Nice-Where did you get them from?

I've seen these types of trousers worn at weddings in the UK with a morning coat & by litigators in England with their wig & gown. Very elegant.

They were selling these at Moss Brothers in the UK marked down during the sale period but the fabric was too thick for our climate. How's the fabric on these?

I once saw a similar patterned trousers in a lighter fabric ( Linen/Silk/Cotton) at a factory outlet in Italy. Unfortunately it wasn't my size although the price was extremely tempting ( 10 Euros )

You can see similar type trousers at the following sites:-

1. www.edesandravenscroft.com -Edes & Ravenscroft is the official supplier to the legal profession

2. www.favourbrook.com-Favourbrook on Jermyn Street specializes in waist coats & party wear . There is a picture of a stripe pants with fish tail/brace back which is quite nice.

The court room lawyers (in England) wear these pants with a black jacket & waist coat with their gown & wig.
Don't see any lawyers wearing these in Malaysia. I thought I was at an undertakers convention when I dropped a lawyer friend at the Jalan Duta Court Complex sometime back.

I have seen some French and Italians wearing similar type stripe trousers with their black dinner jacket. Not sartorially correct but interesting nevertheless.

Got an interesting pair of trousers at an army surplus store which might be interesting.

It's a khaki cross over trousers with self belting similar to the type worn by British Army officers. I'll post pictures of it later.

1. The British would prefer dark suits ( Charcoal Gray,Navy Blue, light blue or white shirts black shoes. The French & Italians allow more latitude in dressing.

2. What nationality of the MD?

3. Will there be any dinners/functions to attend?

4. Will you be traveling around to different business locations/ countries

5. Will there be any possibility of customer or external party interaction?

4. I generally pack 2 suits ( Navy & Dark Grey- BTW I usually make my suits with 2 trousers ) , plain colored shirts & ties ( knitted as it travels better. I will include 1 or 2 khakis & a jumper ( round or v neck in plain colors ) for business casual.
I use a Barbour Jacket with a detachable hood as out where to protect me against the elements .

I would strongly suggest you wear a suit & tie the first day you turn up at the office. Assess how your co-workers dress before adjusting your dress code accordingly.

BTW-Business casual does not mean collarless t-shirts. For senior positions, it just means that you don't wear a tie & might wear khakis with your jacket but the shoes should still be leather & you should wear a jacket. The lower grade the job , the more casual it gets-unless you happened to the the boss in which case anything goes. Some of your ALT offerings look fine.

Let me know if this helps

The Germans & English share similar sartorial taste. Dark suits are the order of the day with simple pattern ties. If you are aspiring to Senior Management , dress accordingly .

13oz may be a bit heavy as our Teutonic friends tend to have well insulated modern offices with very efficient central heating. I'm thinking more 10 to 11 oz . Not too sure the double breasted suit. Single breasted may go down better .
Don't forget a scarf & the fact that night temperatures may go below 10 C. The neck, chest & feet need to be well covered if one does not wish to succumb to the elements. Lip balm & a good face cream will help with the dry & cold climate.
Shopping wise, things are generally more expensive in the land of the ultimate driving machine than in other parts of Europe.

If time permits take a train ride to Paris. The transport system's excellent in Europe ( The budget airlines are much cheaper than our AirAsia )There's an excellent factory outlet outside Paris called La Valle Village where you might find discounted stuff. Northern Italy isn't too far away either & a good place to source for discounted fabrics.

Depending on where you are, day trips are not out of the question.

Good Luck & do us proud-Malaysia Boleh!!

In the meantime here the pictures of the cross over pants I picked up from an army surplus store for STG5 which might be of interest. Do you think Ah Loke will tear his hair out if I get him to do these for me with some modifications? ( the buckle's not great but for 5 quid I'm not complaining )

A trench coat is a good idea. The flea markets or the Oxfam style shops there stock them at reasonable prices. A friend recently picked up a single breasted Burberry with removable wool lining at a weekend market in Holland for 20 Euro !! Has a very Michael Caine look. He got the boutique in Singapore to replace the buttons for free and paid a nominal sum for it to be refurbished.

The trousers are a copy of fifties style drill trousers issued by the British Army. They come in shorts as well ( see the Silvermann's website ).They were a steal at STG5. I find it useful for going thru airports as it doesn't require a belt which speeds up the security process.

BTW the land of the 3 point star has stringent airport security checks way before 9/11 & Al Queda became a major influence on air travel. Be prepared to take off your shoes, take out your laptop & cellphone , remove the batteries, boot up the device etc. They had experience dealing with terrorist groups way back. The checks are way more thorough as compared to the ones currently conducted in the US.

