quality, a short discussion I had with a well known tailor
Published: Monday, June 23rd 2008
My new website is here www.desmerrion.com
Sorry for my recent lack of regular entries, I have had a bit on my plate, some good and some bad.
I have not really settled into my workroom at home, there is still a lot to do to make it work well ( as those friends and clients that have been for fittings here will tell you ) but I am getting there, one thing for sure is that I am VERY glad to back on my own and away from the Graham and Merrion partnership, big mistake made there.
I have been working in the tailoring trade for over 25 years now and I am still constantly looking at the small details that can make a big difference to the quality of my bespoke garments, from sourcing the best cloths, to ensuring I am using the best trim package available to make my suits. There is nothing wrong with this or my product, it is simply that I just want to ensure I am making the best possible garments I can, I can't stand still I am a cut and make tailor a small change here and there can make a BIG difference.
The problem I see with tailoring is this, whoever shows you the ropes shows you THEIR way to make a garment, which is the way they were taught, and so on. I don't have a problem with this as the basics remain more or less the same, it is styles that change. Surely there is a time when you must look at adding your own bit into the garment with the aim of improving what has gone by?
Can I make the coat front edge thinner and crisper? Can I make the coat neck lighter? Can I create more shape with the iron? These are just some of the questions I have asked myself over the years, there was nothing wrong with the front edge, the neck or my iron work, I just wanted them to be better. I found out from trial and error and constant practice how to solve these problems and lots more beside.
So what I am saying is that garments should be evolving constantly, holding onto the past where necessary and looking to the future for improvements. I have seen many many garments from various tailors and tailoring houses, some are still turning out very old fashioned, or old school garments, thick, heavy clumsy edges, bulky collar edges, flaps lined with collar melton, and massive lapel mouths and collar tabs to name but a few. Some will like this, most do not, so they are changing, a curve here a 1/4" less there, this is why I am ALWAYS looking for methods that improve, and willing to try new techniques.
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good news, my email is back on !
Published: Wednesday, June 4th 2008
My email is back on and has been sorted out, I can now be contacted on my original email address des@desmerrionbespoketailor.com
Sorry for the inconvenience people.
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Published: Friday, May 30th 2008
A knock on effect with my email problem, I have no address book for anyone's email address, basically, my email has been hijacked by an outside source.
Please email me on the email below julie_merrion@hotmail.co.uk
I apologise for this inconvenience which is causing me major concern.
My email is back on, but is still a little intermittent at the moment so please use the temporary until further notice.
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temporary email address
Published: Wednesday, May 28th 2008
I Have a problem with my email at the moment, please use this temporary address to contact me julie_merrion@hotmail.co.uk
Or please telephone me direct on 01469 589904 mobile 0798 0541 235
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getting there!
Published: Sunday, April 20th 2008
Any move is disruptive, but moving home and business at the same time? Boy, is that disruptive!
I am slowly getting back to normal, but I have really been under the cosh with my work as the move of the business was one move I could have done without at the time.
Here a few bits I have been working on over the previous months, some of the garments shown here were finished before my move.
The first picture shows a cloth that a client brought into me for making up. It turns out this length was very old and had come from a Yorkshire Mill that his wife's family was involved in decades back.
The picture below is a true reflection of the colour of the cloth, a beautiful blue, with a really nice small diamond pattern to the cloth. The selvedge of the cloth was not woven so I have no idea where it was from, the weight was around 14oz all wool. The picture shows the back corner of the out breast welt pocket.
The next picture shows the trousers to the above coat, they are fully assembled and waiting for the hand finishing to be done. The colour difference between the two pictures is clear to see and is my fault!
The next picture shows a portion of the collar and lapel on an odd sports coat I finished recently. The cloth was from Porter and Hardings glorious 12th bunch and I had a coat on the go in this very same fabric not too long back.
The lapel is a peaked type, single breasted front to the jacket. You can see the hand stitching on the very edge of the lapel and collar and the hand sewing of the lapel to facing seam.
The first picture below shows me doing the hand finishing on a pair of trousers. And the picture after is me hand sewing the collar on a coat, it is the coat from the very first picture at the top.
The next picture shows a section of the collar and lapel on a suit I finished last week. The cloth is a 12/13oz all wool in a lovely mid grey colour.
You can see the hand made/worked lapel hole I have done, and the delicate hand stitched edges to the collar and lapel. Stitches placed as delicately as these take a lot of time to do.
The next picture shows the pocket flap matching on a coat of my own. The cloth is the London Lounge one I made the trousers to some time back, I have just got around to putting the pocket flaps in, the coat is now back under my bench!!
Because of the large distinct check/plaid pattern to the cloth I cut a one piece jacket front. You can see the result as the pocket flap matches both ways on the cloth, vertically and horizontally.
The next picture shows a pattern I recently drafted ( just before my move ) for a new client who is CEO of a major Australian Airline.
