World-renowned Malt Master, David Stewart and The Balvenie’s UK Ambassador, Dr. Andrew Forrester, request the pleasure of your company at The Balvenie Evening of Discovery; to be held at Gieves and Hawkes, 1 Savile Row, London W1S 3JR.

This bespoke evening will see guests party to an exciting unveiling, as well as being invited to enjoy a private tasting session of some of The Balvenie’s award-winning, single malt Scotch whiskies, from The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood and 15 Year Old Single Barrel, to the limited edition 17 Year Old Madeira Cask and 21 Year Old PortWood.

To find out more and for a chance to attend this exclusive event, please go to www.thebalvenie.com

Brown Leather Brogue Tassle Loafer Shoe

Here at Gieves & Hawkes we may have made our name for our impeccably well tailored suits, but that is not all we have to offer. Our beautifully designed shoes are all bench made in Northampton in a factory steeped in as almost as much history as us having operated since 1886! Here at Gieves & Hawkes we champion British luxury at its greatest, and we are proud to support local business over the UK.

Northampton is to footwear what Savile Row is to tailoring, making this the perfect partnership for our gorgeous exclusive shoes. If this hasn’t sole-d you already, each and every bench made shoe takes four weeks to make and has a Goodyear welted sole construction (excluding the classic Oxford patent) making our shoes extra durable and long lasting, perfect for your daily office shoe, or perhaps something special for those more formal of occasions or even as a more casual shoe. They will never let you down. The entire sole of the shoe can be replaced at just one third of the cost of a new shoe, making these a great investment piece. Unlike the cheap cemented counterparts you can pick up on the high street, all our soles are stitched ultimately meaning the sole will not peel away from the upper. And, to make things even better, with its natural components it means the shoe is breathable and the sole will mould to fit your foot like a second skin.

Like the most famous of shoes, we have an iconic sole wash in our distinct G&H blue. Here at Gieves & Hawkes we hope you care for your shoes as much as you care for your suit. Here are our top tips for how to make sure your shoes
last the extra mile;

• Insert a shoe tree when not being worn
• Alternate when you wear your shoes, try wearing each pair every other day
• Wax polish your shoes one a week. The secret to the ultimate shine is polish, leave it to dry for a few minutes before buffing
• Weather wax can be applied to the sole to improve traction and reduce slippage

Sand Suede Penny Loafer Shoe

]]> http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/new-posts/northampton-is-to-footwear-what-savile-row-is-to-tailoring/feed 0 http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/features/journal-back-and-forth-through-terminal-5 http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/features/journal-back-and-forth-through-terminal-5#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:41:26 +0000 Gieves & Hawkes http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/?p=3837 4.00am – Get up. Have a nice hot shower and take time to groom. NOTE: A splash of cold always does a trick. And use a bit of eyes cream to help brightening up your skin around the eyes.

4.25am – Call a cab for a pick up. Have some yoghurt with blueberry and granola, 2 eggs and soldiers and a cup of earl gray tea with a dash of milk. NOTE: Always start the morning with a good healthy breakfast to give you all the energy you need, especially travelling by air.

4.45am – Do a checklist. Like Eddy from AB FAB said “money, ticket, passport!!”. NOTE: Give yourself enough time, a least 20-30 minutes, before leaving the house. This will make you feel less stressed and have enough time to re-check anything that you might have missed or forgotten.

4.50am – A cab comes, heading to Paddington Station. NOTE: For any flights to and from Heathrow airport, try taking Heathrow Express. It takes 15 minutes (to Terminal 1,2,3) and 16 minutes (to Terminal 5) from London Paddington Station. Departing at 55-10-25-40 minutes past the hour (first train 5.10am).

5.06am – Arrive at Paddington Station. Buy a return first class Heathrow express ticket. And get on the train straight away. NOTE: Why not treat yourself to first class seat; you’ll get better a seat, more space, less noisy and free newspapers and magazines. You can also book it online at www.heathrowexpress.com

5.26am – Arrive at Heathrow Terminal 5. NOTE: If you have never been to Terminal 5 before and if you want to experience the one of the latest British architectures, try flying with British Airways next time. The terminal is the largest free-standing building in the UK. It’s very spacious, so much that the airport never feels crowded. A perfect way to fly to and from London.

5.32am – First check in kiosks. NOTE: Check-in kiosks is always less hustle and take less time, especially if you only have a hand luggage.

5.40am – Fast track, X-ray, passport control and Lounging at the Concorde room. NOTE: This is one of the reasons you go First Class with British Airways because you can experience the art of airport lounging. This includes a champagne bar, a cinema, spa, private bedrooms and a restaurant.

