The Journal
Fabric notes, fit advice and the occasional opinion about how clothes get priced.
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How to spot a well-made seam
Flat-felled, overlocked or bound: what each one tells you about how long a garment is meant to last.
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The end of the mid-season collection
Six drops a year suits a marketing calendar. It does not suit anyone's wardrobe.
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Dressing for a British summer
Layers that work at 14 degrees and at 26, without needing a change halfway through.
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Shrinkage, and why we pre-wash
Cotton moves. The only question is whether it moves in the factory or in your machine.
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What a good buttonhole looks like
Thread density, bar tacks and whether the hole was cut before or after stitching.
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Corduroy is back, and the wale count matters
An 8-wale and a 21-wale corduroy are barely the same fabric. One drapes, the other does not.
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The five-wash test
We wash every sample five times before it goes into the range. A surprising number do not survive it.
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Recycled polyester: useful, not virtuous
It has a genuine place in technical outerwear and almost none in a t-shirt.
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Why we grade every style to 3XL
Extending a size range is not a matter of scaling the pattern up. Here is what actually changes.
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Caring for knitwear so it lasts a decade
Most jumpers are not worn out. They are washed out, and usually at the wrong temperature.
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How we set a price
A breakdown of what goes into the number on the tag, line by line, including the bit most retailers leave out.
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Linen creases. That is the point.
A linen shirt that does not crease has been treated with something you would rather not wear in July.