Whitcomb & Shaftesbury – Linus’ Bespoke Journey

Ever wondered how a bespoke wardrobe is built over time? In this candid conversation, long-time client Linus and Whitcomb & Shaftesbury tailor Sian reveal the creativity, challenges, and artistry behind their collaborative journey.

Video Transcript [Lightly Edited for Clarity]:

Jack: Linus.

Linus: Hello.

Jack: Thanks for being on the channel. And Sian, thank you for being with us.

Sian: Hi.

Jack: So, Linus, you’ve been a customer here at Whitcomb & Shaftesbury for roughly how long?

Linus: I believe it’s perhaps seven years or something.

Sian: Seven years.

Linus: I would say so, yeah.

Jack: Excellent. And Sian, how long have you been with Whitcomb & Shaftesbury?

Sian: A similar amount of time, actually—seven years. Yeah, we started our journey together.

Jack: I was gonna say, so yeah, it sounds like you’ve both enjoyed each other’s journey at the same sort of time.

Sian: Yeah, definitely.

Jack: Wonderful.

So, Linus, what is it that got you into bespoke?

Linus: That’s a very good question, Jack. I think, initially, it started with me wanting to customize my clothing. As much as, like, ready-to-wear is easily accessible, I want something that’s unique, and that’s often in the time zone, the cloth choice. So that’s how I started. But, obviously, having a relationship with a tailor, you can have a long-lasting relationship, and therefore you can come back and discover new ideas on what to make and have the journey together.

Jack: Interesting. I can imagine that’s quite a rewarding part of being a tailor.

Sian: Yeah, absolutely. It’s lovely to, kind of, give people ideas and steer them through their style journey, really, because when people first come to us, they, sometimes, they’re just beginning on their style journey. And it’s interesting to see them develop and to help them and find new fabrics and styles throughout.

Jack: So, what would you recommend someone starts their bespoke journey with in terms of a garment or, perhaps, a suit or something like that?

Sian: It depends on how you’ll wear your tailoring, obviously. I would suggest something that you’re going to wear a lot because you want to—it’s a big investment—so you want to get the most for your investment.

You want to feel like it’s worthwhile, so something, I’d probably steer them towards maybe a separate pair of trousers, like a classic flannel pair of trousers and maybe a blazer, which you can wear both as an outfit or independently, separately.

Jack: I see.

So, where did you start with your bespoke journey?

Linus: In here, you mean? So, I started initially with the pair of trousers right there. So it’s a pair of cavalry twill. It sits somewhere in terms of the formality scale, so something you can wear with casual knitwear as well as you can wear it with, perhaps, with like blazers, like in more formal wintery cloth as well.

So it’s a good balance. So, I think, as a first bespoke commission, you want something that, as Sian said, you get a lot of wear out of. So this, to me, it’s for my style back then, it’s something I would wear a lot. So, really enjoyed it.

Jack: Interesting.

What drove your decisions around the details?

Linus: So the details, I wanted to be just as—it’s interesting because when you first do bespoke, you want, like, a little bit of detail to show that it’s, like, bespoke, but you also want it so that it’s, like, subtle.

So, I would say the details would be the pleats, the double pleats in here, and then the pocket flaps in here. It’s something—it’s subtle enough that the layman’s eye, a layman’s person, wouldn’t pick it up, but you know it’s, like, bespoke, and it’s subtle enough to sit well with pretty much everything, I’d say.

Jack: Indeed. Sian, did you work with Linus on these ones?

Sian: I did, yeah. Yeah, it was a fun first piece to work on. They were, I think, some of the heaviest-weight and cream trousers that I’d ever made.

Jack: Because these are heavier, how heavy would you say this cloth is?

Sian: It’s 16, 17 ounces. So it actually—it feels a bit heavier than it is. In reality, it looks heavier to me—say, 20, 20 ounces, but—

Jack: Interesting.

Linus: I personally really like to go for heavier cloth for trousers just because it has that drape, and it’s just, like, more long-lasting, more durable as well, especially in the case of cream trousers. So, it’s easier to maintain as well, I’d say.

Sian: Yeah, definitely helps being a little bit more robust.

Jack: Do you find them challenging to take care of because they’re a light color?

Linus: See, initially, when I first started bespoke, I put a lot of attention to kind of make sure it’s clean all the time, but as you evolve, you just, like—you accept them as they are. That’s just the character you build on them.

Jack: Understood. Okay.

Sian: You learn to relax a little bit about the color.