6.30am – Boarding the Plane. And off to Copenhagen with style… NOTE: There is no need to rush, if you flying first  or business class, the door will always be open for you but just make sure you are there at the gate least 10 minutes before plane takes off. Don’t go crazy over duty-free shops and restaurants (if you are flying within Europe the fees still apply, so they aren’t cheaper than normal shops or supermarkets).

9.40am – 17.00pm – WORK WORK WORK…

17.55pm – Depart from Copenhagen airport Terminal 2. NOTE: Being a global traveller can be quite exhausting. Make sure that you take a good rest when you can. And do things that relax you i.e. read a book, watch DVD or listen to music. And make sure you eat properly and drink enough water and not alcohol.

18.55pm – Arrive at London Heathrow Terminal 5. Go to a fast track on the passport control.

19.42pm – Back on a First class Heathrow Express. NOTE: Train departing at 12-27-42-57 minutes past the hour (last train 23.42pm). Now that you are back all you can think of is need to get home ASAP. Make sure you go to the first carriage, so you will be the first person to get off.

20.00pm – Arrive at Paddington Station. Catch a cab. NOTE: If you are getting a black cab, go to the direction of a sign that said “Exit” and not “Taxi” because that “Taxi” sign will take you on a longer walk.

20.21pm – Back at home. Unwind. Have some grilled chicken breasts with red pesto, wild rice and steamed vegetables. And hot bath…. NOTE: A glass of red wine never hurts.

22.15pm – Bed time. NOTE: If you are constantly travelling, try to get a least 7-8 hours of sleep to be sure that your body and your brain is ready for the next day. Pack everything before going to bed and always have enough fresh clothes that last you through the week. Put the important things together on somewhere that you will easily spot, like a side table by the front door.

Illustration and words by Pete Pongsak

LAUREL is the latest scent from the people behind Monocle Magazine, collaborates with Comme Des Garcon. Inspired by a moment they spent in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. It has a scent of warm and fresh eastern Mediterranean garden and hand-made laurel soaps. It sounds quite an unusual combination but it smell so fresh and sharp that it will last you for a whole day. Available at Dover Street Market.

ROI SOLEIL is a scented wax candle from Cire Trudon. This confidential and specialised vegetal wax paste made from all-natural ingredients includes palm, rice, soy and copra oils, giving the candle a longer burning time and giving out all the perfect notes of perfume. Inspired by the Hall of Mirrors in the Chateau de Versilles. It has a scent of green and woody coniferous trees and with a subtle hint of citrus and a light incense. It is a perfect spring scent for a living room or a dining room. Available at Liberty.

Photography and words by Pete Pongsak

Caroline Moulin - Partner Services Director, Summer Childers - G&H, Natalie Sykes - G&H, Bastien Hibon - Marketing Director

The first thing you notice as you approach the track is the immense noise.  The engines are so much louder than you would ever imagine!  As we are taken down the paddock, we notice that MERCEDES GP PETRONAS are at the top end of the paddock.  This is because the garages are issued on the results of the Constructors’ Championship from the previous season.  Having won the Constructors’ Championship as Brawn GP last season, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS claim the prime paddock position.

We were all given ear plugs as we entered to watch the team at work.  Building the carbon fibre car around the intricate engine like a flat pack kit, everything comes apart and gets put back together again in seconds.  It is amazing to see the group of male mechanics, dance around each other with complete precision to get the car back on the track as quickly as possible.

Nico Rosberg testing the new MERCEDES GP PETRONAS car

Because the cars are so complex each team will only build one car for test days and make sure it is running perfectly before building the second for the start of the season.  This means only one driver per team can test each day.  As Michael Schumacher completed his test on the Friday, Nico Rosberg enters the paddock ready for his first lap of the day.

As the engine starts, the excitement is electric, Nico fires up the engine and slowly the team around the car disperses.  As Nico heads out to the pit lane, the team turn to their computer screens to monitor the car’s progress around the track.

The garage itself smells of spray paint and chemicals, as you would expect.  The tyres are kept in their own individual ‘sleeping bags’ to control their temperature – kept nearly 100 degrees!

Bastien informs us that the team is trialling a new lighting system for its pit stops.  Ferrari are the only other team with this system which eliminates the need for the ‘lollipop man’.  This allows the car to enter and exit the pit stop through a traffic light style system to increase the efficiency of the pit stop.

The pit stops were very exciting to watch, as the team position themselves so precisely around the car to get it back on the track as quickly as possible.  This was sometimes overshadowed by the track safety car pulling up to a team’s garage and them jumping in to go and collect a broken down car.  Our first experience of this was the Williams car, positioned next door to MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, being delivered to the team on the back of a lorry, covered in a black sheet.

The secrecy of this sport is understandable, when 100ths of a second count, no-one can afford to loose their advantage. Garages were blocked off to photographers by screens, Ferrari being the most intimating with solid black doors from floor to ceiling.  This still didn’t stop the hoards of photographers trying to get a shot of Ross Brawn speaking to Nico in between test laps.

