Andy's Recommendations

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Andy's Recommendations

High quality custom tailored clothing, for not much more
than off the rack. Tell Vijay, Andy sent you!

I just ordered two sport jackets and trousers to go with them from www.CustomMen.com Stay tuned and I'll let you know how they turn out!! -- Andy

A big thanks to Glenn Ludlow
Managing Director of Sartorial Executive for mentioned The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes in the July 2008 Sartorial Notebook - newsletter from the Sartorial Executive

http://www.shirt-style.co.uk/

This is the wallet I use and recommend!

Order it from First Street through the banner below.

It's Item # 01344 at only $29.95. They have other versions as well!!

Plus it may save you some future back pain!

From The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes, Wallet Chapter:

Ergonomic fashion fundamental – Two smaller wallets carried one each in the front pockets instead of the rear. It will save back strain and pain. When you sit on a large billfold pressure is placed on your sciatic nerves and muscles. Many back problems have been related to this practice.

There is another advantage to carrying two small billfolds in your front pockets. The first wallet keeps your credit cards, important stuff and some cash. The other has some cash you don’t mind “donating” New York Style to muggers.

Got the Crockett & Jones, Langham, tan burnished Calf
from P. Lal Store.

Great service and fantastic prices on high quality shoes

http://www.plal.com/

We are, P. Lal Store, also known as Lal's, the house of fine imports. Our merchandise is sourced from some of the finest manufacturers, some of whom have been in business for longer than we have. And all this at our lowest fixed prices. Guaranteed, or your money back!

P. Lal Store was founded in 1929 by Prabhulal G. Doshi (1901-1988) who came to Malaysia from India. One of his four sons, Bhansukhlal P. Doshi (1929-1997) who took over running the then second generation business was instrumental in the rapid growth and maturity of the store now run by his two sons. P. Lal Store now has the distinction of being Kuala Lumpur's Oldest Established Store.

I just got three T. M. Lewin shirts two in the “Luxury” fabric and one in a “waffle weave”.
Out of all my quality features listed in The Encyclopedia of Men’s Clothes these shirts do well!

Split cut on the bias (diagonal), yokes
Two piece non fused collars
Good quality fabrics
Pattern matched on the front
Seven buttons on the front
Front Placket Cross stitched buttons
Plastic collar stays, removable and with the T.M. Lewin name on them so I know which shirt they fit!!

This is one of the shirts and T.M. Lewin's description:

Blue Waffle Check Luxury Twill Prince of Wales Double Cuff Shirt - 20414

Prince of Wales collared shirt in heavier textured fabric than the T.M.Lewin 100 shirt and Twill shirts. Made from classic Jermyn Street fabric, this T.M.Lewin shirt is made from a silky finish cotton fabric creating a quality, cool, crisp man’s shirt. This T.M.Lewin formal shirt is made with finer yarns, creating a soft and luxurious feel. The Prince of Wales collar has become T.M.Lewin’s classic collared shirt with a less cutaway collar than the Windsor shirt. This formal shirt is 100% cotton.

http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/

I just had the opportunity to try an innovation in underwear!! Sorry nothing to do with Victoria’s Secret.

This is a man’s undershirt called RibbedTee™ available at http://www.ribbedtee.com/ and it’s a unique combination of what’s great in a ribbed athletic tank undershirt with the traditional Tee, with an improvement on both!

You get the close fit, comfort and cooling effects of the ribbed fabric with a tee’s underarm perspiration and deodorant/anti-perspirant protection for your shirt. These undershirts, both crew or V-neck, feel really good, fit closely so you don’t get any bunched up fabric under your shirt, and stay tucked in (the length, top of shoulder to bottom, is cut extra long and engineered with a tailored cut – the bottom is 1" narrower than chest)!

They’ve even solved the loose sleeve problem with form fitting sleeves that stay in place. Your choice in black or white. The black version is the same fabric, but has an even more “silky” feel.

And ready for the best part? The price!!! Only $18.50 for the white and $19.50 for the black – that for two per package!

It’s the perfect undershirt at a more than perfect price.

