FKM's tråd for klesterminologi og småtips

[fkm]

FKM's tråd for klesterminologi og småtips

 

 

Etter ønske fra min gode kompanjong Thrice lager jeg en liten tråd med litt forskjellig, så "nybegynnere" kan lese litt før de kommer med masse unødvendige spørsmål. Det er sikkert noe å lære for de mer erfarne brukerne også. Jeg kommer sikkert til å oppdatere med mer etterhvert, men dette får være en grei start. Jeg gidder ikke lage noe fra scratch enda, så det blir litt klipp og lim fra forskjellige steder (stort sett SF). Legger lange artikler i spoiler.

 

Hvis noen har noe de vil legge til er det bare å skrive det i en kommentar, så adder jeg det til førsteposten!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ord og utrykk:

 

Her vil jeg nok etterhvert oversette til norsk, og spe på med litt selv, men jeg starter med å linke til noen ganske utfyllende engelske sider.

 

 

- Starter med en side med klesterminologi. På ingen måte komplett, men det forklarer hvertfall en del basics: Clothing Terminology

 

 

- Side med en ganske utfyllende liste over skobegreper: Shoe Glossary

 

 

- Mye info om forskjellige stoffer: Fabrics

 

 

 

- Forskjellige skjortekrager, mansjetter og slag:

 

 

Skjortekrager kan fåes i forskjellig stivhet og høyde, og med to knapper i stedet for en. Det finnes mange varianter, men her er noen av de vanlige typene:

 

Classic:

 

Classic narrow:

 

Cut Away:

 

Hidden Button Down:

 

Button Down:

 

Round Collar:

 

Mao Collar:

 

Wing Collar (denne brukes KUN til kjole og hvitt eller smoking):

 

 

Mansjetter fåes også i forskjellige størrelser og stivheter, og her kan man også velge mellom en eller to knapper. Her er noen vanlige typer:

 

Round Cut:

 

Cut Corner:

 

Square:

 

French Cuffs:

 

Neapolitan:

 

Slag:

 

Notched:

 

Shawl:

 

Peaked:

 

 

 

 

- Smoking:

 

De fleste på dette forumet er sikkert ikke vant til å bruke smoking, for det blir mindre og mindre vanlig. Den sjeldne anledningen man da skal ha på smokingen er det lett å bli usikker på hva som er "lov" og "ikke lov". Da er det bare å gå inn på www.blacktieguide.com, for der er alt forklart på en enkel og grei måte.

 

 

 

Diverse tips og triks:

 

 

 

 

 

- Slipsknuter: Tie Knots

 

 

- Skolisseknuter, for de spesielt interesserte : 17 Different Ways To Tie Shoelaces

 

 

- Hvordan brette et lommetørkle: How to fold a pocket square

 

 

 

- Stell av sko:

 

Her er det som dere ser copy/paste. Når jeg får tid skal jeg prøve å få kortet litt ned på den og oversatt.

 

 

Here is a little bit on shoe care that I did for Steve's newsletter...

 

Alright then, after spending many weeks delving into the minute details of shoe construction, memorizing the entire history of the worldwide tanning industry, obtaining and studying the last and pattern archives of 47 footwear manufacturers from 5 different countries, you have finally decided on THE perfect pair of dress shoes. Dress shoes that not only speak to you, but announce to the entire world that you have arrived; and arrived with panache, for no one could see the graceful lines and gleaming calfskin and not understand that they are in the presence of a man of dignity and taste. Unfortunately, as is often the case, on the appointed day that the imaginary Barker in your head was primed to perform said announcement, Mother Nature decided to moisten the proceedings. Suddenly, your sodden leather perfection quickly deviated from panache to pancake, the graceful lines somehow remembered that exposed joint your Grandmother so thoughtfully left you, and the gleaming calfskin decided that it would rather, well, gleam another day. Despite the days’ disappointment, however, all is not lost.

 

Shoes are meant to be worn (and worn means in all sorts of conditions) and this requires an additional, minor expense, and equally minor effort, to ensure that your investment in a high quality shoe is a long-term one rather than a short-term one.

