Black Pinstripe 3pc SuitEvery suit that we make is unique and made for an individual client.
We don’t have 5 or 10 or even 500 designs.  Prohibition Era Suit
For every suit that we make, we start with the client and his own sense of style.
We ask him where he will wear the piece.
How often he will wear it.  How much he wants to stand out or blend in.
We ask him what kinds of motions he will be making, whether he will be dancing or reaching across a desk or sitting on a barstool with his jacket buttoned.
Wedding Pinstripe SuitCrimson Paisley LiningAnd then we mine the rich history of menswear for details from the past that can be dragged into the present and recreated to fit within the thick context of his individual life.
We do not set out to create something new.
Action Back JacketBut the distinct individuality of each human person gives birth to newness.  1930s Style Pinstripe Suit
But this newness is never merely superficial or contrived.
It is instead filled with meaning; it carries its past within it; it is purposeful.
This post showcases some of our unique recent pieces.
Many of the pictures show a black pinstripe suit that we made recently. 
This suit combines details from many eras to create a suit that is perfect for business, pleasure,—and getting married in.
The fabric is a gorgeous wool twill with bright white stripes.
Mod Navy SuitMany of the details of the piece are borrowed from more sporty and casual suits of earlier eras.  Slim Lapels Suit
The pleats in the back above and below the back belt on the suit give the suit an “action back”.
This keeps the suit feeling slim while allowing for lots of extra movement in the back when driving, operating a mouse, or shuffling papers around on a desk.
The hip pockets are hacking flaps, which make for easy entry and comfortable slouching, but they are further accessorized with buttons which help to contain items of importance when the jacket is tossed upon a bed.
The shapes of the pocket flap and the cuffs are in one of the more interesting and distinct nineteen teens/early 20s styles and give the pieces a slight aura of dandyism despite the business-like orientation of the pieces.
The jacket and the vest are cut with peak lapels and are single breasted.  Like all of our “1909 Bespoke” suits, this jacket is finished with hand pick-stitching and distinctive vintage handwork tacks.
We also made the shirt, tie, and the tropical wool wedding gown shown, and always enjoy the chance to make as many pieces as possible for a special event or performance.
Daytime Formal Wear SuitThe next suit is almost completely different.  This piece, cut from a more finished black and navy basketweave tweed, is an utterly fitted “Mod” piece that has more of a 1960s look to it.Tan Herringbone Suit
This jacket is styled with a wide upper collar but narrow lapels.  It has traditional hacking flap pockets with a ticket pocket and is finished with crowsfoot tacks on the pocket flaps and a simple handworked buttonhole on the lapel in navy.
Double Breasted Herringbone Formal VestThe jacket has 2-button functional cuffs sewn with 30 ligne horn buttons for a more Mod look.
These buttons, like the buttons on the jacket, are a brown, rather than navy horn, all of which adds to the deliberate retro look of the piece.
The pants are slim “boot cut” low-rise pants with L-shaped jean pockets.  This detail gives the suit a sporty look and allows for a highly fitted seat.
L-shape pockets are also excellent for holding your keys versus standard slash pockets should you decide to take a rest on the grass.
The third suit (a tan herringbone flannel) is a unique take on daytime formalwear.  With this piece we wanted to do something that had the formality of a tuxedo but would work for daytime and outdoor events.
Grey Pin Stripe SuitWe wanted something that felt a lot more modern than a morning coat, but still felt pretty traditional. The design combines some Gatsbyesque 1920s details with a “space-age” 1960s look.
The lapels on the vest are made from a silk duppioni in cream, and the handworked boutonnière on the jacket is in a slightly contrasting tan.  The pockets have an angle-cut hacking flap.
The result is what we think of as “Garden Party” formal.
The next suit is in a classic silver pinstripe wool.  It is “tropical weight” with a dry hand.  All of this makes for a piece that is highly breathable.
The customer was looking for a suit for traveling, and a quite matte fabric like this has excellent wrinkle resistance.3pc Pinstripe Suit in Silver
The pants are based on a favorite pair of boot cut jeans that the client mailed to us.  This allowed us to get the ideal fit that he wanted and to make sure that the piece looked good with his cowboy boots.
Although some books on “dress etiquette” prescribe a vest that always covers the pant waistband, we went with a Western cut for this that would prominently display the client’s belt buckle in the notch of the vest hem.  The jacket also has cuffs, which are easily rolled up when feeling hot.
The final suit in this listing is cut from a gorgeous 2-ply wool pinstripe.
Navy Pinstripe 3pc SUitThe client wanted a suit that would work for business but also a suit that didn’t feel stuffy or basic and could be worn for special occasions.
The style that we ended up designing is a classic 2-button business suit, but with a Mod-style angled cutaway hem and pointed flap pockets.
This pocket style was found on many early 20th century sportswear jacket styles and on some Western and 1970s styles.
Incorporating a flap like this into a modern suit creates a piece that utterly resists the look of an “stuffy old man” business suit, while otherwise retaining the classic and traditional look.
If you are considering a suit, please drop me a line via email (aj@denverbespoke.com) and we can talk more.  
All of these suits are “muslin fit.”  Which means that we cut and sew cotton mock-ups of the suit and mail these to you to try on.  You send us your feedback and also digital pics; and we analyze the pictures to achieve a great fit that matches your personal send of style.  We make the majority of our suits for clients that are outside of Colorado and often outside of the US—But we love local clients as well.