Linus: There you go.

Jack: Very nice. Very nice. So, trousers were your first starting-off point with Whitcomb and Shaftesbury. This is where your bespoke journey began.

What sort of pieces came next?

Linus: So, there is a green suit that came in between, before what I’m going to tell you next. So, that was a green wool-silk-mohair suit. It’s a safari suit as well. So, it’s quite bold with all the tailoring stylistic choices. So, safari jacket style, and then Gurkha. So, the idea for that—it’s something I can wear the jacket and the trousers separately as well. And obviously, back then, my style was a lot slimmer than right now, so it’s quite a bold piece.

Jack: I noticed that the opening of the trousers is a little slimmer than I know you like to wear nowadays.

Linus: Absolutely, absolutely.

Jack: But still happy to wear them?

Linus: Of course.

Jack: Yeah. Awesome. So, after the green?

Linus: After the green came the polo coat, which is quite an exceptional piece.

Jack: It is.

Linus: So, to put it simply—

Jack: So, you really like light colors?

Linus: I do really like light colors, and I like to stain my clothes, I guess. So, obviously, a polo coat is always a must-have for everyone, I think. Just because, after your navy, double-breasted coat, what’s next? What are you gonna get for other occasions? You can wear it with what I am wearing today, like quite formal tailoring, but also perhaps something with, like, a brown jumper, turtleneck in the winter, like a chunky one.

So, what would be, like, a good, versatile piece? So, this is kind of something I had in mind and wanted to design as well. So, you see here, the collar is detachable. You can see, actually, this is not something we added initially. I actually came back maybe one or two years afterward saying, “Oh, the attached collar is flapping a little bit. Can we do something about it?” So, we actually sewed the, I think, lining to it.

Sian: Yeah. So, initially, I think we just had some straps across there, but the end of the fur would lift off the collar. So, we just encased it in a bit of lining so it would just sit really nicely over the collar.

Jack: I see.

Sian: It worked really well.

Linus: And then, obviously, the camel hair is just, like, a much better choice, in my opinion. It is camel.

Jack: It’s very soft.

Sian: Very fine.

Linus: It’s very fine. But I think it’s definitely more durable than some other alternatives. It’s great. It’s been wearing well. It’s one of my most-worn winter pieces as well.

Jack: Uh-huh.

Linus: And the details are quite subtle as well. If you look at the back as well. Sian, if you want to…

Sian: Yeah, of course. So, this is a bit of a signature of ours, a style of ours with overcoats. So, we do a martingale back, which is this double box pleat with the sprat’s head detail embroidery and then the buttons through the vent.

Jack: Oh, wow, that’s lovely.

Sian: Yeah.

Jack: So, it gives a really neat appearance but also a range of movement within the box pleat and the same here.

Sian: Yeah, and just the point of interest as well. And, obviously, the beautiful kind of hand embroidery detail as well.

Linus: It goes back to what I’m saying earlier as well. Like, having that flexibility allows me to sometimes just wear plain, chunky knitwear underneath versus, like, a three-piece suit, like what I’m doing today, depending on the weather. So, yeah, it’s a really lovely piece that evolved over the years.

Jack: Does it have any other features that you asked for within it?

Linus: Absolutely. So, at first, I wanted the collar to be detachable. So, if you look closely in here, there are, like, some buttons along the collar so that you can detach it. But when you put it on without the collar, you wouldn’t see any of the buttons at all.

So, it’s quite, like, a versatile piece depending on the stylistic choice. Like, do I want just, like, a plain polo coat, or do I want, like, the collar to contrast? And for warmth, especially, I can flip it up in winter on very cold days. So—

Sian: And it really elevates the look as well, doesn’t it? To have that fur collar as well. It really, really gives it that kind of elegant pop.

Jack: It certainly does. I noticed inside as well, you’ve got quite a deep—this is like a poacher’s pocket.

Linus: Yes.

Sian: Yeah, that’s our traditional, our glove pocket. We do that in all of our overcoats.

Jack: Ah! Okay. Very nice.

Sian: And see, Linus is actually wearing his gloves in the glove pocket, which is very good, Linus. But yeah, we make that a nice bellows so it doesn’t spoil the line of the coat on the inside.

Jack: Very cool.

Was it challenging to make a coat with all of these features and details?

Sian: It’s always slightly nerve-wracking with such a pale color again, but the camel hair was lovely to work with. So yeah, no, not too bad.

Jack: Excellent.

Sian: Yeah.

Jack: Very nice.

