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470 entries across tailoring, shoemaking, cloth and craft Reference publication: we sell nothing and rank nobody for payment Every figure carries its source and the date it was checked

15 entries

Accessories

The small things: ties, belts, socks, gloves, hats, shoe trees. What makes a good one and what to look at before you buy.

Care

3 entries
Cedar shoe trees beside brown oxfords 01

Shoe trees

A shoe tree is a close-fitting cedar insert that keeps a shoe in shape and soaks up foot moisture, making it the cheapest way to extend a good shoe's life.

 Brushes, polish and cloth beside a shoe 02

Shoe care

Good shoes can last twenty years if you use shoe trees, rest them between wearings, apply cream and wax, and resole them before the sole wears through.

 A clothes brush, cedar hanger and garment bag 03

Caring for tailoring

A wool suit stays clean with regular brushing and airing, and dry cleaning it only rarely keeps its natural oils and helps it last far longer.

Hand

1 entries
  1. Peccary leather gloves on a tweed coat Gloves

    Good leather gloves are cut to follow how your hand moves and finely sewn, often lined in cashmere or silk, which explains their price.

Headwear

1 entries
  1. A felt fedora on a hat block Hats

    A good soft hat is made from felted rabbit or beaver fur, which outlasts wool felt and resists water, and it should suit your shoulders and face.

Neckwear

4 entries
A grenadine silk tie, rolled and unrolled 01

The necktie

A good tie is cut diagonally across the silk and folded around a wool lining, which helps it knot cleanly and hang straight without twisting.

 An untied black silk bow tie 02

The bow tie

A bow tie you tie yourself sits slightly lopsided and at a small angle, which looks right in a way a pre-tied one never does.

 A linen pocket square with a hand-rolled edge 03

The pocket square

A pocket square is decorative cloth for your breast pocket, and hand-rolled edges give it body to hold a fold instead of collapsing.

 A cashmere scarf on an overcoat collar 04

Scarves

A scarf is best in cashmere for light warmth, wool for durability or silk for evening and wind, and its width decides whether it knots or drapes.

Small Leather

6 entries
A bridle-leather belt with a brass buckle 01

The belt

A good dress belt is one solid piece of leather that matches your shoes, narrow with a suit and wider with casual trousers.

 Boxcloth braces on flannel trousers 02

Braces

Braces hold trousers up from the shoulders instead of squeezing the waist, and they are why mid-century trousers hang the way they do.

 A trouser side adjuster, close up 03

Side adjusters

Side adjusters are small buckled or buttoned tabs at each hip that tighten trousers without a belt, keeping the waist smooth under a jacket.

 Silver cufflinks on a double cuff 04

Cufflinks

Cufflinks fasten a double or French cuff, which has no buttons, and for most men they are the only jewellery they own.

 Over-the-calf socks, rolled 05

Socks

Over-the-calf socks stay up and cover your leg when you sit, unlike mid-calf ones, while cotton or merino wool keeps them comfortable.

 A solid-stick umbrella with a cane handle 06

The umbrella

A traditional umbrella built on a single solid stick can last for decades, while a folding umbrella is easier to carry but tends to break at the joints.
Picture credits 15
  1. Cedar shoe trees beside brown oxfords: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  2. Brushes, polish and cloth beside a shoe: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  3. A clothes brush, cedar hanger and garment bag: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  4. Peccary leather gloves on a tweed coat: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  5. A felt fedora on a hat block: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  6. A grenadine silk tie, rolled and unrolled: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  7. An untied black silk bow tie: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  8. A linen pocket square with a hand-rolled edge: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  9. A cashmere scarf on an overcoat collar: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  10. A bridle-leather belt with a brass buckle: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  11. Boxcloth braces on flannel trousers: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  12. A trouser side adjuster, close up: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  13. Silver cufflinks on a double cuff: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  14. Over-the-calf socks, rolled: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  15. A solid-stick umbrella with a cane handle: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art

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