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Carol Alayne ~ master tailor

a blend of haute-couture and Savile Row

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Briefing for Bespoke: Line, shape, proportion

Dec 30, 2017
3 min

Briefing for Bespoke: Line, shape, proportion

You may have caught the compelling TV series “Madmen“. The story of the how the advertising industry took fire on Madisson Avenue in the 60’s. (30 years earlier the father of PR, Edward Bernays had started the ball rolling by helping the tobacco industry sell cigarettes to women with the somewhat questionable byline ‘A Torch for Liberty’!). In one episode an eager young secretary was given this down to earth advice from one of her more seasoned colleagues with regards to d

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Several Saviles

Dec 10, 2017
2 min

Several Saviles

During the summer my thoughts were solicited by THINK, a style magazine based in Dubai. It was running an article on the latest in bespoke tailoring and how a personal ‘image’ is so important even in the highly regimented worlds of international business and finance. It was especially encouraging for me that the magazine’s correspondent, Ashlee Beard, chose to mention the female angle to high quality tailoring, especially in the context of personal branding. I’ve already expl

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Button up your overcoat, when the wind is free…

Dec 1, 2017
2 min

Button 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 a few more layers when we go out. For those who plan ahead, the ever reliable overcoat waiting in the back of the wardrobe can be taken out for an airing and a good brush…an old friend with lots of memories, here again to keep you snug. Overcoats come in all sorts of styles; topcoats, peacoats, cover coats, crombie etc. They are as wonderf

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TfW, Jaeger and the V&A

Nov 1, 2017
2 min

TfW, Jaeger and the V&A

I was thrilled recently to speak alongside a representative from the global brand Jaeger about women’s tailoring. We were both making a contribution to the Victoria & Albert Museum’s continuing series of lectures on fashion which has involved iconic figures such as Zandra Rhodes and Twiggy. Jaeger is currently celebrating its 125th anniversary. It is an iconic brand which has always specialized in the use of natural fibres, including the so-called noble fibres such as angor

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Sensational Butterflies

Aug 1, 2017
2 min

Sensational Butterflies

The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity’, supposedly said the comedian George Carlin. I guess this is true in most cases. The finished product is far more attractive to look at than the work in process. But then, both can be equally amazing. I am talking about the brilliant mosaic mess you can find on my cutting room floor after a job is done! So let’s not discount the whole metamorphosis thing; what we think is an unremarkable worm is a

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The credit crunch, suits, and a pricing conundrum

Jul 16, 2017
2 min

The credit crunch, suits, and a pricing conundrum

With the current financial turmoil that surrounds us it seems appropriate to talk about price of goods, but on this occasion I intend to do it from the ‘makers’ standpoint. The reason is that I have been more than slightly surprised recently by some of the prices claimed for ‘high quality, custom, hand made’ suits. Here in the City you are either accosted en-route across London Bridge during the morning rush hour by ‘banker look-alikes’ handing out vouchers for commodity-pr

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Tools of the trade

Jun 6, 2017
3 min

Tools of the trade

I 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 a meeting of the City Women’s Network (London), a forum for female professionals from all sectors and I’m going to return to my favourite theme of craft in the guise of tailoring. Quite by chance I came across an episode of the UK cult TV series ‘The Dragon’s Den’ the other day. I was astonished to come across a young man who claimed to have

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NHK – Bespoke for Japan; A woman’s point of view

May 14, 2017
2 min

NHK – Bespoke for Japan; A woman’s point of view

In 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 BBC Promenade concerts, I received a call to participate in the filming of a short documentary for the Japanese national broadcasters NHK. They wanted to know more about the tailoring tradition and Savile Row from a woman’s perspective. They were very much aware of how the demand for tailored clothing is changing among women as their professio

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Power Dressing, but does it empower

May 1, 2017
2 min

Power Dressing, but does it empower

The 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 of the political stage either as leader or consort. It seems that once again the dilemma for high-profile women has surfaced; about giving the right sense of gravitas without appearing domineering, or warm and genuine as against frivolous and ‘fashiony’. From some of the books I have collected about the psychology of clothing its background

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Mar 17, 2017
2 min

The credit crunch: Best value…made-to-measure or bespoke

It seems from recent press that ‘buying quality’ is the advice when preparing your wardrobe in times of financial uncertainty. So how does this apply with your tailored garments. In ‘Looking the Business‘ (Times Online) the suggestion is that made-to-measure is a better option to bespoke. It may be helpful to expand a little on what lies behind each of these terms. The process of made-to-measure involves in effect the use of a pre-set template to which a limited number of

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All in a day…dress

Jan 10, 2017
2 min

All in a day…dress

The V&A seminar, an invitation to speak on the BBC’s iconic radio programme Woman’s Hour, and a new commision from the King’s Singers have all given life an added spice just in time for Christmas. That is excluding the daywear pieces I have had to see through for my regular clients. I don’t know why, but there appears to be a resurgence in the orders for daydresses amongst my clients. This one will be sent off to Amsterdam in the next couple of days. It makes a change from

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Taking craft global

Nov 1, 2016
2 min

Taking craft global

I’ve already written several times about the high profile networking organisation, the City Women’s Network. And not so long ago I was asked to give a presentation at one of their regular meetings. In fact it was a forum about how to develop a global aspect to your business. These days, it’s not just multinational companies that can operate globally. Even a small, specialist trade like mine can – in fact needs – a global dimension. And of course it’s now possible thanks to th

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