SPRING IN TO SUMMER

SPRING INTO SUMMER

Winter seems barely over here in the Shires and we are in to a mini heatwave.

Time to consider lighter weight Blazers with all of the quality associated with our Tweed garments.

We have always wanted to offer a softer less structured Blazer and now we can.

What is more you can choose from our range of lighter weight Tweeds, Linen, cotton, Worsted's etc resplendent with traditional tweed patterns and colours but without the weight.

Or go for a plain colour such as this sublime Coral Blazer made from the finest luxury cloth.

Order online http://www.tweed-jacket.com/ORDER%20PAGE/ORDER%20PAGE.html

Or contact us and we will consult with you and complete the order for you info@bookster.co.uk

It takes us 6-8 weeks to complete your order.Our delivery times are very reliable.

NICE IMAGES

MORE THAN TWEED........TOPICALLY TARTAN

You do not have to be a justifiably proud Scot to enjoy Tartan. In the year that brought the historic links within the United Kingdom into sharp focus, why not make a topical expression with this outstanding jacket, wherever you are.

A stunning Macdonald of the Isles Tartan Jacket in either shaped 'Hacking Jacket' form or a more generous Classic cut as shown below.

Timeless and Ageless for Young and Old, Traditional wear or Smart Casual

Perfect for the holiday season and much more besides. Top quality Personal Tailoring that will last for years

Finest Pure Wool 480 gram Scottish cloth.

Limited Edition. First Come First Served

Available as Made to Order or Custom Made to Measure.

If ordered before November 7th you will have your order in time for the holiday.

Matching Trousers and Waistcoat also available.

Is it too loud for me?

The fact is that if you are of outgoing character and like well fitting top quality garments inevitably, when you wear something as distinctive as this.....you will be remembered for all the right reasons.
we know this from the experiences shared with us by our customers around the world.

If you feel it might be a step too far for you, never fear, we have an ever increasing choice of beautiful alternative fabrics and designs on our website http://www.tweed-jacket.com/CLOTH%20PAGE/CLOTH%20GALLERY/index.htm



http://www.tweed-jacket.com/OFFERS/Macdonald-of-the-Isles-Tartan.html

Tweed Making - Archive Footage

Fascinating stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ4Aiytf_Qg

Bookster Tweed Caps

Our previous cap tailor retired and has proved a very difficult craftsman to follow. We searched  high and low for his successor and would not settle for anything less than the quality we require and our customers expect.

The search is over. Bookster Caps will be available again very shortly contact us to be notified  info@bookster.co.uk

Tweed Cycle Runs

Spring Has Sprung, more and more people are cycling in tweed,organised 'tweed runs' abound around the globe, what a splendid way to celebrate 'the cloth',  and at the same time keep fit ( from experience a habit that elludes many tweed wearers) and take a classic bike for a spin.

Savile Row Style Magazine

Our friends at 'Savile Row Style' Magazine are bucking the online trend. Having started as a webzine they are now publising a physical magazine. 4 Copies p.a for £20 (UK) Despite the Savile Row tag, they are concerned with wider ooferings than 'The Row' . High quality Made In England /Britain makers /garments. They are true supporters of those of us keeping the profession/trade alive and indeed prospering. In turn they deserve our /your support. Its a terrific pubication http://www.savilerow-style.com/

Captain Beefheart

So sad that Captain Beefheart / Don van Vliet passed away recently. An ardent if casual tweed wearer he perfectly exemplified the diversity of characters committed to 'the cloth'. He has left behind a wonderful legacy of music, artworks and this humble little pic....and..... is that a pack of Gitanes on the table?.....I used to enjoy them as much as tweed. Tempus Fugit...hold on tight and enjoy the rest of the ride I say

