Men’s Highland Fashion kept pace with contemporary taste and style until it was brought to a screeching halt by war-effort ‘clothes rationing’ in 1916. It hasn’t evolved since.

I am now working with several local Bespoke tailors to design and produce a line of men’s day- and evening-wear jackets that are on the leading edge of fashion in ‘cut’, ‘fit’ and ‘choice of fabric’.

I will post pictures as I design jackets (and when/if I convince their new owners to send me a photo).

Fasten your (immaculately-tailored) seatbelt!

Inverness Capes

Several years ago I was asked by a customer to make a wool Inverness Cape for him. It attracted a good deal of attention and I now offer them as part of my regular line

I make these capes from heavy Melton wool cloth with a silk or satin lining. I have added deep pockets to keep the hands warm in, and an inside pocket for a flask or what-have-you.

As with my kilts, the Inverness Cape is entirely hand-sewn and made-to-measure.

Shirts

Absolutely nothing fits, feels or lasts as long as does ‘made-to-measure’.

Here is my preferred source: www.maxwellsclothiers.com

Truibhas (trews)

Truibhas (The Gaelic approximation of the English ‘trousers’, pronounced ‘troooz’ and now often spelled ‘trews’) have been worn in the Highland for several centuries. I believe that they were originally developed for riding horseback – they certainly were a ‘status’ item as they required careful -and skillful – tailoring, which then as now costs money!

A well-tailoring pair of trews is a rare item these days, and even if they’re poorly done they still cost a packet, as each pair must be made-bespoke; the tailor usually has to draw an entirely new pattern for each client.

I’m now working with a talented young tailor whose passion is for ‘historical tailoring’. We started by examining old and antique trews in the Seaforth Collection, and we were fortunate to also find printed instructions issued during the Great War.

We are now developing a line of trews cut to the highest possible standard; that of the ca.1880-1900 period,

These trews have a high ‘fishtail’ back (to be worn with braces), no outside seam but rather one single seam on the inside, one fob pocket at right-front and one hip pocket on the right, with a ‘button’ fly ,as this style lasts longer than the ‘zipper’ fly.

These are at present a ‘Bespoke’ item, available in any tartan, but we hope to eventually offer these as ‘made-to-measure’ as well. They won’t be ‘cheap’ but we have reduced the price from ‘stratospheric’!