Steven Hitchcock

Steven & Celia

The Label

A writer's jacket





The Goods

Linings

Pocket Square

Brown & Blue

Cleverley Side Gusset


My favorite tattoo


No relation to Alfred. Just as well. The world hardly needs another film director but is starving for tailors. Steven started with Anderson & Shepard at 16. He's a young looking 38 but has been working the cloth for 22 years. A blogger as well -- a post on his typical day can be found here.

I met Steven and his girlfriend Celia yesterday afternoon at the Benjamin Hotel on 50th and Lex. We discussed Steven's shop on Savile Row, tailoring, goods, linings, Cleverley shoes...The usual suspects.

Steven prefers a soft tailored aesthetic and that only makes sense coming from A&S. The beauty is hidden in the details as opposed to a more obvious Huntsman or Poole silhouette. I'm a fan of both. Why be monogamous when you don't have to.

Extinct Etamine Etymolgy

The Holy Grail

Etamine pullover


Etamine in yellow, white, blue, pink and melon


Etamine defined


I was talking to Tom Davis (MTM Shirts) at Brooks Brothers last week. We covered a lot of ground but everything stopped when he brought up etamine. An ultra light voile-like fabric used by Brooks Brothers for shirting years ago. I did some digging around and didn't find much. I'm still digging.

A weekend wander through textile and fashion books reveal the letter 'E' has the fewest entries and etamine ain't one of 'em. The internet will tell you it's a light porous cotton in an open mesh, susceptible to snagging, with a slight gloss finish. Dig a little deeper into the etymology and, by 1936, etamine is pretty much extinct.

Hardly a surprise Brooks Brothers catalogs from the late '70s and early '80s show the shirt Tom remembered. Short sleeve pullover in basic blue, yellow and white with pink and melon added in 1981. Great colors, popular pullover style and a fabric that appears to breathe better than linen. Cheaper too according to a web site that sells etamine for three bucks a meter (beware minimum order).

Who knows if etamine today is the same as it was in 1981? That's a question not a statement. If you know, please let me know, since the hunt is on. Summers don't look like they're gonna get any cooler.

Saturday Steals: The Navy Blazer

Hunter & Coggins Poly Wool Blazer: Reduced from $185 to $155

J Press Cashmere Blazer: Reduced from $895 to $537

An old college buddy follows The Trad and he called me up last week with a question.

"I haven't worn a suit to work in 10 years. But sometimes I meet a client and I wanna show some deference. Not enough to make him uncomfortable but enough to show I made an effort. You know?"

There's been a ton written about 'Casual Friday' since the early '90s, but not much about how to make a low key impression. The mistake is to break out the chalk stripe suit, seven fold tie and double cuff Royal Swiss cotton shirt. It's all very elegant but it's too much today. Hell, it was probably too much yesterday.

There's no reason the understated navy blazer can't be more than the sum of its parts. Basic Training is the center vent, darted, poly wool piece of crap my mother bought for me in high school. It's not meant to last beyond three or four dry cleanings when the glue holding it together melts and puckers. Good for a wedding, a couple funerals and high school graduation pictures. Cheap, right as rain and discreet.

And still available it appears. This ad for Hunter & Coggins ran in the recent New Yorker touting $155 blazers. If you need something you can throw on the back seat of your car, and replace cheaply because of too many client lunches-- then this baby is for you. It even comes in a bizarre array of colors to suit junior high school coaches throughout the southeast. I've warned you off the maroon. In fact, I would advise there's only navy and hunter green, but you do what you want. It's your $155.

Way the hell over on the other side of the blazer tracks lives cashmere. She's warm in the winter but cool enough for summer. No one will pay her any attention until the client slaps you on the shoulder or she touches your sleeve. You'll see the change in their face as they leave their hand on the goods for another moment. Finally, as they take their filthy mitts off you they'll say, "What is that? It's so, so, sofffttt." And you say, "It's cashmere..." drawing out the 'mere' while you blush with humility.

Either way, your client will be glad he's doing business with you. You're not making enough to afford anything but a $155 blazer-- or-- because you were discreet and humble enough to wear the very best and not bang a drum about it. Although, you may have troubles increasing your fee. If that's the case, tell him you got it on sale at J Press. He won't know who that is, but if he has half a brain he'll google J Press after you leave and order one for himself.