We’re custom shirtmakers and tailors here at Leviner Wood. We can make almost anything the way you want it without batting an eye.

“Hey Larry, can you do non-iron shirts?”

You asked. We listened.

Only ours come with a custom clothier’s twist. Leviner Wood announces its semi-custom, wrinkle-free and stain-free non-iron shirt menu.

• Choose from a regular, slim or full cut.
• Your choice of button-down, spread, point, contrasting or matching fabric collar.
• French and barrel cuffs available. Chest pockets are too, if you like them.
• Monogram them in white, navy, burgundy or black.
• Long-sleeve? Short-sleeve? Sport or Dress shirts? You pick.

Each of our non-iron shirts features an extra long tail to keep it tucked in when you move. Each fabric is made in one of the finest mills in the world and treated with a special finish that keeps the hand supple, the shirts spotless and neat throughout your day. Our shirts are rated 3.8 d.p. out of a possible 4.0 for wrinkle-free garments. And, they look as good as they feel with all the details of a finely made dress shirt. Our full-make non-iron shirts are top-stitched with single-needle tailoring on the arms, bottoms, sleeves and cuffs. Other fine-shirting details are what you’ve come to expect from a custom shirt: split yokes, button plackets on the arms and indestructible pearlized buttons.

Semi-custom means that we can offer our dress shirts at USD $125.00. Choose a swatch or three. You asked. we listened.

Here’s an idea courtesy of Leviner Wood Custom Tailors and Shirtmakers: Get more uses from your six favorite ties.

You’ve got hundreds of ties don’t you? But let’s face it, you really only love about six of them, right? And you wind up wearing them with the same four shirts over and over again.

Why not get more use out of those same ties and build another dozen choices into your wardrobe? The great advantage to having Leviner Wood as your custom tailor is that you have your clothing made.

There is very little in the way of inventory hanging around the studio. Nope, you get thousands of choices, not dozens that were bought thanks to runway trends and now have to be moved.

Let’s take those ties we were talking about.

Bring them in to the studio at 2012 Monument Ave. . Then let’s get out the big, three-ring binder of shirting materials and pick three fabrics that play beautifully with each one of those favorite ties. That’s the way everyone used to do things and the way that we, as custom tailors and shirtmakers still can.

Take a look at that photo at the top of the page. That was from “Apparel Arts” magazine, summer of ’34 or so. It was an industry rag that reported on what was being worn and how to wear it. The center swatch is suiting fabric, the next ring is shirtings, the outer ring is for accessories like ties, socks, pocket squares. One suit, twelve different combinations. Correction: suggested combinations based on season and popularity. All guaranteed winners.

Call keeping up appearances with a minimum of effort on your part. We’ll do the matching, even take photos of suggested combinations for you. All you’ve got to do is bring in those six ties that you love so much. So double down on that repp. Box a favorite regimental stripe. Hit the trifecta of perfect shirts with that beautiful, heavy woven silk number. If that isn’t added value, we don’t know what is.

Traveling recently I ran into a bar with a conspicuous brass sign announcing “Proper Attire Required”. Our ideas at Leviner Wood Custom Clothiers and Shirtmakers concerning proper dress are obviously different from those of the majority. In fact, a google search for that phrase turns up ads for what are euphemistically called “men’s clubs”. Inside the bar, there wasn’t a tie to be found on anyone other than the barman.

That brings up a question and a thought. Is the dress code necessary? Does it even exist in our overtly democratic time? And if you’re not wearing a tie, why are you wearing a plain white shirt?

(Click to see larger images)

Consider instead a striped, paisley, checked or other patterned shirt to wear with your blue blazer or suit. Pick out a color from the stripe and add a pocket square in a coordinating or contrasting color. pocket squares add personality, like a tie, at a fraction of the price. They also let you stand out while still fitting in.

Leviner Wood Custom Clothiers and Shirtmakers. Hundreds of patterned shirt fabrics. And we carry pocket squares, too.

Maybe it was catching part of “61*” on HBO last night or “Stealing Home” in late spring or leaving for the beach, but somehow we’ve got summer shirts on our minds here at Leviner Wood. And why are we thinking of summer shirts? Because all we see at the pool or on the sidewalk are t-shirts and polo shirts.

Nothing against the polo shirt…

U.S. National Archives, image 04-0125a

… but we’d like to see a return of the short sleeved sport shirt. Something you could toss on over a pair of weathered Nantucket Reds, beat up khaki shorts, your swim suit, or under a blazer and still look decently dressed.

Ideally, we’d create a shirt with a button down collar that also has the button through the back of the collar, a locker loop, one patch pocket, and tails long enough to tuck in if you had to. Madras would play a big part of the ideal summer shirt. The coolest wearing cotton, madras used to bleed when washed creating all sorts of interesting and unique patterns and colors. the new stuff is color fast, but still appropriate and still cool to wear.

Just ask these college students, ca. 1965

Need a couple of the ultimate summer shirts? Give us a call and we’ll pick out some madras. You’ll wear them for years to come.

(Tom Ewell trying to keep his cool in a summer suit)

You hear it a lot, especially the further north you get of the Mason-Dixon line. The complaint is usually from a woman and usually goes something like this: “Unless you are a GQ model or an elderly Southern Gentleman, stay away from seersucker and linen suits.”

There’s a reason that seersucker, linen and cotton poplin suits are associated with the Old South. It’s hot here during the summer months. Before air-conditioning, it must have been brutal. The Army switched to khaki cotton from the wool cavalry twill, the Navy donned whites and the average Joe pulled his cotton and linen suits out of storage, all in an effort to beat the heat. As the picture illustrates, the practice continued through the 1960′s even in New York. In Richmond, it wasn’t unusual to see cotton and seersucker suits until the late 80′s.

Today, we live in climate-controlled environments, but that doesn’t mean that we need to forsake our warm weather clothing. Seersucker, cotton and linen may be best reserved for casual Fridays or non-client days, but they still have their place. The trick is to make sure that they fit and, in the case of linen, are constructed with fabric weighty enough to withstand wrinkles. It sounds counterintuitive, but heavier linen in the 12 oz. range, will resist wrinkling better than lightweight cotton and will wear cooler to boot. The trick to wearing seersucker is to have it made up with as little padding as possible and in an unexpected silhouette — double-breasted for instance. Cotton and linen versions of the suit should also rely on a cut that is flattering to you. Nothing skin-tight, as is today’s fashion, since it defeats the purpose of keeping you cool. Nothing too billowy as it defeats the purpose of making you look good.

The difference between a Leviner Wood custom garment and the $199 off-the-rack special is astonishing in terms of cut, manufacture, fit and the way it’ll make you look. You can live with a few wrinkles when everyone around you looks as if they’re about to melt into a puddle at your feet, can’t you? As Tom Ewell demonstrates above, the guy who keeps his cool, gets all the attention.

My friends, did ya ever have one of those days? Like when you tip the waitress’ tray and two full beers drop onto your boss’ head and shoulders? Or the time the paper plate broke under the weight of the cherry cheesecake and sent the whole gooey mess into your supervisor’s Jimmy Choos? What about the evening at the Chinese restaurant and the pot of hot tea that flew off into your colleague’s lap… ?

Socializing at work can be downright dangerous. Especially to your custom suits and shirts. So what’s a guy to do, aside from switching to white wine, champagne or lite beer? Herewith, the Leviner Wood handy-dandy guide to saving the day.

1. Act immediately. Waiting is what causes stains to set in. Blot up any excess with a clean napkin or cloth. Begin to treat.

2. Always blot, never scrub which can weaken or break delicate fibers.

3. Never apply heat until the stain has been removed. This includes hot water.

4. Carry a packet of on-the-go stain remover, SHOUT! wipes for example, hand sanitizer, or moist towelettes. They’ll work in an emergency.

5. Plain soap and water or liquid dish soap and water will work on small stains. Best not to use it on a silk tie though. Apply, let sit for 30 minutes, rinse.

Common mishaps and what to do about them:

1. Liquid on your tie. Take the back blade of the tie and lightly rub the spot. It will transfer to the back blade of the tie. Bowtie wearers don’t have to worry about this.

2. Ballpoint pen on a shirt. Use denatured (rubbing) alcohol and a cotton swab to blot the marks out. Spraying with hairspray or blotting out with hand sanitizer also works well. Apply, blot, reapply until the stain is gone.

3. Red wine, coffee, etc. spills on a suit. That old stand by club soda, used immediately, will work to take out the spot. Apply, blot, repeat. It may take forever, but it will work. Take the suit to the drycleaners when you can and let them know what spilled on the garment.

4. Blood on a shirt. The OxyClean pen works wonders. At home, soak immediately in cold water and OxyClean powder. We’re assuming this is a small amount of blood on a collar from a shaving cut. If it is a lot more, you’re best bet is to take it to a drycleaner. One recommended by your attorney….

(Summer — then. Apparel Arts 1933)

“Too flimsy. Where is that great crisp cloth that they used to make suits from?” A new client asked me that question earlier this spring. He is a young guy on the rise in our nation’s capitol, and he, like most of us, works in the a/c.

We couldn’t agree more with his assessment. Tropical wools, linens and cottons are wonderfully cool summer alternatives, but they wrinkle and crease. They’re supposed to.  At Leviner Wood, we understand that you like to look crisp all the business day long.

But what makes a suit cool, comfortable and keeps it crisp during our warmer months? The same qualities that you look for in your cool weather suits: weight, finish and construction.

To tell you the truth, the difference between an 8 oz. wool and a 10 oz. wool won’t be readily apparent in our climate controlled environments. Well that’s not strictly true. The 10 oz. will resist creasing more easily. Firm cloth = less creasing. Tweed, springs to mind. But not for summer, of course.

The weave also makes a difference with open weaves creasing and holding the wrinkles more easily. A plain weave will crease, but “recovers” faster. The larger surface area and more compact construction of a flannel (compared to a worsted) makes it even more crease resistant. But even we have trouble recommending the traditional white flannel summer suit for business purposes. Besides, summer in England, or even New England, where they were once popular choices, is significantly different from summer in the Middle-Atlantic States.

So, what are we looking for then? Ideally, a high twist fabric, made from 10 oz. wool, that’s still lightweight enough to make you think cooler. Anything in the Super 120′s to Super 150′s range will feel great and keep you looking sharp. Some fabric mills (Scabal, with their Supertronic fabric,  for example) produce high tech materials that are all wool, but twisted and spun to offer excellent crease resistance, a good drape and make up into a cooler garment. Lighter colors also reflect some heat and light, keeping your thermostat in check.

Take those fabrics and let us make them up into a very lightly constructed (even an unconstructed garment like the Arietta). Eliminating or minimizing the heavier canvassing and padding of the winter suits will keep things airier and lighter to wear. The heavier cloth will compensate for the lack of construction keeping the garment shape and you looking crisp and cool. Think 1/4 or 1/2 lined coats and trousers.

For those of you who travel a lot, a twill suit, minimally constructed is your best friend. So is the steamy bathroom to hang the suit in at your destination. Who knew that with all the humidity around these days that your suit could benefit from a bit more? To really keep going all day, we recommend that you do not drive or fly with your suit coat on and that you hang it up on a good shaped hanger (like those that come with our Sovereign grade suits) with some breathing room around it when not in use. Alternating your suits so that each is allowed to rest for a day between wearings is the 11th Commandment.

You’ll see a lot of these this summer:

(Nordstrom’s 1901 Patch Madras Shorts)

And they have their time and place. Mostly on the golf course or at the pool, lounging on the boat….

When did all madras become patch madras? When did one of the great country club looks get relegated to the collegiate tailgate? Madras cloth —  like that other great Indian invention, seersucker — is made for the heat of summer. It’s cotton, looks ok if it’s a bit wrinkled, goes well with khakis, grey tropical wool and white linen trousers. If you are of a certain ilk you can wear them with your Murray’s reds. We’re don’t belong to the Ilks Club, but we have it on good authority.

Instead of random patch madras, we at Leviner Wood recommend sporty cotton plaid button down shirts (short or long sleeve), long trousers for golf and evening cook-outs and the granddaddy of all summer cocktail wear: the cotton plaid sportcoat. Short single vent, two button sleeve, 3/2 roll, blazer or regular buttons as your tastes dictate. Introduced around 1952 in Palm Beach. Last seen around 1967 and ready for a stylish revival. Richmond won’t even blink an eye when you debut yours. Any takers?

(Photo cribbed from The Trad without permission.)

We’re firm believers in Dutch Courage when it comes to a stylish commission that’s a bit out of the ordinary. So in that spirit:

The Madras Cocktail

1 1/2 oz of Vodka

3 oz Cranberry juice

1 oz of Orange juice.

