A New Years Resolution: Be Inspired..

I don’t know about you, but I become positively ecstatic at the notion of lifting the blinds after the Christmas festivities, dusting off the cloth bunches and taking the first appointments of 2015; and I felt exactly the same last year, albeit a little more hungover.

We may never again enjoy that feeling of opening one’s doors for the first time, but availing one of Brown in Town’s discerning patrons our entire stock of Fox umbrellas first thing Monday will remain a highlight for the year to come; few things are as rewarding as meeting people along the way who appreciate craftsmanship in the way that we do here at Brown in Town.

And as for Douglas, no sooner have we dusted off his smoking jacket and he’ll be swapping his evening wear for day wear as he dons his tweeds and makes the pilgrimage up the hill to Clifton where he will take pride of place in the window at Zip Pin Alterations, home of Brown in Town’s very own seamstress, Helen O’Connor.

That is not to say that the culmination of 2014 was without it’s highs; our last commission before we pulled down the blinds was for a 3pc suit made of an autumnal coloured, coarsely woven herringbone tweed from Harris Tweed. One of my personal favourites.

Contrastingly, the first commission of 2015 was for a beautiful double breasted suit in charcoal grey (faded) chalkstripe from Fox Flannel’s classic range. Does it get any better for this renaissance man, we’ll have to see.

But possibly what excites me most is the revision of this New Year’s resolution, which for  has remained for many years: to smoke more cigars. Given our rather sympathetic surroundings here at Hotel du Vin, I think it safe to say that we achieved this many times over in 2014!

So this year, our mantra is simply to be inspired. I say simply, but in fairness, given it is a cognitive pursuit which takes time, may prove to be a more difficult undertaking than smoking cigars, which requires only time (and location), because time is something Bristol’s local tailor is not very good at affording himself – particularly when our patrons choose to commission suits, shirts, jackets, slacks and overcoats made from the worlds finest cloth. Hey ho.

And what with the advent of a trip to Tignes in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one’s  brother, and an opportunity to visit old friends at the Black Cats snowboard shop, things continue to look up, up, up the mountain of opportunity!

Happy New Year to you all..