Revisting A Cordings Tweed Suit, One Year Later...

Last August I posted about Cordings of Piccadilly and their tweed suits. I did so having purchased the suit in early March, which unfortunately gave me a very short window of opportunity to wear the suit. Now a year later, I thought it time to write again about the very same suit. And while you may have to wait until next year to wear one the Cheltenham, the Maryland Steeplechase season is almost upon us, which if the current state of the weather is any indication of what the weeks ahead may bring, will bring ample opportunities to wear tweed.

While I have a rather tidy collection of American Tweed Sack Coats, this suit is entirely different. You just don't see tweed suits this, the American, side of the pond. I’m not sure why, but after enjoying my tweed suit from Crodings for the past year, I am already making plans to add another to my wardrobe.

J.C. Cording & Company began business as an outfitter and waterproofer in 1839. By 1843, Cordings was selling the Mackintosh, which is still sold today. This is a waterproof coat made possible by Charles Mackintosh who perfecting the process of dissolving rubber and binding it to cotton to allow the creation of waterproof garments. 

Cordings was awarded a Royal Warrant in 1909 as waterproofers to the Prince of Wales, and future King George V. In 1922, the Prince of Wales, and future Duke of Windsor adopted Cordings as one of his outfitters. It was at this time that their famous Newmarket boots were patented, boots which were made for Elizabeth, mother of the current Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Windsor, and Mrs. Simpson. Unfortunately, Cordings no longer makes these waterproof canvas and leather boots. It was during the 1920s and 30s that Cordings established the five core items which they are still known for to this day, the covert coat, Mackintosh, tweed jackets, corduroy and Moleskin trousers, and Tattersall shirts.

In 2003, after weathering the Second World War, the post war years, the rejection of tradition, and the years of outsourcing production from the UK by man businesses, the current management team approached their best customer, Eric Clapton, and asked if he would assist them in a management buyout. “I first became aware of Cordings in my mid-teens,” Clapton explains. “I come from the country and it was the highlight of our week to come up to London and listen to the musicians. It was difficult to get home late, so I would spend that time till dawn just walking the West End. I remembered Cordings. It stuck in my mind as a place of tradition; the heritage of England.”

Thanks to the assistance of Cordings friendly and extremely helpful staff, I was outfitted in their House Check Tweed in short order with turnups on my trousers ready in a few days. 

Their House Check Tweed jacket is made of 14 ounce 100% Scottish Tweed woven exclusively for Cordings, and features a three button front, with a single back vent, working four button cuffs, and a ticket pocket. As I mentioned in the previous article, for those who might not be familiar with the "working cuff" this simple means that the cuff buttons are not decorative, they really do unbutton. This jacket, like every one I have purchased from them also features a functional lapel button hole which allows you to add a lapel pin or flower, as the back of the lapel features loops to secure the lapel flower stem. Small details that many do not notice or even feel they are missing, but details which set this jacket apart from the rest of the crowd and make it a staple jacket in my wardrobe. 

The trousers are also made of the same 14 ounce 100% Scottish Tweed, are half lined in 100% cotton, and feature a pleated front and button fly.

The weight of this fabric is wonderful, and something not seen in many American off the peg suits with their wispy fabric to attempt to create a four season suit but creates one suit not suitable for much. This is a weighty suit, though not the heaviest weight Cordings offers. 

I have some limited experience with the suit last Spring, but this past Autumn and Winter the suit really made its mark on my opinion. Because of the natural wool fibers, this suit was never too hot, but always just right throughout the Autumn and Winter. I don't need a four season suit, that is why I wear different suiting for different seasons, and this Tweed is excellent for the seasons for which it is designed. But it is this suit which makes me enjoy the cooler days of those seasons and dread the hot and humid days of summer which will cause it to be retired for a season or two. 

As I mentioned before, the jacket is true to my American size, but the trousers are slightly different. The very helpful staff member at Cordings suggested a waist size 2 inches larger than my American. Needless to say, he was spot on in his recommendation.

I decided to not purchase the matching waistcoat, as I thought it a bit much for me, though it does look ever so smart! I’ve been regretting this decision ever since and will make this an addition in the future.

Another item which I did not originally purchase were breeks. Offered as plus twos or plus fours, these wardrobe items eluded me until last Autumn. I was out at a steeplechase race and it was rather damp to say the least. I’d worn my Cordings tweed suit, as I knew it would keep me comfortable all day. But with the rain I switched my country brogues for a pair of wellies. I tucked my tweed trousers neatly into the boots and went on my way dry and comfortable at the races. But unfortunately, the trouser lining does not go much below the knee and the top of the boot began to rub against the wool and in turn against my shin. Lesson learned, wool trousers are not to be worn with wellies.

The solution was obvious, breeks. In two different lengths below the knee, two inches with plus twos or four inches with plus fours, they are worn with long shooting stockings, perfect for wear with wellies. Their were photos of this everywhere from print magazines to websites, and I’d ignored them. But no more. Now I’ve got my breeks and I’m ready for the rain and damp in true Cordings style. They might not be for everyone, and perhaps as an American, you might feel a bit self-conscious about wearing these, but they are a classic British look designed for sporting events in the nasty damp, wet and cool weather, and Cordings will get you outfitted in style.

Tweed suits are not easy to find in America and when you wear one from Cordings, even without a waistcoat, you will stand out in a crowd, well dressed and comfortable.

And while you are getting yourself outfitted with a suit, do not fail to pick up a pair of their boxcloth braces. More on these in a future blog post, but these are brilliant!

Cordings make a wide range of items in their House Check Tweed, including caps, bags, and accessories. They also offer a number of other Tweeds in addition to their House Tweed. I would be remiss in mentioning that they also offer Tweed Action Back jackets designed for shooting, which give you superb ease of movement while at the same time retaining the perfect silhouette associated with a Cordings jacket, as well as Tweed shooting waistcoats which feature generous bellow pockets for cartridges, Alcanta gun patches on both sides and inside shoulder insert pockets for the addition of a recoil pad.

Over the past year, I have worn the suit jacket numerous times alone as a sports jackets, as well as paired with the trousers as a suit, and cannot recall a time when I have received so many compliments on my clothing as I have wearing this suit.

Cordings does advertise a "no quibble returns" so as long as none of the clothing has been altered, you may want to take a chance on an order without visiting London, though I can't imagine not visiting their shop in Piccadilly, as it is an experience not to be missed. Also, note that their website prices include VAT of 20% so this is removed from your order before payment is made. For online orders, they generally arrive in less than a week, but with their shipping fees, but to place a larger order and spread the cost of shipping out over many items rather than just one.

And for those buying in London, they will provide you with the paperwork needed to recover your VAT payment at the airport when you are leaving the UK.

You can find Cordings online here at www.cordings.co.uk.

I eagerly look forward to my next visit to Cording of Piccadilly and as always will be sure to leave space in my luggage for new acquisitions I am positive I will be making!

Clubbical Baltimore of Days Gone By... The Baltimore Club

Once upon a time, Baltimore, like many American cities, has a number of private clubs. Formed for a variety of purposes a few still survive to this day, but quite a few succumbed, first to the Great Depression, and secondly to the economic decline of cities in the 1960s and 70s as well as a movement away membership in such organizations.

Yet today, you can still find reminders of these clubs of days gone by in the architecture of American cities. Their buildings have been adapted and reused for a variety of purposes, but they remain part of the landscape.

Baltimore Club on the right

The Baltimore Club was organized on January 9, 1878. Composed largely of the sons of members of the Maryland Club. It was to the Maryland Club what the Calumet was to the Union or the Rittenhouse was to the Philadelphia.

"Smoking Room," which appears in the plans as the "Main Hall"

In 1887 a new clubhouse opened for the Baltimore Club. It was designed by J.A. & W.T. Wilson, specifically for the Baltimore club and built by Henry Smith & Sons.  The cost of the building without furnishings was about $25,000. Located at 916 North Charles Street, it occupied 34 foot wide lot, with a 6 foot wide space on the north for light. The lot also possessed a grade which was 5 feet higher at the rear of the building than at the front. The exterior is of specially made red brick, 16 inches long, with moulded brick around the original double and triple windows, now replaced, and moulded brick mullions. The dormer was copper, and the roof was of dark brown glazed tiles. The first story and basement, with sills and lintels as the upper windows, are of Manassas red sandstone. The steps are 12 feet wide with stone seats on either side, into a vestibule originally wainscoted with polished Etowah marble from quarries near Marietta, Georgia. This was the first use of this marble in Baltimore. The floors of the vestibule and inner hall were of marble mosaic.

