The other day I had some trousers made. They were made by a local Peckham tailor, based on my precise instructions. They cost me 20 coins for the fabric, and 50 for my tailor to take a pattern from a pre-existing pair, the manufacture and any tweaks needed after the first fitting.
I think a lot of people associate getting clothes made with formal wear, a suit say. But of course, you can have anything made. I also expect many assume having clothes made costs a fortune. It really doesn’t – it cost me 70 quid for a copy of a 200 quid pair of trousers. And this isn’t Singapore. It’s south east London.
This is me wearing the trousers down at one of my favourite watering holes Peckham Springs. Granted, not a great pic. They’re navy (I assure you). Have a look below.
I bought two metres of navy cotton drill from a shop on Berwick Street. And the only changes I wanted to the original trousers was the addition of two patch pockets on the front, just above the knee. I couldn’t find any trousers like this, so I had them made.
At least you can get from this shot the fact that they are blue, not black.
And here you can see they have big pockets and significant pleating. They are, contrary to the shot, extremely baggy indeed. Arguably more trouser than one individual should command. But there you go, when you get something made, rules are out the window.
And here’s me again, proudly busting a unique pair of slacks, in a bar, looking a little awkward, urging my girl to hurry up and take the photo. And that, stylish reader, is the fascinating tale of me getting some trousers made. I suggest you do likewise.