Tell them you came from Ask Andy and get 10% off that already incredibly low price!! Just use the coupon code "AskAndy"

You might remember that The Hanger Project came from you,
Ask Andy Forum Members, discussing where to get a great hanger.
Forum member Kirby found the answer for all of us!!

10% discount for AAAC members with the Promotion Code "AskAndy"

https://www.hangerproject.com/

http://www.oxxfordclothes.com/

I had the pleasure (and it was a pleasure) to get an Oxxford made-to-measure suit. Photos and more HERE!

Prince Henry, is a family business based in Bangkok, Thailand providing custom made suits at great prices and they visit USA, Canada, UK and Australia regularly. You can see their itineraries at www.princehenry.biz/world-tour.html

Mention Ask Andy and get a 5% discount

I was measured for a sport jacket and trousers during one of their visits to the USA. Great selection of fabrics and then I was fortunate enough to visit Bangkok on a recent trip for a second fitting (you don't have to do that!!). Here's some photos of my Prince Henry jacket:

Look at that great lining!! More photos HERE!

Joe Hemrajani is a a one-of-a-kind person you should know about. Joe is a master tailor who learned his craft at a famous Hong Kong clothier. But you don't have to board a plane to get immaculate hand tailoring from Joe. He has offices here in the United States and travels throughout the US and London!

On my recent trip to Southeast Asia, I had the pleasure of meeting with Joe in Hong Kong. He seems like a genuinely honest gentleman with a sincere concern for customers and a passion for well made clothing. Not only does he come to you, he also has a great web site www.mytailor.com where you browse, learn more about tailoring, schedule
a fitting, and even place orders. How convenient is that?

Joe offers custom made quality at surprisingly affordable prices. He has the very latest colors, fabrics and styles to reflect your personal style and good taste. You can even add custom tailored details, just like in fitting rooms of the world's finest clothiers.

Joe continues the tradition of Hong Kong tailoring all the way through to finish. After fitting, the garments are manufactured with care in Hong Kong, a city that is world famous for fine custom clothing.

Check out Joe Hemrajani. He's an original! www.mytailor.com And tell him hello from me -- Andy

Here's the schedule for My Tailor, just click on your state and city: http://www.mytailor.com/tourschedule.aspx

UPDATE: My First Bespoke Suit!!

I met with Joe Hemrajani after our trip at his Irvine office and we picked out a Loro Piana S-120 Navy wool suit fabric with pinstripes of light blue and burgundy.

The measuring process was intense. Joe took lots of measurements
and recorded them by computer program along with my style feature requests – peaked lapels, double vents, two button, hacking flap pockets and a ticket pocket. My prior experience (and this is not criticism but just a difference in the way tailors work) was a few measurements written on a form.

Joe also took photos of me to help the Hong Kong tailors with body type.

Joe also suggested a shirt and we picked a blue two-ply superfine 100's from his “executive collection” end-on-end with a true split yoke (I think he did this just for me after our discussion of the value of a split yoke).

The suit arrived last week and it is beautiful! The fabric is even more outstanding than the swatch (think of the shirt/tie combinations with a navy fabric with light blue and burgundy pin stripes) and the fit is perfect. The hand work and details are outstanding.

Never having that feeling of a perfectly fitting suit I must say it is really a joy. Now I know what you guys are talking about.

And the shirt (with French cuffs) is very impressive. It fits perfectly too!!! I’m really pleased with the features and the fabric.

Thank you Joe!

My Second Bespoke Suit!!

I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Chawla of Gino Tailor's in Thailand on my recent trip. He's a great person and the details he puts into his suits are fantastic. Check out the websites:
www.ginoshirt.com and www.ginotailor.com

Make sure you tell him hello for me, and mention you came from the Ask Andy site!

Here is a video of how my suit was tailored:

http://enews.ecartstudio.com/scripts/viewfullscreen.asp?nNEWSID=103

My Gino suit is fantastic! It's a peaked lapel, two button, double vents in a navy birdseye. The pattern really looks great and the fit, oh the fit!!

The fabric is Italian, Lessona S120, Bob Chawla of Gino uses horsehair lnterfacing (also called canvas or interlining) and there is some fusing (as we mentioned fusing has come a long way in the past few years) but Gino is proud that they use the finest fusing fabric from France.

