Reading Materials

Currently enjoying...

Elizabeth Wilson's
Adorned in Dreams

&

Malcolm Barnard's
Fashion as Communication

Suit Talk

I just spent an enjoyable hour with Jim who works at Cooper & McKenzie's menswear on Reform Street. After reading 'The Way We Wore - A life in threads' by Robert Elms I was really keen to get Jim's take on gents fashion trends and tailoring, drawing on his experience of menswear spanning some 3 decades. It was great to talk to someone with such knowledge and enthusiasm.

We talked about favourite pieces such as this classic tweed jacket made from Borders Tweed - a really beautiful cloth.


This jacket might be a favorite with some guy maybe 30/40+yrs - so as a contrast Jim selected some suits for the younger market. Some fresh pinstripes with a flash of a bold lining fabric that said 'wall street wide boy' to me (tell tale signs of my age and style preferences I suppose!) but are immensely popular with the 18-25yr market. Check the linings on these:


We spoke about 1960's & 1970's 2 and 3 button single breasted suits and a contemporary penchant for single breasted suits with a double breasted lapel! Crazy times - with the David Beckham's of this world to be seen sporting such bold pieces of tailoring.


As we moved around the store the beautiful tweeds kept drawing me in and I found myself repeatedly pulling out jackets made by the same label - Falabella an Italian company that interestingly Cooper & McKenzie have sole license to sell in the UK. In my opinion really stylish threads. Apparently these wool cashmere coats and their leisure/sports jackets are hugely popular - classic, sharp and a wee bit cheeky in one, I was quite taken!



I think my personal favorite of the day though was this classic tweed (definite possibilities for the Urban County Dandy if worn appropriately! - You can trust me - I've been known to sport an outfit my friends described as Tyrolian Urban! I'll post up a pic of that sometime!)


This is an example of Cooper & McKenzie's sourcing a great tweed and having maybe only 14 jackets made up. This is as close to bespoke as I reckon most might get - a limited edition jacket made of the finest quality Scottish cloth at a modest price. My partner is going to join me in Dundee during my May trip and we've talked about visiting the store as I'm uber curious to know what he thinks of these and the other jackets and suits.

I asked Jim about waistcoats too and was intrigued to hear that they are just getting a feel for the three piece suit again! Top style tips as he showed me some rather lush deep mustard doe skin(pure wool) waistcoats that they've just had made up especially and are doing rather well.

I must thank Jim for being so generous with his time and taking me through all the types of suits Cooper & McKenzie stock and the types of gent they serve. We were definitely of a similar mind as we spoke about everyday 'costumes' and how what we wear plays a key role in our everyday 'performances' at work with colleagues, at home with family & friends - as we go about our public/social interactions.

Hanging Out @ Halleys

In the past weeks I've enjoyed several return visits to Baltic Works to meet staff in Halley Stevensons Canteen and also spend some time at their Mill Shop.

On Mondays I've been taking my lunch with Kenny, Tommy, Norrie & Steve. You know, if I added up the years they've been collectively working in the textile trade it'd be around 100yrs!
They've been friendly hosts - just as well! The tools of the trade they laid on the canteen table were knives for cutting the textiles they're working on. They are apparently standard factory issue but I noticed a few personal customizations (reminded me of the way Grant @ Cooper & McKenzie customized his own scissors too) So here are the tools of Norrie's & Tom's trade.


Kenny whose been in & out of the textile trade his whole life (specializing in Dying but as he says now everyone multitasks here at Halley Stevensons) and I got to talking about what I might do with all the stories and Tools of the Trade objects I've been collecting. Rather than making a book I talked about working all the elements into a textile piece. He mentioned the Bayeux Tapestry (1066 and all that) which I thought was a really useful way of thinking about textiles telling stories. A few ideas brewing inspired by my encounters here at Halley's....

Steve & Norrie took me onto the factory floor to show me how a Stenter worked. This huge machine dealing with upto 5000 metre rolls of fabric at a time, wet treats then dries the fabric prior to its being waxed. At each stage of the textile's journey through the factory it is checked against a Continuity Log Sheet - loving the log sheet! The guys i'm sure thought I was a bit odd taking snaps of it but I want to understand the different stages & I guess I like seeing different visual methods and work processes.


I was totally pleased I got to go back to the Lab!

There I met Graham who is the Dye House Manager. He kindly took me through the lab kit he uses for dyeing and waxing test samples - mixing & matching shades and checking waterproofness etc. Graham like several of the other guys used to work at the Stevensons Mill which was apparently up near Hilltown before the businesses merged and moved down to the Baltic Works site. The tools of Graham's trade clearly revolve around Dyes - giving it some thought he chose upon the Rota Dyer machine - swatches of textile and liquid dye are put into screw tight metal tubes and fixed to rotate in vats of hot water - So pretty much what it says on the tin I reckon!


I have to say I had a really great afternoon at The Mill Shop with Linda and Vanessa. As it was Mothering Sunday the shop was pretty quiet so we had time to talk. Vanessa actually started with Halley Stevensons as a Shift Dyer 14 years ago. She studied textile technologies at Gallashields College. At that time of her joining, the factory was working around the clock on 3 shifts (6am-2pm/2pm-10pm/10pm-6am) 24/5 rather than 24/7 - the buisiness has since downscaled/downsized on all fronts of production and personnel.

