SALE - we don't really do them - but ..

Jack Bunneys hasn't had a sale in a very long time.  We have always been of the mind that we offer a good product at a fair price, this coupled with excellent customer service is truly the meaning of : 'Value for Money' 

Jack Bunneys has been very lucky in recent years and enjoyed a certain amount of success, this has always prevented us from offering 'Sales' as we are always so exceptionally busy and feel that a 'Sale' period would detract from our regular business.  

But having said all that!   Due to public demand we will be offering a 'ONE DAY' sale in the January of 2013.  This sale will feature samples, Jack Bunney branded products, ex-hire goods and 'Wilvorst' products.  The items on sale will be a minimum of half price, with many being reduced by up to 70%.

This exclusive sale will be for Jack Bunney customers only and will therefor be on a Sunday by appointment only.  

If you are interested in attending this ONE-OFF event please register your interest early.  This will ensure an invitation is sent to your door and you can then arrange an appointment for the 'Sale Day'

There will only be a very limited number of appointments available, so we will distribute the invitations on a first-come first-served basis.  

To register your interest in this unique day please email me direct: marc@jackbunneys.co.uk and mark your email : RE: Sale Day.  

Designer Unique Incredible Jack Bunney Cufflinks

I have been a very VERY lucky Bunney over the years, I have had the pleasure of dealing with some wonderful, innovative suppliers. I have always been very grateful for our connections to some of our industries innovators. And although we treasure each of these relationships one of these suppliers stands out, for their creativity and their total commitment to constant innovation.

I am of course referring to Britton Bespoke. When I first received a telephone call from Britton Bespoke, Neil spoke passionately about his new products and he guaranteed me that Britton Bespoke had designed cufflinks unlike anything I had seen before. I was of course sceptical, I had heard this type of thing a thousand times. So whilst Neil was still on the telephone I decided to pull up his website to view his products and I can quite honestly tell you that I was 'gobsmacked'. He was of course correct, I had indeed never seen cufflinks like these!

I immediately ordered a few pairs for our shop here and I purchased some pairs for myself personally. As did our other staff members here at Jack Bunneys, we are all cufflinks connoisseurs here and we were all blown away by the designs, not only are they stylish to wear, but the quality and their individualism catches any cufflink aficionado's eye.

Not so long ago, the opportunity arose to work with Britton Bespoke and design something incredible. This was an opportunity not to be missed!

Together Britton Bespoke and Jack Bunneys have created a designer cufflink that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, that is made of the finest materials, that is collectable, switchable but most of all the very optimum of style.

They are the worlds first switchable, collectable luxury designer cufflink and I am exceptionally proud to have been a small part of their production.

How do they work?

Well you can purchase these (highest quality) Sterling Silver cufflinks as a pair of cufflinks with your choice of stone (or sterling silver Union Jack). You can choose from ROSE QUARTZ, AMETHYST, LAPIS LAZULI, SODALITE, AMAZONITE, TIGERS EYE, or ONYX. Each stone is perfectly selected for its size, weight quality and to create a matching pair. Each stone is shaped and polished perfectly. These high quality stones are what you see on the outside of the cuff. On the inside of your cuff you will see a highly polished solid sterling silver discreet JB logo.

The two parts (the stone portion and the JB portion) of these cufflinks detach from one another and fit back together perfectly and seamlessly held together with a wonderful magnet system. For extra safety (and for style purposes) a discreet chain wraps around the cuff and attaches both parts together, this creates a stylish wraparound link.

The chain can be detached and you can of course purchase more stones and collect the whole set! the majority of you cufflink (the JB portion) remains the same, allowing you to collect a huge variety of unique and wonderful quality, luxury cufflinks.

The quality of these cufflinks will blow you away. Once you feel the weight and the finish of both the silver and the stone you will be instantly impressed by not only the quality of these British Made cufflinks but also by their innovative, creative and imaginative design.

You can view more hi res images of these incredible cufflinks on FaceBook.

Berwick - Chocolate Brown suit - Discontinued (To Buy)

Over recent years we have had great success with our Chocolate Brown wedding suit range (The Berwick). They have proven excepetionally popular with our clients all over the world. It is with sadness that we have decided to stop supplying these suits to buy. We will of course continue to hire these suits for as long as there is a demand.

The range will however be re-invented for 2013 using the same fabric. A fantastic new design is currently in make and samples are being produced. This new range will bring a whole new concept to the 'brown wedding suits' which we became so well known for.

So why have we stopped producing our most popular retail suit package of recent years? Well the answer is rather simple, things MUST change. Fashions, cuts and fits have all changed considerably since we first embarked on a design process for a new 'brown wedding suit'. The styles of our latest 'Jack Bunney' designs are much slimmer fitting and tailored, rather than the casual more European style of the Berwick. Also there has been a noticeable decline in the demand for brocade (swirly) styles of waistcoats and cravats over recent months. In truth we are simply reacting to our customers demands and a decision has been made that to properly move on from this 'Jack Bunney' signature design we must first bring its life to an end so we can move onwards with our latest innovations.

Although I am sad that this, our most popular retail range ever, has come to an end, I am also excited for the future. More innovation is on its way and I hope that the future of the 'Brown Wedding Suit' is safe but in a new guise.

Thank You

Marc

*Wedding Hire* AVAILABILITY & FULLY BOOKED DATES

Our Wedding Suit hire service is proving exceptionally popular for 2012. We have an unprecedented amount of bookings. Therefor some weekends are now FULLY BOOKED or very close to being fully booked for our 2012 wedding suit hire service.