Ross Brawn, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher discuss the last lap

We also got an opportunity to drive around the track and experience the testing from different vantage points.  An audience of around 30,000 people came to view the testing each day, showing the amazing support and following for F1.

Although MERCEDES GP PETRONAS did experience a small technical fault out on the track in the afternoon, resulting in the car being dropped back by the safety team, Nico managed to set the fastest time of the day at 1:20.686.  The team seemed very positive when we left and we are all very excited to see how they get on Bahrain!  Come on MERCEDES GP PETRONAS!

For more information on MERCEDES GP PETRONAS visit www.mercedes-gp.com

Nico Rosberg recounts the fastest lap of the day

]]> http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/new-posts/mercedes-gp-petronas-barcelona-testing/feed 3 http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/features/to-shave-or-not-to-shave-the-choice-is-yours http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/features/to-shave-or-not-to-shave-the-choice-is-yours#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:53:16 +0000 Gieves & Hawkes http://blog.gievesandhawkes.com/?p=3761

I. CLEAN SHAVE – It is a normal, everyday routine for most gentlemen. In a business and work place, a having-no-facial-hair look will always make you look professional and smart. And it certainly makes you look younger. Nowadays, like going to a salon to get a haircut, more gentlemen are going back to a barbershop to get their grooming done. In this case, a wet shave with a cutthroat razor. It is something of a luxury, and if you do shave everyday, why not treat yourself once or twice a month? Of course, you do need to have some trusts in a barber that is holding a sharp razor to your throat. If you are around Mayfair or Old street why not pop over to Murdock and try ”the luxury wet shave”. They will treat you with all the finest Italian products from pre-shave to post shave.

II. STUBBLE – This “scruffy look”, or “why haven’t you shaved? look” is something of a modern rebel. A few gentlemen have attempted this look; some have gotten away with it at work, and some have not. It is a look that is not for everyone, however there is a time and a place for it. For creative and cultural gentlemen, this look can be achieved everyday or all year round without any complaints from your boss. All you need to do is to trim with a clipper once in a while. For gentlemen who have gotten told off at work, unfortunately, weekends and holidays are your only options to achieve this look. But if your are such a rebel, as well as brave, next time you go to work, why not smarten up your outfit a bit more: wear a nice and well-fitted tailored suit, with a clean and sharp shirt, shiny cufflinks, a slim neck-tie, and a good pair of English hand-made shoes. And then see what your boss would say to that, after all it is your face, and not theirs.

III. GOATEE – If you are bored of clean shaves, or scared of facial hair, why not give a goatee a try? It can make you look sharper and more masculine. There is quite a lot of maintenance for this type of look. Firstly the designs of the goatee; for gentleman that have long oval shape face, try going for a slimmer goatee and for the rounded shape face, try a wider goatee. A prefect length of goatee would be around 5mm-1cm, leaving it longer than that could make you loose the sharpness and turn it into a scruffy and hippy look. Using a clipper or a pair of grooming scissors to trim down the facial hair to your preferred length. And shave the rest of the area everyday like you normally shave.

IV. FULL BEARD – Grrr…. Be warned that this look is not for faint-hearted gentleman. The full bearded look is the most classic and natural look for facial grooming. Nevertheless it takes a lot of preparation, both mentally and physically. This rough look sends out so much masculinity that people will either love it or hate it. The first thing that you have to look at is “does your facial hair grow closely enough?” Not every gentleman can go for this look due to an uneven growth of facial hair around the face. It is possible to grow them, but you might not be able to achieve that fully-bearded look. So if the answer is ‘YES’ then all you need is 4-5 weeks of growing and growing. It might be itchy with some discomfort, but that is the game you will have to play. After a few weeks when the facial hair grows long enough, make sure that you use a gentle shampoo and conditioner for sensitive skin on it, after all it is hair, and it needs to be healthy to get a good result. Once you are happy with the length you like, all you need is some trimming to maintain the length. But always trim the hair above the upper lip, so it doesn’t get in the way when you eat. It is a manly statement and it shows the love of facial hair. Also, this look will be even better with well-groomed hair, preferably short hair, and of course well dressed.

