Today I’m going to give you a quick run down on my first bespoke shirt that I had made at Frank Foster. Frank Foster made shirts for the first 3 James Bond actors as well shirts for Roger Moore in his personal life.
You may have heard Matt Spaiser rhapsodise about them on his blog. Indeed both Matt and I have talked about Frank Foster on the podcast.
Through Frank Foster the first order only is 6 shirt minimum as they invest much more time in the pattern making and the first fittings. The six shirts however can all be different, i.e. cuffs styles, collar shape, short sleeve etc. Once they have the pattern done, clients can then order in any quantity they like.
I went in for a measurement, then in for a fitting. Which you can see below.
First fitting
And this was what came back. In case you’re wondering whether I’m chuffed to get the train in the shot, I am. Note: Photo taken before Lockdown, I’m not going outside for unnecessary photo shoots.
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I went back into Frank Foster and we had it nipped in as there was a little too much excess around the arms. They were very sweet, Poor Sam spent an entire day unpicking the shirt to make those necessary tweaks.
I have managed to get a couple of photos indoors. (See Below) but I’ve done a video that will show you more about the fit. Catch that at the bottom of the post.
The Fabric
Rug on Rug
The fabric for this striped shirt is cotton poplin, made by a company called David and John Anderson. Frank the owner would buy the materials directly from the mill in Glasgow, Scotland.
In our correspondence Sam, who is Frank daughter would have many invoices from the mill starting in the 1960s through you the late 1970s, so we’re confident we can date the fabric from then.
The Infamous Cocktail Cuff
The preferred version
Bespoke Shirt Collar
Grey whiskers
The Buttons
Frank Foster is like many tailors, currently on lockdown at the time I’m writing this, is not open. However you can check out their Instagram page @frank_Foster_shirts and you will find all sorts of different shirts, designs, fabrics.
Frank Foster is still answering all your shirt enquiries through their email and you can reach them at: frankfostershirts@gmail.com.
How much for a Frank Foster shirt?
I’ve had many people ask me this question since posting the vlog. I’m not willing to disclose how much I paid because I believe prices may vary depending on the details, fabric etc. I can assure you I did pay for the shirts I ordered, although bespoke pricing should always be a conversation between yourself and your tailor.
For further reading be sure to check out Matt Spaiser’s blog where he talks about his wardrobe of Frank Foster shirts.