Sian: A lovely challenge.

Jack: So, do you own many overcoats?

Linus: Not at the moment. I focus a lot more on actual tailoring and odd trousers afterward, which we’re going to show you in a second.

Jack: Excellent! Let’s move on.

Linus: All right. So, after that piece, I actually commissioned two pieces of worsted flannel at the same time—this being one of them. The reason why I’m showing this one is because this one, again, has what I said, like, a lot more tailoring details that I just wanted to back then myself. It’s like, I want to throw in a lot of different things. So, this is one of them. So, you see here, there’s the ticket pocket, and then you have the gauntlet, which I think is kind of Bob’s signature style as well?

Sian: No, yeah.

Linus: Yeah.

Sian: I think it’s…

Jack: And this is a really interesting gauntlet cuff because usually you’ve seen them rounded.

Linus: Yeah.

Sian: Yeah, that’s the standard turn-back cuff, but this is the gauntlet cuff with the pointed finish there. And it’s just—It’s very stylish actually, just a little stylish addition.

Linus: I think it’s good because you have, like, the peak lapel and then the pocket flaps—they’re all quite angular rather than rounded. So having the gauntlet, having that sharpness to it, kind of just speaks to each other a little bit more.

Jack: Yeah, yeah. Definitely.

Linus: And then, if that ain’t all the details yet, I think me being very eccentric during the time, I actually had this lining made. It’s a School of Athens print by, I think, Rampley.

Jack: Yes, I think so.

Linus: And then, obviously, so that to the outside world, it may just be a peak lapel jacket that has a lot of details, but to me, this is something for myself. Something that’s like a tailoring marvel in a way. You wanted to just have a lot of things for yourself.

Sian: For yourself.

Linus: Yeah.

Sian: Should I show the full lining?

Jack: Please!

Sian: Because it is quite something to behold. If you’d like to check that jacket, Jack. So you can see…

Linus: And I think the key detail is, usually for lining, you would cut it in the middle. You have, like, two linings folded on top of each other. You don’t want to interrupt, obviously, the image there. So this one, the lining is actually just folded on top of the jacket. And we actually—for the excess cloth—we actually made a pocket square out of that.

Jack: Really getting your money’s worth.

Linus: Exactly! So yeah, it’s quite a fun piece for me, at least, to design.

Sian: Yeah. I think it’s a good—it’s an illustration of what you can design for your bespoke wear, isn’t it?

Jack: Yeah, quite literally an illustration.

Sian: How involved you can get… yeah, yeah, exactly.

Do clients come with their own linings or fabrics that they want included?

Sian: Sometimes, yeah. Not too often, but we definitely have had clients who bring us—there was a client who wanted to bring us football shirts the other day to maybe line his jacket with. He decided against it, but for his next commission, he said.

Jack: Would you do that?

Linus: Not a football fan, but at least cycling-related stuff.

Jack: Ah, put some Rafa in there.

Linus: There you go.

Sian: Yeah, some kind of yellow jersey.

Jack: Perhaps some high-vis lining or piping or something like that.

Linus: There you go, just flip it over, and then you can motorcycle.

Jack: Multifunctional! I like it; it’s a good idea. Awesome. So I’m kind of seeing a theme so far—you like a bold style but rooted within the classic menswear sort of aesthetic?

Linus: Absolutely, absolutely. The next piece I’m actually going to show you is, I would say, one of my most important pieces, and it’s actually—

Jack: In your whole wardrobe?

Linus: I would say so, even. And it really just takes inspiration from tailoring tradition, what people wear, and then what you can break as well.

It’s like, at that point, I really kind of started to understand what you can follow, what you can break, and what’s sensible. So rather than just, like, a tailoring marvel kind of piece, I wanted a piece that’s just right in all these menswear norms and logic.

Jack: So, something very unusual.

Linus: Yes, but sensible.

Jack: But sensible. That sounds like it was quite a tough challenge.

Sian: I think that’s kind of how it ended up but not how it felt at the time, I think.

Linus: I guess so, yeah.

Sian: I think you were designing a summer jacket—something that was a departure from what you already had in your wardrobe, something just a bit of a showpiece, really.

And I think you’d found maybe your feet in feeling very comfortable with tailoring. And, as you say, you were ready now to kind of push the boundaries a little bit in a well-educated kind of way. So yeah, so we designed and made this double-breasted wool-silk-linen jacket for Linus.

Jack: So this is full of color and texture. It’s quite marvelous and perhaps a bit unusual, but it’s a double-breasted with a four-on-one closure.