Remember I was trying to describe the detailing that Gino's does?

This may be a better illustration (see photo at right), and yes that's the Ask Andy hanger logo!

I had met Bob as mentioned above on my trip to Thailand in January 2006 and turned him into a tour guide, which he did wonderfully! My wife and I had a good day with him seeing some of the sites. When he took us back to our cruise ship we were a little late and only had time to look at several suits Bob had in his trunk. I was impressed and tried to describe the detailing and hand work!

Bob Chawla www.ginotailor.com will be making visits to the USA, watch the Forum for his schedule. He currently make regular visits to Germany, Switzerland and Norway.

Gino shirts are well made of excellent fabrics. www.ginoshirt.com

Understated
Extraordinary Quality
Custom or Ready Made

Since 1888
www.normanhiltonclothes.com
(405)410-8777

I just ordered some shoes from http://www.grapevinehill.com Excellent selection of shoes at great prices and some reviews about Grapevinehill on the Forums!

Dear Ask Andy Members:

We are very pleased to read all the positive feedback regarding our shoes. Our main goal has always been to produce an affordable custom embroidered shoe. We are currently working on our embroidery production and should be ready to receive order in March for delivery by mid April.

Monograms will retail for $175.00 plus shipping. Custom embroidery will start at $170.00 and increase depending on the design but will not exceed $225.00.

Because of the continuing support Ask Andy Members have given us we would like to offer the “Classic” Del Toro for $158.00 plus shipping to all members.

If you are interested in ordering a pair at the discounted price please e-mail info@buydeltoro.com with your credit card information as well as your size and billing/shipping address.

Our sizes are:
M: 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5,12
W: 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10
We will post again letting members know we are ready to receive embroidery orders.

All the best,
Del Toro Shoes
James and Nathanial

http://www.deltoroshoes.com/

Two new Specials for Ask Andy Members from CEDARVILLE

Remember www.CedarvilleStore.com has all you need for shoe care and closet storage.
Plus at www.ShoeFootandBody.com they have everything you need for foot care!

https://www.skyvalet1.com/

SKY VALET SHOES

1-877-342 1159

skyvalet1@aol.com

FREE SHIPPING

http://www.skyvalet1.com/

Located in Washington DC, in the heart of Georgetown, SKY VALET SHOES was established by Hetom Hodikoglu in 1984 as a shoe repair shop and later joined by his brother Aram.

Well respected by the Members of the AskAndy Forums they carry some of the World’s Finest Men’s shoes: Alfred Sargent, Allen Edmonds, Barrett, Edward Green, JM Weston, Yanko.

Don’t forget their Belts and Edward Green shoe trees.

Please call 1-877-342-1159.
(Mon-Fri 8am-7pm Sat 9-5 Eastern time).
Tell them you’re from AskAndy!

Tom Park, Forum member, is the owner of Leather Soul.

Contact Tom tom@leathersoulhawaii.com for a great shoe buying experience!

I just got a pair of these Alden suede tassel slip-on from Tom. The shoes are fantastic, very comfortable, and good looking!

The customer service from Leather Soul is great, and the shipping is fast!

Thank you Tom!!

UPDATE: Just got two more pair of Alden's from Tom.

-- Andy

When one of the members of the Forum, David Hober of Sam Hober Custom Made Neckties (formerly Mulberrywood) mentioned that they featured hand-woven Thai silk neckties, pocket squares, scarves and shawls, I had to check out their site.

Sam Hober pocket squares are handsewn and hand-rolled using handwoven Mudmee, Saiphone, & Iridescent Shot Thai silk fabrics. They (David & Noina) also make bespoke ties in any length, width, shape or construction including classic unlined seven-folds, and Italian style lined six-folds. They have a large selection of English, Italian, Irish and Thai silks to select from and can custom weave silks.

Well, I had to have one of their pocket squares and they're better than the photos on the site!

Sam Hober also offers the "Official" Ask Andy pocket square (see photo at right) available HERE!

And, graciously, David has provided two of our Tutorials linked from the Home Page:

David Hober gives steps for making our own Necktie

David Hober shows us how to make a Pocket Square

For over 18 years, CEGO shirt maker Carl Goldberg (and AAAC Forum Member) has been providing New York City's best custom shirt value.