These patterns I make for you are unique to you and you only. The pattern evolves through the fitting process's as alterations are made to it. The pattern is made from the measures I take from you.
The first picture below shows the view from the front window of our new house that greeted us the other day, 4" of snow, it was fantastic!
The second picture shows my daughter Louisa playing in the snow, we all had a massive snowball fight!
The last picture shows another cloth that was brought to me by a client to be made up, a J+J Minnis flannel, a really nice cloth with a beautiful sheen that does not come through the screen well.
This will be an odd jacket and was to originally have 2 patch pockets with a one piece yoke back with small pleats gathered at the yoke and waist section, finished by a loose half belt.
After the fitting I received a call from my client asking to put flapped pockets on, which I have done, the back will remain the same.
To make sure my client liked the back arrangement, I cut it out in a bit of old spare cloth I had, this way he was able to see the back in the flesh to make a final decision without potentially ruining an expensive cloth.
I shall post more pictures of this coat through the various making stages as I get them, as this will be a beauty when finished.
There it is then, some more bits!
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try again with my new website!
Published: Sunday, April 13th 2008
Try again!
Here is a link.... http://desmerrion.com
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sewing machine and other bits for sale
Published: Sunday, April 13th 2008
I have a few bits of spare sewing equipment I am wanting to get rid of.
I have a rake of stuff in storage at my father's, and some bits at my home that I have no longer any real need for. All these machines ( except the vac table ) are what I pulled from my father's factory when it closed, I have been saving them for savings sake.
I have a Pfaff industrial sewing machine, a spare vacuum pressing table ( iron not included ) a Union Special belt loop machine and a buttoning on machine ( not a button HOLE machine ) The buttoning on machine has 2 machine heads mounted on the table, both work fine, so you get 2 for the price of 1
All the machines are single phase motors which means they can be used with normal electric supply at home. All the machines are in perfect working order and very good condition.
Remember these machines are all heavy duty industrial machines made for factory production, they will run and run forever trouble free.
If anyone is interested in buying any of these spare machines, drop me a line with a sensible offer, you will have to collect them though or have them collected.
Here are some pictures.
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my new website
Published: Thursday, April 3rd 2008
I have a new website coming that should be on line soon, there is a problem with the server at the moment, so we are swapping it to a new server.
The website/weblog here will still be running, I am not closing it down, but it will not be my main website anymore and there will be a link to this weblog through the new website.
I need a new website ( and not just a weblog ) as I also require a more professional web presence for my business.
The new web address will be here...... http://desmerrion.com/
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god speed your safe return
Published: Friday, March 14th 2008
At certain times the rest of life pails into insignificance.
I would like to wish my eldest son, Sean, his serving friends, fellow comrades in arms, and the whole of the 3rd Para Reg Battalion a safe and speedy return from Afghanistan.
Our thoughts are with you Sean. X
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lapel rolls
Published: Thursday, March 6th 2008
Bespoke garments are about different things for different customers, and the roll of a jacket lapel is just one of these examples.
Some clients like a very relaxed look to the jacket combined with soft lazy full lapels, ( the lapels with all the fullness showing down the lapel edge ) personally, they are not my cup of tea, but if requested the client is king.
Other clients of mine like a lapel to be sharp and very clean with a good strong roll, I must admit this is my preference, even though it is much harder to achieve and get good results.
The picture below shows the starting of one of these jackets with a good strong roll, and when fully finished the jacket will have a lovely, classy lapel roll.
I have hand padded ( hand stitched ) the lapel portion of the jacket, at the same time as placing the stitches I have created the roll you can see here. The lapel is automatically sitting up off the table and wanting to turn over to its correct finished position without me having to manually hold it in position.
The next picture shows another angle of the above lapel, there are no basting cottons holding this lapel in place, just the hand padding stitches.
The chalk line you can see going up to the shoulder area of the jacket is the line the turn of the finished lapel will take, the crease edge of the lapel in other words.
The next picture shows a section of the right lapel which I have hand stitched to create the shape to the lapel pictured above.
Because this is a 'fresco' cloth I have used a slightly heavier canvas for the jacket. The differences between this particular canvas and my best quality soft canvas is virtually indistinguishable to the touch or the wearer.
The next picture shows the lapel roll of a jacket I was in the process of finishing. The jacket lapel pictured here is the Porter and Harding jacket fitting pictured on my client in the weblog entry below this one under the title " who says shorter people should not wear large checked patterns"
You can see on this picture the lovely strong clean roll to the lapel, this picture was taken with the camera placed on the cloth flat, so this an eye level shot.
This cloth is 16-18oz, I cant remember the actual weight, so it does lend itself well to a great roll anyway.
The next picture shows where I started from with the lapel pictured above.
The picture below shows the right front side of the jacket BEFORE I have started to pad the lapel ( hand stitch ) the lapel is just flat and lifeless.
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