Linus: Correct.

Jack: What was the inspiration behind that?

Linus: So, when people associate double-breasted coats, they always think about their 6×2 and maybe sometimes 4×2 as well. But, you know, when you look at older images, like, say, with the Duke of Windsor and his friends, you see a lot more 4x1s as well. It’s quite a unique style in terms of—yes, it’s formal because it’s double-breasted, but at the same time, depending on how you cut it, the silhouette could be very relaxed and pair very nicely with a more, I guess, eccentric and unique cloth as well.

And this actually is one of them as well. So, this is actually an interesting piece that over time, rather than just wearing it as a summer jacket, I actually enjoy a lot as a black-tie piece as well.

Jack: Okay.

Linus: Being you, if you look at old images or illustrations, you see people wearing, like, brown or perma-pink dupion or that sort of cloth as a jacket cloth for black tie for warmer months.

So this just takes the tradition a bit further. Obviously, the peak lapel helps as well to make it a dinner jacket. And it’s something I’ve just come back to and paired with so many things.

Jack: Interesting. So essentially, it sounds like if you were traveling and you knew that you were going to have a black-tie event but also wanted to dress more casually as well…

Would this be the sort of thing that you’d pack, knowing that you’re kind of covered for a lot of occasions?

Linus: Absolutely. So, on occasions like this—maybe, like, a one- or two-day trip—I’ll actually take this jacket, the black Barathea trousers, and then maybe something like cream high-twist trousers. And then I sometimes even wear it with, like, white jeans as well.

Jack: Oh really?

Linus: Yeah.

Sian: Perfect. Yeah, I can do that too. Definitely.

Linus: So, it really depends on what you wear inside. I actually wore the white jeans with, like, a beige or taupe-colored seersucker shirt with an open collar, and it actually works quite well.

Sian: Nice. I like that. Yeah, I can see that working—a little bit of kind of Riviera style. It sounds like it’s been a really versatile piece for you.

Linus: I think, reflecting upon it, one of the key elements is because it’s not a solid black color. It has so many colors, so it makes it unique and gives it depth. Therefore, you can justify it as a statement piece for all these occasions.

Jack: Because there’s tones of, what, like heather, and pink, blue, and even some natural tones in there—like I’m getting, like, an oatmeal-y kind of tone coming through.

Linus: Absolutely.

Jack: So, like you say, all of the colors and all of the styles that you’re talking about wearing this piece with—I get it. Yeah, that makes sense. Something else that I noticed—you’ve got a two-button cuff.

Linus: Yes.

Jack: Now, I’ll be honest, this is kind of something that I really like as well—a two-button cuff. I like the unusual nature of it, but I’m interested to hear more about your inspiration behind the two-button cuff.

Linus: I think, if you look at it, that’s something you can break as well. Obviously, like, four buttons is your conventional suiting jacket kind of button configuration. Three buttons, kind of like—it’s like, oh, I want one less button so that it’s not a suit jacket kind of configuration. But then, two buttons—

I think it’s just, like, a good sports jacket kind of configuration. And not to mention, because it’s a 4:1, so there’s, like, a consistency of, like, two buttons here, two, two, two. It’s quite nerdy in a way for me.

Jack: Symmetry.

Linus: I like the symmetry.

Sian: No, that was definitely factored in, wasn’t it?

Linus: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

Jack: So, is that something that you would typically have a conversation with your client about, in the respect of—would you like that symmetry?

Sian: As we designed it as a 4×1, you then have to think about how the cuff will be in sympathy with the front buttons, basically, and—

Jack: That makes perfect sense because this is a relatively low buttoning point as well, so the cuff buttons are naturally going to be in line with the jacket—the buttons at closure.

So, totally understand it. Makes perfect sense. So, once you discovered the versatility of this piece, where did you go next? Where did your bespoke journey take you there?

Linus: I think it took me to a few places—from filling wardrobe gaps, so getting odd trousers made, to actually, I think, getting what I’m wearing today. Sometimes it’s quite—you need a charcoal three-piece suit.

Like, it’s sensible. It has, like, just a subtle amount of details, like the houndstooth in here. That’s quite hidden because it’s, like, a gray charcoal on black. So, it’s quite subtle. So I fill in a little bit of gaps here and there, just to make sure I fill in the basics. But then, once I continued with the 4×1 journey, I think that never stopped from there.

Jack: You caught the bug.

