It’s been four years since Stefano Bemer passed away. As many are aware, Bemer was widely considered to be one of the best shoemakers in Italy, if not the world. Operating out of his workshop in Florence, Italy, he both trained apprentices and made top-end, bespoke Italian shoes that were as striking as they were elegant. 

Since his passing, the company has been taken over by Tommaso Melani, a fellow Florentine whose family has been in the leather goods business for several generations now (see his other company, Scuola del Cuoio). Under his management, the Stefano Bemer brand has gone global. Melani travels through Asia and the US with his trunk shows, and has set up a new showroom in NYC (it opens next week at 23 E 67th Street, in the penthouse level of the building, although interested readers will have to email [email protected] to make appointments). Over lunch a few weeks ago, Melani told me that he has his eyes set on opening showrooms in other cities, although plans are tentative. 

Perhaps the biggest change is the expansion of the company’s ready-to-wear and basic MTO/ MTM line, which offers customers a chance to try the company’s shoes at a more affordable price point than their bespoke offering. The main difference between the RTW shoes and bespoke, aside from the level of customization, is that these have machine-stitched soles and hand-stitched welts, whereas the bespoke line is fully handsewn. They’re also partly made in Ferrara, while the bespoke range is fully made in Florence (although Melani tells me everything is done by his employees only – not outsourced to other companies). 

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I didn’t have plans to get anything from Nicholas Templeman when I first wrote about him last year, but it was hard to resist after I saw his samples. A former lastmaker at John Lobb of St. James, Nicholas has a keen eye for design and over seven years of bespoke shoemaking experience. His work as an independent shoemaker demonstrates this wonderful balance between conservative English taste and the kind of creativity that makes commissioning a pair of bespoke shoes seem worthwhile. 

So I met with Nicholas last October when he visited San Francisco as part of his US tour. The first meeting with a bespoke shoemaker isn’t too different from what happens with a bespoke tailor. You flip through dozens of swatch samples – many more than what would be available through a ready-to-wear label – and then discuss the particulars of your order. If you’ve ever wanted to be overwhelmed with options, commission a pair of bespoke shoes. Suit jackets and sport coats differ mainly by pocket, button, and lapel design, but shoes can take any number of forms. I avoided the problem by telling Nicholas I would settle on a design later. After all, the lasts come first, so there would be plenty of time to decide on the particulars. 

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Every once in a while, I’ll get an email from a reader asking which companies I think offer the best value in tailored clothing. It’s impossible to answer, as so much depends on the buyer’s needs. What kind of style does he like? What’s his body type? How often does he plan to wear his suit? What kinds of things does he prioritize? Buying clothes is never just about getting the best quality for your money – it’s about developing personal style – so recommending something is difficult. 

If pressed, however, there are two companies I particularly like. On the lower-end of the price scale, there’s Suitsupply. Their marketing is God awful, but if you can get past the presentation, they offer nicely made, half-canvassed suits and sport coats for about $500. With a huge range of styles, from their structured Washington to the softer Havana, they have something for almost anyone. 

If you have a bit more money to spend, Sartoria Formosa is remarkably good – and perhaps the closest you’ll get to bespoke Neapolitan tailoring without actually going bespoke. Formosa is an old Neapolitan tailoring house located across the courtyard from EG Cappelli, in the city’s seaside shopping district of Chiaia. They’re a small workshop, with maybe only a half dozen people working in-house. Most of what they do is bespoke, but they also offer ready-made suits and sport coats for about $1,400 - $1,800. 

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January marks the beginning of a number of tradeshows, first starting in London, then moving to Milan, Paris, and New York City. Pitti Uomo is the most important for tailored clothing, although lately, I’ve been paying more attention to London Collections: Men (LC:M), which is a five-day show showcasing a breadth of British fashion talent – from the world’s most innovative designers to Savile Row tailoring houses (at least the ones that now have seasonal ready-to-wear lines). Even for guys who might not be interested in runway presentations, there’s a lot here to admire. From Barbour to John Lobb to E. Tautz, here are eight shows that caught my eye last week.

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Anyone who’s ever been to a small, traditional American clothier knows – places such as Cable Car Clothiers and The Andover Shop are treasure troves for new-old stock clothes. Unlined button-down collar shirts, bleeding madras jackets, vintage outerwear, and piles and piles of scratchy sweaters. Mostly things from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, when things were made with the kind of qualities trad enthusiasts like to gush about today. 

I recently picked up this deadstock Aran sweater from O’Connell’s, who sells a ton of new-old-stock clothes online (although, they have even more in-store, if you’re able to stop by Buffalo, New York). It’s thick, heavy, and beautifully textured. The inside label reads “Glenshee Woollens,” which is apparently now defunct. The one photo of them I could find online, shown at the end of this post, charmingly shows two old ladies peering out of the company’s window. 