 

Wooden shoe trees are mandatory for the proper care of a calfskin dress shoe. Actually, despite the analogy above, when a shoe deteriorates, it does so from the inside out. Leather linings are vegetable tanned (meaning they are processed using, among other things, natural extracts that allow the leather to be soft and pliable) and therefore are much more prone to rotting as they do not have the ‘protection’ of the harsher chemicals (Chromium salts, dyes, etc.) that are used in the tanning and finishing of upper leather. Also, most people perspire a great deal from their feet, and the linings and insoles are able to absorb this perspiration. The main benefit of a WOODEN shoe tree is the quick absorption away from the linings and insoles of this moisture under tension. Without a wooden shoe tree, the linings (and therefore the uppers) would loose this moisture slowly, and contract when the moisture leaves. The shrinking/expanding process that occurs without the use of shoe trees cause the linings to deteriorate much more quickly than they otherwise should. The most popular wood used in the manufacture of shoe trees in the US is Cedar (which is light, absorbs very well and deodorizes) while Birch is most often seen in Europe, as Cedar is not native there. Both work equally well, in my opinion, while metal and plastic are to be avoided, as neither absorbs very well. As for design, a split front (the tension is side-to-side) with a full heel and handle is very versatile, but many options are available.

 

http://www.woodlore.com/

http://www.rstco.com/

http://www.dunkelman.com/

 

 

True shoe aficionados can argue for hours over whether wax or cream is the most effective polish for their prized footwear. Both are effective, and the use of one or the other is certainly necessary for the proper upkeep of your shoes.

 

Paste (Wax) Polish

 

Finding the ‘recipe’ that manufacturers use for their paste, or wax, polish is as difficult as prying a BBQ sauce recipe from a Texan - can’t seem to be done. Nevertheless, in examining the Material Handling Safety Datasheets that the government requires of these concoctions, it appears that the overwhelming ingredient is Stoddard Solvent (Naphtha) which, in the case of Kiwi (division of Sara Lee) and Kelly’s (Fiebings, Inc. in Milwaukee) exceeds 90%. The two other popular shoe polish brands here, Lincoln and Angelus, do not make their MSDS as readily available, so I cannot speak to their main ingredient, but both seem to contain more pigment/waxes than the more popular Kiwi*. A notable exception is the Avel wax polishes (Saphir and Medaille D’Or) which both use a turpentine (natural) base. All use some combination of Carnauba and Beeswax as a binder.

 

Despite this information, which would seem to counter-act the marketing messages of these products, all are useful in the general upkeep of the finish of fine dress shoes. A personal observation is that Lincoln and the Avel polishes are the most effective in regards to coverage, protection and filling/fixing minor scuffs and cuts.

 

http://www.herc.org/library/msds/shoepolish.htm

http://www.avel.es/ang/ingles/index4.html

http://www.lincolnshoepolish.com/

http://www.fiebing.com/product.asp?typeID=11

 

 

 

Cream Polish

 

 

Available in a huge variety of colors, Cream Polish is very similar to the harder wax polishes with the main difference being some subtraction of solvent and a corresponding addition of mineral oil, or similar ingredient. While equal in it’s ability to impart color, the cream polishes generally do not have the same ability to cover the inevitable scuffs and cuts that a leather shoe is prone to experience. In addition to the above manufacturers, others of note are Urad (Italy), Colonnil (Germany) and Smart (Turkey).

 

http://www.urad.it/english/01pomata.htm

 

 

Conditioner/Cleaners

 

The most under-used products in the shoe care market might very well be the neutral, more natural ‘cleaner & conditioner’ products. In my opinion, the continual use of these products on a weekly (or more often) basis is far more important to the overall ‘health’ of a fine leather upper than even the regular use of colored waxes and creams. Easy to apply, these products all go a long way in keeping leather supple, protected and, in the case of the brown tones, help to bring out that all important ‘patina’ that can only develop naturally thru time and attention. Containing little or no harmful chemicals, any of the following are worth investing in: Allen Edmonds Conditioner/Cleaner, Crema Alpina (Italy), Renovateur by Avel (Spain/France) and Lexol (USA).