Linus: I caught the bug. So I think from there, there’s a jacket in between, which is not here today, but it eventually led to this piece I’m going to show you next. So, this is a 4×1 that is—

Jack: You’re really putting me through the paces here.

Linus: Yep, it’s—I use it as a workout piece because of how heavy the cloth is. I believe it’s 18 ounces, I think?

Sian: It’s—

Jack: Is that a “tailor’s touch”?

Sian: I think it is. It’s 17, 18 ounces, yes.

Linus: It is quite heavy. It’s a heavy flannel that Fox did for a limited edition of time, inspired by Cary Grant—so, it’s, like, your typical menswear influence.

Jack: Of course.

Linus: But what’s unique about it is the chalk stripe on the herringbone, which makes it have a little bit more depth in terms of the pattern. And because it’s not, like, either pure herringbone or like a pure stripe, then you actually have less of that business connotation. 

You can actually wear it as, like, quite a statement piece, but also it’s something I just wear a lot with different pieces—from black turtleneck to what you would wear on a normal day with a shirt and tie as well.

Jack: Like you say, the stripe—there’s one bold stripe, and then there are two rows of thin stripes that run through it. So, I appreciate what you mean because if this was just, like, a bold red stripe that ran through consistently, that could look a bit affected, perhaps. But yeah, the mottled nature of the herringbone that it is based on—I understand how this is actually more versatile than you’d think when you just look at the cloth.

Linus: Going back to the technical bits a little bit, from the pink one onwards, I actually evolved a little bit in terms of the buttoning configuration. Whereas that one—it’s purely a 4×1. I think from then I wanted something that I can wear as, like, 4×1 or 4×2—a reversible style as well.

So what’s different from that one to here is that the inner fastening button has moved downwards, to the actual fastening point instead, so that allows that flexibility of wearing it both ways.

Jack: So you’d wear it like this—or like this?

Linus: You can do both.

Jack: Excellent.

Linus: I think that’s the genius of what a bespoke tailor can do for you because they account for your measurements.

For one, in my opinion, it’s quite, like, a very difficult thing to fit right. Especially if you’re getting it from ready-to-wear because it really—it’s not a natural fastening point. Your natural fastening point will always be your waist. But, you know, in order for, like, something that’s fastening on, like, a natural point and still looks good—

That’s, like, the brilliance of a bespoke tailor, I think.

Jack: That was actually going to be my next question.

Sian, something like this—is it more technically challenging to make where the buttoning point is flexible?

Sian: It just involves a little bit more thought, that’s all. Yeah, you need to be able to make it work both ways—that’s quite difficult. And you also need to kind of help the client understand that as well. But through fittings and trials, we get there.

Jack: Because I’ve heard a lot from other tailors that being a tailor is about setting expectations. And I think people like us, who enjoy sartorial things, can kind of let our imaginations run wild. So, do you ever have to rein customers in?

Sian: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, but, you know, in the gentlest possible way, because people come to us with so many ideas, and they’re excited, and quite often they want so many functions within one garment as well. And that’s where you have to be very careful and try and steer them towards something that they’ll be satisfied with in the end—because it’s not got too many things going on, so it still makes sense.

Jack: So, do you often get customers asking you for really challenging—or perhaps, what’s the most outstanding piece that you’ve made?

Sian: I think one of the most quietly outstanding pieces that I’ve made was a customer of ours who came in with a real passion for vintage. He particularly wanted a suit from an image—he wanted to be able to see the waistcoat points perfectly when standing with his hand in his pocket.

Linus: Ah, I’ve seen that image…

Sian: And we worked tirelessly on the lapel shape, getting the balance of the waistcoat right and the line of the trousers. It was just very in-depth and a really lovely project to work on, actually. It turned out beautifully as well, so it was very satisfying.

Jack: I was gonna ask, actually—it must be satisfying when it gets to that stage of completion. You’ve created something like this, or the polo coat, or any of Linus’s other pieces, and you think to yourself, “That—that was a job well done.”

Sian: Absolutely. Yeah. If you’re creating beautiful garments for people who are going to love them—and clearly do—it’s a great job. Yeah, it’s very satisfying.

Jack: So this piece was obviously quite a special one for you. What’s your latest piece?

Linus: So my latest piece—it’s actually a commission I’m just about to pick up today.

Jack: So this is it?

Linus: So this is it. So, a little bit of a funny story about this—obviously, I’ve been a customer with Whitcomb & Shaftesbury for a very long time. And over the years, I actually just collect random cloths, maybe just from sample sale or from exchanging cloth with other sartorial friends.