The following dates are Fully Booked*:

14th - 15th of April 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

21st - 22nd of April 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

28th - 29th of April 2012 - FULLY BOOKED

5th - 6th of May 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

12th - 13th of May 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

19th - 20th of May 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

26th - 27th of May 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

2nd - 3rd of June 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

9th - 10th of June 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

16th - 17th of June 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

23rd - 24th of June 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

29th - 30th of June 2012 FULLY BOOKED*

7th - 8th of July 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

28th - 29th of July 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

11th - 12th of August 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

18th - 19th of August 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

25th - 26th of August 2012 - FULLY B OOKED*

8th -9th of September 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

22nd - 23rd of September 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

All other weekends from January until September 2012 are now also VERY LIMITED AVAILABILITY**

All weekends from September until the end of October are now also LIMITED AVAILABILITY***



*Fully Booked - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are now unavailable for our hire service. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

**VERY Limited Availability - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are within one or two bookings from becoming fully booked or (and) have ranges which are no longer available for that date. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

***Limited Availability - These dates may have ranges which are unavailable to hire.


Please telephone for further information: 020 8594 1654
Or email marc@jackbunneys.co.uk

Please be advised that a "Quote" does not confirm your booking. If you have a quote and would like to make a booking please telephone ASAP.

Thank You
Marc

The Harrogate Suit. *The only truly slim fitting wedding suit available to hire.

Way back in 2010 we here at Jack Bunneys decided to design a new wedding suit for our hire department that would be our Jack Bunney signature design for 2011. This is something that we have always tried to do every year. To have one design or more importantly one image that becomes our signature image for that wedding season. This all started back in 2007 when we had an image taken at a wedding fayre which become a Google favourite. Then in 2008 we had a brown wedding suit image which become incredibly popular, 2009 a brown tail suit image and in 2010 the images of the Worcester suits.

So for 2011 we wanted something that was special! It had big shoes to fill, after all the afore mentioned ranges had been incredibly popular. So we gave ourselves a design brief. A very simple bullet pointed list of must-haves for the design.

• It must be a definitive wedding suit.
• It must not be 'main-stream'.
• It must fit like a made-to-measure or bespoke suit.
• It must be made from the very best fabric available.
• Normal rules of hiring suits, should NOT apply.

So we sampled some styles and looked at a million fabrics. And slowly a plan developed. The Worcester range and the Oxford Premium suits were our current 'most popular' designs. And we knew from our customers feedback that they would like a suit which was 'Slimmer' fitting than our 'slim line' suits, they also wanted a style which was in-between the two most popular designs.

With this design concept in mind we had a suit made which we called the 'Half-Tail' , we had it made in brown, and we put it onto display in our shop here. And to our surprise it did not receive a great reception. It was a mediocre response compared to our expectations. But this soon changed.

We decided that the design would look best without a 'wedding' waistcoat but rather a matching waistcoat, so the suit could be worn as a three-piece suit. At this time in 2010 our Worcester ranges were being hired mostly with matching waistcoats and not with 'wedding' waistcoats at all. But this being our new signature range we could not simply have any waistcoat design.

We made quite a few different styles of waistcoat and experimented with different shapes and fits, our favourite became a u-shape dress waistcoat. This style of waistcoat is normally worn with a dinner suit (with a bow-tie) but we decided to use this waistcoat with a slim tie.

We displayed this new three piece, half tail, ceremony suit in our shop with a slim tie and within hours it was sold, within days we sold quite a few and within weeks we sold so many it was obvious that we had created something special.

At this point the design was now settled. And the search was on for the correct fabric. As tailors the fabric is as important, if not more important, than the design itself.

We were looking for a fabric that could be used in the hire (robust enough to be worn more than once and still look good), a fabric that would not crease excessively, a fabric that would reflect the light and look more impressive in photographs than a standard fabric and most importantly we were looking for the right colour. This is how we came to choose a mohair fabric from Vitale Barberis. It is a fabric that as tailors we have worked with before and we knew its limitations and its benefits, we were also lucky enough to have some input into the development of the colours with the mill.

We chose the correct colours eventually from a very small sample swatch. But once we saw the correct shades we just knew that they were what we searching for. And by the end of 2010 we had our finished design and our iconic image for 2011. The Blue and the Silver Harrogate Three Piece suit ; pictured above.

The Harrogate Range went onto be our most popular suit of 2011. We were lucky enough to meet some incredible customers from all over the world who came to our shop to hire and to buy this truly different and remarkable slim fitting wedding suit.

The popularity of the Harrogate Range has increased over the course of 2011 and for 2012 we launched a new range of suits to compliment the Harrogate. We have called this new range the Richmond. It is shorter version of our original 'half tail' design concept.

We also launched a new colour in the Harrogate for 2012. And in our latest photo-shoot created our Jack Bunney signature image for 2012. The Three Harrogate suits standing side by side with slim ties and u-shape waistcoats.

The Harrogate Range is the only truly slim fitting suit, which has been exclusively designed just for weddings, available for hire in the U.K.

Although over the last few weeks we have seen many businesses attempting to emulate our designs, none have managed to match our iconic designs, this is because the design process is part of the finished product. The attention to detail achieved by having that process is unobtainable by simply copying.

The Harrogate, slim fitting , wedding suit is available to hire or buy exclusively from Jack Bunneys tailors. www.jackbunneys.co.uk

Bow Ties for Weddings - mainstream Vs alternative

Hi All,

Today we are talking about bow ties for weddings. Why? ... Well there is definitive trend towards wearing Day Bows for weddings. I know that this trend is certainly not new and if you are a reader of any of the major wedding blogs or alternative wedding blogs you will be wondering why I am bringing this up now! But as alternative trends sometimes do, they eventually become mainstream. And this is certainly the case for Bow Ties for weddings.

Before getting into this subject too deeply I have a confession to make and that is; I have never been a fan of wearing bow ties for weddings.

If you are an observer of the Jack Bunney designs you will notice that I have never used a bow tie with one of my designs (other than with an Evening Suit). This is not because I dis-like how they look, I actually think they look cool and own a few myself. It is also not because I believe in some kind of rigid etiquette or mode of dress for weddings. I have never been a fan of using them within my designs because I believe that wearing a bow-tie (a day-bow tie not a Tux) for a wedding is a quirky, eccentric alternative to the mainstream. Which is fantastic! But this is not what our designs represent. Our designs represent a Jack Bunney interpretation of the classically English Tailored Morning Suit. Our final representations are sometimes a million miles away from that starting point but the starting point for the design remains the same.