You Can Trust A Man In Tweed

Below is an interesting short piece by a true tweed lover

YOU CAN TRUST A MAN IN TWEED By Jacques de Mesterton The name comes from tweel, a Scottish interpretation of the word “twill”. The legendary cloth was baptised for posterity when a London merchant, ‘round 1830, equated the tweel on an invoice from Hawick with the famed river Tweed, which flows through the Borders region of Scotland and England. Tweed is rugged, highly breathable and drapes magnificently; the stuff is available in countless colours and patterns. Tweed can also be secured to match the challenges of current climate extremes, indicators of a coming Ice Age. Gentlemen may choose from an impressive array of cloth weights to handle everything from the coldest winter to midsummer in the tropics. Tweed is supremely adaptable to a wide range of human activities. It is the country gent’s cloth of choice in places where traditional sporting values are maintained. But Tweed looks every bit as good in town as it does on a Highland stalk. And Tweed inspires confidence in the wearer—you can trust a man in tweed. The cloth suggests strength, dependability and thoughtfulness. Indiana Jones wears tweed. And in the real world, so did Teddy Roosevelt, the very model of a dashing and adventurous American president, the man who ranched in Dakota Territory, was inducted into the British Royal Society for leading a party to the summit of Mont Blanc, won the Congressional Medal of Honor, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and saved the Grand Canyon. Tweed is the cloth of choice for men of action. King Edward VII was renowned for his “tweedy opulence”, in the words of his grandson Edward, Duke of Windsor. The king, a corpulent man of sophisticated tastes, was the inspiration for the later Windsor Style, which for decades exercised great power over the minds of men everywhere. The Duke of Windsor was devoted to well cut clothes made from heavy Tweed cloths. David, as he was called by Wallis, his American-born duchess, was the most important influence on the way men dressed in the 20th century; and his memory is with us still in this new age. Bookster sells Tweed suits and separates fit for a king at accessible prices, clothes which you may depend upon in these increasingly complex times. Equip yourself for the road ahead—wear the reliably tasteful cloth of presidents and kings: wear Tweed! © Jacques de Mesterton 2009

Return of the Blog

Its been such a busy year, I almost forgot the blog but am determined to breath life back into it now. Though the blog is called tweed jacket , our clothing interests are now much wider so I shall be providing info on other sublime cloths we have been playing with.
As the warmer months approach , even the most steadfast of us struggle to wear true tweed in sweltering heat.
Equestrian clothing is also important to us so there will be news on that front too.
So few of us are standard sizes, that is where affordable made to measure, produced by ENGLISH tailors comes into its own. This is the place to learn more.
I shall also be adding some delightful vintage illustrations and articles for your entertainment. Submissions will also be gratefully received for inclusion.

I cannot count the number of times I have been told over the last year that 'Tweed is back in fashion'. From our perspective.....it always has been and always will?

Domino Magazine USA November 2008

We had to fly a Bookster Tweed suit to NY and back for this small but nice feature, its nice to be sharing a page with the likes of Brooks Bros shoes, Penhaligon Cologne and Tiffany, though the assessment of tweed suit as being 'Old Fashioned' is very wide of the mark these days. Of course it has its timeless quality and traditional place in the scheme of things, but tweed also offers the opportunity for 'Casual Elegance' when mixed with other more contemporary styles and types of clothing.

Correspondence From A Wonderful Fellow Tweedster

I just had to add this message, recently received from a new customer who needed some initial advice before making his purchase.That is another great thing about Tweed, you meet such wonderful people!

Dear Peter,

Many thanks for your reassurance. I don't know what possessed me to mention details. I think it must have been my detestation of, to put it charitably,government totalitarian tendencies combined with security incontinence.
To talk of nobler matters, I must have studied just about every page of both your Tweed Jacket and ebay sites. It was your eBay About Us Page where your sentiments really got me excited.
It was mad for an inpecuneous 1950s Sandhurst cadet to buy a big old fashioned car, then with another young Sapper officer while in training at Chatham, to buy an outdated 1904 4 ton Thames Measurement gaffrigged cutter. The criticism did not deter many cadets and young officers a few young ladies, and even the odd disapproving relative from sharing the enjoyment the old thing offered.
When the 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 was sold to raise a third of the price of this house in 1974 I was labelled lucky. Sour grapes. It was irresistable urge to go for perceived intrinsic value: To love them for their own sake; To admire the qualities of those who designed and made them: To admire the respective qualities of the materials.To enjoy pride of ownership of classics is to share enjoyment with others. To hell with the worship of money. Whoever turned out to admire a pile of pound notes passing by?
So three cheers for Bookster & Tweed Jackets , and for a Happy Christmas, Very best Wishes .........

