NEWS / SARTORIALEE

Below is an article I contributed to ‘Bespoke’ magazine by American Express in Dubai this month. Words pasted below image too.

Bespoke_Supplement_July_Online-8

Bespoke Magazine, American Express, Dubai

Where to shop in… LONDON
Brush up on British style and tick the best department stores off your list

Curated by Lee Osborne, menswear consultant and founding editor of popular men’s style blog Sartorialee, sartorialee. wordpress.com

London melds the traditional with the contemporary so well. It has a wealth of heritage to draw upon and its variety of product is almost unrivalled. You can be in Dickensian Jermyn Street one minute and hip Dover Street Market the next. Trunk shows and pop-ups are the new black for those in the know, with Instagram largely responsible for
their rapid rise. Tailors and designers from around the globe descend upon the city to show their wares to a discerning clientele. Whether it’s a fitting for a bespoke suit or creating a last for handmade shoes, everyone from Marcus Malmborg to Stoffa and B&Tailor have unpacked their trunks in the capital’s hotels recently.

SECRET SPOT
Hackney Walk (hackneywalk.com), the outlet village housed under renovated Victorian railway arches in London’s trendy Eastern fringe. It has been open almost a year now, but remains under the radar, which I find surprising as they provide great floor space for brands such as Gieves & Hawkes, Aquascutum, Pringle and Matches Men. It deserves to do well so I don’t mind sharing it.

HOMEGROWN HEROES
I’m a big fan of the Thom Sweeney (thomsweeney.co.uk) silhouette, crafted by tailors Thom Whiddett and Luke Sweeney. The store in Mayfair’s Bruton Street is a treasure trove of must-haves, particularly the button down collar shirts. I also rate the Kettering-based Gaziano & Girling (gazianogirling.com). Founders Tony Gaziano and Dean Girling plied their trade with several Northamptonshire shoemakers before joining forces in 2006. They’ve not been in business that long but have made huge strides since. Their shoes are exquisite. I have my eye on a pair of their gold-buckle Mayfair double monk straps in polo suede.

IN THE KNOW
Drake’s
I love virtually everything that comes out of the Haberdasher Street workshop. Particularly their lavishly beautiful scarves and ties.
3 Haberdasher Street, East London. +44 (0)20 7608 0321, drakes.com

Kilgour
Creative director Carlo Brandelli continues to reinterpret the fundamental proportions  and forms of Savile Row tailor Kilgour with emphasis on a modern, discreet purist aesthetic. His garments draw influence from geometry, lending them a sculptural quality quite unlike anything else available on The Row.
5 Savile Row,.+44 (0)203 283 8941, kilgour.com

Suitsupply
Based at the southern extremity of Savile Row, it’s the kind of shop I walk in to and want everything from. The Dutch brand is ready-to-wear but the fit is great for me and can be easily adjusted by my tailor.
9 Vigo Street, Mayfair. +44 (0)203 308 9792, eu.suitsupply.com