Linda on the other hand has a background in interior decoration and for years worked in the family business Duncans Wallpapers. She's been busy with soft furnishings (as a Curtain Maker) and also undertakes alterations/seamstress work as well. She did a stint of Bridal wear commissions but found that a bit much when several brides-to-be failed to mention they were pregnant at the outset and would present themselves for a later fitting with quite a tummy and not enough fabric/dress to go round it! Stressful seamstressing!
I reckon Linda has a fair few tools of the trade - an overlocker for speedy neat seams (I really need one of the these!). And I was also tickled by an embroidery machine she had in the shop - I think you'll see why (seem to do a fair bit of this myself and I don't mean embroidery!)


Whilst Vanessa considered that probably a pen for note making and planning was a key item for her tool kit Linda's dressmaking scissors were a constant in her bag of tricks.


Both shared some fascinating insights about their work experiences and our conversation in between customers sparked off some creative ideas that I'd really like to pick up again in subsequent visits.

Vanessa recounted some quirky orders she had handled when working in a supervisory/admin role over the textile production side of things. For example orders for jute for animal coffins and eco-funerals and canvas for lining ballet shoes. Just goes to show how diverse were the uses of textiles coming out of the Halley Stevensons works in years gone by. I think Kenny or Tommy also mentioned something about the factory producing black-out fabric during WW2 and certainly 1000's & 1000's of metres of black textile for the mining industry. Too thin for coal sacks apparently so the textile detective in me wants to track down what that material had been produced/used for! Any clue?...

As mentioned Halley Stevensons key focus today is quality waxed cotton for the outerwear clothing market and as Vanessa and I discussed there definitely seems to be a re-surgence of interest in waxed cotton for fashion over utility. This is very much of interest to me and I'm really enjoying my research process with the team at Halley Stevensons - I'm rather hoping something tangible might materialize out of this - watch this space!

Archival Matters

A visit to the city archives revealed all manner of interesting printed matter.
Iain Flett, Dundee City Archivist showed me several editions of the Trades and Professions Directory listing for instance all the tailors and drapers and where they were trading in the city. This entry comes from the 1948-1949 volume.

I also really enjoyed this advertisement from the Dundee Directory 1914-1915 edition which speaks of "the fine taste displayed by the gentlemen of Dundee".


It felt pretty incredible to be able to handle the Tailor's 'Lockit Book' - a thick leather bound book with metal lock clasp which contained the hand written entries of Master Tailors since 1577. The book contained entries right up until the 1980's.
What happened then I wonder - did they go digital?!



Iain revealed that the tool of his trade was the Archive Box - having worked in an archive myself I can vouch for that.

Whilst we're on the subject of boxes/folders/acid free papers & envelopes etc etc - For anyone with the slightest hint of a stationary (or storage) fetish I would highly recommend the Preservation Equipment Limited (PEL) catalogue!

Costume Capers

On my way back to the Art College I dropped by the Utopia Costumes shop on Perth Road. I'd chatted to Kirsty on the phone a few times and exchanged several emails so it was good to finally meet up in person. Julia was also working that day and we three got to chatting about favourite costumes. When I asked about their favourite outfit both replied in unison 'Marie Antoinette'! Let's take a look then - Julie didn't take much persuading to put it on. The pleated ribbon detail looked really good and the fabric had a pleasing weight to it. Give us a twirl!


When it came to the tools of their trade Kirsty reached for a copy of the make-up artists bible - a 'How-To' on creating convincing wounds caught my eye! It made me think of an art work by Simon Costin (Scar 2) in which he is covered head to foot in fake wounds, cuts and sores of every description you can imagine - It makes for compulsive viewing!


Talking of viewing Julie told me the tool of her trade was her eyes - watching and reading people, assessing peoples body/personality types and pairing the customer with the right outfit. Both mentioned people skills as a crucial tool (Gordon mentioned the same, I remember - key to every Costumer perhaps!)

Cooper & McKenzie

My research into Dundee's tailoring scene led me to Cooper & McKenzie (est. 1874). Its situated on Reform Street (which was known as the Saville Row of the north by the way).

I was welcomed to the store by Grant Mitchell who runs this family business. Grant Mitchell's grandfather took over the business in 1946 (combining McKenzie with the local Furrier Coopers and the Ltd Co. was born). As I stepped into the office I saw all manner of objects and images that spoke of the Mitchell's history of clothing the city's mensfolk. These scissors for instance sitting on the desk (belonged to his granddad - still in use - and if you look closely you can see them in the B&W photo below!).


Grant had a leather case full of archival materials which he's been wisely gathering over the years. Collecting Cooper & McKenzie newspaper advertisements, letters, labels and logos, photos of the store and its staff over the years.


I really enjoyed seeing the shift in layout styles, fonts, suit cuts and styles. There were a couple of real James Bond's in there (Roger Moore stylin'!)

In one newspaper ad you can see three tailors pictured sitting/sewing on the floor - the caption next to it reads:
"16 workers put 18 hours handwork into every McKenzie Tailor-Made Overcoat - English Velour & Heavy Scotch Saxony Coatings, full lined Art Satin price £5 5/-"


Grant was tremendously generous with his time and we sat and chatted in the store's Courtesy Room amongst tartan sample books, rails of kilts and suit jackets. Joining his father in the company in 1985 he talked me through the many changes and challenges of running a menswear business - knowing and understanding your market, focusing on your key strengths and expertise in the field. He described the massive shop refit that happened in the 90's and took me on a tour around the building taking in the suit storage space, alteration room and two sales floors.
Lots of information to digest and Grant has kindly invited me back to spend more time with the archive and chat with the staff.

I asked Grant what the tools of his trade were - from two pockets he produced the items he always carried with him: specially adapted scissors (a customized beveled edge - tip passed on by his grandfather), tape measure and tailors chalk - Grant then presented me with a fresh piece of chalk as a memento of my visit - classic triangular shape with the maker H.H. Hancock's logo pressed into its centre.