
Following on from the Essentials, in Part One of Building a Bespoke Tailored Wardrobe, this instalment is dedicated to the additions. We’ve covered the key pieces, now it’s time to have a bit more fun with pieces that flesh out the basics, focusing more on variations in climate and occasion. A Lightweight Bespoke Two Piece Summer SuitSelect a linen, cotton or wool/silk mix cloth for a suit that will breeze through the summer months. Opt for a single breasted, two button jacket with either full or half lining, in a plain or subtly patterned cloth, adding texture and flair to...
Building a Custom Tailored Wardrobe: Part 1 – The Essentials
It’s a big question that we are often asked – how does one go about building the ideal custom tailored wardrobe from scratch? What are the key pieces, the foundations if you like, and in which order should they be considered? From your formative suits, shirts and separates through to the finishing touches of tuxedos, overcoats and gilets, the well-crafted tailored wardrobe is a thing of true beauty. Opting for style over fashion, taking good care of each garment and watching your waistline will give you a custom tailored wardrobe that provides sartorial satisfaction for life. In this instalment we...
The Cloths of Huddersfield
Our passion for British cloth took us on a journey to Huddersfield to witness these luxury fabrics in the making. MORE The British Invasion – Our New Location The Soft Shoulder William Whiteley – Bespoke Tailoring Shears
The British Invasion – Our New Location
Housed at 130 W.57th St, our New York City pied-a-terre is more gentlemen’s club than shop, in a building that has accommodated many of the world’s leading creatives since its completion at the turn of the twentieth century. One of New York’s best surviving examples of an ‘Artist Building’, it was designed by architects Pollard & Steinam, with the aim of providing live/work spaces for the City’s creative communities. It has become an iconic New York address over the years due to its many notable residents who have included artist Childe Hassam, writers William Dean Howells and Joseph Heller, musicians John Oates, Ray Charles and the Rolling Stones,...
The Soft Shoulder
With spring and summer on the horizon, lighter weight suits and jackets in more casual forms come to the fore along with the desire for a less structured feel. Integral to this is the the soft shoulder – a lightly padded shoulder construction, giving a softer, more casual silhouette to a tailored jacket. Soft shoulders have little padding and follow the contour of the individual’s shoulder to accentuate the wearer’s natural features. Traditionally favoured by Europeans, particularly Italian tailors, and further afield with American tailors, the soft shoulder is becoming more popular with British tailors, especially among our younger customers.
William Whiteley – Bespoke Tailoring Shears
In early December we made the pilgrimage to the historic steel capital of England, Sheffield, to commission Andrew – the last Putter in Europe – to make bespoke tailoring shears for our cutters. As any tradesmen will know, the best tools produce the best work and the guys at William Whitely, where Andrew works, really are the Savile Row of the scissor industry. When Andrew retires he will take his craft with him, leaving the company to look to the future and, with it, more modern manufacturing techniques. Quality scissors last generations and whilst it is still possible to commission
A Short History of Braces
The history of braces is tightly attached to the history of trousers, if you forgive the pun. Back in the eighteenth century, men in the western world mainly wore breeches and braces evolved as a practical solution to hold them up. In the late 1800s, the sweeping effects of the French Revolution meant breeches and elaborate trimmings in clothing were linked to the “ancien régime”. Subsequently, male dress became far more practical, less embellished and with an emphasis on quality and fit – the latter achieved mainly via the skill of London’s tailors and their finely honed expertise. It was
The Golden Rules of Bespoke Tailoring
Having recently completed 50 years in the bespoke tailoring business, our City Head Cutter, Jon Deboise, is a character with plenty of stories to tell from his time cutting bespoke suits for the rich and shameless in Savile Row, the City of London and beyond. Drawing from his lifetime of bespoke tailoring experience, we’ve edited out the unmentionables and gathered Jon’s golden rules of tailoring for your benefit; 1. Keep it classic, invariably this never goes out of style. Take any iconic photo of a man in a suit and you’ll find it’s usually as relevant today as it was
New Bespoke Suits in our Latest Video
Step into the world of bespoke suits in our AW15/16 video, shot in and around the grounds of Boxted Hall in Suffolk. Using our staff as models, and timed to coincide with our Christmas party, the video showcases some of our most recent bespoke suit creations against the backdrop of this beautiful and stately location. Country wear, dinner suits, shooting jackets, tailored separates, bespoke shirts, City chalk stripes and tweeds all feature, with guest appearances by our fleet of company Land Rovers. If any inspiration were needed for your next suit, it can be found here. View the full Boxted
Overcoat Styles – A General Guide
The number of overcoat styles available can be a bit overwhelming when trying to narrow your personal choice, so we’ve put together this handy guide to the overcoats we are most commonly asked to make. Trench Coat – A timeless classic invented in the trenches of WWI, much coveted by the serving soldiers for its warmth, weather protection and ease of mobility that it allowed. Having evolved into the more common raincoat incarnation that we know it as today, a double breasted front, single back vent, raglan sleeves and epaulets are the style features that make this coat so distinguishable.
