THE JOURNAL
Illustration by Mr Joe McKendry
The places London’s most stylish men go to to get their clothes and watches clean, repaired or tailored to fit.
We don’t think twice about getting our cars serviced and ready for their MOT, but all too often, when it comes to clothes and accessories, we can be negligent, with the result being that they don’t last or look as good for anywhere near as long as they should. The point holds more weight when you consider the cost of an elegantly tailored suit or beautiful watch can sometimes be about the same as a decent car. So we asked five men’s fashion insiders to reveal who they trust to look after their clothes and accessories.
LUGGAGE REPAIRS
Photograph courtesy of Bentleys
Mr Tim Bent, founder, Bentleys antique specialists
“I met Mia Sabel, a trained saddler, when I ordered a bespoke watch strap for my Heuer Carrera 1964 Automatic Steel WS2112 (re-edition). I wanted a copy of a military strap and she did it beautifully in an English vegetable tan hide ‘pull-up’ leather that mellows beautifully. We use Mia’s hand-stitching skills for intricate repairs to our vintage luggage. A restoration has to be as good as the original piece so even matching the number of stitches to the inch is critical.”
CLOTHING ALTERATIONS
Photograph by Mr Nick Clements
Mr Jason Jules, fashion brand consultant
“Every man needs in his life a dentist, a barber, a head doctor, and an alterations tailor. I often go shopping with friends who complain that they like a certain jacket, but that it doesn’t fit them properly. In fact, nothing off the peg really fits. It should be standard practice to take in the waist of a jacket, shorten sleeves, or cuff and hem a pair of trousers.
“For years, I’ve been going to a no-frills place called NeedlePoint in Bethnal Green, where I get looked after by either Ali or Hamid. There’s no pretence or judgement when I ask for the cuff of my trousers that little bit wider, or the sleeves of my jacket a little shorter than they’re used to. They just deliver, and if I’m not happy, they do it again. They’re just normal, local people doing a day job, and about as far removed from Savile Row and the fashion industry as it is possible to imagine.”
DRY-CLEANING
Photograph courtesy of Drake’s
Mr Michael Hill, creative director, Drake’s
“You shouldn’t dry-clean your suits too often as the chemicals damage the fabric. Another reason I don’t like using dry cleaners is that they press the garment too flat. This is especially bad for our Neapolitan, three-button, single-breasted jackets, where the lapel should roll gently over the top button.
“I find dry cleaners in Italy and Japan are better, but in London, I use Michael Norman, who is a specialist dry cleaner for the Royal Cavalry and other regiments in the British military. He ensures that the finished garment maintains that rich, three-dimensional quality. He also uses gentler chemicals so that your suits don’t look like they’ve had the life starched out of them. He’s expensive at £45 per suit, but if you’re paying £1,000 plus for a suit then it’s worth it, and you should only be doing it once a year anyway.”
LEATHER GOODS
Photograph by Mr Darren Gerrish/Getty Images
Mr Teo van den Broeke, style director, GQ
“I recently took a suede jacket, a leather tote, and a pair of suede Tod’s Gommino driving shoes to Restory, who specialise in re-invigorating leather goods. The Louis Vuitton chestnut brown tote bag, which I absolutely love, was looking beaten up – and not in a good way, either. When it came back, the re-patinated leather looked even richer and darker than when I first got it eight years ago.
“The pebbles on the sole of my Tod’s had worn down and the suede laces were frayed and torn. Tod’s are a very delicate shoe, like a slipper in many ways, and when they came back they looked almost as fresh as a brand new pair. The suede leather jacket needed a hole repaired and stain on the lapel removed, and the hole is now barely noticeable.
“Instead of spending thousands of pounds on replacing beloved items which you have a deep connection to, getting them refreshed in this way is almost as nice as buying new clothes.”
WATCHES
Mr Tom Stubbs, menswear columnist and stylist
“My watches sometimes suffer as a result of my lifestyle, but luckily, I’ve got my man Toby Mclellan in Hatton Garden, who repairs and upgrades my watches. He’s technically my jeweller, but counsels me on all matters of the kettle (kettle = watch in cockney rhyming slang), and can get them fixed faster and for less than sending back to the Swiss manufacturer.
“Overwhelmed by Cala wine and bonhomie, I ran into the sea in Sardinia with my vintage Rolex Datejust on. After a month of rehab with Toby it has come back to life.
“Toby knows all about straps, too. Sparkling shagreen or matte finish olive ostrich have lifted my kettle collection to previously unimagined heights. I wear yellow gold jewellery, and Toby’s crew upgraded my boring old white gold bezel to yellow with a matching crown. They guide me on the best Nato straps for individual kettles, which is so useful for work with my private and celebrity client list.”
Tinker, tailor