Our custom made shirts have appeared in major Broadway Shows, such as "Mama Mia" and "The Producers", as well as several network television shows. We can make you look like a star too without the inflated prices.

174 Fifth Ave
New York, NY 10010
Mon-Fri 9:00am-6:00pm
Sat 10:00am-3:00pm
Tel: (212) 620-4512
*By Appointment Only
Fax: (212) 620-4503
Email: cegocs@aol.com

Check their website: http://www.cego.com

I've just tried some of CEGO's boxer shorts and they are great!! The fabric (high quality shirt fabric) is fantastic. The boxer shorts will compel you to get some CEGO shirts*!!-- Andy

*And I just did!! I’d gotten some luxurious boxer shorts (you should order some of these!) from CEGO and Carl Goldberg, made from his shirt fabrics and thought I’d better get something that others could see, like a custom made shirt! He had some great shirt fabrics at the CSE show this year. We chose a beautiful herringbone blue fabric, discussed the collar and cuff details and he measured me. I have it now. What a great shirt. Excellent fabric and it fits perfectly!!! Thanks Carl!

The exclusive ties from Four In Hand (great company name!) are handcrafted in Italy by a company that has been making scarves and ties for 30 plus years.

The ties have been painstakingly and proudly hand constructed from the finest fabrics that Italy has to offer. Four In Hand also features a complete line of shirts, suits and outerwear.

I have a couple of shirts from Jonathan and the last one I received was at the same time I had gotten an Ike Behar shirt. The Four In Hand shirt was comparable! You'll find something at http://www.fourinhand.com

http://www.chapmanbags.com

John Chapman makes hand crafted bags for travel, leisure, business and sporting activities.

A smart, stylish and practical Despatch Bag which is also big enough for smaller laptops; "portrait" shape sits comfortably on the body and avoids obstruction; features a full length exterior zipped rear slip pocket and an interior snap link for keys etc..

Your one stop shopping for clothing, accessories, grooming, wine and spirits, cigars, leisure, and for your home!

On The Fly is committed to outfitting the modern gentleman with solutions that acknowledge his discerning tastes and busy schedule. They're mission is to edit the world of choices available to their customer in such a way that he can be confident that every purchase is a stylish one.

http://www.on-the-fly.com

You can also shop the new San Francisco showroom. Located in San Francisco's South of Market area (SOMA, it is just a couple minutes from the Financial District or the new ballpark. To set up an appointment, e-mail, fax, or give them a call.

135 Clara Street
San Francisco, CA 94107


	Phone toll free 1-877-547-2720. If you do not reach a customer service representative directly, feel free to leave a message. The message will be sent to us via e-mail as well and we will respond as soon as we possibly can.

	The fax number is (415) 520-5358

	All website inquiries should be directed to service@on-the-fly.com

BOOKSTER1UK Purveyors of distinctive tweeds and fine quality clothing, vintage and modern. Specialising in unique, hard to find apparel. This extraordinary UK E-bay shop enjoys a worldwide reputation for quality, value and service.

We've been busy expanding. Here's some interesting news for AskAndy members.

We now have a large warehouse here in rural Herefordshire that serious buyers can visit by appointment. So far bookings include visitors from Switzerland and Scandinavia and future visits planned by USA customers when they visit the UK. It is a veritable 'Aladins Cave' as we only list a fraction of our stock in our eBay store.

No leather couches yet, it is a basic storage facility in an idyllic rural setting, hundreds of tweed jackets and more. There are lots of other places to visit nearby to make it a great English 'Day Out'.

Bookster Club -- Our growing number of regular customers inspired us to start an exclusive club. Its not your typical loyalty card operation requiring you to collect points, the benefits are , appropriately 'bespoke', and can include shipping discounts, bulk purchase discounts, quality free gifts etc.

Any repeat customer can apply, details on our homepage www.bookster1uk.com

Barbour Jackets -- Through an associate of ours, we are able to offer huge savings on some models of NEW Barbour Wax Cotton Jackets, and a full range of high quality used Barbour Jackets. None of these are listed in our e-bay store, anyone interested should contact us for more information.