Generally speaking, there are three ways to make an Aran sweater:

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Mr. Porter just started their end-of-season sale, with discounts of up to 50% on select items. Lots of familiar labels, such as Drake’s, Common Projects, and Red Wing, as well as a number of not-often-discounted brands such as William Lockie and George Cleverley. Some notables that I found last night:

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The 1964 film Umbrellas of Cherbourg opens with this beautiful scene of Paris. It’s a wet and dreary day, and the camera pans down to one of the city’s dark-grey and muddy-brown roads. A few seconds in, someone wearing a yellow raincoat walks across the street. Then someone else opens a red umbrella. Suddenly, the screen is filled with bright coats and pastel-colored canopies – and just like with the rain, colors begin to pour across the screen.  

I think of that scene sometimes when choosing an umbrella. Black is the only color that should be in everyone’s closet (it goes with everything), but if I don’t need to look serious that day, I usually reach for something more cheerful. Bright yellows and reds are too dandy for me, but the colors that usually work well for neckwear also do pretty good for canopies – British racing green, chocolate brown, and deep navy. If I do pick a black umbrella, it’s almost always the vintage Ralph Lauren with a leather wrapped handle – rarely the plain cherry wood that I thought would be a staple. 

Brooks Brothers, Barbour, and London Undercover sell reasonably nice umbrellas for about $50. For something better, however, be prepared to pay anywhere from three to twenty times the price, depending on the construction and materials. Swaine Adeney Brigg, for example, makes beautiful, silver nosed, Malacca wood umbrellas, but they cost more than what most men spend on sport coats (although, still a fraction of what Visvim is trying to charge for this thing). 

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End is probably the only online retailer that rivals Mr. Porter in scope and quality. Today, they start their end-of-season sale. Take 25% off across the board with the checkout code SALEPREVIEW. Some notables:

• Margiela’s German Army Trainers, including the white/ grey colorway. 
• Reimagined workwear from RRL, Engineered Garments, Needles, and Nigel Cabourn (the last of which made the coat you see above)
• Lots of knitwear – including Fair Isles from Jaimeson’s, cabled fisherman sweaters from Inverallan, textured knits from SNS Herning, and speckled Donegals from Howlin’ by Morrison
• Ten C, a new favorite outerwear brand for me
• Belstaff jackets, including the Roadmaster
• Field jackets from Aspesi
• Raincoats from Stutterheim, Nanamica, Elka, and Mackintosh
  
• Bags from Filson, Head Porter, South2 West8, Epperson Mountaineering, and Master Piece
• Retro-inspired running trainers from Spalwart and Nike
• Rugged boots from Oak Street Bootmakers, Red Wing, Yuketen, and Trickers
• Swim trumks from Orlebar Brown

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Men’s style had it rough in the 1970s. Sometimes referred to as the decade taste forgot, the ‘70s was characterized by tight shirts, bellbottom trousers, and the piles unrotting synthetics that will probably outlast this civilization. The clothes of that age, as well as the lifestyles, were as lurid as they were chaffing. 

Not everything was terrible, however. What decade is better defined by corduroy sport coats and shearing collar jackets? Or those puffer vests that eventually peaked in the ‘80s? For as many companies that made flashy, disco-inspired clothes, there were just as many that relied on simpler, rugged charms. 

One of those was Rocky Mountain Featherbed, which was founded in the Cowboy State of Wyoming by Francis “Cub” Schaefer. RMFB specialized in down-filled outerwear with Western-style yokes, which became popular with skiers and ranchers across the American West. These were worn during the days when Colorado ski instructors were still likely to be seen in cowboy hats. Unfortunately, after a decade of success, the company went bust in the ‘80s and Cub lost control of his label to bankers. 

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You know you’re into clothes when you pray for bad weather. After a four-year drought here in California, we’re finally getting some real rainfall this season. I had a chance to break out my Belstaff Roadmaster this past weekend, and was reminded of why I bought this thing in the first place. Built with a waxed cotton shell and a belt for easy closure, this jacket makes for a great casual raincoat – even if it was originally intended for tougher purposes. 

Belstaff’s Roadmaster is actually an adaptation of the company’s Trialmaster, which was originally introduced in the 1940s. The Trialmaster’s name comes from the Scottish Six Days Trial, a grueling event where competitors covered as much as 100 miles a day on road and off-road routes for six days. For those harsh weather and riding conditions, Belstaff built them a coat that would be windproof, waterproof, and resistant to tearing. Although it wasn’t the first jacket of its kind (Barbour’s International came out about ten years prior), it’s certainly become one of the most iconic. 

Traditionally, the main difference between the Roadmaster and Trialmaster has been the fit – with the Roadmaster being the slimmer of the two. This year, however, Belstaff has reintroduced the Trialmaster in a slimmer body and adjusted pocket design. Gone is the map pocket, and in is a new straight pocket with side zip-entry. They’ve also gotten rid of the belt for those who find it too fussy. Instead, an elasticized draw cord has been put at the waist in order to give the jacket shape. 

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