Tweed Pig Pin-Up - Eithen Sweet

Eithen Sweet - Tailor

We've been trying to land Eithen Sweet as a pin-up ever since we saw him on Britain's Best Young Tailor a couple of years ago. It's been a bloody long time. He's busy. We're lazy. But now we have a splendid couple of photos and Eithen's fine words. Things work out in the end. What's the rush?

Eithen is currently bespoke cutter at Thom Sweeney. His passion for tailoring puts him at the vanguard of a new wave of custodians of timeless British style.

Thanks to Eithen for his contribution, and for adding a stylish lustre to our pages.

About the Photo

Eithen explains:

"It's all about clothing. It's really quite simple, I'm a tailor, 21, from the countryside, and like all tailors I'm obsessed by the idea of making the perfect garment.

"It began at 16, ripping apart jackets from charity shops and failing miserably at putting them back together. I needed to learn. At 17 I found myself on the row [Savile Row], standing outside Maurice Sedwell and too intimidated to ring the bell... I eventually did ring the bell and that was my lucky day. This is where it all began.

"I packed up and headed for the city. Fours years on, with much midnight oil burnt and plenty of misplaced needles, I'm a bespoke cutter in the world of Thom Sweeney

"Tailoring takes time, everything about it. There is always something to do and always something to learn. Which leads me on to my other love, it's still clothing it's just older: vintage clothes. For the first few years my Sunday job was working in Hornets of Kensington, my second home in fact. Any menswear enthusiasts would know this haunt. I met many a familiar face in there, and came across some authentic tailoring rarities, It's not often you can dive inside a bespoke tail coat from 1910. It's surprising what you can learn from an old coat. For me, this was priceless education.

"These past few years have particularly influenced my style. However much it changes or evolves, the more you learn about what you like there will always be an underlying continuity. Either way it always involves a suit and, fortunately, no longer a cigarette. The image above was taken at London Fashion Week in February 2011. The green glen two-piece suit is older than me twice over and had far more life experience from the get go. I found it one Sunday in Spitalfields market. I had just moved to London and was totally broke, but really wanted this suit. It had character, the cloth was amazing and the cut so intriguing. So, kindly, my Dad got it for me; but on the orders I alter it to make it fit me. Of course, I agreed. He was initially correct. It was huge, but I did my best to change that. Looking back now though, it could really have done with a better press... You learn.

"The suit means a lot to me, and that's also one of my favourite ties: a slim unbranded harlequin print. I used a small safety pin to try and get the same look as a collar bar. Now, not only was this suit a surprise hit at fashion week, but it was the first suit in my now growing collection.

"This one has a story, as do all the others, whether old and slightly moth bitten, or newly finished, or yet to made."

Here's slightly mysterious photo of Eithen at Thom Sweeney: