Savile Row: Britain's Silk Road

     This is somewhat of a sequel to a previous post about the components of a perfect suit. Savile Row is arguably one of the most well-known roads in Britain, if not all of Europe. Located in central London, the road is steeped in centuries of tradition and style. Customers from all over the world travel  to visit the bespoke tailors and take advantage of their absolutely uncompromising standards of style.

     As you will see there is a certain amount of competition and rivalry between the tailors, each with their own idiosyncrasies and pedigree. The competition seems friendly though, and it's fantastic to see them all come together for the general interest of the Row. The emergence of a competing business on the Row is not uncommon to them, but the nature of the competing product is. Abercrombie and Fitch could very arguably be the antithesis of the image the bespoke tailors represent and how they envision Savile Row. I think that heritage and history go a long way towards cementing one's credibility in today's world, so I do feel compassion for these small shops in the face of a global corporate giant. While Abercrombie and Fitch may not last on Savile Row, you can be certain bespoke tailoring will live and breathe for years to come.

Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6   Part 7

BASE Jumping the Tallest Building in the World

     Pretty incredible story about two BASE jumpers who set their sights on the virgin jump off of the Burj Dubai while it was still under construction. Not only were these two men meticulous and thorough with their planning but they were also creative and patient with their execution.

     Notice how the jumpers swing their arms back towards their feet during the jump, a tactic called tracking. Tracking alters their body position, and thus, the airflow as they fall towards the ground. It allows jumpers to cover more distance horizontally and "track" away from objects. The Burj Dubai steadily grows wider at its base, making tracking a necessary component of the jump in order to adequately separate themselves and their canopies from any hazards during the deployment of their main chutes.