Bespoke Fully Hand Stitched Suits
Our fully hand stitched suits are what a true bespoke suit is meant to be. Offering the finest in construction, with a full floating canvas, intermediate fittings and detailed hand finishing, these are the hand stitched suits that every man wants. INTERMEDIATE FITTINGS Once we create your unique pattern we create a test suit know as a “toile”. At these intermediate fittings you’ll have an in-depth discussion with one of our tailors about the fit of the suit and how it can be tweaked to perfection. We will often insist on several toile fittings to ensure your pattern is perfect
Layering Bespoke Winter Suits
Our attentions have turned to bespoke winter suits and garment layering as the temperatures begin to drop. In both Northern Europe and North America, it’s wise to bear in mind just how cold it can get. There is a real art involved in layering your bespoke winter suits, maximising comfort and warmth while also keeping your look sharp and stylish. This seasonal method of dressing is one that we at Cad & The Dandy most enjoy, giving us the opportunity to wear more of the clothes we love. Both practical and smart when it’s done right, we suggest following a
The Importance of High Cut Armholes
High cut armholes fundamentally make the fit, comfort and wear of a tailored jacket far superior than that found in a lower cut armhole. Not only does it counter the messy silhouette associated with the big baggy sleeves and ill fitting shoulders of a lower cut armhole, high cut armholes allow freer movement of the arms, independent of the body of the jacket. So, doing practical things like reaching for things above your head, tying your shoes, driving or even just sitting at your desk, high cut armholes offer a great deal more fluidity and flexibility of movement. This becomes
Bespoke Shirts for Summer
Save yourself the embarrassment of ill fitting shirts this summer by upgrading to our fully bespoke shirts service. Is there any sartorial shame worse than removing your beautifully tailored bespoke suit jacket to reveal a crumpled, creased, oversized shirt? Mass produced off the peg shirts are made with a broad range of the male population in mind. They are cut accordingly, with a generous fit, to cover many shapes and sizes. Some may buy off the peg shirts and have them adjusted by their tailor, for a more pleasing fit. This can be a good option for some, but nothing
Style Guide – The Bespoke Paper Pattern
Cutting a bespoke paper pattern is the foundation stage of making a bespoke suit. During their initial consultation our client’s have an extensive set of body measurements taken and recorded. Our cutters then translate these measurements to construct a flat bespoke paper pattern consisting of a number of panels. This paper pattern is laid out over the client’s cloth of choice and is used to ‘strike’ the cloth. Put simply, ‘striking’ is the process by which the cutter marks out the shape of each paper pattern panel onto the cloth, using tailor’s chalk. After ‘striking’, the cloth panels are cut-out
Style Guide – The Cloths of Huddersfield
We recently commissioned a film that focuses on the high quality British cloths of Huddersfield. This month’s style guide serves as an introduction to the film, using stills taken from it, to illustrate a brief history of the town’s textile industry and the remarkable cloths it is famed for producing. Huddersfield is a town located in West Yorkshire, where the rivers Colne and Holme converge. It didn’t take long for the early inhabitants of the area to realise that the water from these rivers produced outstanding results when used for the washing of raw wool. Having access to this famously...
Style Guide – Pocket Squares
Not everyone likes to wear a tie and there are definitely some occasions that call for less formality, in which case a pocket square may suffice. In certain casual situations one can bypass the tie altogether and opt for a pocket square to compliment a suit or jacket, made up in cotton, linen or silk. Originally a look sported by more senior gentlemen, we are now seeing a younger generation of dapper dressers adopting it, reflecting a more contemporary approach. Pocket squares can be used to compliment the tone of your suit or jacket, or to create a striking contrast.
The Rise of the Vest
After attending the recent Christening of a friend’s child, I noticed that all but two of the men attending were wearing vests. The two without seemed decidedly out of place and underdressed. I cast my mind back to previous Christenings and couldn’t recall a single vest being worn. I’ve trawled through our records to see if there has been a trend forming and this observation appears to be overwhelmingly backed up by what our customers have been buying. In 2008 C&D was making a vest for 1 in every 20 customers; at the end of 2011 we were making for