Having said all that, I have recently met some wonderful Grooms-to-be who have a preference for a bow-tie. And I have to admit that although I was sceptical and cynical at first the customer is indeed always right and if the whole ensemble is correctly assembled the wearing of a day-bow is acceptable. I would say that I have also met quite a few couples who like the idea of wearing a bow-tie because it is alternative and quirky but the wedding they are planning and the suit (outfit) they are putting the bow-tie with is not in anyway quirky or alternative. It is this type of; alternative for the sake of it, that is becoming the norm. Because alternative is becoming the mainstream the two are being blended together in not always the best combinations (in my opinion).

For me alternative is as much about the couple, as it is the wedding they are planning. An alternative wedding is about the couples beliefs, their lifestyle and their attitude. A beautiful alternative wedding can be held in an empty field in Norfolk or a London Cathedral, it is not the venue, or any other 'booked and paid for' service which will dictate how alternative a wedding will be, it is the couples own individual style and their creativity which is the determining factor.

So my point is fairly simple. Please do not try to be alternative for the sake of it. If you are not alternative, if your are main stream, that is fine, in fact whatever you and your partner are (or are not) is fine. Your wedding is about being honest with the world, telling the world just how much you love each other. So be honest, be true to yourselves and show-off who you really are. Not who you would like to be.

And if you do decide to wear a bow-tie please learn to tie it yourself! A bow tie is a personal and tactile thing, each knot should be unique to each person, a clip-on is just not the same.

Jack Bunneys - Charity 2012

As anyone with a small business knows only too well, we are contacted on a daily basis by charitable organisations and individuals looking for our businesses support or sponsorship. This can prove to be an annoyance, with phone calls, emails and personal visits every day but before I am accused of Scrooge like tendencies, I would like to make it clear that I have every admiration for the charity workers themselves and if I could support them all I surely would.

Obviously no business can support all of the organisations that contact them, A small business like ours can only assist a very small number of charities every year. In a normal year our policy for supporting charities is quite simple, each of us company directors selects a charity and as a business we support these three charities on a monthly basis for twelve months. We do not normally divulge which charities we support and quite honestly do not really feel we need to justify which charities we have chose to support.

This has been our policy for a number of years. But this year is going to be a little different. We are still going to support our chosen, private, charities but we are also going to be giving more vocal support to our other chosen charities.

Why are we doing this?

Well.. we think that financial donations are essential but our business can only give so much, so we can help support these charities in other ways. We can start by giving these charities additional exposure on the internet, by including them in our blog posts, our Twitter posts and our Facebook updates. This exposure not only raises awareness but can generate extra revenue from our customers and potential customers.

Here is the second one:

The Cancer Recovery Foundation U.K.

Cancer Recovery provides information and services to help everyone prevent cancer and recover from it. Unlike many other charities, we don’t put the money raised into research, we take a different approach to fighting cancer. Instead we believe that supporting those already battling cancer is just as important as finding a cure. We believe in helping people to overcome the life changing discovery that they have cancer, encouraging them to move on with their lives whilst supporting them every step of the way. So instead we use our funds to support people now suffering from cancer, in addition to sharing the experience and knowledge we have gathered.We also understand that people need very practical support and immediate support, so that is what we provide. We pay necessary bills for people and families affected by cancer. And we send children undergoing treatment toys and presents to cheer them up.Learn more about how we are helping people living with cancer through financial support, bringing cheer to children with cancer, helping women with breast cancer and read some of our case studies.

Jack Bunneys - Charity - 2012

As anyone with a small business knows only too well, we are contacted on a daily basis by charitable organisations and individuals looking for our businesses support or sponsorship. This can prove to be an annoyance, with phone calls, emails and personal visits every day but before I am accused of Scrooge like tendencies, I would like to make it clear that I have every admiration for the charity workers themselves and if I could support them all I surely would.

Obviously no business can support all of the organisations that contact them, A small business like ours can only assist a very small number of charities every year. In a normal year our policy for supporting charities is quite simple, each of us company directors selects a charity and as a business we support these three charities on a monthly basis for twelve months. We do not normally divulge which charities we support and quite honestly do not really feel we need to justify which charities we have chose to support.

This has been our policy for a number of years. But this year is going to be a little different. We are still going to support our chosen, private, charities but we are also going to be giving more vocal support to our other chosen charities.

Why are we doing this?

Well.. we think that financial donations are essential but our business can only give so much, so we can help support these charities in other ways. We can start by giving these charities additional exposure on the internet, by including them in our blog posts, our Twitter posts and our Facebook updates. This exposure not only raises awareness but can generate extra revenue from our customers and potential customers.

So here is the the first one. A very special young man: Mitchell Huth:

The Mitchell Huth Appeal

Our son Mitchell Huth was born on 17th June 2005, weighing a very healthy 9lb 10oz. We felt so happy and our family was now complete. Things started to seem not right with Mitchell when he started to develop chronic constipation and would never settle, he could never sleep through the night. We called for help and support and went back and forth to our GP. In June 2007, we were given the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Whilst it took a lot to accept that he has this diagnosis, we channelled it all into getting the support he needs. A year of a fantastic social and communication centre working very hard with Mitchell paid off, as he then went onto mainstream school. He has done so well and become a very fun loving and independent little boy who has made us all so very proud.

He just started Year 1 in September 2010, a few weeks into the new term things took a turn for the worst. On October 11th after some signs on his head area and left eye didn't seem normal, we were told out worst nightmate. Our son had Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Mitchell has had chemotherapy, surgery to remove the primary tumour, high dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue and radiotherapy. We are now at the stage of receiving UK Antibodies on a trial. Unfortunately there is still an unacceptably high percentage of children relapsing after having this. Worse, is the fact that there is currently no relapse protocol in the UK.