ARE YOU A CHAP ?

Many gentlemen like to wear tweed, a proportion of them are 'Chaps' , are you a 'Chap' ?
Visit the website in our links section, read the outline manifesto, and make your own assessment.You may feel sympathetic to the values and virtues it extols, in which case, subscribe to the magazine, each copy I have seen is a little gem, it is undeniably unique, informative, and highly amusing. A little ray of light in a crazy world, and regular references to tweed.

TRUE STORY ABOUT THE PROTECTIVE QUALITIES OF TWEED

Contribution by Chris Kavanaugh from a thread on Ask Andy About Clothes http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/
The best mens online clothing forum

Your flight is delayed at O'Hare Airport. Somebody neglects to complete a de icing of the wings. You take off in a fog and moments later the plane is broken in three pieces, half in icy water and half in slick, frozen shoreline.There are numerous fires burning.You get up, and in leather shoes walk on debri, some still glowing with heat. The wing is slippery, you slide into waist deep water, but manage to gain the shoreline. You collapse, but the tweed is just enough to keep your core temperature from falling dangerously low.At triage, they remove your jacket and waistcoat. You let out a sudden gasp. You have 3 broken ribs the clothing kept relatively immobile.looking around, you see people with melted polyester wounds literally from head to toe. They are lucky.Many post crash survivors succumbed to shock hastened by the onset of hypothermia.weeks later, you get the newly cleaned and pressed suit back from the cleaners. You see numerous ember burns that give it a peened surface. But by God not a fiber is completely seperated. You, and it are still presentable.* This actually happened in another part of the world to an online acquaintance who asked me for clothing advice while traveling

To order your own highly effective protective yet affordable travel suit go to
http://www.tweed-jacket.com/

TALE OF AN OLD TWEED JACKET

A charming promotional booklet produced by the venerable Moss Brothers, probably in the 50's.
We hope to reproduce the full illustrated story for your interest and amusement soon, it was a rare find indeed,costing a fair few shekels, and can only have been produced in relatively small numbers.For those of us with a favourite jacket it is all too relevant!

THE HISTORY OF JOHN G HARDY CLOTH

Almost 100 years ago John G Hardy founded the company which today holds the undisputed position of market leader for the supply of elegant country fabrics. The founder, being something of an eccentric gentleman, became well known for having collected his fabric samples, he would return to London with them stacked under his top hat. He was on of the first cloth merchants to visit the Scottish Highlands and Islands, accordingly acclaiming to have been responsible for the introduction of both Shetland and Harris Tweed cloths to the major markets of the world.

In 1829 the Duke of York, who was to become His Majesty King George VI, used a John G Hardy cloth for the regimental Tweed of the Brigade of Guards. He was the Colonel in Chief of the regiment and the cloth consisted of Black and White, with Royal Blue and Crimson colourations.

King Edward VIII when, as the Prince of Wales, was known to acquire the distinct checked fabric that would later bear the name from John G Hardy. Today, the extensive fabric range still includes several Prince of Wales checks and the expression has become instantly definable.

The company is privileged to hold Royal Warrants granted in the mid 1930’s for the supply of Balmoral Tweed fabric to the Royal Household.

For the discerning purchaser John G Hardy offers a vast array of jacketings and trouserings for all occasions, including the famous Alsport Tweed. Based in Yorkshire, the heart of the UK textile industry, the company enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the worlds foremost cloth houses with its fabrics being sold in over 50 countries throughout the world.

