One of my new year resolutions was to write more, and well, like most resolutions I haven’t exactly kept to it as yet!
So..I thought I’d keep you posted with a pic of some of my favourite shirts from last year. This chap certainly knows what he wants and wears them well, note the subtle button hole colour and use of Liberty print to make standard dress shirts that bit more special. The collar is entirely bespoke which we worked on to really achieve the look he wanted.
Lots more soon…I promise!
Just thought I would post a quick note with regard to the holidays, I had hoped to write it before Christmas but everything went a little bonkers getting all the shirts out in time.
Well, it certainly has been an eventful year, luckily I have been kept busy despite the recession, for which I feel extremely pleased, everyone thought I was mad starting a luxury business in the middle of the worse recession in a while! I say it all the time but I really feel privileged to be able to make shirts for some really fantastic people, it makes my job a lot more pleasurable.
I left my beloved Liberty in April and although it remains my favourite shop in the world I know I made the right decision. I have been able to focus on the shirtmaking process working closely with the pattern cutters and machinists to extend my knowledge and understanding.
So as we draw a close to the noughties and begin the new decade there is lots to look forward to… I plan to grow the business next year and am working with some ridiculously talented people on lots of exciting projects.
So thank you 2009, and see you in 2010!
..ok ok a lot more Liberty print. I was asked to make this for a chap who liked the Liberty of London ones but just couldn’t get them to fit right. He wanted to maintain a more casual look with a softer collar and 3 button cuff. It is certainly bold but I think teamed with jeans and a cashmere jumper this will look fantastic. Or as a beach shirt as I think it is intended!
The print is Edenham for those who are interested, I can’t wait to post pics of all the orders I took in America, got some lovely creative shirts in production at the moment.
We’re back safely from our travels, both Tom and I had a great time seeing customers old and new. It’s now down to business ordering fabric and getting the shirts made.
In New York we met with a couple of Savile Row stalwarts, Ravi Tailor and John Reed, two fantastic characters who were visiting some clients in the city. I was also very pleased that Mr. Macleod popped up from West Texas, we all went for lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station (my favourite in NY). Hugh, for those who don’t know is a fabulous cartoonist, and the man behind Gaping Void… he was kind enough to draw on his new book for me (a bestseller don’t you know!) if you don’t have it then you should go buy it – it has inspired me as Hugh did himself a couple of years ago, to be brave and start my own business and do what you love. He is the man behind the cartoon on my business card for those of who have one – it always causes a chuckle!
So thats my transatlantic adventures over for this year, I’ll be back in the Spring, if you want to be notified of my travels do let me know at shirts@lucyadams.co.uk
A couple of months ago I wrote about the new Alumo 2 fold 240s cloth, everyone wanted to see it and marvel at how soft and silky it is.. I tried to put them off of course but one of my customers in San Francisco fancied treating himself and here is the result. (I have bought a new camera and so photos hopefully will improve going forward)
I sent off for Alumo’s complete new range to travel with and included was a card for Soyella Royal – as the 240s is now known. As you will note, they have expanded the range from just white – I’m personally wanting the black – maybe I’ll treat myself for Christmas..now there’s an idea…!
Well we are nearly at the end of our American adventure for this season.. before I left for the trip I quickly had this shirt dress made up out of some Liberty print poplin I had bought in the sale. The pattern is really subtle for those who think I only allow my customers to have shirts with crazy bright florals on!
Shirt dresses are great for us ladies, as they can be worn dressed up, as I am in the pic, or casually with jeans or leggings, I’ll certainly be getting some more made when I get home. If you would like a shirt dress do drop me a line at shirts@lucyadams.co.uk
Another post that didn’t get posted before I left to hop over the pond is this rather fantastic red shirt.
One of my more daring customers opted for this striking number with Lulu Berry Liberty print inside the collar. The smoke mother of pearl buttons add a nice finish to the shirt – he certainly will be highly visible and particularly festive in the run up to Christmas!
I spend a lot of time at the factory where my shirts are made and thought I’d detail some of the process. A lot of experience and time goes into each individual shirt.
Firstly after I have taken the measurements I send them to my pattern maker to be drafted. He then gives the pattern to Tony (pictured) to carefully cut out all the pieces and bundle them up with my label and any fancy collar and cuff linings. Tony has been doing this for 37 years, to say he is well practiced is an understatement! Next the collars and cuffs are made, the collar especially is a very skilled task, but the ladies make it look easy.
Next the front is sewn, whether it be a placket,plain or fly. The yoke is next and the label is sewn in before being attached to the back piece.
The gauntlets then get sewn on the sleeve before the sleeve is sewn together and attached to the body.
The little pentagonal gusset is pressed into shape on a heat roller machine and then caught in as the side seams are sewn up. The shirt then gets hemmed followed by the cuffs and collar.
Mona steps up next marking out the button and button hole placing and then creates 
the button holes and attaches the pure mother of pearl buttons.
Lastly it goes through quality control where all the seams are checked and any loose threads cut off. It then gets ironed and folded neatly into the packaging – voila! The making of a shirt in a nutshell.
I pitched up in Kent today with my camera to spend some time with the people at the factory and sit in on the making process. The guys and gals were very helpful and I left feeling very in awe of their skill and extremely proud of my shirts. Many of them have been working there for 20 or 30 years and are experts at their part of production. Anyway, it got me thinking – these shirts are expensive, I want to show why they are so expensive, the word ‘factory’ has become synonymous with mass produced product. There is no magic shirt making machine that you put cloth in one end and out pops a shirt from the other. In the next post I will detail the process, and the little details that make the shirt so special. Stay tuned!
I am pleased to announce that I will now provide a shirt stock special service. A stock special, for anyone not familiar with the term is basically a stock shirt in the style of your own choice. I will primarily be making these for people who are a typical stock size – ie 15″ collar etc, that way you can create your own shirt, collar, cuff, even a touch of Liberty print if you wish. They will start at £100, this is for Alumo Superior 2-fold cotton (a lovely durable yet soft cloth) finer cloths will be extra depending on the quality.
Why not try one whilst I’m America – my dates are here and I still have a few appointments left in New York, email me if you are interested: shirts@lucyadams.co.uk