Bookster Hacking Jacket embodies all that is best in the way of styling, from the three button front through to the 3 hacking style slant pockets and functional collar tab. Tailored in England and designed to be versatile and suitable for equestrian, formal and casual wear. We’ve used the finest tweed such as Johnstons of Elgin Saxony, and Glenhunt Home Spun.

To launch the Bookster Original range of tweed clothing, we have on offer, at a special introductory price, a selection of exceptional English Craft Tailored Tweed Hacking Jackets.

Choose from six different cloths, standard sizes currently in stock, short and long lengths, available to order, additional bespoke features to order, matching waistcoats and trousers to order.

New website for the Bookster Jackets and MORE!!!

http://www.tweed-jacket.com/

We have expanded our range of cloths and added our estate tweed shooting suit. most of our items are to order , with a turnaround of 4-6 weeks, so forward planning is a good idea.
Corduroy trousers are ready to join the range too!

Featuring:

Functional Collar Tab
Single Breasted
Three Button Fastening
3 Hacking Slant Pockets
Breast Pocket
Two inside tweed inset pockets
Deep Single Vent
Floating Canvas Hair Panel
Fully lined with
Co-coordinated Luxury Satin

Got my Bookster Hacking Jacket!!
It's the Lomond (see photo at left) and I think the bottom button is fastened to show all three buttons on the website. What's really odd is that this jacket fits perfectly!! ??? The sleeves are perfect (that never happens) and the area below the neck in the back looks like it was tailored (in Savile Row) just for me. also ??

Now maybe I was lucky, or I'm just the perfect body type for the typical British country estate squire. Any way I'll now have to sell my small beach house (and small lot) and acquire a large country estate in England or Scotland just to properly wear this incredible jacket.

Also got the brown moleskin trousers to wear with it. Can't wait for winter and those chilly 50 degree temps here in So. California, USA!!
No, no moleskin isn't from a mole!!

Moleskin is an abrasion and tear resistant fabric made of tightly woven long-staple cotton. It was developed in the 14^th century for hunting and fishing attire. Moleskin’s reputation for toughness was so good it found use as aprons to protect workers from splashes of molten metal in 16^th Century English foundries.

And Bookster uses the finest quality moleskin available.

Thanks Bookster!
-- Andy Gilchrist
And here's some good news Ask Andy members get 5% off the purchase price!! Just use the discount Codeword Clydesdale.
Just enter CLYDESDALE in the promotional code box and the discount will be automatically applied.

We are ever happy to consult with customers to help ensure they get just what they want. Skype Telephony means we can talk to each other at length if needs be, our Skype ID is bookster1uk

And Smart Turnout is the maker of the Official Ask Andy Cufflinks! Your choice with the Logo on one side so that you can turn it in when you when to keep the "secret!!" or just the beautiful blue stripes. Investment is only about $54 plus $16 shipping to the USA.

REMEMBER to mention "AskAndy" and get 15% off your order at Smart Turnout!

One of the Forum Members has a Hawaiian, Aloha, Tropical Shirt business.
Take a look at these great shirts at really good prices here:

http://www.madgringo.com/

And make sure you tell the Mad Gringo you're a fellow AskAndy Forum Member!

THE SHIRTS THAT MADE THE MAD GRINGO THE MAD GRINGO.

I just got this one:

Hey, it's Kansas State
University colors!!)

And this one:

And my wife got this sarong.

She was going to get two but I said "No, no!! Two sarongs don't make a right!!

I have a small collection of walking sticks, but the nicest one in my collection is from Santa Fe Sticks.

http://www.santafesticks.com/

It's a hand-Carved cocobolo walking stick with an ebony knob.

They have a great selection of woods and will handcraft a walking stick to your specifications: length, tip size and material, choice of wood.

They're really good to deal with, check out the site to see what the sticks look like and then ask questions at info@santafesticks.com

This is the stick I got, but that's not me in the photo (he's too well dressed! )

I just got these Romano Martegani shoes in black. Hey, I had to have one pair of black shoes!!! They're really great looking, well made AND comfortable! -- Andy

Since 1891, Calzaturificio Romano Martegani has been at the forefront of both quality and fashion in the manufacture of men’s shoes and leather goods.

