Monthly merchant: Mr Geoff Wheeler

How long have you been in the trade?
I've been in the trade 30years this year!

Where did you start?
I started as a cloth merchant at a French company called Dormeuil, then H Lesser and Dugdale Bros before heading to Huddersfield Fine Worsted.

What is it about the history of HFW that attracted you to the company? 
It's just the untapped size of the history, If you drill down into our history HFW are so important to the history of English cloth manufacturing! 

What is your favourite cloth, and from which bunch?
That’s a tricky one for me as our Bamboo collection is without doubt the best cloth I've ever worn for comfort and feel, but how can it compete with Fresco, which is almost a perfect cloth!

What garment of clothing could you not live without? 
Easy one, it's my Dugdale Dreadnought serge made by Huntsman and cut by a young cutter called Antonia!

In your opinion, who is the best dressed man alive today?
Prince Charles; he is smart and not over thought!

What was the first bespoke garment you ever got made, and by who/what cloth?
My first garment was a Tonic pair of trousers made by a tailor in East London, loved them! 


What is the definition of a beautiful cloth?
Tough one as you have cloth for different seasons and reasons, but I'd say it's that jacket you pick out of your wardrobe more then the others around it, is it the cloth or the cut probably a bit of both. 

Who do you see as the atypical Fresco client?
It's a client who understands cloth and tailoring and knows  the properties of fresco suit, the fact he can travel on business with a suit that sheds its wrinkles so well.
It is the ultimate travel suit.