The pictures of the wedding with the black pinstripe suit were taken by photographer Kevin Fung.  You can check out more of his amazing work here.

Sherlock BBC CoatEvery year we make some of the most amazing custom coats that can be found anywhere.  Sherlock Style 1920s Greatcoat
The coats are cut from gorgeous wools, cashmeres, camel hairs and alpaca fibers.
An overcoat or greatcoat is a wonderfully formal piece for an informal society.  
It is utilitarian, of course, and many of our coats are based on styles that were originally designed for military wear, but also fitted and highly-tailored and constructed in such a way that stylizes the body.
Unlike most other pieces of clothing, an overcoat is a piece that one might wear over 100 times a year.

Wool Twill Trenchcoat

Herringbone Overcoat

For clients who take care in their every day dress, no single piece of clothing is as important for making an impression—particularly for those of us who live in climates with colder winters.
All of our coats are made to order and every coat is unique.
You send us your measurements and a little bit about your general sense of style and the colors that you like and we start sketching ideas until we find the perfect look.
We mail you fabric swatches from all over the world until we find the perfect fabric.
Finally, we draft a completely unique pattern for you and cut and sew the coat based on this pattern.
The result is something that is completely yours and makes just the impression that you are hoping to make when you step out on the street.
The light brown herringbone coat is cut from a wool/cashmere herringbone fabric with thick horn buttons.  This style features a 1920s style breast pocket, a skirt with a triple back pleat, small peak lapels, a quilted undercollar, and hip welt pockets.
With a slim cut, this is a chic and modern interpretation of a trenchcoat or greatcoat.
The heather grey twill coat features classic trenchcoat style lapels and epaulettes, along with handwarmer pockets on the chest, patch pockets with flaps, and a double-breasted style with straight rows of buttons.
The fabric is a thick twill flannel.
This coat has a completely classic early 20th century trenchcoat styling.Navy Herringbone Trenchcoat
The next coat is made from a very heavy and plush Irish donegal tweed with flecks of white, silver, and black.
This coat features a zipper breast pocket and a patch pocket on the sleeve.  Note that this coat also is cut without cuffs, but with belts on the sleeves that allow the sleeves to be sucked in on the wrists.Inverness Coat
These details give the coat a more modern but also quite military look.  The coat is also cut with a full skirt and triple back pleat—details that add to the dramatic flair of the coat.
Black Melton GreatcoatThe navy blue coat with the purple lining is another example of a trenchcoat—-this one again in a gorgeous herringbone flannel.  A subtle navy color like this one, keeps the coat from blending in too much and lends a more fashionable look to the piece.
Recently, there has also been a lot more interest in caped coats as coats with capes have shown up more and more on the runway.
The black coat with the double cape is an historically inspired coat that takes many of the best details from the 18th century great coat and sharpens them up a bit to create an amazing and durable piece that is ready for the coldest weather.Men's Fur Collar Coat
The style is cut with hip welt pockets and uniquely shaped button tabs.
The fabric on this piece is a 20 ounce melton wool and the cape and body are lined in a heavy red satin.
The final set of photos show a camel hair Victorian-style fur shell coat (here shown with a faux fur).  The camel hair fabric is a felted plush fabric that is incredibly thick and warm.
Adding the faux fur on the entire facing of a double-breasted coat creates a piece that is incredibly warm and luxurious.  The entire facing and back collar has been pick-stitched by hand for added flatness and beauty.
We would love to design and make a coat for you.  We can’t take very many coat orders each year, so definitely order in advance of when you need it and discuss the timeframe with us so that we make sure that we have enough time to work your coat in.
To get started on a custom coat send an email to: aj@denverbespoke.com

Victorian Seersucker Vest

Waistcoats (or “vests” in good American English) haven’t been this in style for decades. Seersucker linen vest
Perhaps the recession made us all a bit more serious, and many of the guys out there who hoped to be boys forever decided to grow up.
Or perhaps we all just decided to think a bit more about history and a bit less about what was new, when future prospects seemed to dim.
But while vests have come back in style, attractive, interesting, and idiosyncratic vests are still absent from the stores.

