If you have been to any black tie dinners then it's possible the evening included some awards, perhaps for 'export' or 'newcomer'. Awards dinners are a chance for an industry to pat itself on the back, companies to kick back and relax for a night, entertain a client or two and perhaps promote their profile, especially if shortlisted for an award. As well as recognising the best performers, awards dinners typically recognise newcomers, those that will be the industry's future. In tailoring things are no different; every two years aspiring tailors, either in educational colleges or apprentices who have already started their careers, compete for the Golden Shears awards at Merchant Taylor's Hall on Threadneedle Street in London, just along from the Bank of England & a couple of miles from Savile Row.
The difference between the Golden Shears and other industry award dinners is that Golden Shears features a catwalk show. Spotlights, music, professional models and the venue itself add up to something like "The Oscars of the Tailoring Industry" and the event deserves to be more widely known. Since it showcases young talent, the event features exam-pieces not available to buy from a shop. Each finalist's garment is examined for technical precision of construction and also stylistic flair, which in some cases can be pretty far-out.
The venue is small, but grand. Some of Savile Row's finest tailors and entrepreneurs and more than a few journalists were there. Button Stance team was there too, soaking it all in and we're going to pick our favourite three outfits and explain what we liked about them, we even have videos.
Garment #1: Monochrome in Green Tweed
If I were a stylist, this outfit would have got my top score. Head-to-toe in moss green, this coat and trousers create the illusion of being taller and slimmer which complements almost everybody. The model didn't need this help, obviously, but for the rest of us, dressing head-to-toe in one colour is a useful way to appear a couple of inches taller.
In luxurious wool, the coat had huge lapels which would only need the addition of buttons and buttonholes for sufficient protection from the cold winds in winter. The high-waisted and wide trousers were a nod to Marlene Dietrich's 1930's fashion. Note also the giant turn-ups at the trouser bottom-hem: technically, they provide sufficient weight at the bottom of the trousers to help the fabric ripple and flow when walking but they also counterbalance that illusory height-gain from the high-waist. A final note, though not a judging criteria we suspect, is that the weight of high turn-ups also help to reduce creases that form when sitting down.
These garments might look a bit "unpolished" to a professional eye: no crisp edges on the lapels that would be pressed with a heavy dry iron, the zip in the trousers is not set deep enough and if we could get a closer inspection we would probably find a few other imperfections - however, it is important to remember that these are the works of current students and apprentices at the beginning of their tailoring careers so we're looking for style and potential here, not perfection.
Garment #2: Light Blue Kimono Sleeves Suit
The audience gasped when the model appeared head-to-toe in this blue two-piece suit. The designer borrowed from Japanese traditional dressing by adding a variation on kimono sleeves to what is otherwise a fairly classic cut ladies' suit, although double-breasted, which is typically associated with male-tailoring.
Another interesting detail on this jacket is the ticket pocket. Normally, main pockets are cut so that the upper and lower edges of the flap are parallel with the ticket pocket then cut the same way, positioned above. Here, both were slanted and the overall effect was a pleasing and eye-catching detail that drew the eye to the model's waist. How very geometrically beautiful, how Japanese. And who doesn't want to appear slimmer?
Details like these pockets and the sleeves show the contestant's ability to introduce already familiar forms in a new way. These might not always be practical but as we said above, these garments are not for the real world, they're for a competition.
Garment #3: Black Watch Tartan Shooting Jacket
Out of all tartans I find Black Watch is the most versatile in bespoke tailoring; it looks glamorous for a black-tie evening suit, in a pair of wedding trousers and of course many accessories such as scarves appear in Black Watch too.
Here Black Watch has been incorporated into a shooting jacket with well-executed details, an unusual choice. The jacket has a throat latch, a gun patch, bellows pockets for cartridges, an action back and waist adjusters. Note the pattern-matching across the pockets and, though slightly less obvious in the photo above, at the sleeves. Finally, the three-button with the middle-button at the model's slimmest point: the waist. On men, a slim waist has a somewhat counter-intuitive effect: it emphasises the width of the shoulders.
Final thoughts
Before and after the catwalk show itself, reception drinks and a networking buffet dinner - a fun night & chance to network and we caught up with a couple of old friends. We also feel it necessary to point out the evening was also notable for the impeccable standard of dress of the attendees; no badly-fitted, oversized and rented dinner jackets; no-one turning up in a conventional business suit with a straight tie; no inappropriately tan-coloured shoes that haven't seen a shine in years. Savile Row does it better; think James Bond or Bryan Ferry.
Although the tickets were on sale through Eventbrite, few outside of the industry are aware it is possible to attend these shows. If you remain curious we edited together a short video for our new YouTube channel, Button Stance TV:
P.S. We will make sure we sit at the front row next time to bring you the best videography from the event to your screens. On this occasion we apologise for the partially obscured view when trying to get the best possible camera angle.
Photo credits: @thegoldenshears and Button Stance own videos.
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