Savile Row’s Steed Bespoke Tailors made their first visit to San Francisco over the weekend, and just left this morning to go to Nashville, Tennessee. I met with them yesterday, and it would have been rather joyous if it weren’t for the tragedy in Boston. Edwin DeBoise, the firm’s co-founder and cutter, told me that when they visit Boston, they stay at a hotel just near the bombings. It’s really still quite disturbing to see the photos and news stories steadily streaming out.
Still, after some talk about Boston yesterday, I went ahead and ordered my first set of garments. Included was a deep, rich navy suit to made from a 15oz hopsack by Smith’s. I didn’t get a photo of the cloth, but the weave is quite visible. Visible enough that I should be able to wear the suit jacket alone as a sport coat. I also asked for my London Lounge Shetland houndstooth to be made up into a sport coat, for some fawn flannel to be turned into odd trousers, and for a brown herringbone tweed to be made with a poacher’s pocket (this, I think, will be my reading jacket).
I had a difficult time choosing the right brown herringbone, however, and in the end, never settled on one. I paid for the full order, but Edwin and Matthew kindly said I could decide on the herringbone in the next few weeks. I’m leaning towards the middle cloth you see in the first photo above, third from the top, which seems to have a enough definition in between the lines, and the right pitch of brown to wear with a variety of trouser colors. The others seemed too flat or muddy in comparison, but we’ll see.
There were also some beautiful, spongy tweeds that gave me ideas for future commissions, as well a very handsome range of linens and flannels from the London Lounge books. The linens look like they’d make for great summer suits, and the brown plaid flannel pictured below seems like it would be ideal for a three piece.
There was an amusing moment when Edwin was measuring me. He’d wrap the tailor’s tape around a few times and dictate the measurements to his son, who sat behind us taking notes. At the end of it, he poked around my shoulders and noted, “low right shoulder, high left.” Then he took a step back, looked down, and in a voice much quieter than what he was using earlier, said “prominent seat.”
His son then whispered, “Quite prominent calves too, yea?”
“Yea,” Edwin nodded.
I’m sure they were speaking in more hushed tones to be polite, but I thought it was quite amusing. What Asian man could be offended by the remark he has a prominent seat? I would advertise in felt letters across the back of my fawn flannel trousers if I could.
Anyway, Edwin tells me that their visit to San Francisco was quite a success. Two days fully booked with appointments, so they’ll be back four times a year. I imagine they’ll also add San Francisco to their permanent travel schedule (or so I hope). I’m already looking forward to when they return in June.
