Daniel Harris started the London Cloth Co , a micro-mill in London in 2011, with one ancient and broken loom. Since then he has accumulated and restored many more, woven for many illustrious customers, mingled with gangsters and aided the International Space Station. Oh, and put the cloth on the back of Han Solo in the recent Star Wars epic. You can find London Cloth Co on the web and londonclothco.com and on Instagram as LondonClothCo . Garmology is researched, booked, hosted, edited, published...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Award-winning British fashion innovator Christopher Raeburn joins the podcast to talk about how he got involved in upcycling military surplus, creating high fashion from vintage escape maps and parachutes, how change is happening even in huge companies such as Timberland and how the spread of ideas and inspiration is as valuable as producing a saleable product. We also get into buy better/buy less, sustainability, the reuse of fibres, greenwashing and whether the high volume/low-cost business mo...
Feb 17, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 7
A slight diversion guest-wise today, as it's my sister Emma, a psychologist, that picks up the phone for a fly-on-the-wall style chat about topics within the Garmology sphere. We talk about the psychology of social media, why retail therapy has become a thing, peak hipster, why women get poorer clothes, the issues and pitfalls of ordering online, where the real deals can be done, our mums' taste is outed and much more. Unusually, I get to talk more in this episode! Garmology is researched, booke...
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 6
This weeks episode is all about Harris Tweed, a legend among cloths and arguably the most socially significant of fabrics. My guests this week are Lorna Macaulay and Rebecca Hutton from the Hebridean Islands. Lorna is CEO of the Harris Tweed Authority, promoters and protectors of the tweed, and Rebecca Hutton, an independent single-width weaver at Taobhtuath Tweeds. We talk about the history of weaving, life on the islands, how actual Harris Tweed came to be, the significance of the Orb symbol a...
Feb 03, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 5
The guest this week is Rebecca Perkins, acclaimed author and midlife coach. We talk about confidence in mid-life, finding your purpose, not being limited by labels, being ourselves, learning to sew and write and the problems of living your life through social media. Rebecca's links: https://themidlifecoach.com/ https://www.recoveryfromwithin.life/ https://fourwomenfourdecades.com/ Best Knickers Always: 50 lessons for midlife Recovery from Within: a mother and daughter's journey through anorexia ...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 4
My guest this week is Jason Kirk, director of the family firm Kirk and Kirk eyewear. We talk about how we go about buying glasses, why they can be so expensive, the differences in the material used for frames and the varieties of lenses, whether it matters where things are made, buying from the behemoths of the optical world versus an independent shop, how glasses fit and whether you should use a stylist or find your own expression. Kirk and Kirk can be found at kirkandkirk.com Garmology is rese...
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Sheffield was the birthplace of stainless steel and pivotal in the Industrial Revolution. Cutlery and knives have been proudly stamped "Made in Sheffield" since 1871. My guest today is Michael May, an independent maker of knives in the old Portland Works in Sheffield. Michael keeps the old craft alive, in one of the buildings from when it started, having his precious Damascus steel hammered out in the original forge from back then. We talk about how becoming a knifemaker was a non-obvious, but n...
Jan 13, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 2
A new year and a fresh season of Garmology! In this episode, my guest is Sophie Bainbridge, co-founder of Stanley Biggs Clothiers and total enthusiast for the roaring '20s. Stanley Biggs a heritage clothing brand, unashamedly inspired by the past, in style as well as in spirit, taking a firm stand against fast fashion and offshoring by producing hats, knitwear and more in the UK. Sophie and I talk about the route from living history to reenactment and on to the possibility of Cosplaying a full-o...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 40 min•Season 2Ep. 1
By popular demand, we have recorded a special festive bonus edition for your enjoyment. Featuring regular co-hosts Shaun, Dachi, Jon and Nick. We reached out to listeners to ask for their questions and suggestions for topics, so what is delivered here is clearly the pinnacle of what committed listeners of Garmology want to hear more about! We get into what we'd wear as a Santa, whether wool knitwear should be itchy or not, modern tech fabrics versus old favourites, style icons, celebrities with ...
