(Lot 2865 from the Sotheby’s auction catalog of the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.)

“I wear this one less often, because of its cut which suggests rather the fashions of an earlier age.” So said The Duke of Windsor in A Family Album.

He was referring to a navy fur-lined overcoat with an Astrakhan collar made for him by Simpson & London Ltd. in 1934 and seen above. It reached almost to his ankles and fell in pleats down the back below the waist line. Fashionable man-about-town that he was, he knew that this coat, although perfect for a bitterly cold day in New York, had no real place in his wardrobe after the 1950′s. Fashions had changed, as he so rightly noted in his memoirs.

The Duke of Windsor continued to wear many of the suits and hats that he had commissioned in the 1930′s and 1940′s. He had more suits, jackets and trousers made up in the 1950′s and I imagine continued right up until his death. He was a clotheshorse after all, and he was very stylish.

The point of all this is that when your clothes are cut with an eye toward enduring style, they will last you forever. Lapels will narrow and widen. Skinny suits will come and go. Pleats will be back. The great secret in creating custom clothing is that you can follow the vagaries of fashion — when it suits you — and ignore them when they don’t.

In other words, Leviner Wood Custom Clothiers and Shirtmakers are here to make you look good all the time. Own your look, be precisely tailored, work with us to create clothing with enduring style and you will never have to pack away a fashionable mistake again.

(Photo via Flickr)

It’s about that time again, Easter on Parade, which is what we’ve taken to calling the Monument Avenue Easter promenade, is just around the corner. Which means that we here at Leviner Wood get a lot of questions about what to wear. As you can tell by the photo above, not everyone cares enough to inquire about the rules. But for those of you who like to dress both seasonally and appropriately, here we go.

Your suspicions are correct, it is far too early to wear what used to be called summer clothing. So no white linen suits or brown and white or black and white spectator shoes or white bucks.

Having covered the white end of the spectrum, onto the gray areas.

Seersucker. There is a lot of white in seersucker and so, it is considered a summer fabric. That means the rules apply. Break it out with your summer whites after Memorial Day and put it away after Labor Day. We’ll make an exception for seersucker trousers or a sportcoat if the temperatures top 90ºF. Hot is hot and only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun (at least improperly prepared).

Linen and cotton. Our forecast is calling for 85º and sunny. Tan, khaki, light blue, pincord, light gray and yellow are all fair game. Easter is a festive holiday. You can have some fun and stay cool. Have at them.

Tropical weight wool. Most of what we sell falls into the lightweight wool territory, what we call three season or year ’round suits. There is a lighter wool yet and it is made for the hot weather in a plain or open weave. As wool is a natural wicking agent, it will move perspiration away from the body keeping you relatively comfortable from Church to the porch party. Choose lighter colors like tans, or the range of light grays from dove to Oxford, and gray-blue. Or is it blue-gray?

And finally, your hat. What’s Easter weekend without Der Bingle crooning about bonnets and the Easter parade? Join the fun. If it’s cold (no chance of that we hear), you may stick with your light weight fur felt. Personally, we follow the lead of man about town and author Harry Kollatz. This is a man who wears his hats well. If Harry’s in straw, it’s good enough for us.

(via his blog: The Blue Raccoon and used without permission. We’ll take it down if you’d like Harry.)

What do you wear to the office on snow days? We at Leviner Wood recommend that you forgo the Dickie’s fleece lined carpenter pants and thermal hoodie for something a little more stylish. A pair of cashmere flannel jeans, or cords and one of our cashmere sweaters would fit the bill.

When it’s really awful outside, isn’t it nice to feel all that much better in your clothing? Besides, no one will bat an eye when you order a Hot Toddy if you’re dressed better than the guy who runs the snow plow in the neighborhood.

Now playing: “Oh Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

This is the public Greg Wingfield, President and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership.

Discreetly tailored in his well-cut Leviner Wood clothing, Greg could sell Richmond to the world on the strength of his elegance alone. But he is truly passionate about our hometown and the entrepreneurial wave that has hit the River City like a tidal wave. We caught up with him to ask a few questions about another one of his passions that appeals to us. Especially since we make his shirts now, too. Here’s a hint: they are all French-cuff…

LW: You collect sterling cufflinks. Why sterling and what got you started?

