Christmas Comes Late

I'm naturally suspicious of a tailor who is not very well dressed himself. It's far more reassuring to a client when meeting with a prospective tailor that they can see not only a good sample of the tailor's work, but also his confidence and satisfaction in wearing the product of his own craftsmanship.

Lately I've invested a great deal of time working on my clients' orders, and I was hoping for a break of time during which I could turn to a personal project. With 15" of snow (and counting) on the ground outside, new cloth stuck in transit, and all my other current projects finished at one stage or another, that break finally arrived. A month after Christmas, I've finished the first baste of a gift to myself: a new suit for the autumn and winter months.

I picked out the cloth months ago, and I've been dying to work with it ever since. It's a 13-14 ounce dark grey worsted wool from Dugdale's "English and Town Classics" bunch. As anticipated, it's been a joy to work with. The cloth's thickness contributes to a beautiful, natural drape over the bodily figure (especially down the front break line of the trousers), and it stretches and shrinks perfectly with modest encouragement.

As soon as I can recruit a friend to lend me a hand, I'll undertake the first fitting.