Tweeds for the Shoot, not The Shoot!

While I had initially intended to reserve one’s new tweeds for such occasions, I must confess that before Brown in Town ‘got the call’ from The Ethicurean in Wrington – to assist with an upcoming photoshoot for the Independent on Sunday, no less – the aforementioned tweeds had found their way into one’s weekly roster and have been making regular appearances about town; outrageous I know!

Given Brown in Town’s ethos, I am sure this revelation will come as little surprise, but the tweeds in question were in fact scheduled to make their debut appearance in front the lens on the very same day, on location at Bristol’s Pata Negra.

Obviously, when The Ethicurean explained that the Independent wanted to feature it’s frontman, and Brown in Town muse, Jack Bevan, dressed from head to foot in Brown in Town, in a piece on the sartorial style of todays restaurants and restaurateurs, Bristol’s local tailor felt a sense of duty, ney, pride, and henceforth offered one’s styling services to ensure creases were set, waistcoat bottom buttons unfastened and ties knotted with the obligatory ‘dimple’!

So, concessions were made, and with official Brown in Town photographer, Remco Merbis, in tow, we set off for the hippest walled garden in the South West: rescheduling a shoot that was to feature tweed in the urban setting of the city to the rural setting which is The Ethicurean, was, in fairness, more a case of killing two birds with one stone.

What Remco had hoped to achieve with this Brown in Town shoot was to utilise as much natural light as possible. But, given the season where sun sets low in the sky, top floor of Pata Negra was such an ideal location: there are windows on either side of the building which let light stream in to the open plan bar area in the middle. Being outside at The Ethicurean afforded us as much light as the day had to offer of course, but I must confess, given the static nature of having one’s picture taken, it got a little chilly outside, even in tweed and even in the winter sun. However, our efforts were rewarded with delicious chocolate brownies with salt caramel and fresh coffee by our hosts, most kind indeed.

Now, in my humble opinion, there is tweed and there is tweed. The first being that most commonly used for shooting and stalking with either a course handle (see Jack’s Harris Tweed waistcoat) or a dry to the touch and rough handle (see #thornproofthursday) and the other, which is most commonly used for shooting the breeze (think boldly coloured and patterned tweeds most commonly seen at Cheltenham, or in rural pubs the length and breadth of the country). The tweed I am sporting was supplied by East London cloth merchants Crescent Trading, and has a beautifully soft handle, hence it is perfect for wearing both in a rural and an urban setting.

And it will come as little surprise, I’m sure, to the patrons of Brown in Town, that the sartorially inclined grooms among you have in fact made the Thornproof tweed one of the most sought after wedding suits this year – our Porter & Harding Thornproof has proved particularly popular – and why not! Not that Brown in Town isn’t just as happy making tweeds for the shooters, far from it, but it is nice to know that in Brown in Town’s first year we have attracted a following of other likeminded sartorialists, not to mention restaurateurs, and those for whom there is no ‘never’ before ‘brown in town’.

Season greetings one and all..