Oxxford

[Matt Deckard]

Oxxford is currently thought of as the best men's suit maker in the US today. I have one of their jackets and although it doesn't fit me, the construction is very sturdy from the shoulders down. There is even a thread that goes across the back of the right lapel so when you place a flower in your lapel button hole you can place the stem through the thread to keep the flower standing. Lots of little details in the creation of the lapels trousers and sleaves that many companies believe are a waste of money
I ran into the owner of Oxxford about 2 years ago at a trunk show in Beverly Hills and must say the suit was very ill fitting. I am not a fan of the cut on most of their suits, though if they can get the design right then the construction would be next to perfect. They still need to start making suits with Skeleton linings like they were sold back in the 30's and 40's.

The standard make of an Oxxford suit jacket is 3/4 lined. It's a nice touch but to me it harks back to when suits started getting cheaper and the tailors did away with taping the seams over with liner material (skeleton lining)

Back in the 20's 30's and 40's Brooks Brothers used to stack their suit jackets several layers high on tables. They would have them folded inside out so you could see the maticulous work that went into the construction of the garment, and the skeleton lining that takes extra time and extra detail to create when compared to a fully lined suit that covers up the construction.

For refference, here is a vintage skeleton lining.

 

[Phil_in_CS]

Blazer

I picked up a SB navy blazer from them on ebay; it fits me well and I have to say its the best constructed piece I've ever held.

Its summer weight (I can wear it year round here) and since it isn't fully lined, the details are more clear. On mine, there's actually a button hole in the backside of the right lapel for the flower stem.

Solid brass buttons too.

And best of all, it was $40!! I wear a 44R, so finding items is pretty easy, but getting deals isn't.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I was a 44, and a 46 at one point. I am now a loose 42.

 

[Phil_in_CS]

I was a 44, and a 46 at one point. I am now a loose 42.

Good for you! I'm down to around 200 from 240lbs; I've set myself a target of 190. When I get there I'll shell out for some quality clothes.

 

[shamus]

I'm having awful luck finding my size 44 long. And when I do find a 44 there is not enough extra in the sleeves to make it worth it...

 

[jamespowers]

They even skeleton lined overcoats in the golden age. The overcoats even have a welt gun pocket on the inside of some of them. I do not think we lost all the good tailors and such but they were absorbed by the custom suit makers and the high end suit makers. I am sure there are those who could still do it but they might be a little old to remember how it was done. I used to have a great local tailor trained in Italy---Pinzaroni. He retired and now the shop is an Indian dress shop. :cry:
I have been tailorless ever since.
Here is an example of the overcoat I spoke of:

I hope it is clear enough to see the detail.

Regards to all,

J

 

[jamespowers]

Back in the 20's 30's and 40's Brooks Brothers used to stack their suit jackets several layers high on tables. They would have them folded inside out so you could see the maticulous work that went into the construction of the garment, and the skeleton lining that takes extra time and extra detail to create when compared to a fully lined suit that covers up the construction.

For refference, here is a vintage skeleton lining.

You are completely right. Covering up such a work of craftsmanship would be a shame. Covering up the shoddy looking modern workmanship is a must because you would not want that seen when you take off your jacket.

Regards to all,

J

P.S. Out of curiousity, what brand is that jacket? I cannot see it clearly.

 

[cookie]

I'm having awful luck finding my size 44 long. And when I do find a 44 there is not enough extra in the sleeves to make it worth it...

got to the UK sites such as bookster

 

[thegmanifesto]

Oxxford is currently thought of as the best men's suit maker in the US today. I have one of their jackets and although it doesn't fit me, the construction is very sturdy from the shoulders down. There is even a thread that goes across the back of the right lapel so when you place a flower in your lapel button hole you can place the stem through the thread to keep the flower standing. Lots of little details in the creation of the lapels trousers and sleaves that many companies believe are a waste of money
I ran into the owner of Oxxford about 2 years ago at a trunk show in Beverly Hills and must say the suit was very ill fitting. I am not a fan of the cut on most of their suits, though if they can get the design right then the construction would be next to perfect. They still need to start making suits with Skeleton linings like they were sold back in the 30's and 40's.

The standard make of an Oxxford suit jacket is 3/4 lined. It's a nice touch but to me it harks back to when suits started getting cheaper and the tailors did away with taping the seams over with liner material (skeleton lining)

Back in the 20's 30's and 40's Brooks Brothers used to stack their suit jackets several layers high on tables. They would have them folded inside out so you could see the maticulous work that went into the construction of the garment, and the skeleton lining that takes extra time and extra detail to create when compared to a fully lined suit that covers up the construction.

For refference, here is a vintage skeleton lining.

Why is Oxxford thought of as the best in America?

MPM
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
www.thegmanifesto.com

 

[Veronica Parra]

Did you know that before the later 1940s, "Oxxford Clothes" was written (on the labels) as "Oxford Clothes"? I've never been able to find out why they changed the spelling. Perhaps Oxford University threatened to sue?

 

[Matt Deckard]

do they admit to this?

 

[Veronica Parra]

Nope. The strange thing is that the black-and-gold label has not changed at all. Same crest, same lettering style. The only difference is in the spelling.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Do you have any pictures of the old label with one "x"?

I am still befuddled by Oxxford saying that their untaped 3/4 lining is more labor intensive, than the vintage style skeleton linings, though when asked to do a Skeleton lining they will charge more because of the intensive labor.

 

[herringbonekid]

Matt, i think you're missing the point a little re skeleton lining.
you almost never find skeleton lining on an english vintage suit. why? because they are almost always fully lined (for protection against the kind of weather we're having right now). to tape seams and then cover them with lining would be a complete waste of time. i'd guess that half-lined jackets evolved in warmer climates like california simply to make the jacket cooler in hot weather. and taping the seams was the nicest way to finish off those raw visible edges.

ergo...taping seams is not in itself an indication of a quality suit. to say that would be to say that all 30s/40s english suits are inferior because they don't have taped seams.

however, i agree that if a jacket is three quarter-lined, anything other than skeleton would look cheapsville.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Lets just talk about American suits for the sake of Oxxford.

I'm wearing a fully lined jacket from the 40's right now and it is very high quality made in Cincinatti Ohio.

The standard make of an Oxxford suit jacket is 3/4 lined. It's a nice touch but to me it harks back to when suits started getting cheaper and the tailors did away with taping the seams over with liner material (skeleton lining)

Never said it indicated a high quality... just that it was harder to produce and harked back to a time when details like taping the seams mattered. Oxxford being an American made suit takes easier routes of fully lining or 3/4 lining though they say it is harder to produce than the skeleton lining (which they refer to as French lining (sounds crazy to me as Skeleton lining is reffered to in tailoring books and catalogs in the US as skeleton lining going back since the 1800's))... they have then turned around and said the skeleton is more costly to produce.

 

[herringbonekid]

so what do the visible seams look like on their jackets now ?

 

[Matt Deckard]

Their visable seams are folded over and sewn down.

I'll take some pics.

It's what you find in alot of jackets sold up until the 1980's... I have ones from Brooks Brothers and I have ones from J. C. Penny's... they are the same as Oxxford is doing now... no taping.