Our experience with “made to measure” e-commerce companies have been very mixed, which hasn’t surprised us. We aren’t tailors, so YouTube videos teaching how to measure for the perfect fit can still be a struggle to know if we’re executing properly. The majority of the time, we failed. The shirt arrives, and Mark’s sleeves are still too long for him, the neck a bit too tight, the quality very disappointing.
Enter Henley Bond.
Individually crafted by hand in Philadelphia, this recently launched company claims to offer “clothing online without sacrificing quality.” I proceeded as a skeptic. We went through the routine: pick the style, take the measurements, fill ’em out, send it in, wait and assume you’ll be receiving a shirt that’s not perfect but good enough. To our surprise, four weeks later Mark’s shirt is delivered and…it’s perfect. The quality exceeds our expectations and the fit, in Mark’s words, “is a dream.”
Old-world craftsmanship, modern style.
We were tailors first, our team have been making bespoke clothing for years, both here and in the birthplace of the craft, the UK. We have everything from bespoke shoes to knitwear in our repertoire, some of which will be coming in early 2016. With our shirts, we take a massive amount of pride in our craft, we make everything in the US and do things the way they’ve always been done: by hand. From pattern cutting to pressing, the human touch makes a big difference in our opinion.
New Orleans, it’s been on my list for a good few years now. I had a trip booked back in 2008, but unfortunately it was for the same week Hurricane Ike hit and we had to cancel. I have spent time in Memphis and Nashville though; the music, food and atmosphere in both were incredible!
A lot of early jazz of late too, a little Etta James and Lou Reed are great while designing.
Our white, green & navy gingham. The cloth is beautiful, the details are subtle and it pairs well with everything.
Photographed in Austin, TX in Allens Boots