1920s Style Vest

You can find a basic vest, but can you find a vest that someone spent some time designing?
We can design and make a one-of-a-kind vest that is completely designed to fit your body and your life.1920s Boardwalk Empire Vest
Victorian Melton VestOur waistcoats are drawn from the history of fine men’s dress but propelled forward into modern life through taste, judgement, and a selection of the best modern materials.
Our goal when we design is to take details from greatest pieces crafted over the past centuries and renew them by placing them in the context of contemporary life.Navy Victorian Vest
The white seersucker vest with the stand-up collar, wide lapels, and silver buttons, for example, is almost identical in style to a vest from the 1700′s that is in the V&A museum.
But when made up in the right fabric, with just the right proportions it does not look out of place at a summer picnic or garden party.
The most distinct detail on this vest is the forward sloped shoulder seams, that wrap the linen backs of the vest over onto the front.
Western VestThe grey pinstripe vest is cut extra long for a slim early 1920′s look and is inspired by the same period in which the show Boardwalk Empire is set.Pinstripe Western Vest
The heavy navy blue melton vest was inspired by a book on Victorian explorers of the Nile region that I had been reading and all of the wonderful paintings of the explorers.
I wanted a vest that I would be able to wear for work without getting destroyed with pockets that could hold all of my gear, and this was the result.

Photo By welovepictures.co.za

The vest is lined in cotton twill and is self-backed  —the perfect vest for working with your hands or repairing machinery.

The two Western style vests in the listing were designed in a similar frame of mind.  It is easy enough to find a Western style vest, but hard to find one that doesn’t seem like a costume.

With Austro-Hungarian Military Buttons

The heathered brown wool vest was designed for a 1950s style wedding in Hawaii, and I wanted something that would be both retro and Western but with a completely different sensibility than you would find if you were going line dancing.  
The grey pinstripe vest is almost identical.  Here, the Western yoke almost disappears into the pattern of the stripes.
This vest was also made for a wedding, but this one here in Colorado.  The fabric is an extremely breathable, open weave, tropical wool.
The dark grey vest with silver buttons has an early 20th century cast.  The buttons are vintage Austro-Hungarian military buttons and the front fabric is a mix-stripe flannel wool.  The result is a hip and youthful vest that draws on the well of history.
The wool windowpane vest pictured was made for a wedding in South Africa and is paired with a pair of trendy low-rise pants that we crafted and a Liberty print skinny tie that we made.  A beautiful plaid is ideal for an outdoor summer wedding (where black should generally be avoided).
The last few pics show some shots from my own wedding (and you can expect to see more of these pics soon).  When we design and make all of the pieces for a wedding (vests, shirts, hats, jackets, pants, dresses, ties, etc), the results are amazing.  Handmade Vests and Waistcoats
(Feel free to check out our women’s store for more pictures of our dresses: www.DenverDressmakers.com)
The picture of the bride and her father shows a brown gabardine vest with a green embroidered collar.  The groom’s father is shown in an off black vest with brown pinstripes (made from superfine wool) with brown wool pants, and a green cotton sateen shirt.  His vest is cut with a breast pocket that sports a cotton print pocket square.
The groomsman (in white) sports a silk matka vest with duppioni on the collar, welts, and back.  And the groom (in greens and browns) is wearing a suit that is cut from an Italian wool sateen.
All of these vests are just samples of our work.
Contact us by email (aj@denverbespoke.com) and we will get to work designing a vest just for you.  You tell us a bit about yourself, and we will send you sketches and swatches until we find the perfect fabrics and style for your events and the life that you lead.
We make vests for customers all over the world.  So wherever you are we can deliver to you.

The initial set of engagement photographs and the final set of wedding photos are by amazing Denver and Fort Collins Colorado area photographer Sarah Christine Photography (http://www.sarahchristinephotography.com/) be sure to check out her work and to choose her to photograph your wedding.

