New Harris Tweed Cap from Sterkowski Hat & Cap Makers

 

Having fallen in love with the Harris Tweed used on my recently reviewed wash bag made from Harris Tweed by the good people at British Bag. I felt compelled to track down some other products made from the particular weave pattern.  I even tracked down the mill - I believe this tweed was made by Kenneth Mackenzie (LOO5P – Green and blue herringbone with rust overcheck).  Turns out Kenneth Mackenzie makes a number of Harris tweeds that I recognized in other products I own and love.

Nice little logo pin:

Anyhow, in my search for additional Items, I was looking specifically for a hat and lucked upon Sterkowski Hats & Caps from Poland of all places.  Come to find out Sterkowski has been in the hat business for quite a fair time now (Originally founded in 1926) and appeared to be making some fine products incorporating many felts, leathers, and fabrics including my beloved Harris Tweed and in just the weave pattern I was looking for.  'Why not, I'll give them a try' I say to myself.  Having hit the 'Buy' button (PayPal is such a Godsend with these transactions), I had to wait just a few short days for my new Harris Tweed cap to be delivered to my door. 

Showing fold-down ear flaps:

The close-ups: 
Provided for my own enjoyment and for that of my tweed obsessed brethren: 'Carloway' Herringbone Tweed in Browns and Beiges with Blue, Rust and Gold overcheck (I still love this weave):

What can I say, but that I continue to love this weave - my current favorite so much so that I'm considering purchasing a jacket in the same tweed.  Too much you think?  I don't know I'm mad for the stuff!  Oh, yes and this cap is great, nicely made and with matching fold away earflaps as well.  These could perhaps be hand in winter for chilly walks in our Bavarian countryside. 

Aran Jumper for my wife from Aran Sweater Market

I bought a less expensive Aran Sweater online from a company which will go unnamed and unfortunately arrived in the wrong size and with a very unattractive sheep smell (knitwear companies, please make sure your wool is well washed).  Having returned this first sweater, I decided to spend just a bit more to hoping for a higher quality product.  I had been eyeing the Aran sweaters from Aran Sweater Market for a while (I've featured a flat cap I purchased from them a while back and it's become one of my favorites), so figured I would give them a shot.  I bought the 'Women's Heavyweight Merino Wool Aran Sweater' in small because while my wife is tall, she's thin and like myself prefers close fitting sweaters, and I must say that the fit is beautiful. 

The back is just as pretty as the front

First I have to say their shipping from Ireland was especially fast, from the time of order to its arrival at my door here in Bavaria was 2 days - amazingly fast.  Upon this jumper's arrival, is was very pleased indeed.  The wool was washed well (with a very slight pleasant lanoline smell) and evenly spun.  The overall quality of the knitting was extremely high.  The color is a very beautiful cream white/ecru and looks just great.  While not hand knitted, this Aran was spun and knitted in Ireland from wool grown in Ireland to a high standard.  The wool is very soft (not scratchy) and this sweater is warm, as one would expect of a heavy Aran and will come in very handy on these cooler spring days in Bavaria and of course will be great in Fall and Winter as well.

I think Mrs. Landless Gentry is very happy with my purchase and I've been very happy with the product and fast delivery from Aran Sweater Market as well, so it's been a win-win. 

Close-Up: Vintage Harris Tweed in Green with Red, Gold, Black and Blue Over Check.

Please notice the different ways this jacket will catch the light between the following two photos

Hello Tweed lovers, featured here is a jacket that I have shown in at least one 'Today's Outfit' post and of course, in the header to this blog.  However, I've just realized that I've not done a complete review.  This great looking Harri Tweed jacket is one of my very favorites - green with a nice bold overcheck in Red, Gold, Black, and Blue, it's easy to match especially with a light blue or royal blue sweater and a tie/pocket square with blue and burgundy color scheme.  This jacket was an Ebay.co.uk find, which is a great source for pre-owned tweed jackets.  If you are interested in shopping jackets online, I encourage you to read my recommendations in a previous blog post. 

This Jacket had a perfect fit right off, without any need for tailoring and came with great looking tan leather covered buttons.   A perfectly matched pattern on the center back seam and pocket flaps is always a good sign of quality.  

