Rizzoli taps into the world of bespoke with a new book from James Sherwood on the street and its tailoring legacy. Bespoke: The Men’s Style of Savile Row is “a fully illustrated history of bespoke tailoring—the custom-made men’s clothing that made a small London street a globally known brand to generations of sartorial connoisseurs. Savile Row is renowned for fine custom tailoring… Bespoke charts Savile Row’s contribution to fashion and culture chronologically and features twenty-six profiles of today’s master tailors from historic firms such as Gieves & Hawkes and Henry Poole to more recent ones like Nutters and Ozwald Boateng, who was the first Savile Row tailor to stage a catwalk show in Paris.”

Available now from Amazon.

Meet Jeff Jones, a mountain bike builder and one of six bicycle makers highlighted in the Museum of Arts & Design exhibition Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle.

On view through August, 15, 2010, the exhibit is not to be missed. Absolutely fantastic. (Surprisingly so, as I am not particularly keen on MAD).

From Wallpaper*.

The Museum of Arts and Design gets in on the bicycle craze today with the opening of Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle. Six renowned frame builders (including Jeff Jones, Dario Pegoretti, and Sacha White) are on display. In all, there are 21 bicycles, selected by curator Michael Maharam (owner of the eponymous textile firm), each chosen to reflect the intersection of art, craft, and design inherent to the beauty of custom bicycle manufacture.

From the museum -

Despite the seeming simplicity of their form and mechanics, bicycles offer a unique challenge to their makers. Rider and machine meet at three contact points-saddle, handlebar, and pedal. The custom builder’s chief preoccupation is with fit; simply taking a rider’s measurements may require more than two hours for a single commission. Every bicycle is a highly refined piece of engineering.

Custom bicycle building involves master metalwork: bending, welding, carving and wrapping steel, titanium, aluminum and carbon. A graphic artist’s eye is required in the application of paint and decorative flourishes. The custom models exhibited in Bespoke are the virtuosic productions of individual makers who lavish great attention on detail. The resulting product reflects the builder’s sensibility paired with the rider’s unique needs, turning the custom bicycle into a work of art.

If interested the exhibition is up at MAD until August 15, 2010.

While we like our fashiony fashion as much as the next man, we also appreciate the classics. So we had to show you the George Cleverley workroom tour that Men’s Flair recently did. Although they’re not as well known as Church’s and the like, Cleverely are the preferred shoe of the Row. They’re also one of the few who still make their shoes from start to finish in London.

But shoemaking involves dust and aprons, real physical exertion as the leather is stretched and nailed over a last – or a wooden block is whittled down. Both were going on at Cleverley when I visited, and the experience conjures up what traditional English workshops were like back in the days when Cleverley was founded.

Read the full feature here.

The Bespoke Column on Esquire UK discusses the shirting of Frank Foster. “I went to meet Frank in his basement atelier/ storeroom in London’s St. James and was impressed by what he said, and, daftly, by the fact that he used to make shirts for Cary Grant. Impressed enough to place an order, which was quite a leap of faith given that the shirts are £125 each, there’s a minimum order of five and you have to pay up front.”

One more look at the Frank Foster Bespoke Shirts after the jump.

Following up on their Rolex customizer we covered some time ago, Bamford expands their bespoke range to include the Tag Heuer Monaco. Luxist gets it right. “Now celebrating its fortieth anniversary, the square-cased Monaco is one of the most iconic wristwatches of all time. But while TAG Heuer has released some special anniversary editions in various color combinations, Bamford lets you specify everything, from the dial color and strap stitching to the date window and chronograph indices. The privilege will cost you around ￡5,000, but there’s no cost for toying around with the online customization interface.”

Custom shirt maker Alexander West has added new styles to compliment an elegant evening on the town.

Seven styles of tuxedo shirt are now available from the New York-based West. These cover all the bases – from the traditional to the modern. All shirts are made to measure and fully bespoke. What does that mean? Well, in short, any shirt made for you will be constructed from a custom pattern (based on you). Another superb way West allows for the upgrade of one’s shirting options.

For those looking for custom tailored shirts, there is a new option online. Alexander West has announced the launch of their Bespoke Collection. The options seem pretty limitless with many hundreds of fabrics options and the ability to not only send in your measurements (as provided by fitting appointment or from your local tailor) but also send in your favorite shirt as a pattern. Throw in a one shirt minimum (much lower than most custom tailor houses) and decent price point, and we’ve got some options.

More views from the Alexander West Bespoke Collection after the jump.

Yes! I finally used the word "bespoke" in a piece. Bespoke. The word itself sounds nothing like its mean when used by Americans but, it’s been having a hell of a year! Not many words outside of maybe "collaboration" can boast such wide numbers of mention in print during 2008. The word itself has cause such controversy that in the UK some tailors have sued for misuse.

With that out of the way, lets focus on New York’s Seize sur Vingt on Elizabeth Street. "Following the tradition of the bespoke clothier, we make finely tailored clothing for men and women, whose fabrics and fit are both youthful and elegant. We have men and womenâs custom and ready-to-wear shirts and suits, sportswear, shoes, and beautifully made accessories. "

With prices ranging from 140$ to 160$US for ready to wear shirts, there is something for all budgets. (photo via timeout)

Telegraph UK writes about the losing fight by Savile Row Tailor to preserve the use of the term ‘bespoke’ which has been gaining popularity in more commercial suit retailers – even though their suits are truly made by hand. "The Advertising Standards Authority has dismissed a complaint that labelling clothes which have been cut from a template as bespoke is misleading… The word was coined by tailors on Savile Row, London, in the 17th century and referred to a suit which was hand-crafted from a single bolt of cloth without the use of a pre-existing pattern."

Read the full story at Telegraph UK.