Bespoke Man
A style and grooming blog by Kevin Yapjoco
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Weekly Roundup | Savile Row, Carson Street Clothiers, Heritage-Brand Reboots

February 7, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Roundup

A Row of Opportunity Part 1 | Part 2 (Business of Fashion)
“In recent years, the global luxury menswear market has grown at roughly double the pace of luxury womenswear, according to Bain & Company, a consulting firm. The British Fashion Council has launched a dedicated menswear showcase, London Collections: Men, and the world’s largest luxury conglomerates, LVMH and Kering, have both invested aggressively in expanding their respective menswear brands, Berluti and Brioni. But in a luxury menswear market rich with new opportunity, the tailors of Savile Row face a stark reality: bespoke tailoring is simply not a scalable business.”

Talking Shop with Carson Street Clothiers (A Continuous Lean)
““Breaking” new brands is something in which we take great pride, but it is a tricky and even dangerous activity. Since we approach buying from a “fan-first” basis, the threshold issue is whether we love the product and find it intriguing enough to make it into our own wardrobes. This is a pretty easy threshold to cross, though, seeing how much amazing stuff is being produced every season, so then we ask ourselves whether we truly believe that the brand in question would add something new to our shop. Once we’ve answered this question, more questions need to be answered: would our customer be interested in this product? would this product potentially cannibalize the sales of another brand we already carry? does this new brand seem financially viable enough to deliver to us on time and not fold and disappear in six months? Once we’ve answered all these questions, then we can decide the brand or product’s place in our shop. Yeah, it’s an exhausting activity.”

The Next Wave of Menswear Heritage-Brand Reboots (Wall Street Journal)
“The latest labels to tap youthful, buzzed-about designers to pump new blood into their brands and reach younger men: Haspel, founded in New Orleans in 1909, and Kent and Curwen, launched in England in 1926. The former recently hired Shipley & Halmos designers Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos, while Kent and Curwen sought out British designer Simon Spurr. The partnerships are part of the second wave of menswear’s heritage movement, a group that includes J. Press, a purveyor of American prep, which drafted twin brothers Ariel and Shimon Ovadia of Ovadia & Sons whose first collection for the 112-year-old brand debuted last spring.”

Getting It Right On The Night (Mr. Porter)
“Here’s Mr Connolly on the subject of taking her out for dinner on Valentine’s Day: “In three words: you simply mustn’t. Here is an evening not for eating out, but for cooking – whichever one of you is best at it. A romantic setting by all means: it is always far too cold for outside eating, so here is an opportunity to create your very own little piece of paradise within (though do not do what they do in films and drape your lamps with chiffon scarves because they will smoulder and then catch light, and there is nothing so guaranteed to break the romantic mood as the front door being axed down by a bunch of firemen).””

Photo Essay: Drake’s Tie Factory (PORT)
““For me, Drake’s has, in the last 10 years, built on its foundation of quality and style to become a figure head in men’s fashion – making it a prime place for me to visit for a story on products made in England. Drakes makes 2,500 ties a week, all hand made and then shipped to all corners of the world,” says Harry Watts. Having manufactured the ties on Garrett Street, Drake’s last year moved to another East London location, Habedasher Street, and now the entire company with its studio, factory, showroom and headquarters, are gathered at one location. The result is a leaner and meaner machinery, as these images show – truly a modern company anchored in ancient traditions and timeless quality.”

Past Masters (Matches Fashion)
“An emerging group of men’s grooming labels are blending modern science with vintage looks to craft your forebears would approve of.”

VMV Hypoallergenics 1635 Shaving Line

February 4, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Grooming Tags: shaving

1635 Line

I’ve been a fan of VMV Hypoallergenics ever since I started using their Hydra Balance Smart Moisturizer. In the last quarter of 2013 they released their new line called 1635. They call it Gentleman’s Therapeutic Shaving in that each product heals and improves the overall condition of the skin. It is composed of seven products: a pre-shave scrub, a pre-shave barber oil, three shave creams for different beard types (fine, coarse and all), an aftershave balm, an anti-bump aftershave solution and an aftershave gel.