Pour the booze and the cranberry juice into a highball glass filled with ice. Stir. Top with OJ. Take two and give us a call about your jacket.

The shirt off your back should be different from the others stacked on the department store shelves. Especially when we have four real seasons to deal with. It feels like summer this morning, so let’s discuss your summer shirt choices.

As your custom shirtmakers, we here at Leviner Wood know your preferences for heavier twills and oxford cloth. They starch up nicely, look crisp and professional. They also wear warmer than some of the fabrics to which you have access. Besides, while blue and white solids and stripes are irreproachable business wear, hotter weather and stronger light call for a little color to be added into the strict blues and grays of your suit wardrobe.

First up: cotton poplin or broadcloth. Papeline was first woven in France, in the town of Avignon, once the papal seat. It is a plain, strong weave. Although it is very lightweight (heavier weights are used for khakis), it irons nicely and with a bit of  starch (if you like starch) keeps you cool and crisp all day. American cotton broadcloth is called poplin in Great Britain and here as there it is made up into everything from raincoats to boxer shorts. We recommend several shirts in various stripes which help to negate the slight transparency of a lighter fabric. Summer tattersalls, for example, are classics under a blue blazer

(A classic pink, aqua, royal and navy blue summer tattersall)

End-on-end is a term used to define the making of another kind of broadcloth in which two color stands of cotton are woven into a sort of cross-hatch. One of the colors is almost always white, although it doesn’t have to be. In a mid-blue or pink end-on-end makes up into a beautiful lightweight white collar and cuffs dress shirt. We like to see colored shirts made of this fabric: grays, blues, pinks, lavender, pale greens and yellows, although there are some beautiful patterns in this fabric, too.

(The familiar light blue end-on-end)

Pinpoint oxford. For those of you pining for the beefier oxford cloth of your buttondowns, pinpoint oxford is the answer. The only difference in this broadcloth fabric is that two strands are woven over two strands instead of the simpler basketweave of the oxford cloth. It results in a silkier hand (feel) that is faintly more lustrous to the eye. You can’t go wrong with a pink buttondown in pinpoint oxford and a white shirt will look beautiful for day or evening events.

(Pink pinpoint oxford in extreme closeup)

Finally, the ultimate in luxury summer shirtings — James Bond’s fabric of choice — sea island cotton first produced on Hilton Head Island in 1790. Of course, the original doesn’t exist anymore thanks to the Civil War, a  plague of boll weevils in the 1920′s and a host of other problems. We do have acceptable and luxurious alternatives: Supima® extra long-staple cotton and Egyptian long-staple cottons, and a Sea Island branded material that is every inch the extra-long-staple blend of Egyptian, Peruvian and American threads that you expect and appreciate. They are more vibrant when dyed, more lustrous, softer, silkier and very durable despite the fineness of the cloth into which it is woven. Every designer on earth uses the stuff. Only Leviner Wood makes it to fit you. We recommend an unfused, soft collar on all your most luxurious shirts. Consider a tuxedo shirt in extra-long staple cotton for the ultimate in comfort.

In addition to Sea Island cotton, Leviner Wood carries 2 ply 120′s twills by Loro Piana, luxuriously soft and lightweight broadcloths by Thomas Mason, Zegna and John Anderson and a new Royal 140′s, 2 ply twill and broadcloth that is tightly woven and lightweight without being see-through. If you’re looking for that special summer shirt that is the essence of understated luxury, give us a call today.

A great all-American staple of the Southern wardrobe, the seersucker suit screams hazy, hot, humid, traditional wear. No less an esteemed personage than Atticus Finch braved the heat (all sorts of heat) in the full three-piece version in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

But we here at Leviner Wood feel that it is the seersucker jacket which is as useful to summer as the two-button navy blazer is in cooler weather. Stylish, correct, casual and cooler (thanks to its textured weave that keeps the fabric away from your skin) than its linen, cotton twill and wool counterparts, the seersucker jacket — in two or two-roll-three buttons — looks good with worsted gray trousers, khakis and jeans. Pair it with a crisp broadcloth button down, a polo shirt, even a t-shirt for casual but not sloppy looks. Meeting clients on Friday? Dress it up with a traditional bow tie, a madras cotton tie or a whimsical mini-print Hèrmes knock-off.