Dec 25, 2020•2 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 35
It's time to call it a wrap and close season 1, so I gathered three of the regular guests for a free-form chat about this and that, the problem of vintage rags, the siren call of the unfindable, why we are the nightmare of retailers, finding rabbit holes, pencil-sharpeners, how Britpop killed UK fashion, dads in parkas and the question of what Patrick Grant really smells like. This is an unusually long episode! Normal service will be resumed in season 2. The episode features: Shaun aka These_Rou...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 54 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In this episode, my guest is Albert, NY residing classical music promotor and man of fine culture. At the weekends he heads to his secret upstate lair where he dons his heritage wear and becomes UpstateGuyStyle, another of the rare old dudes with a penchant for denim, boots and clothes with a story. Add into the mix that Albert also hosts his own podcast, Vir Vulnderabilis Vir, and the stage is set for a good hour of oldish dudes talking about their pants, or trousers, as the case may be. And mo...
Nov 18, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 33
The guest this episode is Holly Swinyard, style chameleon in many a Cosplay getup. Holly is editor and podcaster for the Cosplay Journal, a contributor to Chap magazine, We talk about having fun with clothes, dressing for pleasure and self-confidence, conformity, ignoring rules and how cosplay intersects with dressing up in our daily lives. Oh, and a shared admiration for books the late Terry Pratchett. You can find Holly Swinyard on Instagram as @lilistprince and on the Cosplay Journal on the w...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 32
This weeks guest is Gary Newbold, maker of premium, handmade British outerwear as English Utopia, and his non-linear career progression from life as a competition cyclist to becoming head of design at Barbour, and what to do after that. Pearls of wisdom are included, so pay attention! You can find English Utopia on Instagram as @englishutopia and on the web as englishutopia.com . Nick Johannessen is the host of Garmology , the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. Yo...
Nov 04, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 31
This weeks episode sees Garmology regular Dachi back to discuss vintage opportunities for the coming cold and wet season. Topics covered include vintage sizing, cashmere loungewear, old quality brands, vintage weight Harris tweed, rainwear perverts, making for profit or quality, how flimsy modern workwear is and how hard-earned heritage is being sacrificed for quick cash, the difference between hoarding duplicates and being a serious collector, cleaning and repairing wool garments and is there m...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 30
My guest in this episode is Thomas A Turner, acclaimed author of "The Sports Shoe - A history from field to fashion", the definitive book about the evolution of the sports shoe form the early days of tennis shoes, via trainers, technology, fashion, cult reissues and the current days' hypebeast mania of the collectable collaborative investment sneakers. The humble sports shoe Thomas can be found as @thomas_a_turner on Instagram and thomasaturner.co.uk on the web. Nick Johannessen is the host of G...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 29
David Wilkinson has had a long and varied career in retail, from a small-town hardware store, via Harrods in London and major department stores in Doha and St. Petersburg, to currently in charge of Steen & Strøm, the Oslo department store that has been trading since 1797. We talk about David's early days in retail, how retail has changed over time and how the person to person interaction can never be replaced by online shopping. Underway names are dropped, experience reminisced and tales tol...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 28
My guest today is John Sugden of Campbell's of Beauly, a traditional highland tailor and accessories shop outside Inverness with a continuous history going back to 1858. We get into his background in the garment industry, the place of traditional tailoring and fabrics in modern times, how workers on the Highland estates still use unique tweeds for their workwear, doing ethical business in times of fast fashion, the role of profit margins, Royal Warrants and in general running a business far from...
Oct 09, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In this episode, my guest is Holly Butterworth. Holly and her husband, Colin, have a combined 35 years in the vintage garment trade and now own a vintage clothes shop called Butterworth Vintage in Totnes, Devon, UK. We talk about the vintage trade, sourcing, picking and pricing stock, trends and fashion in the vintage world, and some tips on how to deal with the smell of old clothes. Naturally, we also touch on the topic of sustainability, and how actually using up clothes is clearly a better op...
Oct 02, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In today's episode, my guest is Ryan Mallinson, Yorkshireman and keen maintainer of the waxed jacket legacy. Ryan owns a small company offering repairs and rewaxing of classic waxed cotton jackets such as Barbour, Belstaff and John Partridge. We talk about the process of rewaxing, why it is a good thing, common problems, how to deal with smells, fashion versus function, which brands are better than others and being a fan of James Bond and "that jacket". Oh, and how taking care of your stuff and ...
Sep 26, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 25
This episode finds Shaun back for another chat about, well, clothes and stuff really. More specifically the comfort we find in cloths, in which ways clothes may be comfortable and whether there is a disproportionate relationship between comfort and style. Underway a startling revelation is made (just what does Nick wear to collect his mail?), possibly spurious allegations are put forward (does Shaun really have a Spice Girls t-shirt?) and a pause in conversation is prompted when Magnus, the kees...
