Friday Favourites - Tobias: ethically-made shirts, Distinctive: washing powder for men

Tobias - shirts made ethically in India

I love it when new clothes arrive well and carefully wrapped to show that the sellers value not only your custom, but also the product itself. So it was pleasure to receive my Tobias shirt in a nicely-made and lined i-Pad case.

Tobias was founded in 2011 by Daisy to make ethically-made shirts and to support The Akansha Foundation which helps to educate the poorest slum children in Mumbai. Ten percent of each sale goes to the Foundation.

The shirts are cotton or linen. The cotton is soft and comfortable, with very Indian floral print behind collar and cuffs; visible if you roll up your sleeves. The cut is regular to slim, but you can buy a smaller size if you like your shirt more fitted. This has already become a favourite shirt.

Prices £65 to £80, with some in the sale at the moment. Go to the Tobias website for more information or to buy.

Distinctive: Washing Powder for Men

And what better to wash your new Tobias shirt in than a rather special washing powder for men? Designed for use at 30/40 degrees, this enzyme washing powder doesn't contain any bleaches or optical brighteners, which can damage clothes.

It's pleasantly fragranced with a mixture of sandalwood and amber which clings subtly to the clothes. As a subtle and non-cloying backup to the deodorant or cologne, this British-made product works well; highly recommended. Just don't tell your wife, girlfriend or it'll disappear. 

Try it for yourself. For a sample pack go to the Distinctive Wash website. 

Prince Charles and that country jacket (by John Partridge & Co Ltd)

In a recent edition of Countryfile, (for non-UK readers, a programme about the countryside), Prince Charles appeared wearing this jacket in a piece about hedgelaying. How to mix style with sustainability - we should all hesitate before throwing away those old clothes.

[January 2015: I'm grateful to an anonymous comment that corrected my original claim that the jacket is a Barbour. It seems that it was made by Staffordshire-based John Partridge, who make here in the UK - hooray!]

Made in These Isles - craftsmanship from the British Isles

Made in These Isles sells craftsmanship, new and vintage, from within the British Isles - including clothes, accessories, homewares and furniture. Their selection process involves,

'Attention to detail, quality of materials, great design, simplicity of form, complexity of construction, trusted production techniques and like minded people all help to shape the selection process'.

Here are some of the clothing items that caught my eye, all British made. They have recently added items to their Autumn/Winter collection.  See the Made in These Isles website for more information.

Common People waxed Mackinaw jacket

Vintage Goverall duffle coat

Hilltrek Ventile cycling jacket

To Be Frank waxed jacket

Fallow Japanese pink selvedge hand made British jeans

Eastie Empire Tailors Winston overshirt

Antiform reclaimed belt

Sustainable style - locally produced wool products

I love things that are produced locally. Sustainable production has environmental benefits and supports local populations, particularly in areas where employment is low and traditional crafts are struggling against the might of big suppliers.

I am a regular visitor to a beautiful part of the UK, where hill farmers have to find novel ways of making ends meet. One example is Original Cumbrian Wool, a group of farming families in a less-visited but stunning part of England's Lake District. To realise the true value of their mountain-bred wool, they decided to 'shepherd' its processing and transformation into finished products. Their aim has been to secure some of the benefit of this control, and thereby a greater proportion of the final remuneration for the original producer. They describe themselves as taking their wool 'on a journey' in the course of which they have established links with processors - scourers, spinners and weavers.

Photo Grey Fox

The challenge they faced was the plummeting value of the wool they produce. The tough mountain sheep, (usually Herdwicks, see picture above) may produce excellent meat, but can produce wool which, while hard-wearing, is not soft. However, it makes beautiful rugs and blankets and, without being dyed, its shades of brown, grey, white and black, alone or combined, produce rich and natural colours.

I bought a rug recently. It is warm and makes a good throw for sofa or bed. There is something very attractive about a product which is un-dyed, coloured by Nature alone. The products fit well in both traditional and modern settings. See the website for more information.

It's rewarding to see more fabric and clothing being produced locally in this way (taking Harris tweed as a model). Higher costs are offset by higher quality and by the benefits of supporting local industry and communities.

Floor rug

Upholstery materials in various colours

Middle aged men and the pleasure of owning beautiful objects

Men of whatever age love well-made objects. Most of us with an interest in style will want to own something of beauty or an object into which care and craftsmanship has been invested - a watch with an in-house movement, a classic camera built to last, a custom-made bicycle, an original work of art, a bespoke suit/ shirt/ pair of shoes, a precious antique. With many of us this interest will become a drive to collect - I discussed this in passing in my last post about military watches.

Once you've handled a pre-digital Leica, for example, you're hooked by the solid metal body, the snick of the shutter which just exudes mechanical engineering quality and the pin sharp images - as a result you want to expand your collection of lenses. It's the same with other things - cars that have engines you can tinker with and don't have to be repaired by mechanics with degrees in computer science, steel-framed racing cycles with smooth shifting Italian gear systems, bespoke jackets with a flattering fit and details like hand-stitching and opening cuff buttons.

Photo Grey Fox

A common theme is that these items will last, the camera won't stop working after the first shower of rain, the buttons won't fall off the jacket after a few weeks' wear and the custom-made bike will feel as if it's doing the pedalling for you. These possession may cost more, but in the long run you save money and the Earth's dwindling resources - it's all about sustainability as well.

Photo courtesy of Ming

The welding on a custom-built titanium Seven Axiom
Photo Grey Fox