Bookster now offer an introduction to John G Hardy Cloths with six new offerings of light medium and heavy weight Alsport Tweeds. More lightweight patterns will be on offer in the New Year. Visit http://www.tweed-jacket.com/

SANTA FE STICKS

Handcrafted from Rare Hardwoods in Santa Fe by Two Wood-Culture Enthusiasts
Santa Fe Sticks Classic canes, cane stands and walking sticks hand-carved, custom-made from exotic hardwoods; you choose wood, tip, handle and length. Our canes and walking sticks are the perfect combination of majestic beauty and incredible strength. Each is unique and takes hours to complete.

ELEGANT SURVIVAL Beauty, Fashion and Health

M-J de Mesterton's website is a style sanctuary for women. The Lady herself has style in abundance and shares some of her secrets on how to look and most importantly feel good. Her site also includes recipes, wine of the month, plans for entertaining and many useful links to recommended sites.

Elegant Survival

This is an article from the site which I think would be useful for gentlemen too!

Ironing a Man's Shirt My Swedish grandmother taught me how to iron men's shirts. Like Scandinavians of all social strata, she adored being at the ironing board. I don't know how other people do it, but here is our system:
Flattening and folding the yoke (found under the collar at the back of shirt) at its bottom seam, iron it. You can iron-out the resultant crease later, when ironing the whole of the back.Iron the underside of the collar, then its topside, then iron a crease at the seam where it meets the shirt.
Iron the insides and outsides of the cuffs, before doing the two sleeves. Then you are ready to execute the easy parts: the two front sides and the back.
Hint: keep a spray bottle of water nearby to mist the shirt's stubborn wrinkles, even if you have a steam iron. If you use steam, empty the iron, refill it, and test-run for rusty water which can be difficult to remove once it is on the shirt. Do not use the highest temperature setting: crispy brown edges are for tortes, not chemises!
Besides the great feeling of accomplishment one gets finishing each shirt, it saves money which one may have spent having a cleaning outfit doing the work. There is dignity in ironing; don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
UPDATE: The very best iron that I have ever owned is this one from Panasonic. I have owned irons from Germany that cost three times as much, and each one ruined my silk clothes by dripping on them. This one is totally reliable, and costs about $30.00 US. I choose the the Japanese over the Germans here, and if given the same choice in cars, I would do the same.
Washing Your Shirts
I forgot to mention that your shirts will last much longer if they are washed by hand and hung to dry. Don't use so much detergent that it takes a rinsing marathon to remove it. "A little dab'll do ya", as the old Brylcreem jingle said. If you don't want to get hanger-marks on the shoulders, just put wash-cloths under them, over the ends of your hanger. The worst thing to do, even if you wash your shirts in cold water in the gentle cycle, is to dry them in a machine.--doing so will quickly degrade your shirt's fibres. You'd be surprised at how swiftly they dry naturally, and when they are just a wee bit damp, they're easy to iron.

M-J de Mesterton

WWW.TWEED-JACKET.COM

www.tweed-jacket.com is the website specifically set up to launch
Bookster1uk's own range of made to order tweed clothing
THE BOOKSTER ORIGINAL RANGE.

Since 2003 Bookster have operated bookster1UK, a specialist clothing shop on eBay, offering a wide range of classic vintage & tweed clothing to customers around the globe. The Bookster Original Range was launched by bookster1uk in early 2007 and due to popular demand you can now order their new range of tweed jackets and 2,3 & 4 piece suits on this easy to use website
 www.tweed-jacket.com

ABOUT WOOLLEN CLOTHS

If you are baffled by the names of woollen cloths and would like an expanation, click on our the TEXTILE DICTIONARY link and you can find out about twill, gabardine, loden, worsted and many more including covert which is a cloth with a mix of two shades of brown used to make the true Covert Coat (commonly called racing coat), a three quarter length coat usually with a velvet collar.