A DUET OF WARP AND WEFT
Unlike caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, sugar or other narcotics, there is no upper limit to the consumption of cloth. If you think they are incomparable, you might want to think again. Historically, cloth has been an addictive substance: in the 1600s the English vogue for textiles related to clothing swept aside the legislation that had hitherto restricted what people wore. Owing to the fact you cannot overdose on cloth, the market for new and exciting fabrics was, and I am glad to say still is, inexhaustible. The Rake regards itself as a bit fanatical about cloth. And with the best cloth available, of course, the tailors whom we tirelessly celebrate can create majestic art. This duet of warp and weft has defined how men dress for centuries. When the opportunity arises to witness it unfold, it is an opportunity not to decline. Hence, this feature relishes the chance to tell the story of a large-scale experiment between British tailors and Italian fabric.
To do this we needed two tailors who could rise to such a challenge. With most tailoring houses today helmed by a single, celebrated cutter, we