Always with quality as a first priority, our designs range from the Classic patterns, proven through time, to modern interpretations of the days prevailing fashions.

Whether our customers require a staid oxford in classic calfskin or a whimsical moccasin in colorful exotic leathers, Romano Martegani can be counted on to deliver a quality product, 100% Made in Italy, and at a solid value.

http://www.rm1891.com
http://ww.martegani.wordpress.com

Tarrago, high quality Spanish shoe care products are now available online.

http://www.tarrago.us

I got several products from them recently. Here’s what I tried:

Shoe cream. Wax based (available in 64 colors!! Contains pigment and leather nourishing… Good colors, and easy to apply, plus the results were perfect!

Self-shine polish. This scared me at first since I remember the old liquid polishes that were not good for your leather. This is not liquid but a cream polish and is wax based (they do have a liquid available that will not harm leather!). I tried it on one of my everyday Polo shoes and it really works. There is an immediate polished look to the leather. I’d suggest keeping a couple of appropriate colors at your office or in your “ready to go to Paris already packed” luggage. It’s perfect for a touch up at work or when traveling.

Suede/Nubuck cleaner. They also have suede color restorer!

AskAndy Members can use the Promotion Code SHOECARE
for a 10% discount on the whole product line!!

The artisans and craftspeople of
"A Collection of Sartorial Excellence" in New York City!

Fourth Annual CSE is Feb 29 and March 1, 2008

Platinum Sponsors:

AskAndyAboutClothes.com

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64490

KABBAZ & KELLY & SONS

Alexander Kabbaz, the well-known men's custom shirt maker and Forum member, specializes in Zimmerli underwear for men online. To see the entire Zimmerli of Switzerland line for men (and women), CLICK HERE.

English Gentlemen's Shoes from Crockett & Jones, Tricker's, Alfred Sargent, Barker, Loake, Grenson and Sanders!

Online customers enjoy detailed and prompt responses to their enquiries as well as to Shoe Orders. However, it is the fact that Pediwear successfully compete with huge organisations on Shoe Prices and Delivery Prices that is giving Pediwear a growing reputation for Value as well as for the family business tradition of personal service.

To help care for your new shoes, Pediwear is offering a FREE pair of shoe trees with all shoe orders that mention the "Ask Andy" web site!!!

I have these Tricker's Harrow Jermyn Street Collection wholecut shoes from Pediwear. They may just be the most beautiful shoes I own. The service at Pediwear, as reported on the Forums is outstanding. You'll be very pleased with the quality shoes and the reasonable prices. -- Andy
I just received these Barker Jameson tan (cedar) calf loafers from Pediwear! This is my first Barker shoes and I really like them. Great style, and perfect fit! -- Andy

I received this pair of Loake 1880's from from Herring Shoes
In addition to Loake, they sell Church, Barker, Barbour, and their own brand of high quality English made shoes.
The shipping was really fast and it was a joy to deal with Adrian Herring, and Mark. Nice personal touches which make doing business on the internet and internationally so much more pleasant!
http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/

I just got a beautiful Tuxedo (peak lapel, of course!!) from Suit Yourself

Also got this pair of Alden Shell Cordovan Tassel Loafers!

They have magnificent merchandise, and their customer service is superb. You can’t go wrong! -- Andy

http://www.suityourself.com

Get Naked!!!!!!!!!
That’s what the NakedWatch™ Company wants watch wearers everywhere to experience by focusing on mechanical skeleton watches for both men and women. The ‘naked’ design of these watches reveals the precision movements and craftsmanship that are necessary in a quality mechanical watch. The stainless steel casing, in brushed or polished finishes, gives these watches a unique sophisticated look.
All NakedWatch™ models are water resistant and come with a one year manufacturer's warranty.  The real appeal comes in the price, with most NakedWatch™ models retailing for under $300.00! http://www.nakedwatch.com

Mention you came from the Ask Andy website and you'll get a FREE watch band!! (Please specify the color).

The look of these watches has intrigued me for a while so I recently got one.

It's a great looking watch! Just watching the inner workings is fascinating. And I've gotten many comments from others about the unique design. People really do notice watches!  -- Andy

-- Andy Gilchrist

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