Tailored – is there anything more elegant than the idea of a gentleman discreetly popping up to Savile Row to visit his tailor?

Nick Cave once said, “A gentleman never talks about his tailor.” Well, apparently he did. It seems a rather odd thing to say, unless you remember that people who get their clothes tailor made are often regarded as the height of sophistication. And true sophistication means not being flashy, not being coarse and keeping your vanity in check.

Coincidentally, these could also all be descriptors of a new flooring collection from Shaw Contract.

Tailored is a stunning flooring textile that serves up a double whammy – combining a soft surface aesthetic with hard surface durability. Because if there’s one thing that all good tailoring aficionados know it’s that really well made clothes last a lifetime. They may look elegant and sophisticated, but because they’re made of premium fabrics and constructed with maximum artistry and skill, they are deceptively durable and resilient.

Compare a decades-old tweed suit with a mass produced off-the-peg number from a chain store. You know which one will stand up years later and look just as good as the day it was first purchased. And which one is probably already in landfill.

That was the inspiration for Tailored – a commercial woven luxury vinyl tile that sees tradition meet technology to create a hard-wearing but aesthetically superior flooring solution. The result is a superbly practical but refined choice for all indoor environments and especially heavy commercial applications from corporate, to hospitality, to commercial, to educational and beyond.

Manufactured on a jacquard loom, Tailored is engineered to resist stains, wear and scuffing. It’s easy to clean and has fraying and edge wear prevention built in. The latter is courtesy of  an ExoGuard finish, which provides a barrier to stop spills and grime from penetrating the weave. It also offers protection against scratching, abrasion and staining.

What’s the secret?

Now, a beautifully tailored suit is very often layered – comprising the jacket, trousers and waistcoat – which is partly why you’d be unlikely to describe someone in, say, a shell or track suit as well tailored. And in a similar fashion the Tailored flooring solution also benefits from its unique layering. Its very durability is a result of a five-step process, fused together in a sole solid surface. At the bottom is the backing, improving adhesion to the subfloor. On top of this is a stabilising composite core, followed by a clear protection layer, which helps to stick the woven fabric to the core. That woven fabric is the next layer – a premium woven vinyl that is the movie star moment of this flooring solution. Rather than a traditional print film, the Tailored woven luxury vinyl tile (LVT) was inspired by the rich tradition of tweed and made to measure clothing.

And just as the waistcoat of a three-piece suit is the core element tying the whole look together, the composite core of this vinyl fabric adds dimensional stability, while also reducing and resisting residual indentation, thanks to its high PSI (pounds per square inch) tolerance. This makes it particularly appropriate for not just regular foot traffic, but also both static and rolling loads.

Plus…

Just as truly elegant attire is never garish or ostentatious, Tailored proposes a colour palette that is always refined. Its hushed tones and reimagined brighter colours see light and dark notes mix with blended hues. This means that, like the best dressed person in the room, the effect doesn’t scream at you but just quietly, pleasingly fits perfectly into any environment and occasion.

Last word?

Let’s just leave you with this quote from the ever elegant and beautifully tailored Michael Caine: “A man should dress in a way that you don’t notice. He looks good but you don’t know why. But it’s the tailoring, the materials…”

For more information, visit Shaw Contract