Should Mitchell relapse we would have to take him abroad for treatment. These treatments cost upwards of £150,000 and to give Mitchell the best chance to beat relapse in the brain (a very common relapse site), we would need to have a deposit of around £300,000 to begin treatment in America. Please help us build this fund for Mitchell, to give him the best chance of life he so rightly deserves. With all my heart, thank you, Mitchell's mummy.
Or you can donate directly to the Natwest bank, account number: 88722252 Sort Code: 55-81-28.
For further details on ways to donate please visit www.familiesagainstneuroblastoma.org
Visit my facebook page here -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-5yr-old-Mitchell-Huth-beat-Neuroblastoma-Cancer/124231524299944

Donating through this page is simple, quick and secure. It is the most efficient way to give – so every donation goes further – and if you are a UK taxpayer and give Gift Aid consent the charity will receive extra at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Group(s):
Team Mitchell


About Families Against Neuroblastoma (FAN)

FAN needs your support in many ways. Donations made to FAN will primarily be used to directly support our families. It will help provide the children with days out, wish experiences, and other things that are all intended to boost moral and put a smile on everyone's face. We firmly believe this can help make a positive impact on the success of the child's treatment. Unfortunately, not all our children will survive, and therefor it is vitally important that we can help pack as much fun into their short lives as we possible can, and leave the family with precious memories to cherish after they have gone.

A donation to a child's individual appeal will be held for the sole use of that child for treatment or for quality of life. These appeals often have a very high target due to the enormity of the medical expenses, and are therefor dependant on the generosity of donations from the general public. This really can mean the difference between life and death. Should the child no longer need the money raised in their name, funds will either become available to other children within the charity, moved to our emergency fund, donated to Neuroblastoma research, donated to our general fund, or a combination of all four, as agreed with the family.

Mitchell Huth Charity SkyDive

A team of 10+ of us are taking part in a Skydive for Mitchell.

Mitchell is 6 years old from Hornchurch, Essex.

Mitchell was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma Cancer in October 2010.

He has had chemotherapy, stem cell collections, radiotherapy, high dose chemotherapy and took part in the UK Antibodies Trial.

Unfortunately none of these treatments were successful and Mitchell has relapsed.

The only protocol now is to get him to Germany or The USA for treatment, but these cost anything from £150,000 to £1,000,000!

There is nothing more the NHS can do for Mitchell.

It is now a critical, life or death situation.

Please help our team raise as much money as possible for Little Mitchell for the treatment he deserves!

What would you do?

From the bottom of ours hearts, to the moon, the stars and back again.... Thank you xxx



Donating through this page is simple, quick and secure. It is the most efficient way to give – so every donation goes further – and if you are a UK taxpayer and give Gift Aid consent you will boost your donation.

Thank you for your support.



About Families Against Neuroblastoma (FAN)

FAN needs your support in many ways. Donations made to FAN will primarily be used to directly support our families. It will help provide the children with days out, wish experiences, and other things that are all intended to boost moral and put a smile on everyone's face. We firmly believe this can help make a positive impact on the success of the child's treatment. Unfortunately, not all our children will survive, and therefor it is vitally important that we can help pack as much fun into their short lives as we possible can, and leave the family with precious memories to cherish after they have gone.

A donation to a child's individual appeal will be held for the sole use of that child for treatment or for quality of life. These appeals often have a very high target due to the enormity of the medical expenses, and are therefor dependant on the generosity of donations from the general public. This really can mean the difference between life and death. Should the child no longer need the money raised in their name, funds will either become available to other children within the charity, moved to our emergency fund, donated to Neuroblastoma research, donated to our general fund, or a combination of all four, as agreed with the family

Jack Bunney - How-To Guide - Number Five - How to tie a Formal Cravat

The Jack Bunney - How-To Guide

Number Five - How-To Tie a Formal Cravat

This more elaborate knot is a more formal knot which can be used for self-tie (double ended) silk cravats. This knot requires the use of a cravat (or stick) pin.

Step One:

Drape the cravat around the neck, with both ends at equal length.

Step Two:

Cross the right blade (a) over the other (b).

Step Three:

Loop 'A' up and under 'B' to the left.

Step Four:

Lay 'A' over the top of 'B' , both hanging vertically.

Step Five:

Loop 'A' down and under 'B' to the right.

Step Six:

Pass 'A' up and through the knot created by step five.

Step Seven:

Pull the two blades to create a centre knot.

Step Eight:

Fold the two blades together and pin the together according to your style.

Jack Bunney - How-To Guide - Number Four - How to tie a cravat for a wedding.

The Jack Bunney - How-To Guide

Number Four - How to Tie a Cravat for a Wedding

The most common, contemporary method of wearing a cravat for a wedding is the 'ruche' tie or scrunchy knot. This is a simple four-in-hand knot ruched up to the neck.

Step One:

Put the cravat around your neck. Make sure that the tops of the cravats are level. Some cravats are made so that one end is longer than the other however if your cravat is equal in length it does not matter. Call one side / the longer side ‘A’ and the other side / shorter side ‘B’.

Step Two:

Bring A across the front of B. Make sure that it is not too loose or too tight.

Step Three:

Bring A around and behind B.

Step Four:

Bring A around and behind B to form the knot.

Step Five:

Bring A up and behind the loop.

Step Six:

Bring A through the front of the knot. The folds sewn into the cravat create the scrunchie / ruche effect on the knot. If using a cravat that was equal in step 1 it will be unavoidable that the back of the finished cravat will be longer than the front. This should be easily hidden under a waistcoat.

Jack Bunney - How-To Guide - Number Three. - How to tie a windsor knot

The Jack Bunney - How-to Guide.

Number Three - How to Tie a Windsor Knot

When the trend-setting Prince of Wales (late the Duke of Windsor) took a liking to large tie knots in the 1930's, it did not go unnoticed. Within years men everywhere wore ties "fastened with the popular Windsor knot, large than the usual four-in-hand, to fill the space of the wide spread collar", Wrote Esquire in 1940. Discarding the ubiquitous four-in-hand in favour of the larger knot was, at the time, a conspicuous gesture. But it was an elegant one too, and the knot has never really fallen out of fashion.

In fact the Duke of Windsor never actually invented the knot and did not even wear it. Yes he did have a personal preference for a larger knot, but in fact had his ties all custom made with a thick interfacing, guaranteeing a large knot tie.

Step One:

Start with the wide end "A" and extend it about 12 inches below narrow end "B". Now cross the wide end "A" over narrow end "B"

Step Two:

Now, turn the wide end "A" back underneath the narrow end "B

Step Three:

Continue by bringing the wide end "A" back over in front of the narrow end "B" again. Do pull a little tight as you want to tighten the fabric a little but not too much where the wide end "A" will not ride along the narrow end "B" in a later step.

Step Four:

Now, pull the wide end "A" up, behind, and over the X and then under the loop around your neck.

Step Five:

Now, take the wide end "A" and slip it under the knot and up towards the neck.

Step Six:

Take the wide end "A" now and slip it under the last cross over and begin to pull the tie down.

Step Seven:

And lastly, continue to pull the wide end and squeezing the knot. This knot typically does not require, and we don't think it even looks good to have a dimple - so, just flatten the sides for the finishing touch.

The Jack Bunney - How-to Guide - Number Two - How-to tie a bow-tie

The Jack Bunney - How-to Guide.

Number Two - How-to Tie a Bow Tie

Step One.

Place the bow tie around your neck, situating it so that end "A" is about two inches longer than end "B".

Step Two.

Cross end "A" over end "B".

Step Three.

Bring end "A" up and under the loop.

Step Four.

Now double end "B" over itself to form the front base loop of the bow tie.

Step Five.

Loop end "A" over the center of the loop you just formed.

Step Six.

Holding everything in place, double end "A" back on itself and poke it through the loop behind the bow tie.

Step Seven.

Adjust the bow tie by tugging at the ends of it and straightening the center knot.

The Jack Bunney - How to Guide - Number One - How to Tie a Day Cravat

The Jack Bunney - How-To Guide.

Number One - How to Tie a Day Cravat.

Step One - Start by wrapping the silk cravat around the neck, against the skin.

Step Two - Cross over the two ends of the silk cravat.

Step Three - Pass one end behind the other to make a simple knot.

Step Four - Pull the knot tight to the neck.

Step Five - Pull one end of the cravat up and the other down.

Step Six - Shape the top of the cravat with your fingers.

Step Seven - Tuck the bottom of the cravat into the shirt and button.

Step Eight - Finally, shape the cravat into your desired style.

'Wedding Hire' AVAILABILITY UPDATE - 2012

2012 is turning our to be our busiest year ever for Wedding Suit Hire!

We now have quite a few dates which are FULLY BOOKED, with VERY LIMITED AVAILABILITY or just Limited Availability.

24th of March 2012 Very Limited Availability

31st of March 2012 Very Limited Availability

7th of April 2012 FULLY BOOKED

21st of April 2012 FULLY BOOKED

28th of April 2012 Very Limited Availability

5th of May 2012 Very Limited Availability

12 of May 2012 FULLY BOOKED

19th of May 2012 Very Limited Availability

26th of May 2012 Very Limited Availability

2nd of June 2012 FULLY BOOKED

9th of June 2012 Very Limited Availability

16th of June 2012 Very Limited Availability

23rd of June 2012 Very Limited Availability

7th of July 2012 Very Limited Availability

11th of August 2012 VERY Limited Availability

All other weekends from January until June 2012 are now also LIMITED AVAILABILITY***

We are currently unable to supply any 'Wedding Hire' suits, without a minimum of 4 weeks notice.


*Fully Booked - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are now unavailable for our hire service. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

**VERY Limited Availability - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are within one or two bookings from becoming fully booked*. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

***Limited Availability - These dates may have ranges which are unavailable to hire.

New Jack Bunney Brand Shirts - Part Two - Arundel

In 2012 the trend for slim fitting designs will continue right through the year. Our latest designs have become increasingly body fitted and as such it is now necessary to wear only slim, body fitted shirts with these current designs.

Here at Jack Bunneys we have designed two shirts to be worn with our latest suits. These are named: KEELAN & ARUNDEL.

The ARUNDEL shirt is made from 100% Fine White Cotton.
The Shirt includes a rounded vintage style collar.
The shirt has a completely unique slim double cuff.
The Body is very Slim.
The shoulders are narrow and sleeves are also fitted.
The shirt is hand made in France to Jack Bunneys exact specifications.

New Jack Bunney Brand Shirts - Part One - Keelan.

In 2012 the trend for slim fitting designs will continue right through the year. Our latest designs have become increasingly body fitted and as such it is now necessary to wear only slim, body fitted shirts with these current designs.

Here at Jack Bunneys we have designed two shirts to be worn with our latest suits. These are named: KEELAN & ARUNDEL.

The Keelan shirt is made from 100% Fine White Cotton.

The Shirt includes a genuine Vintage Collar Clip

The shirt has a completely unique slim double cuff.

The Body is very Slim.

The shoulders are narrow and sleeves are also fitted.

The shirt is hand made in France to Jack Bunneys exact specifications.

New Wedding Suit Design - The Richmond - Part Three

Our Latest Range is called 'The Richmond'

This range is available with a variety of waistcoat options.

These include; Slim Single Breasted, U-Shape and Double Breasted.

The Richmond - Mohair designs are pictured with the Slim Single Breasted.

The Richmond - Silk designs are pictured with the U-Shape.

And now here is the Richmond Black pictured with the Double Breasted Waistcoat.

New Wedding Suit Design - The Richmond - Part Two

"The Richmond" Design Is also available in a Luxurious Silk Fabric.

This extremely lightweight fabric is 40% Silk and 60% Super 110's Wool. It is currently available in two colours. The Blue Herringbone and the Black Herringbone.

The Richmond Silk has a wonderful 'vintage' style U-Shape dress waistcoat and covered buttons.

This is another example of a ceremony suit, which has been designed here at Jack Bunneys and is exclusive to our Jack Bunneys. This suit cannot be purchased anywhere else.

For more information on how you can purchase these exclusive designs please refers to our website: Click

New Wedding Suit Design - The Richmond - Part One

It is 2012! And it is time to preview the newest and most exclusive Jack Bunney design. This new design is the very latest in formal wear fashion.

This new design has been named 'The Richmond'

It is 100% exclusive to Jack Bunney Ltd. and as such cannot be purchased anywhere else.

The design is a simple tailored, slim fitting ceremony suit.

This is 'The Richmond' in Mohair.

The Fabric is Made from the Finest Italian Mohair produced in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico

For more information on these suits and to find out how and where you can purchase them please view our website. Click.

Limited Availability Warning for 2012 - FULLY BOOKED DATES

Our Wedding Suit hire service is proving exceptionally popular for 2012. We have an unprecedented amount of bookings. Therefor some weekends are now FULLY BOOKED or very close to being fully booked for our 2012 wedding suit hire service.

The following dates are either Fully Booked* or VERY Limited Availability**

7th - 8th of April 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

20th - 21st of April 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

5th - 6th of May 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

12th - 13th of May 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

2nd - 3rd of June 2012 - FULLY BOOKED*

9th - 10th of June 2012 - VERY Limited Availability**

All other weekends from January until June 2012 are now also LIMITED AVAILABILITY***

*Fully Booked - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are now unavailable for our hire service. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

**VERY Limited Availability - This weekend and the dates surrounding this weekend are within one or two bookings from becoming fully booked*. Retail & Made to Measure are unaffected.

***Limited Availability - These dates may have ranges which are unavailable to hire.

Please telephone for further information: 020 8594 1654

Or email marc@jackbunneys.co.uk

Please be advised that a "Quote" does not confirm your booking. If you have a quote and would like to make a booking please telephone ASAP.

Thank You

Marc

Limited Availability for 2012

At present we are exceptionally busy for our wedding hire service.

So we are taking the unusual step of issuing an early LIMITED AVAILABILITY WARNING for 2012.

The following dates* are now very close to being fully booked and not all ranges are available.

31st of March 2012

7th of April 2012

21st of April 2012

28th of April 2012

5th of May 2012

12th of May 2012

2nd of June 2012

16th of June 2012

23rd of June 2012

7th of July 2012

11th of August 2012

25th of August 2012

If you are getting married on any of these dates* and would like to use Jack Bunney's wedding hire service then please arrange an appointment ASAP.

Telephone: 02085941654 or 02085951654

*These dates are an indication of the weekend as a whole and include the days around these dates.

Christmas Opening Times

Our normal operating hours are:

Monday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Tuesday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Wednesday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Thursday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Friday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Saturday 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Sunday CLOSED

Christmas Operating Hours:

Friday 23rd of December 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

Saturday 24th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Sunday 25th of December CLOSED

Monday 26th of December CLOSED

Tuesday 27th of December CLOSED

Wednesday 28th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Thursday 29th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Friday 30th of December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Saturday 31st December 9.00am until 12.oopm By Appointment Only

Sunday 1st of January CLOSED

Monday 2nd of January CLOSED

Tuesday 3rd of January 9.00am until 5.oopm By Appointment Only

2012 - BOOK EARLY!!

Well 2012 is nearly here. We have barely got our new product ranges in for 2012, we haven't even had our 2012 photo shoot yet, never mind and the images to the new website but already we are inundated!

It is going to be the busiest year we have ever had. We have paid for bookings all the way up until the end of 2012. We also have some weekends which are becoming close to being fully booked. There are certainly a lot of weekends which will have limited availability very soon.

Our appointments diary is very full and we are booking weekend appointments a couple of weekends in advance, just like we do in spring time. This level of enquiry for November & December is unheard of for us.

I am not posting this just to blow our own trumpet by the way, the point is, it is going to be busier than we have anticipated. If you would like us to supply your wedding suits for 2012, please, please book early. We will be fully booking weekends very soon.

If you have any questions you are welcome to email me or call.

marc@jackbunneys.co.uk or call 02085941654

Thank You

&

Kind Regards

Marc

Woollens & What you should but didn't know. Part 1

What Tailors Should Know About Woollens - Part One

'The term "Woollen" as understood by the tailor, is a very general description of the numerous and varied classes of fabrics which , by reason of the aforesaid term, are presumed to be made of wool, or of which wool, in some form or other, forms the major part.

Fabrics comprising these classes are described as, and sold under names which indicate broadly (1)The quality of the wool fiber ; (2) the basis of the thread structure; (3) the pattern, or "weave" ; and (4) the style of finish. These terms, however , indicate group or general distinctions only, and obviously, therefore, can give no idea of the relative values of different fabrics belonging to one class.

Relative values are dependent largely upon differences in the quality of material, the character and size of the threads used in weaving, and the number of thread units in a given space, because these are factors which affect the appearence of the face of the cloth. In comparing cloths, presumably of the quality and contruction, differences in these factors are, with practice, comparatively easily discernable by sight and touch. Greater difficulties in appraising values arise when other materials of less value are incorporated in the structure in such a manner that they are not readily detected without an analysis of the fabric..

But to analyse a fabric requires a knowledge of quality and structure, which is obviously out of the tailors province ; and this lack of knowledge, therefore, leaves him largely dependent on the vendor of cloth, on whom he has to rely for for obtaining a sufficient value for his outlay. For his own protection, therefore, and for that of his client, to whom he stands in the position of sartorial trustee, it is very desirable that he should possess a reasonable knowledge of the medium in which he works. This knowledge should enable him to recognise different classes of fabrics ; to identify the materials from which they are made ; to understand something of their structure ; and above all, to differentiate between fabrics of the same class with regard to quality of fibre and possible structural differences.

2012 Sneaky Peak Part One. New Suit Range. 'The Richmond'

Here we go. This is the very first peak of the new EXCLUSIVE JB suit range for 2012. Apologies for the not so good photography. I am certainly no photographer. Professional pics will be taken once the whole range has arrived.

This new range will be called 'The Richmond"

This Range will be available to buy only for £750.00 as a 3.piece suit.

This new range will be available in 3 colours: Silver, Royal Blue & Black.

The Fabric is made in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico. And is 16% Kid Mohair and 84% Superfine Super 100's Wool.

2012 is really kicking off!

Allo.

2011 has been an excellent year for us here at JB. We have surpassed our own expectations and things have been going rather well.

Well 2012 is going to be Ma-Hoosive (<---real word) !!!

The bookings for 2012 are already piling up, with more and more being booked every day!

If you would like to use Jack Bunneys for your 2012 wedding, then please book early. We will be fully booking weekends very early in 2012.

Also, it has become quite challenging to get an appointment at Jack Bunneys at the moment. We are currently booking Saturday appointments a few weeks in advance.

I look forward to meeting you all and look forward to an incredible and exciting 2012.

Marc

What's the difference??

Jack Bunneys is a funny little place. We have customers from all over the U.K. who travel to our shop to hire suits. And customers come from all over the world to buy suits here.

But what is the difference between Jack Bunneys and our competitors? Why do our customers drive past hundreds of other menswear shops to get to us here, in the not so desirable part of East London/Essex ?

Well to be honest I am not always 100% sure. I am confident in what we do and how we do it. But I am not always certain as to why some couples choose our shop forsaking all others.

I can only assume there are a variety of different reasons, I like to think that each customer we have the privilege to deal with has his own particular reason for choosing our shop, their reasoning being as unique as they are, and as unique as their weddings should be.

I do however get asked quite a bit, why are Jack Bunneys different? Why do people travel such long distances to visit, what was once a very local, family business? My only real response to these questions (apart from "I dunno") is to explain what we do and how we do it. To explain just how hard we all work here, and then hope that this demonstrates why are services have become desirable.

So this is what we do, and how we do it and this is the real difference between Jack Bunneys and other businesses :

Staff:

Jack Bunneys has 3 full time members of staff. All three are company directors, all three perform every single role in the business. This includes making bespoke suits, designing and purchasing hire suits, preparing the hire orders, serving the customers and every other aspect of running a successful family business. We also have a couple of part-time staff, who work at weekends and on the odd occasion in the week too. Both of our part-time staff are extremely intelligent and educated to a high level (they are both students), they have also been trained to a high standard, both have completed the construction of at least one bespoke suit, by hand.

Stock:

Our 'Hire' wear is made in Germany by Wilvorst. We do not hire our suits in, each and every suit we have, we own. (this may seem a peculiar statement but you would be surprised how many so-called formal wear experts use a trade hire service) Each one of our suits is custom made exclusively for Jack Bunneys. This allows us to choose the correct fabric for the correct style. Each one of our suits has been designed by ourselves here to our standards. We are always designing our suits with quality and fit in mind. Only experienced tailors (or designers) can offer this level of design. Our stock is held here on the premises (so each customer can try-on the actual suit they will receive) we use a European size scale which gives greater scope for 'in between' sizes. This allows us to get a better 'fit' when suiting our customers.

Service:

Our service, I believe is unique. I have worked for some of the biggest names in Men's formal wear and I have never come across another business which shows such attention to detail when preparing each and every hire suit:

• Research and Design (We are constantly monitoring fashions and attending shows and fairs for inspiration)

• Purchasing and Manufacturing (Putting our ideas into production. We source quality factories to make to the highest standard or make our own products. Actually purchasing our products so they are all in store to try.)

• Advice on Fit, Style and Design. (A consultation with an experienced member of staff)

• A Correct Suit Fitting. (to try on the suit you will receive before booking)

• A Fitting for each member of the party. (Each member of the party will receive a correct fitting, where they can try-on the garments they will receive on the day.

• Refitting (any member of the party can request a refit at any time)

• Preparation of orders 1. Making cravats and Handkerchiefs. (we make our own cravats and ties in up to 250 shades of pure silk)

• Preparation of orders 2. Alteration. Yes a hire suit can be altered. (We carry out alterations to our hire suits ourselves on the premises, by hand, NO GLUE!)

• Preparation of orders 3. Pressing. This is the MOST important part of the preparation. (We hand press each garment before it leaves. Including, jacket, waistcoat, trouser, shirt and neckwear.)

• Preparation of orders 4. Bagging and Tagging. (Each piece is put together and bagged individually for each customer. Each bag is named individually.)

• Cleaning and Pressing on Return. (every garment is dry-cleaned and hand pressed on return)

That is a breakdown of the practical things that you will receive with our service. However there are also the other unquantifiable benefits, such as the polite and professional service, the relaxed family atmosphere, the skill and knowledge of bespoke tailors and the experience of wedding professionals.

I would like to think we are unique. I would like to think there is no-one out there quite like us. I am sure that is true. There is no-one quite like us. But there are quite a few other fine establishments, who have some wonderful designs and offer an excellent service. Sometimes services which we do not even offer.

But I think our customers choose to come here because they like us! (as well as our suits and service). I know this sounds conceited but that is not how it is intended, I simply believe that the customers who choose our shop and simply must come here (despite distance, logistical issues etc.) are coming because they agree with our ethos and somehow 'get' what Jack Bunneys is all about. These wonderful people are visiting our shop because they feel comfortable that our philosophies are in alignment and we will provide the service they require for their big day.

2011 Wedding Season - Pretty good i'd say.

Hi Guys,

We are nearly at the end of our 'Wedding Season' , although we still have plenty of weddings going on throughout the winter, the vast majority of weddings booked for 2011 have now come and gone.

Time for a little analysis of how our wedding season fared in these turbulent times.

I have done all of the sums (these are a comparison of Jan 2010-Oct 2010 and Jan 2011-Oct 2011) and what I have found is reasonably interesting (well at least to me)

The Wedding Hire Service grew in total by 32% in turnover.

The total turnover of the hire service increased considerably. This is due to a number of factors such as the V.A.T. increase, an increase in our hire prices and the popularity of more expensive ranges such as the "Oxford Premium, The Harrogate and The Kensington"

The total quantity of weddings increased by over 100%

The actual number of weddings booked was over double. This was because the average group size was far smaller. The popularity of "The Harrogate" range lead to quite a few individual "Groom" orders which reduced the average size of an order considerably. It also increased the quantity of weddings considerably.

The quantity of individual wedding suits hired increased by 25%

25% is still quite an increase in overall suits hired for 2011. Although not as impressive a figure as 100% in total weddings booked. This is because of the popularity of individual suit ranges such as "The Harrogate" & "The Kensington"

Obviously the average size of a wedding party has decreased significantly. (average size last year was 6.5 suits per wedding, this year it has dropped 4.3 suits per wedding).

The average size of a group has been decresed because of the popularity of individual wedding suit hires. Ranges such as the "The Harrogate" & "The Kensington" are being hired just by the groom alone.

The most popular colour in 2011 has been BLUE. 45% of all hired suits BLUE in 2011.

The Blue Worcester & Harrogate ranges have been the most popular, followed by the Oxford Premium blue and the Kensington blue. This is the first year that Blue has been the most popular colour for Jack Bunneys.

The second most popular colour in 2011 was GREY. 30% of all suits we GREY in 2011.

Grey was the most popular colour in 2010 (by just a small margin) but this year this was the surprise colour. With the Grey Oxford Premium proving very popular. This was not expected or anticipated.

The third and fourth place colours were BLACK and BROWN. They made up 20% of the total hire suits.

The Brown suit popularity has declined quite considerably in 2011, this was anticipated but still being booked quite regularly. Black wedding suits are never the most popular but are always the most consistent. Black wedding suits are used every year regardless of changes in fashion or style.

The most popular hire suit style for the second year running was 'The Worcester"

Once again the most popular wedding suit was the Worcester range. Although the most talked about range was the Harrogate. We had more interest in the Harrogate range than any other new range we have had before. The only reason the Harrogate was not booked more was the 'Very Slim Fitting' nature of the suit. In honesty the suit just did not fit all shapes and sizes.

The second most popular hire suit was the new "Harrogate" range.

This suit was the most talked about and most popular, in terms of inquiries. It would have proven to be the most popular suit for actual bookings if it were not a very slim fitting suit. But then it would not look the way it does if it were not.

The third most popular hire suit was the "Oxford Premium" style.

A classic tail suit. But in a better quality than the stores and high street brands. It seems that the public do not always want something 'different' but they really do want something that is 'better'

3.Piece suits (with matching waistcoats) made up nearly 60% of all wedding hire suits this year.

More couples than ever have chosen the matching waistcoat to the suit for the guys waistcoats, rather than the usual fancy waistcoat designs. In fact the couples I have spoken to this year have not really been big fans of wedding waistcoats. A matching waistcoat also looks very cool with the jacket off, which I think is another reason for its popularity this year.

Wedding (fancy) waistcoats were used with less than 50% of all wedding hire suits this year.

Although we are still using wedding waistcoats, it seems that their popularity is still in decline. 2011 is the first year that the figure has dropped below 50%

Cravats were used with less than 30% of our wedding suits in 2011.

As with the wedding waistcoats, it is with the cravats. More and more couples preferring the simple tie. This is because of the popularity of 3.piece suits and matching waistcoats.

Ties were used with over 70% of all wedding suits in 2011.

This is quite an incredible statistic. I would bet (not actual money of course) that Jack Bunneys is the only men's formal hire shop where this is the case.

80% of all wedding suits hired had a top pocket handkerchief.

Another addition for 2011. Top pocket handkerchiefs were rarely used in 2009/2010, now they are virtually standard.

40% of all hire suits had a pair of braces included!

This is because of Jack Bunneys obsession with getting suits to fit correctly!

We hired less than 50% of all hire suits WITHOUT shirts in 2011. This is a drastic reduction 2010.

We have been actively advising our customers to purchase shirts rather than hire. This is to ensure that each shirt is fitted correctly to each individual. This is essential when wearing slim fitting suits.

We sold nearly double the amount of wedding suits in 2011, than we did in 2010.

This was a combination of made-to-measure, bespoke, made-to-order and ready-to-wear.

May, June and July were all up on wedding suit hires for 2011.

Whilst August and September were both slightly down for the quantity of hire suits for 2011.

October is also up on the quantity of wedding suit hires for 2011 and November and December also have a larger quantity of bookings than in comparison to 2010.

So what does all this mean?

Well it means that Jack Bunneys are becoming more and more popular with each year. It also means that even our 'hire' customers are looking for something that is 'different'.

For me these statistics prove that Jack Bunneys can provide a service that is both traditional and contemporary with one not necessarily impairing the other. Traditional modes of dress will always exist and there is a customer which demands this from a traditional shop such as ours, but there is also another customer who wants something more unusual for his wedding, that does not want an 'industry standard' and this is the customer which we always consider when designing new ranges.

But more than this my conclusion is simple: The vast majority fit somewhere in between the two, finding their own place, without being pigeon holed, standing alone as unique individuals, as we all should.

Marc