As with all VMV Hypoallergenics products the 1635 line is free of fragrances, dyes, pthalates, parabens, preservatives, SLS, SLES and allergens. They sent me all their products (but only one shaving cream) so I could sample them and give my thoughts. I tested the products using two different methods: individually with my current shaving products and by following the steps prescribed by the line.
Continue Reading

Weekly Roundup | Rules of Men’s Jewelry, Best Menswear Stores in Tokyo, Jazz Icons

January 24, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Roundup

The Rules of Men’s Jewelry (Wall Street Journal)
“Another badge that has become more of a style statement is the lapel pin. In the form of an American flag, it is de rigueur among politicians. But luxury labels have embraced pins as well. Several years ago, Italian brand Isaia created a mini-craze for the coral-shaped lapel pins that come with its jackets. And fashion houses that once tacked lapel pins onto suits as a bit of runway-only styling are now selling the accessories in stores. This spring, Louis Vuitton is offering pins shaped like pretzels and marijuana roach clips while Saint Laurent is selling one that looks like a surfer shooting the curl.”

How to Navigate Tokyo, the Greatest Shopping City on Earth (GQ)
“It’s no secret that Tokyo is packed with cutting-edge fashion and high-design gear, but good luck finding it all without a guide. That’s why whenever we go, we call up designer Steven Alan, who’s been scouting the city for twenty-five years—and now he’s sharing his favorite Tokyo haunts with you. Our advice? Bring an extra suitcase.”

Jazz Icons (Mr. Porter)
“The great classic jazz musicians were very conscious and reflective about the way they dressed, not only because it was an outward sign of success, but because they knew they were cultural heroes. They represented elegance, skill and creativity in their attitude and deportment as well as their technical virtuosity. Some of these musicians dressed so distinctively, they influenced fashions for generations of young men, creating a style legacy almost as important as their musical one. Click through the slides, above, to see eight men who set the tone of the era.”

The Beginner’s Guide to Bespoke: Shirts (Esquire UK)
“The difference between a shirt that’s made to fit you, and a shirt that’s made to fit some hypothetical average that doesn’t really exist at all, is sufficiently palpable to ensure that most men who try bespoke are usually extremely reluctant to return to ready-to-wear ever again. It’s the difference between wearing your shirt and another man’s shirt.”

The Foundation of a Good Necktie Wardrobe (Put This On)
“But for a solid foundation in your neckwear wardrobe, I’ve found solid-colored, textured neckties, along with regimentals, to be the best. I’d suggest getting them in various materials and colors before you expand too far elsewhere.”

Sapatero Manila Bespoke Shoes | Part 3: Fitting, Constructing the Sole and Hand-welting

January 22, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Shoes Tags: sapatero manila

Sapatero Manila-017-3

Sapatero Manila-018-3

Sapatero Manila-020-3

After the shoes are lasted the insole and welt are attached using glue. It is after this stage when the customer comes in for a fitting. If the fit is not satisfactory adjustments can still be made. Otherwise, the shoemaker proceeds with stitching together the welt, upper and insole. I wanted a narrow waist on this pair so the welt does not extend to the entire length of the shoe. Continue Reading

Event Recap: Menswear Syndicate Meetup Jan 2014

January 16, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Meetups and Events Tags: menswear syndicate

Menswear Syndicate Meetup Jan 2014-052

Last Tuesday we held our largest ever Menswear Syndicate Meetup at Torch in Greenhills. There were plenty of new faces including women who support their partner’s hobby. Amongst the attendees were the people behind Felipe and Sons Barberdashery, Jeeves of Belgravia, and Vault magazine. We started the meetup with Raymond Villanueva talking about how he started Sapatero Manila and his future plans for the brand. Next Jason Qua and I talked about Tricker’s and Carmina shoes that lost+found is carrying. The last activity was Edmond Lim showing everyone how to achieve a “mirror shine” on a pair of shoes. It was a fun night with old friends and new acquaintances brought together by our shared passion for menswear. Thank you to everyone who came and supported the meetup!