Sep 12, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Many men find shopping for clothes both tedious, tricky and best left to a partner or mother. My guest today is Sarah Gilfillan, London-based style consultant, personal shopper and sartorial hand-holder through her business Sartorialab. We talk about how men shop, becoming aware of what suits you and not, how many clothes you need and how to get the most out of what you have. Oh, and the baffling concept of "smart casual", so often mentioned and so rarely quite understood. You can get in touch w...
Sep 05, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 23
It's easy enough to keep a narrow interest. We like what we like, more of the same can be a matter of "yes please!". Finding an interest in something we've not previously been very interested in at all? Now that takes the seductive moves of a true lothario. In this weeks episode, Dachi tries to make Nick see the light when it comes to wrist-mounted timepieces, or watches as we usually call them. Dachi leads on a trail that takes us by classic military watches, diving watches, who used what to te...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Today's guest is Martin Ridne of Swedish micro-brand Jernvike, literally a husband and wife brand from Stockholm. Jernvirke has been in business for around a year and I wanted to check in with Martin to hear about the experience of starting a clothing brand from scratch, what they bring to an already crowded table, being hands-on with the factory that makes for you, the trust-issues you face with your suppliers, and what sustainability means when you're still a young business. We get into all th...
Aug 21, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 21
For this weeks episode, I'm joined again by my pal Shaun for a chat about clearing out our closets. A kind of guys version of the minimal Marie Kondo rage maybe? Well, not quite, but we get into knowing what you have before looking for more, what sort of stuff should be discarded, and what happens to it after we say farewell to our unwanted garms. Underway there are the usual tangents taken, as fruitful conversational alleys are discovered. We even get to disagree about denim: comfort or cardboa...
Aug 14, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this episode, I talk to Sophie Miller, designer at traditional British maker Yarmouth Oilskins on the coast of Norfolk. The company will shortly be celebrating 125 years of continuous history within the business of workwear. Originally supplying fishermen with their working clothes, from sweaters to oilskins, to a wider field of clothes for workers. Three years ago the heritage brand was launched, remaking designs from the archives. We talk about the history, making in Britain and being an im...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 19
Today's guest is Jon Fowler, inveterate garmsman and collector of the weird, obscure, traditional and bespoke. We talk about Jon's background in clothes, growing up on a farm, his love for waxed cotton and tweed, going deep into the world of army surplus and how what once was cheap and available is now rare, collectable and super expensive. The conversation takes a turn into British Made, how a real history counts, and how faking up a heritage works against brands, ending up in fast fashion. In ...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In today's episode, I talk to Lewis Hull of online reseller Marrkt. We talk about the business of reselling high-end menswear on consignment, whether fashion is an aspect in this segment, the current state of the denim industry and whether old gold will beat fast fashion. You can find Marrkt on their website at Marrkt.com and on Instagram as @marrkt . Nick Johannessen is the host of Garmology , the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as WellDress...
Jul 24, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this episode, I talk to David Henderson-Stewart of the Russian watch company Raketa. Based in St Petersburg, Raketa is the only remaining maker of watches in Russia and their uniquely different timepieces have a long and interesting tradition. Made in their entirety in the small factory by a workforce that has seen much history happen outside. Used by Russian cosmonauts and Arctic explorers, the story of Raketa is both intriguing and fascinating. For more info about Raketa watches, visit thei...
Jul 17, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this weeks episode titled "The art of the prance", my chum Dachi is back for another highbrow chat about a vital topic within garmology, prancing, or as some may refer to it, "pimping the fit", "gilding the garms" or even "peacocking". We're talking about adding flair to the mundane, mashing up the normcore and disobeying rules with a vengeance. At least that was what we set out to do, though we may have experienced topic drift underway. Still, a vital chat featuring two opinionated guys. Pos...
Jul 10, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 15
The guest in this episode is Bryan Shettig. Bryan owns the brand Rite-Stuff, specialising in the reproduction of early 1900's workwear. I wanted to talk to him about having garments made in Japan, whether the quality is as legends say and also about the challenges involved in finding a factory. We get into quite a lot of other stuff as well, so it made for an interesting hour-long chat. Bryan Shettig is RiteStuff_Bryan on Instagram and his company is The Rite-Stuff Nick Johannessen is the host o...
Jul 03, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 14