First Floor

The outer and inner doors were originally of quartered oak, with massive elaborate hinges and lock-plates of hammered iron. A window to the small waiting room in the entrance hall and the upper light of the inner door were protected by handsome wrought iron grilles. The main hall was 31x23 feet and originally wainscoted 6 feet high with paneled work. A feature is the main staircase, 6 feet wide, to the second floor, originally with elaborate newels and columns to the ceiling. This was arranged to give a seat for messengers, etc, below the first landing. Originally the most prominent object upon entering is a large mantle in the main hall, 9 feet wide, with carved brackets supporting the massive shelf. On the frieze of this mantle was a quotation from an old English glee. The fireplace was 5 feet wide, faced with polished St. Bohem marble, and had a very handsome mosaic hearth. All the woodwork in the hall and stairway on both floors was originally quartered oak. The parlor was finished in natural cherry and has a wide bay window on Charles Street. Passing through the hall the café was reached. This was 20 feet square and communicated with the billiard room, 40x21 feet, originally with a raised platform for spectators on all sides. These rooms were originally of ash. The lavatory, opening out of the billiard room, was finished in polished white marble and enameled brick and was supplied with the most modern plumbing appliances. The partitions throughout the building were of fireproof construction. The large windows originally on the staircase, with main skylight and the reception room window, were filled with stained glass from Hester Brothers of New York.

The second floor, now essentially gutted for modern office space, was comprised of a library with an immerse triple window on Charles Street, two card rooms, public and private dining rooms, and a roof garden opening from the public dining room for use in the summer. This roof garden space was eliminated in a second floor expansion of the building some time after the Baltimore Club vacated the space.

The third floor contained four sleeping rooms for the use of members, with bathrooms and linen closets. The rear portion of the third floor was given up the kitchen department, with necessary storerooms, ice rooms, etc. A service stairway, which still exists, ran from the cellar to the roof, and there were numerous lifts for carrying food to the different floors, The steward's department was on the first floor, and was connected by electric bells and tubes with all parts of the building.

Basement Plan

In the basement were the cellars and laundry, and in the front portion a telegraph office and barber shop was fitted up.

By 1907, the Baltimore Club was in need of a larger clubhouse and sought out the former Abell mansion. on the northwest corner of Madison and Charles Streets opposite the University Club purchased April 5, 1883 by Arunah S. Abell, founder of the Baltimore Sun from the Kremelberg estate. When Abell bought the house it already contained 25 rooms. Abell contracted for plans for the remodeling of the house by George A. Frederick. The lot, 60 feet on Madison and 150 feet on Charles Street and the house was gray painted bricks with white marble trimmings to the base of the second floor. The entrance had only a sill elevation and passed through a wide hall. All the finishings were hardwood, and highly polished with decoration to great effect. The first floor contained a large reception room, waiting room, parlor, library and other rooms. There were hand decorated ceilings throughout and a handsome winding staircase in the center of the residence towered to the roof. The second floor contained six rooms, and the third floor had as many rooms of similar character. On the fourth floor were the servants quarters. There was a garden between the stable and house which as on a level with the second floor. hand decorated ceilings. handsome winding staircase in the center of the residence towers to the roof. The purchase price of this house and lot for the new Baltimore Club was $106,000.

Former Baltimore Club at the North-West corner of Charles and Madison Streets

In December 1907, the Baltimore Club, still located at 916 North Charles Street, awarded a contract to John Cowan, for general alterations and construction of two additions to the new club building at the corner of Charles and Madison Streets. The plans devised by Ellicott & Emmert, provided for a complete remodeling of the interior, marble and mosaic tile work, installation of new electrical, heating and plumbing systems, pneumatic tubes, two electric elevators, a refrigerating plant, and electric dumbwaiters. The additions were a one story billiard room 29x60 feet and a two story restaurant 28x60 feet. The total cost for this work was more than $75,000.

A complete re-trimming of the interiors left nothing but the frame of the structure. The Madison Street entrance with colonial pillars was moved 10 feet to the west, to the center of the building and made the main entrance. The Charles Street entrance was also rebuilt. The vestibules were of white marble with sienna and white marble border and the floor of the hallway on the Madison Street entrance was laid with the smallest size of vitreous mosaic tiles with a Sienna marble border. The stable of the Abell mansion was replaced with the two additions. This addition in rear of the first floor was a billiard hall built of brick and painted pearl gray to match the rest of the building. Between the two new buildings, which faced on Charles Street, connected with the main building corridors, was a garden. The old marble was be re-polished and new pieces were set where needed. The four marble newels to the iron stairway were reset as pedestals in the garden and the cast iron lamps were repainted and also used in the garden. The fountain was re-piped and consisted of two galvanized and painted cast iron frogs with spray jets in their mouths.

On the first floor of the main building was the was a large ballroom, next was the "strangers room" with telephones, the office and coatroom. Behind that was the bar and finally the billiard room. Running the entire length of the Charles Street side was the smoking or lounging room. The furniture on this floor was of oak. As the hallway was dark, several partitions were knocked down and replaced with iron pillars.

On the second floor was the drawing room, directly over the lounging room on the first floor and the most beautiful room in the house. Portraits of the First and Second Lords Baltimore by Florence Mackubin were hung on either side of the mantle there. Furniture on this floor was of mahogany. The drawing room was filled with Tiffany and Hayden furniture. At end of drawing room was the roof garden, with the steps of the roof garden leading down into the yard. Opposite the drawing room was the library and magazine room, in the rear of which was the main card room looking out over the garden.


On the third floor was the dining room in mahogany, with a serving room to the rear of it and two smaller rooms for private dinners or card games.

The fourth floor was a living floor with nine apartments, three of which had attached baths. There are two other bathrooms with showers and baths.

The kitchen was on the fifth floor, thus keeping from the lower floors the odors of cooking. The stewards office, laundry and servants quarters were also on the fifth floor. And the stained glass skylight was changed to clear glass.

New electric wiring and gas pipes were installed throughout the building as well as electric buttons and annunciators and a new heating system. A pneumatic tube system for sending orders to the dining room was also installed, as were two electric elevators, one for passengers and one for freight. A new telephone service connecting every room in the building was provided and as was also a refrigerating plant which occupied one side of the cellar, and a wine cellar the other side, and electric dumbwaiters. Outside, the yard walls on Charles Street, a retaining wall in area and the Abell mansion porch were taken down. 

Upon completion, the club was filled with many famous etchings loaned by Mrs. Harrison Garrett.

On August 31, 1908, 50 members marched from 916 north Charles street to the new clubhouse, formally marking its opening. The old clubhouse was bought by Gustavus Ober and mainly used as a hall for religious purposes after it was vacated by the Baltimore Club.

In 1924 a memorial to 148 members of the club who served and four members of the club who died in the First World War, by Baltimore sculptor Hans Schuler, was unveiled.

Needing more space, an addition to the club designed by Buckler and Fenhagen was begun in the summer of 1927. This work done by Thomas Hicks & Sons cost about $75,000 and consisted of a 40 foot addition on  Charles Street, four stories high which was expected to be completed by January 1 , 1928. 

Another addition was acquired in the summer of 1928, as annex at 6 West Madison, the former home of Dr. Frank Goodnow. Plans called for a double and single squash court on the top floor, with galleries, dressing rooms, baths, etc. The second floor and other available space in rear was to be converted into bachelor apartments for members. The first floor and basement were to be converted into physicians offices. Buckler and Fenhagen architects were to be the architects and the Consolidated Engineering Company was to do the work.

With the onset of the Great Depression, the club closed July 23, 1932, with their members being welcomed into the Maryland Club.

In December 2010 a fire gutted the building, but it has been saved and is once again occupied.

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