The checks are usually fine so long as one is cooperative & humble. I've seen uncooperative travelers get taken aside for additional "checks". Believe me , you don't want to go through that.

I've not had good Chinese food there ever. The decent & reasonable priced foods tend to be Middle Eastern/Turkish style cuisine ( not surprising given the large Turkish population there ), Italian & Northern Indian.

German cuisine can be a trite challenging for Asian -Having sliced meat for breakfast is not my idea of how to start the day. The beers ( both light & dark ) are a joy to drink & very necessary if you wish to bond with your co-workers. Germans are extremely particular about their beer & how it's served ( preferably with a large head to denote it's freshness , unlike the English who think they are being cheated if they are served the amber liquid in a similar manner ) .

Plenty of pork too, the pork knuckle being a particular favorite amongst out Teutonic friends.

The museums & galleries are worth a visit , many have nominal or no admission charge. If you happened to be in Cologne, the art museum at the basement of the Cathedral is a must see , particular if one's a fan of pop art & Paul Klee/Warhol.

My general observations about their working style is as follows:-

1. Come early to work. It is common for people to turn up as early as 6.30 am/ 7 am to work and seen as a sign of an industrious employee. Late comers are not well regarded .

2. Closely linked to the above is the need to be punctual-meetings & training etc need to start & finish on time . The Malaysian tardiness will not do & you find people either walking out on you or refusing to meet at best.

3. Working hours are more intense. Unlike Asians who generally like to linger on late at work ( Civil Servants being the exception, ) our beer drinking friends like to leave work on time or early . Leisure time is sacred and any intrusion into that it not welcome.

4. Be organized & precise. They dislike vagueness & chaos. Be direct but polite & diplomatic.As with any culture, a gentle word of thanks is well appreciated.

5. The Northerner tend to be more formal & reserved, the Southerners, warm & friendly.

6. You may be asked to come to a colleague's house for dinner. This is common as eating out is expensive & tends to be reserved for weekends or special occasions. A bottle of wine for the host as well as flowers or chocolates for the hostess.

7. The Polizei ( Police ) is similar to that of Malaysia in the sense that they accept payments on the spot for traffic infractions. The only difference is they carry a handheld device which they will scan your credit card for payment & issue a receipt!! No negotiations or pleas of poverty there but cashless payments for fines are all legal. Any offers of inducement will see you as a temporary resident of some Stalag!!

8. Remember the words "Ausgang" (exit) & "Flughafen" (airport) . Very useful if you need to get out of a building or mall or get to the airport. If you plan to drive, try to rent from a local agent as opposed to the branded international agencies like Hertz or Avis. Most rentals are diesel engine and one can rent a nice C class for very little money & certainly much less than using taxis to get around. Observe the electronic signboards at the autobahn & stay out of the outer land ( unless you drive a supercharged AMG Mercedes or Ferrari ) Speed limits may be imposed due to traffic & weather conditions & their traffic police are very efficient in enforcing the rules !!

The most important thing is to have fun & build relationships with your colleagues there. They tend to be reasonable consensual .

Have a good trip and let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

p.s. The above is based on my personal viewpoint & experience. It may be different for you.

I like some of the rye breads & cut meats like Landsjaeger.

The dark & light wheat beers are my favorites, not a big fan of Reislings. The best value wine I bought was a 10 Euro wine in a box from a German supermarket which astounded some of the wine snobs.

Thanks for pointing out the fact that I should have requested for food to be cooked "Chinese Style" . The taste may have been modified . Good tip for future trips.

I agree the place is a sartorial wasteland. A German friend was thrilled at finding a 24 hour tailor at Batu Ferringgi !!

I would like to seek your advice/help on the following:-

1. The name & address of the Japanese bundle shop you seem to find cheap & nice stuff from. I've searched the threads with little success. FYI , I used to look for vintage clothing from thrift shops which I would have tailored. An example is a 1920's peaked lapel dinner jacket I found at the Paris flea market for 5 euro which was successfully copied with lighter fabric & less padding. Pictures to be posted at a later date.
2. The buckle for the drill pants is anemic & cheap. I was thinking of replacing it with brass buckles . Would you have any source (local or otherwise) that sells these items?
3. I found that having thicker shirt buttons makes it easier to button one's shirts. Have you come across any source that makes thicker shell/MOP buttons? I am also looking for horn buttons for jackets which have curved bottoms ( the Italians call it boat buttons ) . They make the jackets easier to button & gives it a nice touch. Any information on the source of these items would be appreciated.
4. Real West Indian Sea Island Cotton shirting fabric. This fabric has a nice luster & the feel of silk & wears well. Any source or information on where these can be purchased would be appreciated.
5. How's ALT for shirts? Does he do single needle stitching & align the stripe or checks with split yokes? Removable collar bones ? etc.