So I just accumulate a few pieces here that I left a couple of years ago and hadn’t worked on. So at this point, I’m like, okay, I’ve commissioned quite a lot of different things—some are quite intentional and have all the details in mind.

What’s next for me? What’s, like, the continuation of all the stages I’ve been through? And now that I’ve discovered this love and passion for 4×1, what do I want to do next? So I remember this cloth that I picked up a while back from the sample sale. I believe this cloth was manufactured in 2016.

I bought it maybe in 2019 from the sample sale and then dropped it off soon after. So it’s been quite some time here. And because my style has been moving more towards a slouchier, looser cut, I can actually come to appreciate traditional suiting materials again—but take a more stylistic approach with it with this slouchy look.

Whereas this cloth, if you made it in a silhouette from when I first started, like, relatively slim, it probably wouldn’t look that good. This, for now, is, like, a slouchy 4×1. It’s just quite a timeless—no, I wouldn’t say timeless—look. A very “me” kind of look, and it just works well. It’s all out there. It’s just lovely.

Jack: Well, it’s just important to have your personality show through in your clothes, especially when you’re commissioning a bespoke piece. So yeah, Sian, tell me more about working on this.

Was it annoying that Linus had given you this cloth all that time ago and said, “Just make something with this?”

Sian: No… We do have some cloth stashed under the board for clients for years sometimes, as people collect things and mull over what to do with them. So it’s not unheard of. It was sat there resting for a while, but I think Linus is right—it basically needed him to get to his current silhouette, which is a little bit more full and relaxed, for this cloth to work, for him to be able to make this commission. And I think it works perfectly. And it’s a really lovely suit, actually. We just sneak-previewed it, slipped it on earlier, actually.

Jack: Ah, I see, I see. So yeah, the weight of this cloth, when compared to the grey and red double worsted suit, is immediately a lot different. What sort of weight are we talking about for this one?

Sian: This one is probably more of a 10-ounce, I would say.

Linus: Yes. So, whereas I have quite a few winter pieces, three-season pieces, like what I’m wearing today, I realize I actually don’t have a 4×1 as a summer or late spring/early autumn suiting piece.

And I had this cloth in mind. I’d put it here a long time ago, so why not make it into a 4×1 that I can wear for these months of the year?

Jack: So you’ve collected it at just the right time.

Linus: There you go.

Jack: Excellent.

So, Sian, I’m interested—when you have a client like Linus who’s been with you for as many years as he has, does the fitting and commissioning process get easier?

Sian: It does. Yes, it definitely does. You obviously have an established pattern for the customer, so you can work from that—you’re not starting afresh every time. And as you get to know their style, you can make suggestions and you understand that you’re going to get them what they want, basically, after you have your consultation with them. So that’s obviously very reassuring.

Jack: Do you feel that it’s the same from a client’s point of view—that the process becomes easier, more relaxed, perhaps?

Linus: I think so. I would say when I first started, I cared a lot more about the individual fitting processes and wanted to make sure every detail was correct, like checking rigorously about everything again and again.

But as time goes on, even if your body shape evolves and your silhouette changes, your tailor knows what you want, what your stylistic choices are. So you just let them kind of do the work, do their magic, and then it just turns out fine, just as they are as well.

Jack: Excellent. That’s a really good piece of advice, I think, if someone’s looking to commission their first piece as well.

Sian, similar sort of question to you from a tailor’s point of view—what would you like a customer to know about bespoke before they come to you for bespoke?

Sian: I think people are really well-informed about bespoke—much more so these days. So customers come to us, and they often know a lot already. As Linus has just said, what we’d like them to kind of know and feel initially is just that they can trust us, and we aim to just build that level of trust, basically, so they get what they want.

Jack: Trust is important.

Sian: Yeah.

Jack: For sure.

So, what’s the next piece following your newest collection?

Jack: Is it going to be something really zany and out there, or is it going to be a little bit more sensible?

Linus: Well, I do have a few cloths laying around still. That might be it. I can’t tell you yet, but it should be quite exciting.

Jack: Up for the challenge?

Sian: Definitely. Looking forward to it.

Jack: Thank you both for being with us today. Linus, thank you.

Linus: Thank you.

Jack: Sian.

Sian: Thank you.

Jack: Thank you very much.

Sian: Pleasure.

If you could design your ultimate bespoke garment, what would it look like? Share your dream design ideas and inspirations in the comments below!