This Thursday night at 8.30pm Season 4 of this superb series about New York advertising in the 1960s starts showing on Foxtel’s Movie Extra here in Australia. If you enjoy subtlety, cleverness and wit don’t miss it!

Staying on the Mad Men theme a new book ‘Mad Men Unbuttoned’ is now available in Australian bookstores. It examines the source of many of the shows ideas and inspirations, including men’s, all sharp suits and skinny ties, and women’s clothing styles of the era, which are now having such a noticeable influence on contemporary designers.

The origin of the term bespoke dates back to the days when a customer ordering a garment would select and reserve a cloth that was then “bespoken” or “spoken for”. Today bespoke means “made to personal specification”. It entails meticulous attention to detail and exceptional cutting and making skills. Garments are made by hand “on the knee” or at the bench and is the method by which J. H. Cutler has produced gentlemens clothing since the business started way back in 1884.

A made to measure garment is made from a standard sized base pattern that is adjusted to fit a client’s specific measurements. The making can be by hand, as is the case with London Style by John Cutler, but made to measure garments are more usually machine or factory produced.

It has the benefit of being particularly strong and crease resistant, giving greater longevity to a garment whilst offering some surface interest. Available in a wide range of plain colours in a medium weight I find it is particularly suitable for casual trousers and for dinner jackets and cream tuxedos for formal wear.

I always have a selection of samples of faille cloth available for viewing in my showroom.

I also love the BBC quiz programme QI that he chairs which is currently running on the ABC on Tuesday evenings. If you’ve never watched it, give yourself a treat.

You’ll love it.

Buttons made from horn date back to the sixteenth century and are one of the less well remembered inventions of the Renaissance. Today they are appreciated for the classic beauty of their colours and many practical qualities. Of great strength, yet stylish and graceful, the intricacies of design and colour can only really be appreciated when one tries to match horn buttons that have been lost. Left undisturbed, they easily outlast the garments they adorn.

Horn used in the manufacture of fine buttons is usually a by product from animals bred or hunted for different reasons. Some of the finest grades of horn come from the wild deer that still roam in large herds through Africa and Latin America. Horn is divided into two sections. The tip with its translucent colours and consistent texture is the most valuable part but the raw material has to under go many processes before it obtains its soft, glossy finish and can be moulded into sturdy horn buttons that remain a symbol of high quality and good taste.

IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO RECEIVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM A SATISFIED CLIENT, SO I WAS DELIGHTED WHEN HARLEY SENT ME THE FOLLOWING BRIEF NOTE ABOUT A MADE TO MEASURE SUIT FROM MY NEW LONDON STYLE BY JOHN CUTLER RANGE THAT WE MADE FOR HIS RECENT WEDDING.

“Dear John, Thank you for all your efforts and for making me a suit that looked fantastic on my wedding day. It was a pleasure to be tailored and dressed by you.”

The suit was made using a black dress fabric from the French fashion house Dormeuil and featured silk satin lapels and braid on the trousers.

HAVING CELEBRATED THE 125th ANNIVERSARY OF MY BUSINESS J. H. CUTLER LAST YEAR I AM PLEASED TO CONGRATULATE ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA ON THEIR 100th BIRTHDAY.

I offer an extensive range of their luxurious Italian fabrics, which feature at the upper end of the price range, for use in both my J. H. Cutler bespoke business, and for use in my recently launched made to measure range, London Style by John Cutler.

I understand the business was launched by Ermenegildo Zegna back in 1910  with an admirable focus on  ” The selection of the best of raw materials from their markets of origin, innovation in product and the production process and promotion of the brand.”

IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LEADING FABRIC HOUSES SCABAL AND LORO PIANA I AM CURRENTLY OFFERING CLIENTS A SECOND PAIR OF TROUSERS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST WITH EVERY SUIT ORDERED USING A SCABAL OR LORO PIANA FABRIC.

This special offer applies to both fully bespoke suits purchased from J. H. Cutler and to my exciting new London Style by John Cutler range of made to measure suits.

This offer is available on suits ordered up to and including Wednesday 30th June 2010.