If you have spent any time in Brighton, you will know Pauly. A painter, a character, and a genuine Brighton icon, Pauly has been part of the fabric of this city for as long as most people can remember. So when he came to us at Gresham Blake, we were delighted. And when we heard what he had in mind, we were even more so.
The Commission
Pauly had painted a picture of our shop on Bond Street, and it was a brilliant piece of work. We wanted to do something with it. The idea we landed on was to use the painting as the lining of his suit, printed in full across the inside of the jacket. A bespoke suit that carried a piece of his own art. It felt like exactly the kind of commission we love.
We made Pauly a three piece suit in the Brighton and Hove tartan, the official registered tartan of the city. Blue for the sea, white for the sea foam, pink for the diversity and spirit of Brighton. For a man who is as much a part of Brighton as the tartan itself, it seemed the only choice.
The Bespoke Lining
The bespoke printed lining is one of the most exciting things we do at Gresham Blake, and Pauly's suit is one of the finest examples we have made. For those who haven't come across the idea before, the concept is simple: instead of a plain or patterned stock lining, we print whatever you want across the full inside of your jacket. A photograph, a painting, an illustration, a logo, a piece of artwork, something personal and completely your own.
What makes a personalised suit lining so special is the moment you reveal it. The outside of the suit can be as classic or as bold as you like, and then you open the jacket and there it is, something that nobody else has, something that tells a story. It is the most personal detail in tailoring, and we never tire of seeing the reaction when a client sees it for the first time.
For Pauly, we used a 3 panel placement print rather than a simple repeat. This means the painting is mapped precisely across all three panels of the jacket lining, the left, the back, and the right, so that when you open the jacket the whole composition lines up perfectly, exactly as Pauly painted it. It takes considerably more work to achieve, but the result is something else entirely. His own artwork, worn every day on the inside of his jacket, complete and uninterrupted.
We have produced custom jacket linings from paintings, illustrations, family photographs, band and album artwork, football crests, architectural drawings, maps, and more. The quality of the print is exceptional, the colours come out beautifully, and the result is something that genuinely stops people in their tracks. If you have something in mind, the chances are we can make it work.
If you have ever wanted artwork, a photograph or something personal printed inside a bespoke jacket, our tailoring team in Brighton and London can create a completely custom lining around whatever you have in mind.
The Fitting
There is something special about watching a suit come together on someone who really wears their personality. Pauly is exactly that kind of client. The fitting at our Brighton tailoring showroom was a pleasure from start to finish.
Have Something in Mind? We Can Make it Happen
A bespoke placement lining turns a suit into something nobody else in the world has. It costs less than you might think, and the process is straightforward: you bring us the image or artwork, we handle the rest. Whether it is something deeply personal or just a design that makes you smile every time you put your jacket on, it is one of those details that people remember.
We have been making bespoke suits in Brighton since 1999. If you have a commission in mind, come and see us in the shop or book an appointment and we will start from there.
