REFERENCE
The Menswear Lexicon
The vocabulary of luxury menswear — fabrics, construction methods, tailoring traditions, and garment anatomy — defined with the precision the subject demands.
Fabrics & Materials
CashmereA luxury fibre combed from the undercoat of the Cashmere goat, prized for extreme softness, warmth-to-weight ratio, and the characteristic lustre of high grades.FlannelA soft, napped woollen cloth with a characteristic brushed surface, traditionally woven in the Huddersfield district of Yorkshire, and the fabric of choice for winter tailoring.Super 120s WoolA wool fabric classification indicating fibres of 18.5 microns or finer, producing a cloth of notable softness and lustre suitable for year-round tailoring.TweedA rough, woollen fabric woven with mixed-colour yarns to create its characteristic heathered or checked surface, traditionally associated with country pursuits and the British countryside.VicuñaThe rarest and finest natural textile fibre in the world, obtained from the wild vicuña of the Andean highlands, with a diameter of 12–13 microns and a warmth-to-weight ratio unmatched by any other fibre.
Tailoring & Construction
BespokeA suit or garment constructed entirely to the individual client's measurements, from a pattern created specifically for them, requiring multiple fittings.Full CanvasA jacket construction method in which a layer of horsehair canvas runs the full length of the front panel, hand-stitched to the cloth to create structure and drape.Made-to-MeasureA garment produced by adjusting a pre-existing base pattern to a client's individual measurements, offering personalisation between ready-to-wear and bespoke.Neapolitan TailoringA tradition of bespoke and artisanal tailoring originating in Naples, Italy, characterised by a soft shoulder, light construction, and a sensuous, body-conscious drape.Savile RowA street in London's Mayfair district that has been the centre of British bespoke tailoring since the 18th century, and a metonym for the highest standard of men's tailored clothing.
Footwear Construction
Blake StitchA shoe construction in which a single stitch passes through the insole, upper, and outsole simultaneously, producing a lighter, more flexible shoe favoured by Italian makers.Goodyear WeltA shoe construction method in which a strip of leather (the welt) is stitched to both the upper and insole, then separately stitched to the outsole — allowing for repeated resoling.The LastThe three-dimensional foot-shaped form over which a shoe is constructed. The last determines toe shape, instep height, width, and the overall character of the finished shoe.