Continue Reading

Anderson’s Braided Leather Belt

January 10, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Accessories Tags: belt, gcash

Anderson's Braided Belt-3

This is part of a series that features items bought from the U.S. using Globe’s GCASH American Express Virtual Pay and shipped to the Philippines using the freight forwarding service My Shopping Box. For more information click here.

There were plenty of great deals last Black Friday and I made sure that I took part in it because of the big discounts. I’ve been on the lookout for braided belts and saw that the Chicago-based retailer Haberdash discounted their Anderson’s braided leather belts to USD 99 from USD 175. Anderson’s is one of the best makers of braided leather belts using beautiful vegetable-tanned leathers handmade entirely in Italy. What made the deal sweeter was a discount code for sale items that knocked 25% off the price tag and brought the price down to USD 74.25. I bought one in dark blue and it’s a fantastic deal for the quality you get. I paid using GCASH American Express Virtual Pay and dispatched two days later to My Shopping Box. It took longer to arrive this time around but it was understandable due to the large number of packages being shipped during the holiday season. Continue Reading

Menswear Syndicate Meetup on January 14, 2014 7pm at Torch

January 7, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Meetups and Events

Menswear Syndicate Meetup 8-21-2013-009

Last August’s Menswear Syndicate Meetup

The holidays are over and things have returned to their normal state. I’m starting the year right by organizing another Menswear Syndicate Meetup. The theme for this meetup will be shoes. Raymond Villanueva of Sapatero Manila will be there to talk about shoemaking, lost + found will be showcasing their latest line of shoes from Tricker’s and there will be a shoe shining demonstration for all those interested in achieving that elusive mirror shine.

Curious about what goes on during these meetups? See what happened at the meetup last August.

The meetup is free and open to everyone but registration is required. You can register through the widget below.

When: January 14, 2014 7pm

Where: Torch, 63 Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan City

What to Wear: Your personal style.

If you’re having a hard time signing up via the widget below click here.

Event Registration Online for Menswear Syndicate Meetup powered by Eventbrite

Advice For The New Year

January 6, 2014 By Kevin Yapjoco in Tips

The start of the new year is an opportunity to check the condition of your wardrobe and take the necessary steps to prepare it for another year of wear. It is also a good time to commit to improving the condition of our skin as well as trying new things. Here’s a list to help you start the year right.

1. Give away clothes not worn in the last year and those that don’t fit well. If you haven’t worn them in the last year chances are you won’t be wearing them this year.

2. Repair clothes with worn out areas and replace missing buttons. Got a pair of jeans with a crotch blowout waiting to happen? Repair it before it becomes a hole.

3. Bring clothes overdue for an alteration to an alteration expert. There might be a shirt or two that you’ve been wanting to take in. Now’s the time to do that.

4. Throw away old underwear and socks. Replace them with new ones. My picks are UNIQLO for underwear and MUJI for socks.

5. Clean and condition shoes. Put shoe trees in them. Use a horsehair brush regularly to remove dirt and prevent them from setting in the leather. If your shoes are extra dirty use saddle soap to give them a thorough cleaning. Apply conditioner to keep the leather soft and supple. And start using shoe trees to prolong their lifespan.

6. Skin becomes dry as we get older. Moisturize and use sun protection. If you’re lazy there are all-in-one products like VMV Hypoallergenic’s Smart Moisturizer.

7. Be bold and try something different. Flowers are going to be big in Spring/Summer 2014. See an example of how I pull it off.

8. Expand your budget and buy better. Double the budget you’d normally spend on an item. You’ll have an item that looks better and lasts longer. You’ll get more compliments too.

9. Have something custom-made. Suit. Shirt. Shoes. Pick one and start the journey of enjoying items made for you.

10. Join one of the Menswear Syndicate Meetups. You’ll meet me and a lot of other cool people. Heads up: There’s one happening on January 14, 2013.