 

http://www.lexol.com/

http://www.nubian1880.it/english/homepage.html

 

 

The Process

 

Your shoes should be polished and/or conditioned at least a couple times a month…each week, ideally. Even if you don’t do this yourself, drop a pair off at your local shoe repair shop or stop by a shine stand as often as possible. You can even purchase a set-up and give it to your favorite cobbler/bootblack and ask that they use these products to care for your shoes. If you choose to polish/clean/condition your shoes yourself, start by applying a liberal amount of one of the conditioner/cleaners mentioned above. Allow a few minutes and promptly rub briskly with a cotton or felt rag. The shoe bags that often come in the box with ‘better’ shoes are ideal for this…simply cut into large strips for your polishing use. Next, apply the appropriate shoe cream to areas that are showing the most wear. It is not necessary for the colors to match exactly (except for black, obviously), but to either blend in, or to highlight at your choosing. For example, a ‘cognac’ colored shoe might see ‘tan’, ‘mahogany’, ‘light brown’ or ‘mid-brown’ polishes; or maybe all four. Experiment. After the cream hazes over, apply another coat of cleaner/conditioner and let sit for a few minutes. Take a high quality horsehair brush (the best are from Frank-Brushes, in Germany) and brush along the sides and across the vamp (top to the tip). Next, apply your choice of wax/paste polish and, again, allow to haze over. After 5 minutes or so, brush off as before. Finally, re-apply one more coat off cleaner/conditioner, allow to dry for a minute or two, and brush again. You can stop now, or continue to a ‘spit-shine’ step, which really just involves taking and old necktie (or nylon hose), misting a little water onto your shoe, and rapidly buffing with the silk rag. The heat from the quick motion combined with a little water will ‘build’ another protective layer onto your shoe. A final step, though one I do not really recommend for most, is to use a ‘edge dye’ (we simply use leather dye from Fiebings) to dye the sole/welt edge and trim. This is tricky, and it is easy to ruin an upper if you do not do this carefully with the included dauber, so I would leave this to the cobbler, but the leather dye is readily available from Fiebings.

 

Find a Cobbler

 

Which brings me to my final suggestion in regards to proper care of your shoes…make friends with your local cobbler. If you do not use one regularly, ask around. Every town has at least one guy who has been around for awhile, and knows how to re-build good shoes. Really, what qualifies as a good shoe now, was a pretty average shoe not too long ago, so if someone has been around for a good while, chances are you will not give them anything they have not seen before. And the better the shoe they see, the better the work they will want to do. Trust me, most everything now is cardboard and paper…the older guys don’t get to work on the good stuff much any longer. And when you find the best one in your area, tell him you will pay for his best work, not just what’s on his price list. Make sure you see a group of machines (and I mean ones that have seen years of use) and lots of scraps lying around…I have yet to meet a good cobbler who had a spotless shop. Ask him how old his MacKay is…ask him who works on it (nobody does anymore, they have to do it themselves)…ask him how he builds up heel bases (next to impossible to buy ready-made anymore)…ask him where his outsoles are sourced from (the last US source for really good outsoles, WestTan, just closed up; the German stuff is the best, at the very least make sure they are not cream colored - they are cheap, should be dark tan or darker). If the guy is worth his salt, he will entertain your questions, and will give you a top notch job. Find him and patronize his shop.

 

 

I hope this will serve as a good ‘primer’ on shoe care…if anyone would like to know more, or has a specific question, please feel free to e-mail me at:

 

Ron(at)francos(dot)com

 

I would be happy to reply.

 

Ron Rider

Franco’s Fine Clothier

Men’s Shoes

www.francos.com

 

 

 

 

- Måling av dressjakke/blazer:

 

Mange har sikkert nølt både en og to ganger med å kjøpe en dress på nettet, og de fleste ender opp med å ikke ta sjansen. Følger man denne guiden vil det være mye lettere å finne ut om en jakke passer eller ikke. Igjen, dette er bare copy/paste.

 

 

I’ve received requests from some of the members of this forum for instructions on measuring. In order to take advantage of the great deals on ebay one has to learn how to properly measure a coat that fits well and to compare those measurements to those provided by the ebay seller. DO NOT rely on a tagged size. I’ve measured at least 1500 coats and believe me – tagged size means next to nothing. Instead measure the jacket in your wardrobe that fits you best. Memorize those measurements. Then use them as a baseline when looking at possible purchases on ebay.

 

So here goes. There are five measurements that most sellers provide when selling a tailored jacket. I’m using a (measured) size 42 Hermes sportcoat as an example.