GW: I decided when I began collecting to just focus on one type of metal. As I liked silver the best and most of my watches and belt buckles were sterling, it was an easy choice.

(Not a man to mix his metals, Greg’s watches coordinate nicely with his cufflinks.)

I didn’t get serious about collecting until the mid 90s. At that time, I found the shirt style that was right for me: spread collar, split yoke back, large mother of pearl buttons, monogram (small case, six buttons down, left side), and French cuffs. So, if I was going to wear nothing but French cuff shirts, I needed a variety of cufflinks.

With the popularity of E-Bay, my collection really took off. I would guess I have bought over 150 pairs from that site alone. Other sources include antique shops, stalls and markets worldwide. It has become my habit to search for cufflinks on my time off as I travel the globe promoting the Greater Richmond area.

While I do not know exactly, I think I have over 350 pair of links in rotation.

(A couple of the drawers in the antique Chinese medicine cabinet that his wife bought him to house his collection.)

LW: With that kind of collection is it safe to assume that all of your shirts are French cuffs? How are Larry’s shirts compared with others you’ve had made?

GW: Yes, currently all the shirts I wear to work have French cuffs. In rotation I would guess I have about 120 shirts. I have another 20 “week-end” shirts and about 70% have French cuffs.

While I have all of my suits, odd jackets and trousers made by Leviner Wood, my shirts, until recently, were made by another local shirt maker. With the passing of the owner recently, I have turned to Larry for my custom shirt needs. We are still tweaking the first round of new shirts, but I am very impressed with the results so far.

LW: Among all your cufflinks, do you have a favorite and why? What is their story?

GW: I have several favorites: The most unusual is a replica of the winning ticket for a horse race from a track in Florida that paid off huge. As a result the ticket winner had cuff links made celebrating the date, track and horse and gave them out to all of friends!

Another is a pair I bought in London in the Burlington Arcade. They are from a special 2007 series commissioned by England celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. The face sits a top of a Virginia stamped quarter that was also produced for the celebration.

Another “favorite “ is an Art Deco styled link that I found on E-Bay with my initials “ghw” in block already etched on them. I had to buy them!

Others are just plain interesting, like a pair I bought in the gift shop in Scotland after visiting the house once owned by Aleister Crowley, “the great beast”.

Each of the cufflinks has a story and I wish I know them all.

LW: When looking for vintage/antique links, what are a few things that you look for and what do you watch out for?

GW: I am not an expert, I just collect what looks good to me, fits my price range and style.

With that said, I tend to stay away from cufflinks made in Mexico as the silver is not as pure as those made domestically and from Europe. I also shy away from vintage links made in Japan after WW2, as the silver purity was not very good because of the scarcity of product.

I enjoy vintage sterling silver links particularly from the 30s-40s and if it is from an “estate “ sale, I feel better good that they came from someone who knew their stuff.

LW: You come from a clothing background, what made you choose Leviner Wood?

GW: Having grown up in the “rag” business, I have an appreciation of good fabric and tailoring.

I have found Leviner Wood to be a great place to have my garments made to my specs. At 6 foot 5 inches 225 pounds, I can’t just walk into a men’s wear shop and buy something off the rack (nor would I want to!) At Leviner Wood, Larry and I chat about what fabric I am looking for, what I already have in my wardrobe, what changes I am looking to make in my current suit silhouette and then walk through the vast array of fabric available to narrow down my choices until I hit upon the perfect one. Larry takes the time to work with me and I enjoy the outstanding customer service I get there.

(Larry and our Global Gentleman at Large outside the studio.)

Here at Leviner Wood, we are constantly being asked about coordinating ties and shirts with suits and sportcoats. So today we introduce Prof. Roy G. Biv, a man who rides the spectrum, a guy who knows his colors and isn’t afraid to use them. He will pass along a few tips on what goes with what and what you should avoid under most circumstances.

