Henry Poole Bespoke Suit Blessing | From Suit To Shoot | Episode 8

Well, you and I selected the fabric, so basically it was my job then to go styling it with you, reaching out to the mill. And Simon, here it is, your Teviot design, fresh out the loom. And then meanwhile, Alex has been cutting your patterns, distributes it with the trimmings, the canvassing, the melton, the lapped hair, the pocketings, bundled together and given out to the relevant parties making your garment. Sitting nice in there. It's a really good first fitting. It means that we're getting close. It does. We're down to what we call finish by finish. How's that feel? Yeah, it feels great. I mean, it looks fantastic. In your case, I've actually selected a fantastic brace of heritage guns, which I would love to show you, which I think will be ideal for what you're going to be doing in Scotland. I'm Kirby Allison, and for years now I've been exploring the world of quality, craftsmanship and tradition. I've been invited on my very first game shoot up on an estate in Scotland, and I want to make sure that I do it properly. The proper outfit, the proper guns, the proper etiquette. But in today's world, does all of this still exist? And if so, why? The blessing, as it is called here on the row, is the true mark of respect that a bespoke tailor bestows upon their work. The suit is not truly yours until the head cutter has had one last opportunity to see it on, giving it his blessing, and then it is yours to wear out. So let's go inside and see what Henry Poole has been working so hard on for me. Simon. Kirby. Welcome again. So nice to be back. Well, welcome again. Well, this is a very exciting moment. I couldn't be more excited to be back here at Henry Poole and for the distinct honour of picking up a bespoke suit from you, Simon. So I'm excited. What's in store? Well, welcome back, Kirby. It's good to see you back here again. You'll come now for the final blessing, as we call it, but you've obviously been through the other stages. So to be part of the bespoke, you've got to go through the other stages just to get to know you and you to know us. And that would be for the posture and the balance. That's the first stage. The second stage was the shape and drape. And now we're just down to those small little aces. That's what we're doing today to really make it perfect. And this really is that moment where you are an ambassador for us as much as we want to be ambassador to you. So that's what we're doing today. So really, that's what it's about. So the process itself really speaks to the integrity of the product. And whenever I think of pure bespoke, you know, I really think about how no effort, no detail is really spared. I mean, not just in the construction of the garment, which takes, you know, over 100 hours, thousands of stitches, but the process of fittings and that there are multiple fittings to a proper bespoke product. Multiple it is. And also you have the integrity to work with your cutter. It's very much you get to know him. He gets to know you. Then in turn, you have your coatmaker, your waistcoat maker, your trouser maker. They're all in turn working for your pattern, for your body and for your garment. So it really is a one-to-one basis. And that's what we look into in our product and really going onward bound. It's that one-to-one service we provide to give you the ultimate sort of in a suit yourself. It really is the pinnacle. And I couldn't be more honoured to finally be inducted into the membership of Henry Poole customers. So shall we? Indeed, as of us two. Thank you. Come through. They look great. The backless trousers, Kirby. Trousers look great, we love that. Let's just try that. Now the waistcoat on. There you go. Let's get that on you. That's it. That looks fantastic from the seat. Looks fantastic. Happy with that. Nicely on the neck. Straps on there. Good break in the trousers. Nice. Okay. Let's just turn to me. Yeah, I mean, the proportions on there. I'll just turn you around to me a little bit. Sorry. Yeah. So you could unfasten the bottom button if you want, but often we'll put a buttonhole halfway down there and then the spacing will be larger, but this works well with that. So it looks perfect. No, you've got perfect proportions there, Kirby. We spoke about in the first fittings about getting this waistcoat the right length so your hip drops off there, as opposed to you'll see some waistcoats these days, they're quite long. We're trying to get short torso and a long leg, which is perfect. And that's sitting just below your waistband seam on the trousers. So absolutely perfect. You can unfasten that bottom button if you like, but we tend to, this is a six to close, we'll also do a five plus one where you'd have a buttonhole halfway down that mitre, but the mitre would be longer. And I think the proportions are better on you just having that six to close there. You would have to have your trousers super high really for the five plus one. How nice the checks are as well on your flaps here, all matching up, which is always a feature. Well, with that proper windowpane, I mean, that's actually quite difficult. Yeah, we've got a cracking waistcoat maker. She's super meticulous on that sort of thing. I can't wait. Let's... Here we are. Yeah, the finished product. So this is, at this point, we're hoping everything's perfect, but this is a sort of final blessing. And there may sometimes be a little tweak that we want to make, but that's fastening up without any sort of, you know, without me having to pull it. Just pop your arms down carefully. Okay. So that break there is just, is beautiful for a three button jacket. The way it just sweeps off as opposed to being sort of flat and big or short, it's got that lovely roll to it. Yeah, the neck's behaved because sometimes when these have their sort of final press, they can get a little bit sort of moved out when the whites bastes stitching come out. So that's just going to sit on your neck really nicely up there. Got that half inch band. I think that's perfect. Happy with that? Yeah. Half belts there. We've just got to put the button holes in to give you that button up and button down, ready for the cartridges. So that's what we're coming through today. Yeah. It looks very nice indeed. I can't tell you how comfortable it feels. I mean, this is one of the most comfortable garments I think I've ever worn. I mean, it doesn't even, doesn't even feel like I'm wearing anything. It's amazing. That's the goal, Kirby. Well, you know, quick look. Sorry. Just pop your arms down again. Let's just check that. I think we could just nick a little quarter of an inch off those sleeves. Okay. Remember last time we re-pitched them? They were a little forward. So as you re-pitch, sometimes they drop down. Okay. And we have to sort of counteract that. Yeah. I don't think we've done it enough. So we'll, we'll nick a quarter off there. Yeah. So this is what it's like to finally be wearing a bespoke Henry Poole suit. I have to say it's exceeded even my wildest expectations. And now I can see what everyone talks about. It's exceptionally comfortable, fits beautifully, and boy, can I not wait to get out to Scotland in this. Well, you've done it. Kirby, thank you for coming. We've now finished off with the blessing today. So welcome to the House of Poole. It's an honor. Yeah. Thank you. Pleasure. Pleasure, Kirby. Well done. Alex, thank you. Yep. Such an honor. Thank you. Enjoy. Enjoy. So what is this book called? It's virtually a register of the estate suites we do. You're up there in 25 to 30 just for this one one cloth. Absolutely incredible. The basic weaving principle is still as it was done over a hundred years ago on this site in Hawick. So we're still still the basic principle, but now we're weaving on carbon fiber rapier machines.