Photos by www.lynnterry.com

The Victorian era was an age of excitement, experimentation, science, and progress.
Everything seemed possible and imminent.  
The material world was like a door about to be unlocked.  The mind was a mystery that science could pry into.
We love to make steampunk clothing because it represents this moment and uncovers the analogies between the Victorians and today’s world.
The Victorians were simultaneously more certain than we are today and less certain.  
They believed that they were on a road to infinite progress and change, but were only just at the beginning of the path.
Today’s DIY and geek culture feeds off of a similar spirit.
We are all engineers hacking the material world, unlocking the potential of atoms through the power of bits.
Lianna and I are so much on the side of techne—on the side of a knowledge that allows us to do and to make.

Photos by www.worldstudio.ca

Our process of production and design combines computer CAD work for a completely custom fit, individual fabrics we design and print using advanced inks, and computerized machinery for cutting vinyl, with all of the traditional arts of tailoring and dressmaking that require nothing but a needle and a thread.Steampunk Clothing
Our muslin fitting process for the suits is again a combination of the old and the new.
We mail our customers traditional cotton mock-ups of the suit to try on before making the final pieces.
back belt victorian pantThe customers send us back digital photos of themselves trying the pieces on, and we feed this information back into the computer to change and manipulate the pattern until it is exactly right.
frock coat backThe pictures show many of the styles that we have made or are making for steampunk weddings along with some wonderful pictures of the weddings themselves.Chocolate Brown Frock Coat
The black suit with the red cravat shows what we call the “Steampunk Anime Suit”.

Brown Victorian Tux

This suit is made from a wool gabardine with satin face lapels.
The style looks and feels Victorian, but the details are completely modern.
The brown suit with red pinstripes and red satin face lapels, shows a Victorian style vest and pant, but with numerous Western style details and snaps.
The brown suit with a sage green piping shows a morning frock that cuts away into tails.

Photos by www.joshgruetzmacher.com

It has peak lapels, a pant with a back belt (which can be adjustable or decorative) and a handmade top hat to match.

Photo By www.MarkBrooke.com

The awesome wedding photos show two weddings where the grooms wore wool tailcoats and silk vests, a wedding with a double-breasted Prince Albert frock made from silk noil and velveteen pants (for a Victorian-era meets 1960s look) and an outfit with a black wool double-breasted vest with pearlized leather pocket welts.
The sketches show a bride and groom ensemble that we have in the works for this summer.

University Coats

It has a leather corset on the bride and matching leather tuxedo stripes on the groom’s pant, and also a set of concepts for modern looking university coats.
Contact AJ (aj@denverbespoke.com) to talk more about ideas for your wedding.

Be sure to check out the photographer’s websites for more photos.  Lynn Terry did the photos for the  wedding with the black vest and gold welts. Terry Martin the wedding with the skipping groom.

Josh Gruetzmacher the San Francisco wedding with the white slik frock.  And Mark Brooke, the groom with the tails and peacock lapels.

Cashmere GreatcoatWe make some of the best coats in the world.  What is more every coat is custom made.

Black Mens Coat

We can make a coat with the exact style of pockets, style of lapels, length, and fit that you desire.
The pictures show some of our favorite recent coats.
The featured coat is a black cashmere greatcoat that is double-breasted with wide lapels, a broad collar that flips up, a pleat in the upper back and three pleats on the skirt.  
The coat weighs a full 5lbs and has a plush luxurious hand and slight sheen.
One of the back pictures catches the coat blowing out in the wind (which is a magnificent look).  
We can make hundreds of variations on this coat, changing the pockets, the back details, the fabric, length, stitching, or can design something totally from scratch.
The second coat featured is an inverness coat cut from a medium grey donegal tweed.
This caped coat is a modern take on the traditional inverness with relatively slim panels, wide sleeves, and a drop shoulder.