The lining of this jacket was also flawless.  In fact, I don't think this jacket had been worn more than just a few time, as I recall some of the pockets had still be sewn shut when it arrived.  Amazing to me that someone would buy such a lovely tween and never wear it:

The Close-ups: 
Provided for my own enjoyment and for that of my tweed obsessed brethren: Harris Tweed in Green with Red, Gold, Black, and Blue Over Check.  As is nearly always the case with Harris Tweed, upon closer inspection the range of colors in the weave is amazing, adding up to a richness and depth of color that is just phenomenal: 

Here are a few of the outfit's in which I have worn this jacket:

Visit to Francesco Maglia Umbrellas in Milan and Custom Umbrella Review

I've been wanting to make a visit to the Francesco Maglia Umbrella atelier for a couple of years, but whenever we were in town for business, or on holiday, our time was too crunched to allow for the long visit this magical workshop deserves.   When living in California one is not pressed to even consider the umbrella much.  I'm not even entirely sure I owned an umbrella when I lived in So. Cal.  Rain, of course, does occur in California, but with such infrequency that, an umbrella let alone a bespoke luxury umbrella is not on one's radar.  Munich, on the other hand, can be a bit of a rain bucket, where a good sturdy, well-made umbrella is more than just handy, but a necessity.  Having too long huddled under a cheaply made canopy, suffering the indignity of inferior materials and badly bent frame, an upgrade was long overdue!  To characterize a bespoke Francesco Maglia umbrella as merely an upgrade is an understatement of the highest order.  Indeed, it's like trading in a Yugo (remember those) for a Ferarri.

Even fully collapsable umbrella are entirely handmade on site:

Located away from the center of Milan, Francesco Miglia, is not a shop that will just be stumbled on while enjoying the sights, it must be sought out and even then, it's a bit difficult to find being located off-street in the underground space of the large apartment block, it's hardly the showroom/boutique that one would expect from one of the world's great luxury, handcrafted umbrella makers.  Once one has found it, however, one is greeted by the maestro himself, who will gladly lead you down into his enchanted domain.

Choosing my hardware and initial Plaque:

Senior Maglia turning on the old-school Italian charm:

Steaming out the wrinkles before final shipping:

Francesco Maglia is not just the name of the company but the name of the great man himself. 5th generation mastercraftsman (the firm having been founded in 1854), salesman, enchanting wizard and glad-hander in equal measure, he is happy to speak with you in English or German and of course Italian and probably a dozen other languages as well.  Preaching the gospel of the bespoke, handmade umbrella, he will patiently show you the entire process of building your custom umbrella, walking you through all your choices and offing advice as needed to achieve your own canopy of perfection.

Senior Maglia and my wife Andrea choosing a fabric to match my chosen stick (no detail is too small for the maestro):

All fabric from the lake Como mill is closely inspected to assure water tightness:

Senior Maglia's sister in law laying out the fabric for cutting:

Canopy fabric cut and ready for assembly:

Senior Maglia, together with a small staff of craftsmen and craftswomen, some of whom are members of the family and others are longtime employees, make each and every umbrella onsite and almost entirely by hand.  I think about the only machine I saw on site was a sewing machine for assembling the canopies.  Many parts including the sticks and handles and much of the hardware is made in-house.  Most of the fabrics are woven exclusively for Francesco Maglia at a friend's factory in Como Italy,  a region famous for weaving silks from many centuries.

For my custom umbrella, I chose a solid stick of bentwood maple cut to the perfect length for my height and with a handsome fabric of green with contrasting strips of Yellow and Orange - I think this particular fabric has great country colors that will pair well with my Tweed heavy wardrobe, but as you can see, he's got just about any color, stripe, polka dot, and pattern one could possibly imagine.

Showing the family tree and photo album:

Photo of the founding family members:

The Maestro points to a photo of a sea of umbrellas

To say that my wife and I were charmed by Senior Maglia and his umbrella kingdom is an understatement.  This is among the happiest memories we have of our many visits to Milan that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

As my wife say's "It's like stepping into a Mary the Poppins wonderland".

My bespoke umbrella Arrives about 6 weeks:

Beautiful satin finished solid maple handle:

So pleased with these color stripes:

Beautifully assembled canopy:

Solid metal tip will last many years:

The feeling of quality is unmistakable:

My Initials hand engraved on a plaque of Silver: