Month: April 2015

I was surfing through some of our older blog posts looking for inspiration and dug this one out from the archives.It is hard to believe that it is 6 years since Grace and I got married.Time does indeed fly!
As you know we like to blow our own trumpet on this blog so I thought it my duty to remind the reader that even then we were indeed ahead of our time in the sartorial side of things!Made to measure wedding suits were being pioneered by us at a time when renting suits were the norm and I think in that year alone we must have made about 20 brown suits for different grooms.In fact I remember Graham Canty for one (the captain of the Cork football team)getting a Wilvorst special.In the current enviornment where every Tom,Dick and Harry of generic menswear claim to offer “wedding suits” it is nice to remember our heritage and how far back it goes.Having got over my bout of self congratulation here are a few memories!

On the 2nd of September 2009 I was lucky enough to tie the knot in the beautiful surroundings of Lake Garda in Northern Italy.
We arrived there late in the night of August 31st but I have to say I was disappointed at first. The darkness of our late arrival meant we could not see any of the majestic scenery that we had been promised.

However, upon waking up the next morning and drawing the curtains, I let out a yelp of awe. Before me was the most stunning view imaginable. I immediately decided I was in the perfect spot to get married.

The wedding itself took place in Castelleto in a tiny church outside Riva Del Garda. The guys from Italian Weddings ensured everything went smoothly. The only discomfort I felt was my wedding suit, by Wilvorst, was making me sweat profusely. A mocha coloured 3-piece suit with a 2-ply cotton shirt is probably not a sensible thing to wear on a sweltering September day in the Italian sun.

Nevertheless, everybody complimented me on my choice of wedding suit. I chose to have it made to measure because I wanted something different. I never wanted the wedding suit that everybody else wore. Having designed wedding suits for many customers before, I decided to treat myself to a similar experience. The fabric I chose was a silk blend and the style was 5/8 length, a little longer than a short jacket and a little shorter than a Prince Edward. Having submitted my measurements and choice of fabric, I only had to wait 6 weeks for it to arrive. It would have ended up retailing at €600 (well I won’t tell you what it really cost me – the joys of working in the suit business!).

The rest of the wedding party wore Chocolate brown lightweight suits hired by (you guessed it) Tom Murphy’s in Patrick Street. The choice of brown suits was purposeful as it sat harmoniously alongside the bridesmaids coffee coloured dresses. And speaking of the bridesmaids, didn’t they look beautiful, oh and what about the bride. I better give her a mention or I’ll suffer the consequences when she reads this.

Of all the suit brands Tom Murphys have stocked over the years there is none more special to us than Van Gils.We are delighted to re-introduce the quinisential Dutch tailoring brand into this seasons suit collection and we expect it to be a resounding success.The world cup recently showcased some of the creations of Van Gils and it was widely acknowledged that the Dutch management team were the best dressed in the tournament.Louis Van Gaal and his assistants didn’t just turn heads in a footballing capacity but earned rave reviews for their attire as well. The whole Dutch delegation of players and administrators that travelled to the world cup were kitted out by the fun loving tailoring team of Van Gils.

Van Gils is worn by some of the best players in world football including Aajern Robben and Van Persie.The tailored structure of a Van Gils suit lends itself to the athletic shape of elite sportsmen.As well as the neater fits there is a more classic style that would be better suited to a slightly bulkier frame.Mr Van Gaal wouldn’t mind I am sure if we said he fitted into the latter category!

The full collection of Van Gils suits can be seen in authorised dealers that include Tom Murphy Menswear in Patrick Street Cork.

Van Gils-The footballers choice of Suit

Robin Van Persie and Jesper Chilesen wearing Van Gils

Louis Van Gaal,Danny Blind and Patrick Kluivert wearing Van Gils.Navy 2 piece starting at 399 Euro.

Cobalt Blue Suit worn by Louis Van Gaal at the world cup is available at Tom Murphy Menswear this Summer

Kevin Richardson sports Van Gils while walking and playing football with Lions in South Africa

Robben and Martins Indi get togged out in Van Gils for a recent photo shoot.