Inverness Coat

The cape is also detachable for those times when you don’t want to carry the extra weight.
The third coat pictured is a plaid hunting jacket.Inverness Coat
This jacket was made for a customer who loved vintage 1930s style shirt jackets, but wanted something with a slimmer fit, a concealed zipper and storm flap, and a full satin lining.  Plaid Hunting Jacket
Every part of this jacket has a double layer of wool coating.  The upper body has the cape.  The lower front is made a double layer with wool pocket bags, and the back again has a full wool underlayer that forms a long pocket.
Plaid Flannel JacketThe left breast pocket is separated into compartments for shotgun shells (or pens, tire gauges, nail sets, etc).
The result is a vintage look jacket that is completely and utterly warm and insulated and has a luxurious feel to it.
Different types of fabrics are perfect for different coats and three of the most common types of coating fabrics are tweed, melton, and flannel.
Tweed is made from relatively unfinished wool yarn and has a slightly fuzzy appearance–the grey coat above is a birdseye tweed.
Flannel has a soft brushed appearance and is what the plaid hunting jacket is made from.  Melton is a deeply felted coating fabric, that is heavier, denser, and more water resistant than tweeds and flannels.  This is what the black coat is made from.
So when you write us to have us start working on the perfect coat, tell us everything that you can think of about your climate, the types of pockets you like, how often you will wear the coat, and your sense of style and we will get together the best fabrics and design something just for you.
Contact AJ to get started now (aj@denverbespoke.com).
Seersucker Leisure Suit

Photo by Erin Wallis (www.erinwallis.com)

The groom wears black. The bride wears white.
But what if the wedding is in Mexico…?
Seersucker Suit
The pictures show two suits that we recently made for tropical weddings. One is a 70s inspired suit cut from an off-white cotton seersucker.
The other, a completely modern suit cut from a linen/rayon blend that is lighter, softer, and less prone to wrinkles than 100 percent linen.
Back Seersucker Suit
Both suits are unstructured and lined in light cotton with shell buttons.
Our process for making custom suits takes place over about 2 months. Once you contact us, we gather swatches and begin sketching some ideas for you.
White Linen SuitWe can make pretty much anything… with any set of details…. in any type of fabric. Ivory Linen Suit
After finding the fabric and determining the style, we ask for measurements which you can take at home. Then we make the initial patterns and a cotton prototype of the suit (the “muslins”).
White Linen SuitYou try the muslin on and send us pictures of you wearing it. Then we adjust the pattern and cut and sew the final suit.
The result is a suit that is completely unique and tailored to fit your body and style.
Contact AJ for more information and to get started on a custom project: aj@denverbespoke.com

Be sure to check out the photographer’s website (erinwallis.com) for more pictures of the 1970s style seersucker suit (and some pictures of the child’s suit that we made to match the groom’s.

Chocolate Brown Frock Coat

A tropical wool old West style frock coat that we made. Photo by www.Mod4.com.

For weddings, steampunk formal wear, fascinating sportswear and outerwear.

Brown Tropical Wool Morning Coat

A frock coat is traditionally defined as a long jacket with a seam at the waist. The waist seam allows for shaping, giving the piece a highly fitted look versus other types of coats (like a trenchcoat or raglan) and other styles of jacket (like the standard sack suit jacket).
18th century frock coats do not always have a seam at the front waist, and the above definition is more appropriate to later 19th and 20th century clothing.
Custom made linen morning coat

A "One Button" Linen Frock Coat

The two most common types of frock coat are the “morning coat” and the “Prince Albert” frock. The “Prince Albert” is double-breasted, while the morning frock is (with a couple exceptions like the University coat) single-breasted.

Traditionally, the morning coat would have been worn for day time formal events (like weddings and state visits) in place of a tailcoat. For much of the 20th century the morning coat fell out of style and was only worn by conservative dressers (such as Prince Charles and Ronald Reagan), but today with a renewed interest in formal dress (and Victorian and Edwardian fashions), the frock coat has become one of the garments of choice for weddings.

Custom brocade frock coat

A Double-Breasted Frock Overcoat

raincoat frock coat

A Double-Breasted Rainwear Frock

Morning coats can cut away in front to a greater or lesser degree. The grey linen coat picture is what is called a “One Button Frock”. Although the coat has several buttons, only one button (the top button) is meant to be closed. This look is great for revealing a special vest.

The other styles of frock coat that we make are variations on the double-breasted frock overcoat. Overcoat frocks are made without shoulder pads and generally with less structure so that they can be worn over a suit jacket. The rainwear frock shown is a unique take on the frock overcoat and can be worn for everyday casual or business dress.

Modern look 18th Cen. style frocks that we made. Featured in Denver Magazine. Photo by amazing Denver Photographer Annabelle Reboli (www.annabellereboli.com).

Every piece we make is custom and there are hundreds of different variations that we can make. So just contact us (aj@denverbespoke.com) so that we can discuss the options.

For customers who want a completely custom tailored fit, we offer our muslin fitting service via long distance. For this process we make a mock-up of the coat to send to you before cutting the actual fabrics. You can then take pictures of yourself wearing the mock-up and we will adjust the pattern to get exactly the right fit and style.