Hints and Tips

1. First of all remember that it was Oscar Wilde, who once said “ A man’s first duty is to his tailor. What the second is, nobody has discerned.”
2. Secondly if a man is going to look his best, he should be measured and dressed by the best.
3. The role of the tailor is not to follow fashion but to guide what suits the individual figure.
4. Measurement is everything. Chest and waist girth, nape to waist line, waist line to seat line, seat girth, crotch line to knee line, knee line to ankle line. It is also a tactful trade, when clients submit their body to a tape measure they expect absolute discretion. Trust is vital.
5. Bespoke tailoring is a matter of using geometry as a structure and filling it in freehand.
6. Remember the expression ‘Rule of thumb’ is a constantly used cliché within the tailoring profession, an old English expression that takes into account the use of practical knowledge as well as the scientific cutting system.
7. Custom Made or Bespoke: A garment cut by an individual for an individual. An individual cut is devised for each customer, depending on his measurements and his requirements and it will be cut precisely to his figure and character.
8. Different climates will call for differing weights of super and ultra-fine wools.
9. A suit in progress looks pretty much like an artist’s canvas or collage, a tapestry of fabrics waiting for a first fitting –it involves meticulous manual work.
10. Price is of no consequence for real quality. The total time it takes to make a bespoke suit is around 40 hours, a minimum of several days should be allowed from measuring to the first fitting. It could be another 6-8 weeks before the suit is finally ready. Be patient!

Have rust stains on your clothing? There is a simple and eco-friendly remedy to that! Simply use plain white vinegar and dab carefully on the stain with a white cotton ball or clean, lint free white cloth. Colour test first to make sure there are no colours running.

Has dye stained one of your favourite shirts or blouses? There is a product called Dylon Colour Dye Remover it will take away most dye contamination you may find, it's sold around the world!

There are a two things you can do to prevent silver from tarnishing when it's stored that are inexpensive and simple:

1. Wrap your silver in soft cloth or felt that protect the silver and then place in zip lock bags and store. This helps prevent the airborne contaminants getting to the silver creating the tarnish.
2. This may seem a bit odd, but it works: Use simple white chalk (yes the kind used on a chalkboard) in the drawer or cabinet where you store your silver. The chalk absorbs the airborne contaminants and slows the tarnish process.

If the windscreen wipers on your car are making an awful noise try pouring hot water over the wiper blades and then running them for a few minutes. The hot water will make the blade more flexible and should eliminate some, if not all, the noise you're hearing. Sometimes though, you just have to buy new wipe blades as sun and weather do take their toll.

The reason chef's aprons are starched is the starch puts a finish on the apron or coat and makes it much more resistant to food stains and will launder much easier. Dry starch is best if you can locate it.