Today's newsletter is part of a series featuring makers and shops with remarkable attention to detail. Hopefully, this inspires us to consume just as thoughtfully and support their quality work.

Occasionally, a great shop catches us off guard and revives our hope for retail. On a Saturday morning visit to Portobello Road a few years ago, I was stocking up on pistachio Wedgwood when I miraculously discovered Speciale. It was more than just a tailoring shop, and the beginning of a great friendship.

Last year, we collaborated on a women's Clementina dress shirt. That sold out, and I'm excited about what's coming next. More details on that later!

Speciale's storefront caught my eye with its tasteful displays of silk socks and geographic ties propped in a Florentine fashion. Everything inside is precise and perfectly disheveled: soft beige linen tossed over a sofa, handcrafted hangers painted with sheep, and a few shirts in ideal dusty hues—the kind I rarely find.

The young owners, George Marsh and Bert Hamilton, are laughably charming. While they could efficiently serve as their models, they stay behind the curtain and remain grounded—with a sensibility far beyond their thirty-something years. George, a bespoke tailor trained in Florence (notably with Liverano), makes custom clothes and overcoats for men and women in the back of the shop. He also makes the furniture, shelves, and hangers to display their ready-to-wear in the front. His mother paints them with lovely countryside landscapes. The space feels poetically Italian and evokes warmth. Bert focuses on the brand and shop business, moonlighting as their campaign film photographer. It's exciting to encounter Speciale's peaceful presence, the kind achieved by thoughtful people in analog settings—far from Savile Row.