Thanks -It looks like you're all set for Europe. Great to find someone who supports the artisanal arts .

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Added on July 20, 2010, 12:49 pmI don't know about having women delivered to my hotel room but I would be careful about "fishing" on business trips in case you find your wallet missing or become a victim of a spiked drink ( yes it happens there as well )

I had to bail out a Singaporean & Malaysian colleague from a bar at a certain port city close to Denmark when the owner insisted that they pay a 100 euro exit tax to leave because they did not exceed the minimum spent !! They were lucky their cell phones worked & I was not asleep at that time!!

Go north of the border ( or to the land across the water where most of our maids come from ) have fun without the ensuing problems.

As Jack Nicholson puts it, " You are not paying for sex, you are paying for the woman to leave"!!



This post has been edited by beau: Jul 20 2010, 12:49 PM

Hey no worries-It's just that I'm new to Malaysia ( after having left for many years ) & the reason why I join this forum was to garner information to enable me to make informed decisions & to localize my clothing supply.

The buckles that came with the trousers are made of thin metal which makes it look cheap & I would not have bought the trousers if not for the fact that they were extremely cheap. I could probably buy them when I'm next in the US but prefer to source things locally where it makes sense to do so.

The reason why I switched to thicker buttons is the fact that they are more durable & less likely to break. I have had to endure unprofessional hotel laundry & replaced buttons on numerous occasions. That was also one of the prime drivers for my insistence at hand made fully canvas suits which withstand abuse better than the glued variety.

The only shirtmaker I've found to have properly fitted & made shirts is Ascot Chang in HK. They made very meticulous measurements -I have two measurements there, one for formal work shirts & another for casual wear. The only annoying thing is their insistence on pushing out the high thread count ( read expensive ) fabrics before they show the "cheaper " stuff with disdain . Their prices are close to what many high end shirt makers charge for their RTW versions.

I once was politely asked to leave a workshop in Italy when I insisted on having the yokes measured separately ( as should be the case given the fact that our left & right shoulder has slight anatomical variations ) . The artisan/sifu was apparently upset at my "unreasonable " demands ( as translated by my friend !!) My Italian friend had to look for a new shirt maker himself after that incident.

I don't mind being guided & an open to suggestions but as the customer I would like it done my way & learn from my mistakes. The big difference I find between Asia & Europe is the detailed instructions one has to give when instructing tailors whereas the Europeans would tend to raise issues & ask whether certain features are required eg where you wear your watch & whether the watch you are wearing is normally this size. I recalled an incident where I was once asked by a trouser maker which side I lie on ( ie which side my little brother falls on ) This apparently has the effect of causing the trouser drape to fall differently , depending on whether one's little brother falls to the right or left.

Many good tailors would have specialist in making different parts of the suit, the trouser maker would be different from the waist coat maker etc. The only constant is the cutter. I have some Italian friends who are so fastidious that they would have the jacket & trouser made by different tailors in order to achieve their desired look.

A trip to the old outpost of the Hapsburg empire may require a heavy overcoat (22 oz ) The cold winds from the Russian steppes which sweep through their can be very biting. It may be a sartorial trip yet as many of the big brands have outsourced their manufacturing their. I've not been there myself but my European friends go there for their cheaper shopping ( or at least it was until they joined the EC ).

I will probably give ALT a try with a pair of trouser & shirt first as it does not require too many fittings. Once we develop some understanding I will look to having a suit made. Hopefully our collective demands will not bring him to an early demise !!

I'll make sure to wear a bespoke black silk arm band with hand rolled edges if it happens!!

BTW I met with a person from the Fatherland who disputes the fact that the Fatherland is not a sartorial twilight zone despite the great number of his fellow country man than think Ravi Tailor on Soi Cowboy is the height of sartorial elegance.

According to him the centre of bespoke tailoring was Munich but has moved to Dusseldof due to the high density of Japanese living there. He recommends Heinr Westhoff where he makes his suits. The cut & fit was not as tailored as your Huntsman styled efforts . Think Cary Grant in "Charade" & you will get some idea of the design.

That's the problem with our retailers here. They don't carry trousers & shirt sleeves of differing lengths. This is compounded by the fact that our consumers are not well informed. It's the case of the unscrupulous meeting the gullible.

The US is one of the few places where there is a great variety of sizes to cater for the consumer ( partly due to the fact that alteration costs there are astronomical )

By way of an example one can purchase a 501s in a shorter length that would ensure a more proportional fit ( within reason ) or a shirt with the correct sleeve length.

This should be a good lesson in steering away from making an emotional buy when the item itself is clearly unsuitable.

