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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

24 entries

Garments

The pieces themselves: suits, jackets, coats, trousers, shirts, shoes. For each one, what it is, where it came from, how it is built and how it should fit.

Casual

2 entries
  1. Raw selvedge jeans folded at the cuff Jeans

    Jeans are riveted cotton denim trousers from American workwear, loved because their indigo dye fades in patterns shaped by the wearer's body and habits.
  2. Khaki chinos over a chair Chinos

    Chinos are cotton twill trousers that came from military uniform, and a good pair is cut like tailored trousers rather than like jeans.

Footwear

6 entries
Black cap-toe oxford shoes 01

The oxford shoe

An oxford is a lace-up shoe whose eyelet flaps are stitched under the front, giving a clean V and making it more formal than a derby.

 Brown derby shoes with open lacing 02

The derby shoe

A derby has its eyelet flaps sewn on top and open at the bottom, so it suits wide feet and high insteps better than an oxford.

 Burgundy penny loafers 03

The loafer

A loafer is a slip-on shoe with no laces, so it must grip your heel and instep by shape alone, making fit especially important.

 Brown leather ankle boots 04

Boots

A boot is any shoe that covers the ankle, with classic menswear styles including the elastic-sided Chelsea, the unlined chukka and the heavy country boot.

 Black patent evening pumps with grosgrain bows 05

The evening pump

The evening pump is a low-cut patent leather slip-on with a flat ribbon bow, the most formal shoe there is and correct for white tie.

 Black velvet Albert slippers 06

The velvet slipper

The velvet slipper, or Albert slipper, is a soft indoor shoe, often embroidered on the toe, that now turns up with informal evening dress.

Knitwear

2 entries
  1. A navy piqué polo shirt The polo shirt

    The polo shirt is a soft-collared, short-sleeved knitted shirt that René Lacoste designed for tennis in the 1920s, later named by polo players.
  2. A stack of three sweaters Sweaters and knitwear

    Sweaters are best judged by fibre and by whether they were knitted to shape piece by piece, which lasts longer than knitted fabric cut and sewn.

Outerwear

5 entries
A charcoal double-breasted overcoat 01

The overcoat

An overcoat is a long coat worn over a suit jacket, and it needs to be roomy, long and heavy enough to hang properly.

 A camel polo coat from the back 02

The polo coat

The polo coat is a camel-coloured, double-breasted belted overcoat with pockets sewn on the outside, first worn by polo players and spectators in the 1920s.

 A gabardine trench coat 03

The trench coat

The trench coat is a belted, double-breasted cotton raincoat made for British officers in the First World War, whose practical details now survive as decoration.

 An olive field jacket on a hook 04

The field jacket

A field jacket is a hip-length military-style jacket with four outside pockets, based on the American M-65, with the safari jacket as its civilian cousin.

 A brown horsehide leather jacket 05

The leather jacket

A leather jacket's quality depends on the hide, how it was tanned and the cut, with most styles coming from military flight and motorcycle jackets.

Shirts

1 entries
  1. A white dress shirt with a double cuff The dress shirt

    A dress shirt is judged by how it fits at the collar, shoulder and cuff, and by construction details that decide how long it lasts.

Tailoring

7 entries
A navy suit on a valet stand 01

The suit

A suit is simply a jacket and trousers, sometimes with a waistcoat, made from the same cloth at once so they match exactly.

 A tweed sport coat on a hanger 02

The sport coat

A sport coat is a jacket worn with non-matching trousers, traditionally in textured cloth like tweed with patch pockets and a softer feel than suit jackets.

 A dinner jacket with a grosgrain lapel 03

The dinner jacket

A dinner jacket is a black or midnight blue evening jacket with silk-faced lapels, now the formal standard after replacing the tailcoat.

 An evening tailcoat seen from behind 04

The tailcoat

A tailcoat is the most formal thing a man can wear, short at the front with two tails behind, now seen mainly at state occasions.

 A morning coat with its curved front 05

The morning coat

The morning coat is formal daytime wear with a front that curves away to one long tail, still worn at weddings and racecourses.

 A flannel waistcoat with a silk back 06

The waistcoat

A waistcoat is a sleeveless layer worn between shirt and jacket, now optional, but it has rules about length and buttoning worth knowing.
  1. A green velvet jacket, worn modern The smoking jacket

    A smoking jacket is a soft velvet or quilted silk jacket meant for wearing at home after dinner, and the ancestor of the dinner jacket.

Trousers

1 entries
  1. Grey flannel trousers on a hanger Trousers

    Trousers wear out about twice as fast as the matching jacket, and how high they sit on your waist shapes everything else about them.
Picture credits 24
  1. Raw selvedge jeans folded at the cuff: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  2. Khaki chinos over a chair: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  3. Black cap-toe oxford shoes: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  4. Brown derby shoes with open lacing: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  5. Burgundy penny loafers: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  6. Brown leather ankle boots: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  7. Black patent evening pumps with grosgrain bows: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  8. Black velvet Albert slippers: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  9. A navy piqué polo shirt: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  10. A stack of three sweaters: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  11. A charcoal double-breasted overcoat: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  12. A camel polo coat from the back: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  13. A gabardine trench coat: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  14. An olive field jacket on a hook: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  15. A brown horsehide leather jacket: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  16. A white dress shirt with a double cuff: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  17. A navy suit on a valet stand: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  18. A tweed sport coat on a hanger: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  19. A dinner jacket with a grosgrain lapel: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  20. An evening tailcoat seen from behind: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  21. A morning coat with its curved front: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  22. A flannel waistcoat with a silk back: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  23. A green velvet jacket, worn modern: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art
  24. Grey flannel trousers on a hanger: Original art · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale · Il Sartoriale original art

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