V. MOUSTACHE – There is a rising number of gentlemen with moustaches. Thanks to the recycling of fashion, and trends amongst the young creative people in the East-end who believe in good company with an upper lip friend. The design of these moustaches ranges from the retro 70s look to Georgian gentleman look, but they all feel modern nonetheless. Once again, this look takes a lot of bravery to achieve, and it is quite important in relation to what you wear too. Wearing a nice tailored suit is a good tactic: but don’t try to go all the way, as people might think you have travelled through time! It is the ultimate look of facial hair grooming, because it has the combination of the clean shave, growing, trimming and maintaining. Firstly you will need to decide on the shape of the moustache you want and you have to be patient and let it grow bit by bit. It takes the same length of time to grow as a beard, which is 4-5 weeks. During this time why not leave the rest the hair grow too, so it doesn’t look so odd. Plus you will surprise people when you have shaved down to just a moustache. Once you are happy with the length of the moustache, you will need to maintain it with a good gentle shampoo and conditioner. Also, to style it up try using some moustache wax to shape you moustache to a perfect look. Moustache wax with brush/comb from Clubman available at Murdock.

Illustration and words by Pete Pongsak

Gieves & Hawkes are proud to be supporting The Prostate Cancer Charity to help raise money and awareness to help fight prostate cancer.  As part of Prostate Awareness Month this month, Gieves & Hawkes have pledged that 10% of proceeds from four selected items will be donated to this worthwhile charity if bought during the month of March.

The four items are based on the Prostate Awareness Month slogan, ‘Whatever you do, Do Blue.’  With this in mind we selected two silk ties and two silk pocket squares which coordinate with the charity’s blue colour theme. The products selected for Prostate Cancer Awareness month are available to purchase online and in all stores and concessions across the country.

Blue Square Handkerchief

Navy Silk Handkerchief

Blue Silk Tie

Navy Silk Tie

Gieves & Hawkes got involved with the charity last November when we proudly grew our moustaches for Movember in a bid to raise awareness of the disease. Awareness is important because although prostate cancer is the most common cancer within men in the UK, it often goes undetected.  The cancer can develop when cells in the prostate gland start to grow in an uncontrolled way. In most cases this is a slow growing cancer that men will be unaware of throughout their lifetime because it may never cause any symptoms or problems. However, some men will have a fast growing cancer that needs treatment to prevent or delay it spreading outside the prostate gland. 35,000 men in the UK are diagnosed every year with Prostate Cancer.

The Prostate Cancer Charity has been successfully running for 14 years and is the UK’s leading charity working with those suffering with prostate cancer. This fantastic charity helps fund research, provide support and information and campaign to improve the lives of the sufferers. We admire their dedication and hard work, and hope to help them raise awareness of this terrible disease.

For more information visit:  www.prostate-cancer.org.uk

Our store in Bath witnessed the homecoming parade of Amy Williams yesterday, the only British Olympic medallist at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Crowds of well wishers lined the streets of Bath city centre in celebration of this fantastic sporting achievement.

Amy was driven through Bath city centre on an open top double-decker bus, past the Gieves & Hawkes store.  She was seen smiling from the top of the bus, showing off her medal in all its glory to the crowds that had gathered to welcome her home.

Amy scooped her gold medal by beating competitors in the Bob Skeleton. Amy, and her trusty ‘tea tray’ named Arthur, is the first Briton to win an individual gold medal at the winter Olympics in 30 years.

We are pleased to announce the forthcoming dates of our upcoming March trip to the United States, in which our Head Cutter Kathryn Sargent and team, will be visiting:

Los Angeles – The Beverly Hilton – 10 March
Chicago – The Barclay Intercontinental – 12 and 13 March
New York – The Plaza – 15, 16 and 17 March

Whether you are an existing bespoke customer or you are completely new to bespoke tailoring, why not schedule an appointment with our Savile Row team who will be happy to consult you through the bespoke process.

If you have any further questions or would like to make an appointment for a consultation, please contact:

Andrew Goldberg
Email: agoldberg@gievesandhawkes.com
Tel: +44 20 7432 6446

Wednesday 24th January 2010, 11am and Gieves & Hawkes are ready for their London Fashion Week catwalk debut…

A small selection of UK and International press and buyers were invited to join us for a catwalk show previewing our Autumn Winter 2010 collection for the very first time. The show was part of London Fashion Week ‘Mensday’, which is only in it’s second year, and was an opportunity for Gieves & Hawkes to join up with two other great brands on Savile Row; E.Tautz and Hardy Amies to show the world exactly what Savile Row has to offer, and why it is the best place in the world for tailoring.

The show was a huge success and received very positive feedback on the forthcoming collection. The design team here at Gieves & Hawkes were strongly influenced by ‘new traditionalism’ of the early Eighties as well as artwork by Gilbert and George.  The silhouttes of the jackets and suits have a strong shoulder, balanced by an elegant waist line and a slightly longer body length.  The tailoring was all hand made in England to ensure the collection demonstrated the craftsmanship, innovation and attention to detail that Gieves & Hawkes has always been associated with.

The collection was styled immaculately by our LFW team and ensured all the boys looked their best as they walked the catwalk in front of a host of influential faces and figures within the fashion industry.