 

1) Chest measurement – this is the most important measurement. It is the measurement that varies the least, it cannot be easily changed (altered,) and it determines the size of the jacket. In general the tagged size refers to the chest measurement of the individual. So if your chest measures 42” you likely wear a size 42 jacket. It is a common misconception that a size 42 jacket would then have a 42” chest. This is NOT the case (if it did the jacket would be so tight you would have difficulty breathing and certainly would not be able to move.) Almost every tailor and manufacturer on the planet cuts the chest of the jacket 4” larger than the actual chest measurement of the individual. Occasionally 3” larger or as much as 5” larger but 95% of the time it is 4” larger. So a size 42 jacket would have an actual chest (outseam) measurement of 46.” Beware of ebay sellers who say a jacket is a size 42 and that it measures 42” in the chest. Either a) it actually measures 42” and the jacket is therefore a size 38, or b) it is actually a size 42 and they don’t know how to measure correctly. Or some combination thereof.

 

To measure the chest of a jacket that fits you well, lay it on a clean flat surface and button it. If it is a two or three button jacket button the second button (from the bottom) only. If it is double breasted button it completely. Arrange the jacket so that you get an accurate measurement. In the first picture the jacket is arranged properly. In the second picture it is stretched too far which gives an inaccurately large measurement. You can tell it is stretched to far because the lapels are buckled outward. In the third picture the jacket is not stretched out far enough. If you arrange it this way the fabric will be bunched up at the back of the jacket – giving an inaccurately small chest measurement. This same method applies to all five measurements. Make sure you stretch the area you are measuring to the point where you are measuring the full amount of the fabric present - but do not overstretch it. If you overstretch it you are simulating a jacket that does not fit.

 

 

 

 

2) Waist measurement. The waist of the jacket can be found at different points depending on the make. It is usually between the first and second buttons (from the bottom) or at the second button. The waist measurement is usually 2-4” smaller than the chest measurement. 2” smaller on jackets that are targeted at older men (Hickey Freeman, Oxxford, most Brioni & Kiton etc.) 4” smaller on jackets that are meant for younger men (most designers.)

 

 

3) Shoulder width – This measurement should be taken from shoulder seam to shoulder seam at the

widest point (as pictured.)

 

 

4) Jacket Length – Measure from the bottom of the collar to the bottom of the coat as pictured. Some sellers indicate the overall length instead. In that case you can usually assume that the “bottom of collar to bottom of coat” measurement is 1.5” less (1.5” being the height of the collar.)

 

 

5) Sleeve length – this is taken from the top of the sleeve at the shoulder seam to the middle of the end of

the sleeve (as pictured.) As you can see the end of the sleeve is cut on a slant so make sure to measure in a straight line down the sleeve. I also indicate in my auctions how far the sleeves can be let down. I arrive at this measurement by feeling how much extra fabric there is and subtracting 1.” (I figure there should be at least 1” of fabric to hem under although some tailors may be able to use facing and make the sleeve even longer.)

 

 

 

 

Standard variations – Within a certain size nearly every “standard” measurement is subject to change depending on the overall silhouette the designer or tailor is going for. Here are some common variations.

 

Chest - The chest measurement is the only measurement that stays fairly consistent from brand to brand. And even that changes. Companies going for a slimmer, dressier look may cut the chest slightly smaller. Drape cut suits will have a slightly large chest. Also some “athletic cut” suits have a large chest measurement – usually combined with very wide shoulders and a very small waist. (Avoid this cut like the plague unless you are built like Arnold.) In general though, the chest is cut 4” larger than your actual chest measurement.

 

Waist – As mentioned the waist is usually cut larger on more expensive suits ($1000+) and slimmer on low-to-mid-range and designer suits.

 

Shoulder – Designers tweak the shoulder more than anything else. Currently they are running on the narrow side. You should determine a minimum (jacket) shoulder width for you personally. If the shoulder measurement listed in the auction is wider it may still look fine on you – it depends on the overall cut and also the look you are going for.

 

Jacket length – This is the other measurement that designers love to mess with. Currently jackets are being cut on the longer side. Generally 30” – 32” indicates a regular and 32” + indicates a long. The one rule to keep in mind – the jacket must cover your posterior.

 

Sleeve length – Sleeve length is the easiest alteration to make. Generally the sleeves will be too long as it’s easier to shorten a sleeve than it is too lengthen it. If the listed measurement is too short then ask the seller how much fabric there is to let the sleeve down.

 

Older suits - older (10-20 years old) suits almost always have a waist that is 4” smaller than the chest. In fact the chest and shoulders are usually narrower too. Often if I’m selling an older suit (Oxxford for instance) that is tagged a size 44 I’ll sell it as a size 42. I do this because the measurements correspond to a current size 42 Oxxford suit.

