By Aleks Cvetkovic.

In bespoke tailoring phrases, Tom Area (above) has pulled off a intelligent trick. From his stylish St James’s studio, he’s created a model that’s quietly enigmatic, wanted by all method of high-powered creatives together with Iwan Wirth, Hamish Bowles and Stephen Graham amongst others.

If you go to Tom, it’s straightforward to see why. His house is a discreet, lower-ground-floor workroom on St James’s Place (simply across the nook from Duke’s and The Stafford), with hessian carpets, good white partitions and rails bursting with intriguing and strange designs – together with pigskin blazers and raglan coats.

A montage of previous photographs, publish playing cards and sketches is organized on the wall above his reducing desk, showcasing model luminaries together with Serge Gainsbourg and Charlotte Rampling. You may sense it is a house inhabited by a tailor with a selected sense of favor.

“From the very begin, I needed to do one thing somewhat totally different,” Tom explains. “The temper board is generally references from the late ‘60s to the late ‘70s – style-wise, that was the period I admired rising up. Artists, actors – it’s only a combine of people that encourage me.”

How does this come throughout in Tom’s garments? Effectively, there are a couple of particulars that subtly reference these a long time. His lapels are broad (four-inches-wide is his go to, although he’ll go narrower or wider) with an angular high quality and sloping gorge that feels fairly ‘70s. 

His jackets are additionally moderately lengthy and waisted, components that come from his coaching. Area left college at 18 and noticed a newspaper advert for apprenticeships at Huntsman. He utilized and secured a job as a trainee cutter, studying below the late, nice Brian Corridor.

It was there that Area discovered to chop the Thornton System, a reducing methodology developed on the flip of the twentieth century that takes its cues from equestrian tailoring. Jackets are reduce with small, excessive armholes, the next waist run and distinctive darts that run by way of the entrance pockets and skirt, to maintain the coat sitting near the physique. The result’s a clean-looking jacket with a good-looking silhouette. 

This methodology shouldn’t be unusual on Savile Row and components of his reduce remind me of each Huntsman and Richard Anderson, however Area’s take feels extra expressive than Huntsman’s home model (to my eye, no less than) and somewhat extra balanced than Anderson’s, the traces of which could be fairly straight. Tom’s silhouette is barely extra fluid, and appears very properly balanced.

His personal home model is a one-button, single-breasted coat with jetted pockets and chunky turn-back cuffs (as per my swimsuit, above). It’s subversive in its personal manner, changing pocket flaps with cuffs – making a garment that feels distinctive however not shouty. 

Tom additionally makes use of a comparatively light-weight canvas and beautiful, breathable linings. Unusually for a London tailor, even his totally lined clothes really feel comfy in heat climate (extra on this, under).

Following 5 years at Huntsman, Tom grew to become the pinnacle cutter at Paul Smith bespoke and was there for 18 years earlier than he established Atelier Area in 2021. Establishing his personal studio gave him the liberty to experiment with totally different designs and to introduce bespoke suede and casualwear – one thing he’d all the time needed to do.

As we speak, Tom affords bespoke goat’s suede blousons, pigskin blazers, suede or sheepskin coats and not too long ago launched a bespoke Jungle Jacket. The latter can be found in a variety of cloths, however Area’s go-to is Solbiati’s Artwork du Lin (which, by the way, is the material we selected for my swimsuit), which has the drape to do the jacket justice. 

“I’ve all the time liked the M65, however needed to do a luxurious model. These look nice with a pair of neat, gray fresco trousers or with darkish denim,” he says.

Every of those informal designs mirror Tom’s model philosophy in several methods. The sheepskin coat feels fairly Mod in flavour (Paul Weller is a fan), whereas the pigskin blazers have a ‘70s or perhaps a louche ‘80s edge with Tom’s assured lapels in proof, plus patch pockets and a barely shorter, boxier silhouette. You may go as far as to say they really feel a bit Brian Ferry.

I’ve labored with Tom twice, first on a single-breasted sports activities coat for summer season, reduce in his home model from deadstock Loro Piana wool/silk/linen that he had in his archive. The swimsuit you possibly can see right here, in midnight Artwork du Lin, adopted the sports activities coat a couple of 12 months later. 

The one change we made between the 2 commissions was to make the lapels 1 / 4 of an inch wider. The swimsuit’s trousers are additionally in Tom’s home model, with a mid-high rise, flat entrance and parallel legs, which fall useless straight from the knees for the subtlest trace of flare if you transfer.

Each instances I’ve labored with Tom, I’ve loved how simple the method is. I might advocate him to readers who’re wanting a for easy, casual expertise, and the type of clothes that blend Savile Row pedigree with inventive and clever design touches.

I’ve but to strive his bespoke casualwear, however I’ve tried on items just like the pigskin blazers and new jungle jackets, and each are good-looking designs. (Beneath is a sheepskin design made for Paul Weller.)

With ‘basic’ tailoring, Tom’s becoming model is easy, and I’ve been shocked by how shortly my clothes have come collectively. He’s labored by way of basted fittings with a minimal of fuss after which proceeded to ‘fin-bar-fin’ fittings, the place we’ve solely needed to tweak sleeve size or make a couple of minor changes, earlier than continuing to ending. No straightforward feat. 

The one niggle I can report is that having tried facet adjusters on my swimsuit trousers, I’d select belt loops subsequent time – just because my hips by no means appear to work with facet adjusters. However, let’s face it, that is my very own cling up greater than anything.

I’ve additionally been genuinely shocked by how each the items Tom has made me have worn. I ‘run scorching’ in the summertime, and the taupe wool/silk/linen may be very cool to put on. It would even be the best structured jacket I personal. 

A part of that is due to Tom’s canvases – which aren’t in any respect thick or heavy by London requirements – but in addition due to his most popular linings. He makes use of a Venezia cellulose lining that feels nearly like silk taffeta. It’s breathable with a delightful, gauze-like end. I discover these significantly comfy on scorching days.

The Artwork du Lin swimsuit is a barely totally different proposition, due to the fabric’s weight, however I really like the drape and physique of it. I discover the swimsuit copes nicely on all however the warmest days in London, and it’s turn out to be a helpful transitional piece for spring and autumn. It comes out in April and is worn frequently by way of to October.

The midnight color is an actual winner too – it’s as straightforward as a basic navy to put on, however smarter and, I feel, extra subtle.

Tom, in his personal phrases, has labored arduous over the past 4 years to create “a relaxed, comfy expertise, the place somebody doesn’t really feel like they have to be on greatest behaviour and understands what I’m attempting to do for them”. If this concept appeals, Atelier Area is nicely price a go to. It’s additionally price noting that Tom makes common journeys to New York and LA, and can be there in September.

Two-piece fits begin at £5,000 (together with VAT); pigskin blazers from £3,000; suede blousons from £2,000, atelierarena.com