Starting from zero

I’ve always been into menswear and been wearing suits regularly for close to two decades. Working in hospitality and having lived in London for close to five years, I’ve burnt hard-earned cash on a wide range of clothing items - from Savile Row ready-to-wear pieces to irresistible deals at TK Maxx.

About four years ago, prior to my move to Bangkok, I did a major clear-out and donated about 20 suits and many other clothing and accessory items to friends and to charity shops. Two reasons for this: I had lost quite a bit of weight from diet and exercise; and I decided to go with a ‘possession-light’ relocation. After all, you can get almost everything you could ever want in Bangkok.

Settling into life in Bangkok meant I had easy access to ’instant’ suits and shirts at a very low price point, and I played happily in that sphere for about three years.

Things took a turn around mid 2018 when menswear trunk shows in Bangkok started catching my attention. I would observe from the side, picking up small accessories or attending workshops, but never committing to anything big.

By that point, I started exploring blogs and social media content and admiring the concept of classic menswear. I was also invited by the owner of a menswear shop to try on several of their Neapolitan and Florentine ready-to-wear pieces. To be honest, I didn't like what I saw in the mirror during that first visit. Too loose, I felt. And living in a city where everyone from policemen to socialites wore ultra-skinny fit clothing, I found it hard to ’break loose’.

The real turning point came one Saturday in November 2018, when I attended the Sartoria Raffaniello trunk show at The Decorum and commissioned two made-to-measure suits. That evening, I also crossed town to The Somchai and bought a Liverano & Liverano ready-to-wear navy sports jacket.

In one day, I spent the equivalent of what I might normally pay for 20 locally tailored suits on just three outfits. These three pieces set the foundation for my sartorial reset, another wardrobe clear out. I was essentially starting from zero yet again.

Six months on, I have picked up a growing collection of staples and slightly bolder pieces. The current ’sartorial quality’ tally: two suits, three odd jackets and four odd trousers, shoes to take me through a work week, and a handful of ties and pocket squares. Even my casual attire is slowly swaying towards the classic direction.

In the pipeline: five suits including one Liverano bespoke that will be ready in May 2020, plus two pairs of trousers. I'm pretty sure I'll start getting into proper shirts soon.

I think I’ll let this rather lengthy intro end here. In future posts, I might touch on conversations with people who have influenced, inspired and continue to poison me, practical tips for those who are open to being bitten by the sartorial bug (trust me, it’s lots of fun), encounters with tailors and artisans, and updates on how some of my pieces have broken in.

I hope you enjoyed this first post and look forward to your comments.

Photos of my first three pieces below.

Liverano & Liverano RTW sports jacket in Drapers fabric, with Sevenfold Firenze tie and Christian Kimber pocket square.

Sartoria Raffaniello suit in William Halstead fabric, with Shibumi Firenze tie and Paul Smith pocket square.

Sartoria Raffaniello suit in Harrisons fabric, with Kamakura tie and Olof pocket square.