Carol AlayneApr 22, 20193 minFairy tales can come true!This post was written by my very impressive friend, Eva Hamilton. One of my all time favourite commissions, Eva describes her wedding day...
Carol AlayneApr 20, 20192 minFor gawd sake, get me to the church on time!I had request from a bride-to-be this week. It was not for a new commission, but rather a desperate plea to remedy a gown she had ordere...
Carol AlayneJan 18, 20191 min"Never Mind the Logo..."An article in the Guardian caught my eye last week, highlighting a backlash in shopping habits. It seems the buying public is starting t...
Carol AlayneNov 7, 20181 minBorn again clothes!I was helping a male client with his wardrobe edit the other day; what to keep, amend, archive or recycle. He was convinced his old DJ ...
Carol AlayneDec 30, 20173 minBriefing for Bespoke: Line, shape, proportionYou may have caught the compelling TV series “Madmen“. The story of the how the advertising industry took fire on Madisson Avenue in the...
Carol AlayneDec 10, 20172 minSeveral SavilesDuring the summer my thoughts were solicited by THINK, a style magazine based in Dubai. It was running an article on the latest in bespok...
Carol AlayneDec 1, 20172 minButton up your overcoat, when the wind is free…t’s time to sing that chorus again. With the evenings drawing in and the temperature falling, we will need to think of bundling up in ...
Carol AlayneNov 1, 20172 minTfW, Jaeger and the V&AI was thrilled recently to speak alongside a representative from the global brand Jaeger about women’s tailoring. We were both making a ...
Carol AlayneOct 21, 20172 minTrouser rolesI have a number of autumn/winter trousers in production at the moment. As I was putting the final hand stitches into a blue birdseye woo...
Carol AlayneOct 1, 20172 minThe Red DressLast week I put the finishing touches to this glorious red dress and sent it on its way to New York for a client who will attend the Tony...
Carol AlayneSep 17, 20172 minIs tailoring eco-friendly?One of the things I find most satisfying about tailoring is the opportunity to create practical but aesthetic garments. The perfect combi...
Carol AlayneAug 30, 20173 minWhen less is moreIn 1940, with all-out war looming, the UK government Board of Trade decided to restrict the amount of clothing available in order to pres...
Carol AlayneAug 1, 20172 minSensational ButterfliesThe caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity’, supposedly said the comedian George Carlin. I guess this is ...
Carol AlayneJul 27, 20172 minWomen tinkering with tailoring! Why not do it for real“Annie Hall” hit the mark perfectly some 30 years ago in the eponymous film by Woody Allen. From top down, her combination of trilby, s...
Carol AlayneJul 16, 20172 minThe credit crunch, suits, and a pricing conundrumWith the current financial turmoil that surrounds us it seems appropriate to talk about price of goods, but on this occasion I intend to ...
Carol AlayneJun 6, 20173 minTools of the tradeI make no secret of my love of craft – the special skills, the attention to detail, the creativity. This week I’m privileged to speak at ...
Carol AlayneMay 30, 20172 minThat thing called SwingFrom time to time I wonder what happens to the finished garments that leave my studio, often with my exit advice to “wear them in”. It is...
Carol AlayneMay 14, 20172 minNHK – Bespoke for Japan; A woman’s point of viewIn the midst of a hectic time here in the studio; a royal wedding in Monaco, early planning for the shooting season, and gowns for the BB...
Carol AlayneMay 1, 20172 minPower Dressing, but does it empowerThe Sunday Times (UK) Style section devoted a number of column inches to the do’s and don’ts for women who find themselves at the front o...
Carol AlayneApr 1, 20172 minWarp and weft: the Huguenot’s of SpitalfieldsI was thrilled to be asked by one of my clients, Dr. Tessa Murdoch, to come along to last month’s launch of an Appeal from the foremost H...