 

European sizes – generally you get the US size by subtracting 10 from the European size. For instance a Euro 52 usually corresponds to a US 42. But there are plenty of exceptions so rely on the measurements. The Hermes jacket pictured is tagged a Euro 54 and it measures to a slim 42.

 

Made to measure – a made to measure garment will usually have tagged size that is 1-2 sizes larger than the actual measurements indicate. I’m guessing they start with a larger pattern and then cut it down as needed but I’m not certain.

 

Previously altered garments – If you buy previously worn garments they may have been altered. In this day and age most guys leave their jackets exactly as they bought them. But never assume. Rely on the measurements.

 

The strange and the unexplainable – When the tagged size has no basis in reality you are usually dealing with an Armani. I’ve seen a lot of Black Label jackets that were tagged a size 58 Euro that measured to a size 44 or even a 42. So once again – measurements are your most reliable guide.

 

Alterations – I get a lot of questions about what can and cannot be altered. Basically you can almost always alter the sleeves. And you can usually have the back taken in or out a bit to change the waist measurement. It is difficult, sometimes even impossible to alter the chest or shoulder width. They say you can have the jacket shortened 1” or so but you would need a good tailor.

 

 

 

 

- Flekkfjerning:

 

Mye av de samme tipsene på de forskjellige sidene, men jeg legger ved alle jeg vet om uansett.

Stain Guide

Stain Removal

Stain Removal Guide

Stain Removal Guide 2

Quick Stain Removal Guide

 

 

 

- Hvordan behandle en skjorte:

 

Veldig basic, men fortsatt greit å legge ut.

Shirt Care

 

 

- Oversikt over kvalitet på Dressmerker:

 

De utrolig kunnskapsrike herrene på SF har satt sammen en liste over en del dressmerker, og hvilken kvalitet de er i: The StyleForum Working Hierarchical Suit Quality List

 

 

- Hvordan bestille fra Jet Carrier:

 

Kavinsky etterlyste en post om hvordan man bestiller fra Jet Carrier, så da legger jeg det til her. Jet Carrier er en side hvor man kan bestille frakt fra USA til Norge, så man kan bestille fra sider som ikke sender til Norge (f. eks. RL og Gilt).

 

 

 

1: Gå inn på www.jetcarrier.com

 

 

2: Lag en konto

 

 

3: Når du har laget en konto får du oppgitt en adresse som er noe lignende dette (x'ene er i stedet for et navn):

 

JetCarrier 44310

Att: xxxxxxxxxxx (navnet ditt)

601 W Linden Av Suite 44310

Linden, NJ 07036

Tel: 908-998-1152

 

Forklaring av adressen:

 

"JetCarrier 44310

Att: xxxxxxxxxxx (navnet ditt)

601 W Linden Av Suite 44310" er adressen.

 

"Linden" er county e.l.

 

"NJ" er stat (New Jersey)

 

"07036" er zip code

 

 

4: Bestill det du skal ha (f. eks. fra Gilt), men oppgi adressen du har fått av JetCarrier som shippingadresse

 

 

5: Når du har fått bestillingen bekreftet går du inn på kontoen din på JC og trykker på "book flypakke" (evt sjøpakke, men det tar laaang tid)

 

 

6: Da får du opp denne siden:

 

 

Tallene det er en rød ring rundt gir gode beskrivelser av hva som skal skrives i de forskjellige feltene. Det er bare å holde musepekeren over et tall, så kommer det opp en boks med en beskrivelse.

 

 

7: Vent en uke eller to, og hent pakken på postkontoret

 

 

 

 

- Gilt Groupe:

 

Gilt er en side med mange bra tilbud på klær, og i hovedsak litt dyrere designerklær. Man trenger en invite, og det er vel verdt å ha en, for det hender noen av tilbudene er meget bra! For å skaffe en invite kan man enten google "gilt invite", eller send meg en PM, så skal jeg fikse det.

 

 

- Runway shows:

 

Lyst til å se det nyeste fra en designer? Eller leter du etter noe fra en tidligere kolleksjon? GQ har en egen del på siden sin som inneholder haugevis av nye og gamle show, bare klikk her, så finner du nok det du leter etter.

Endret 3. februar 2010 av fkm

[Vowels]

Fin tråd fkm, mye bra her. Har en link som kanskje kan være nyttig: "How to Fold a Pocket Square". http://www.samhober.com/howtofoldpocketsqu...squarefolds.htm

[thrice]

Nice. Har satt den i dummies stickyen nå.