Saw a similar patterned fabric at textile centre when I was on a day trip to Singapore yesterday. Very thick too. Unfortunately one has to be a fan of polyester before having anything made in that material!!

This person has a tailoring blog on sewing button holes etc.

If AL still has the Hilditch & Key shirts at his shop, perhaps you can persuade him to open one up to see what lies beneath. H & K's collars are not substantial -it would be Harvey Hudsons or T & A you are looking for . They come up on EBay from time to time

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Added on July 29, 2010, 7:34 amHere's pictures of a shirt I made sometime back.






This post has been edited by beau: Jul 29 2010, 07:34 AM

3 possibilities:-

1. You've beaten AL into submission & he's decided to make your pants with a higher rise or,
2. Antonio Ambrosi made a pair of pants for you or
3. You've discovered a new "pantalonaio" (trouser maker)

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Added on August 2, 2010, 1:23 amYes you can shorten it but the question is should you? Having longer shirt tails ( within reason ) helps stop your shir from riding up your trousers .

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Added on August 2, 2010, 1:26 amYes they are. The button were sewn to sit on a purl & not on the fabric to ensure the longevity of the fabric

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Added on August 2, 2010, 1:27 amNot me ( unless I was sniffing glue at the time I was at my tailors )

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 2 2010, 01:27 AM

At least it won't be crotch constricting a' la ALT. Any plans to have him replicate this in a slim down design?

Braces allows the trousers to fall properly especially when worn with a suit.

Having said that , braces tend to work better with the full cut Saville Row style pants as opposed to the Italian low rise cuts as it would probably cut into the "family jewels" a la ALT pants. BTW have you managed to persuade AL to make you trousers with a higher rise?

Pictures please.

Your comments have made me looked at the construction of my clothes more closely .

Trousers are not as simple as two straight tubes of cloth. There is a great deal of "engineering " involved.
1. The traditional Italian tailors include extra internal fastenings which allow the trousers to stay flat & neat during wear.
2. The Italian also include internal pleats in the waist band to facilitate movement & mobility
3. The "V" cut at the rear allows the waistband to flex especially after one too many Nasi Lemaks
4. Side pads at the bottom part of the trousers , which if correctly positioned will reduce friction when wearing the trousers & increase it's longevity.
5. Half lining also increases the comfort of wearing the trousers.

I'll pose pictures once my download limit is lifted.

p.s. The cutter on the Row will ask you which side do you sleep , a euphemism for which side little P falls on , left or right. Apparently this affects the cut & drape!!

Don't forget to visit these places when you are in the Fatherland. Found an old Welsh & Jeffries Dinner Jacket with Shawl lapel for STG5 at Oxfam during my student days. It was probably a 1940's vintage ,very well constructed ( but heavy ) & served me well for black tie dinners until the grosgrain wore off.

Pity I gave it away during my frequent house moves as it would have been an excellent template ( or challenge ) for ALT to follow.

Who are you using to tailor the shirts? ALT?

Ah-The price of fame. More Galley Slaves to power the ALT Barge besides the two.

He made a reasonable copy of a Jermyn Street shirt with some minor Italian undertone for me but ( eg shirt buttons that sit on a purl with shanked buttons etc ) Unfortunately the fit was too tight . I have since taken measurements from another custom made shirt for a second attempt with some additional details.

He was in pain when I explained to him that I wanted cuffs with larger circumferences on my watch wearing arm etc. , gathered cuffs etc .

If this second attempt works out, I will start him working on my better fabrics.

The workmanship is in my opinion is not bad. Once the fit issue is resolved , it should be 75 to 80% close to the better European Shirt makers.

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Added on August 16, 2010, 8:52 pmI would be interested to view your efforts in particular the cuff button holes & lapels. Can't advise you on the techniques but if you do a good job, we should outsource the finishing of our ALT's to you!!

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 16 2010, 08:52 PM

Good job-I was trying to persuade AL to make the thread slightly longer at the collar as it would be more comfortable but he was giving me grief for it. Managed to persuade him to make the collar buttonhole asymmetrical as this would make it more comfortable button up.

Is he making your new shirt with matching patterns & a split yoke ?

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Added on August 17, 2010, 4:43 pmThanks-I've had to cater for larger watches which is all the rage these days!!

This is a normal question raised by many of the better shirt makers overseas. Our local tailors are probably unused to a more sophisticated & demanding clientele which in turn lowers the standards for bespoke products. It's a vicious circle!!

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Added on August 17, 2010, 4:45 pmThe lungs you can have if you want to tar the highway but your head & testicles we will take if you ruin the super fine Vicuna fabric we send your way!!

This post has been edited by beau: Aug 17 2010, 04:45 PM

Button fly too?