We say most because sometimes it is an advantage to look a little under the weather and other times that Aloha shirt really can be appropriate. As an example, we cite Mr. Woody Allen.

But onto the good Dr.’s pearls of wisdom. There is a reason that we have adopted blue and gray as the most typical colors in business dress. Most men look good in both. Cary Grant wore navy blue, dark gray and, later when his hair went silver, lighter gray with white shirts and a light silver-blue tie to great effect. The whole taken together was a big arrow pointing right at his famous, tanned and very Cary Grant face. Dressing in neutrals and even monochromatically may not be earth shaking, but it can be very sophisticated and solid shirts, most often white or pale blue, are considered the most formal (and safest to wear.)

But let’s say that you wake up one day and discover that your custom created suits and shirts, although perfectly fitted and appropriate to any situation, are all charcoal gray, white and navy, like those in which our man above is unfailing found. You decide that a little color, a little fun, just something different for God’s sake, would be nice. After all, while your custom clothing bespeaks quiet elegance, there is nothing wrong with standing out from the pack every once in a while.

You’ve got to hand it to that fellow above, he will be the best dressed prisoner in the yard. But there is a lot to take away from that photo. Notice the subtle match of the blue overcheck in the brown trouser with the blue shirt with contrasting collar and the burgundy and blue tie. He is using complimentary colors from the color wheel that work well next to each other. That’s the reason that your olive cords look great with that orange cashmere sweater vest and that Lauren is fetching in our brown heather cashmere number worn with blue jeans. (Our shipment of sweaters is here!)

So that’s the first hint: stick to complementary colors and neutrals at the beginning. Here’s a brief listing using the common sportcoat/suit colors of blue and gray for your reference. Study it carefully, although it is only good for extra credit questions.

A blue blazer/suit can be easily worn with a shirt of white, blue, yellow or pink. You’ll know if the shirt color is right for you by standing in the sunlight and holding it next to your face. If it washes you out and makes you look like you work far too hard like Mr. Allen above, it’s the wrong color.

Choose a base accent color in the tie of blue, gold, yellow, burgundy, red or purple. Wondering if the tie and shirt match? Trust your eyes or head for the nearest floral department — if the florist put them together, they work. (Even a blue blazer, red sweater, purple stripe shirt, solid navy tie? Yes, but only for creative types or weekends out. Jeff wore most of this the other day and looked great.)

A grey suit or gray based sportcoat can be worn with white, gray, yellow, pink, lavender or blue shirts. Compliment the shirt with a tie that has as its base (and most prevalent) color: black, white, gray, green, blue-green, burgundy, navy, or any primary or pastel color.

Here’s a basic color wheel to start you off. Just remember that wearing two primary colors together gets to be a bit much. (Christmas green and red for example.) Instead think of contrast first and complimenting with an accent color next.

And ended up with Debra Norvell commenting on his beautiful (Leviner Wood) tie.

George Thompson of Dupont Fibers Federal Credit Union, Leviner Wood client since 1998. And Debra Norvell, of course.

Favorite article of custom clothing?
A Navy blue suit. “Pure luxury. The (suit) coat feels like a t-shirt. It moves with you.”

First article of custom clothing?
“Shirts that fit. I couldn’t find them anywhere and a friend brought me in to Leviner Wood.”

What’s different about Leviner Wood?
“There’s no comparison. Follow up and service. And you’re going to be the best dressed person in the room. I brought my son in for his first real suit when he graduated from college and needed to look good for a wedding. I want him to know the finer things in life and to aspire to them.”

Who’s your guy?
“Jeff. He knows what I like and gets me pointed in the right direction.”

Advice to someone thinking about trying Leviner Wood Custom Clothes?
“Get a jacket that fits like a glove and lasts forever. Give it a try.”

(George with Bill Curtis at Emeril’s restaurant in Atlanta.)

“A man’s dress is made remarkable only by its absence of defect.” (Thomas Fink, “The Man’s Book.”)

“Better have it made for you then.” Leviner Wood