Oxxford Clothes is the last factory in the U.S. making custom tailored suits by hand. They are based in Chicago. Pitch perfect simple promotional video. One of the best I’ve seen.
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Jon Moss
on 01 Sep 10What a lovely (and emotive) video. Not sure about the ‘finest suits in the world’ – I think Saville Row may beg to differ!
Humour aside – who wouldn’t want to get a suit from these guys?
Burl E. Gates
on 01 Sep 10Reminds me of the video for Mast Brothers Chocolate (just without the beards)—
http://devour.com/video/the-mast-brothers/
Clay Schossow
on 01 Sep 10Great video and product. Listening to him talk about the fabric instantly reminded me of this article in the New York Times, Is Italy Too Italian? – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/business/global/01italy.html
Bill Horsman
on 01 Sep 10I like the comment “when there’s a better way to make a suit we’ll change”. They’re not refusing to change, they’re choosing to do it the traditional way because it’s the best.
Jed
on 01 Sep 10Bummed out that there are no young people in the video. How many years until there’s no one in America who knows how to do this?
Anonymous Coward
on 01 Sep 10The last “factory”, perhaps, but there are plenty of people doing bespoke tailoring in the US (and that doesn’t even count all of the “factories” doing made-to-measure tailoring).
Paul
on 01 Sep 10Jed, you took the words right out of my mouth.
Charlotte
on 01 Sep 10This is amazing. I made a suit for the first time this past spring for a friend, and even leaving out some details (like inside jacket pockets), and sewing by machine, it was an incredible amount of work (then again, we also tie-dyed it). I can’t imagine doing it all by hand. And every stitch is so tiny and perfect! I’m not sure I’d ever have enough patience, but I’m positive it would be a wonderful place to be able to intern, just to learn from true masters.
GeeIWonder
on 01 Sep 10It’s amazing the lengths to which many tailors these days will parse words and meaning to offer bespoke or ‘the only real bespoke’ or ‘the only …’ whatever. What makes it a factory? Who makes suits for the Amish?
These guys are impressive though. But for that kind of quality I’ll pass on the label, thanks.
Phil Willis
on 01 Sep 10There might be 1000 stitches in a label, but there’s only one X in Oxford. ;)
Seriously though – great video.
Jed and Paul – I agree. Where are the young up-and-coming artisans who will take over the tradition for the next hundred years?
Brilliant.
Tim
on 02 Sep 10Interesting comments re: Where are the up-and-coming artisans. The other day there was a news story on the radio. A business owner was lamenting the fact that he turns business away because he cannot find people who know how or are willing to apprentice to be machinists. I suspect there are a lot of interesting, respectable, rewarding skills around that are fading away.
Hugh MacLeod
on 02 Sep 10Jed, you are right. There aren’t any young people on Savile Row, either. Even if there were, the oldies really aren’t teaching anymore. Thomas Mahon and a few of his buddies were probably the last to be taught properly. And those guys are in their forties now…
PS. I’m the guy who started EnglishCut.com, with Savile Row tailor, Thomas Mahon.
GeeIWonder
on 02 Sep 10I swear I’ve seen some quite young faces on Saville Row. Learning, I’m sure, but isn’t that the point?
Thomas Mahon and a few of his buddies were probably the last to be taught properly.
Which would seem to be an indictment of them if they fail to pass the torch along, no?
Hugh MacLeod
on 02 Sep 10Geel,
I’d say it’s more an indictment of the British education system…
There’s basically not enough tailors anymore, nor are they being replaced. Malcolm Plews (Welsh & Jeffries) is considered on of the young ones and he’s in his sixties…
Brandon Durham
on 02 Sep 10Absolutely beautiful.
Carl Youngblood
on 06 Sep 10This may be cool in some ways, it’s not all impressive to me. First, these guys are all really old. If they don’t start rearing a new generation of tailors, their business is no more sustainable than the offshore factories they ridicule. Second, they seem to be priding themselves in how labor-intensive their craft is. That, in my opinion, sounds a lot like they have lost touch with the ultimate purpose of what they are doing and are steeped in dogma.
This discussion is closed.