Weekly Roundup | Scent Branding, Return of Cuffed Pants, The Perfect White Shirt, The Wolf of Wall Street

December 27, 2013 By Kevin Yapjoco in Roundup

Marketing 105: Making Scents of Your Brand (Wired)
“Things aren’t so simple when it comes to giving a place a smell. When Goldworm designed a fragrance for PYE, the high-end men’s clothing shop in Hong Kong, she opted for the super-expensive iris molecule and the dry-paper scent of papyrus. This combination reads as classy and masculine in China but would never fly in the United States, where such a scent is associated with baby powder or laundry detergent. “How we interpret the same scent is cultural,” she says. It’s also generational, because the largest, and strongest, scent memories are formed in childhood.”

The Return of Cuffed Pants (Wall Street Journal)
“But a few months ago, when cuffs strutted down the men’s spring runways—at Hermès, Canali, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren, to name a few—they looked crisply sophisticated, befitting a cocksure Sean Connery circa 1962. Yes, the original 007 cuffed with aplomb. And the newest Bond does too: Daniel Craig looked sharp as a dagger brandishing cuffs on his slim-fit suit pants by Tom Ford in last year’s “Skyfall.” That’s proof enough for some that cuffs are cool again.”

The Perfect White Shirt (How To Spend It)
“It’s been a familiar refrain in the luxury industry for some 20 years, ever since Chinese competition began affecting not just fast fashion, but high-end manufacturers. But Colban believes it has accelerated in the past five years. It is also a particular problem for Charvet, because one of the company’s competitive advantages has always been its deep involvement with raw materials. It designs all its own shirt cloths, including specifying the dying and weaving. When you buy a Charvet bespoke shirt, it belongs to that single brand in a way almost no other shirtmaker can match.”

From ‘Wolf’ to Sheepish Clothing (The New York Times)
“For a glimpse of how it once was, consider the early scenes of “Wolf,” which are set in the days before the 1987 crash and were exhaustively researched for period accuracy, said Sandy Powell, the film’s costume designer. The young Mr. Belfort, a working-class wannabe from Queens, shows up as a junior equity salesman at an august Wall Street bank and finds more pinstripes and navy blue than the New York Yankees clubhouse. At the height of the ’80s boom (and, to a large extent, the ’90s boom that followed), bankers and traders morphed into cultural icons, so they adopted a showy gentleman-fop style that befitted their new status: French cuffs with shimmering cuff links; suspenders in bold statement patterns, like a skull-and-crossbones motif. “It wasn’t about fashion,” Ms. Powell said. “It was about showing your money on your back.””

Sapatero Manila Bespoke Shoes | Part 2: Last Customisation, Making the Uppers and Lasting

December 17, 2013 By Kevin Yapjoco in Shoes Tags: sapatero manila

Sapatero Manila-059

Traditionally, bespoke shoes are made with a last that is made specifically for an individual. This process makes bespoke shoes expensive because creating a unique last takes a lot of time and effort. With Sapatero Manila the process is slightly different. Instead of creating a last from scratch they instead customise an existing last using the measurements and shape noted down in the first part. Layer upon layer of leather is applied and sanded down until the desired measurements and shape is achieved. The advantage to this are two-fold. Sapatero Manila is able to keep the cost down and deliver a pair of shoes in a much shorter amount of time. Continue Reading

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About The Author

Menswear enthusiast based in Manila, Philippines. Section Editor for Style and Money at Manifesto. Contributor to Esquire Philippines. Have any questions, comments, or editorial concerns? Email me: kevin@bespokemanblog.com

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So You Want To Have A Suit Made

  • Part 1: Suit Features
  • Part 2: Choosing Cloth
  • Part 3: The Tailor
  • Part 4: Fitting

Sapatero Manila Bespoke Shoes

  • Part 1: Measurements, Design, Last and Leather
  • Part 2: Last Customisation, Making the Uppers and Lasting
  • Part 3: Fitting, Constructing the Sole and Hand-welting

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