Behind the Seams: Embracing Technology in Craft
At Turnbull & Asser, the hand and the eye remain at the heart of our craft. Yet alongside time-honoured skills, modern tools play a quiet but vital role. Just as a master carpenter sharpens his chisel or a watchmaker relies on his loupe, we embrace machines that refine precision, reduce waste, and allow our artisans to dedicate their talents where they matter most.
Far from replacing craft, these innovations elevate it. Ensuring that every buttonhole, every pocket, every folded tie tip meets the exacting standards that have long defined Turnbull & Asser.
A Dialogue Between Hand and Machine
Step onto the workshop floor and you will hear not only the rhythm of shears and the hiss of a steam iron, but also the hum of specialist machines designed for very particular tasks. Each piece of equipment is chosen with care, not to diminish tradition but to strengthen it.
Take, for instance, our keyhole buttonhole machine. Creating the distinctive keyhole shape, it produces buttonholes that are both elegant and enduring – perfectly aligned, each as strong as the last. In garments such as our Battersea Quilted Jacket, where durability is paramount, it ensures consistency that only enhances the artistry of our tailoring.
Then there is the pocket jet machine, which cuts and stitches jet pockets with remarkable accuracy. Where a misplaced stitch could spoil the clean geometry of a jacket, this tool allows our craftspeople to achieve a level of precision impossible by hand alone. The result: pockets that sit flawlessly, ready to be finished and inspected by skilled eyes.
Precision in Cloth
Cloth is our canvas, and waste is an affront to both tradition and responsibility. Our digital single-ply cutting equipment ensures that every pattern piece is positioned with absolute care. Stripes align, checks match, and every inch of fabric is used wisely.
Alongside it stands the band knife, operated by experienced cutters who shape the smaller parts of a garment with fluid precision. Here, technology does not replace the hand, but rather steadies it, allowing smooth, curved edges that lie beautifully once stitched.
The Details That Define Us
Even our ties benefit from innovation. The tie-tip pressing machine ensures that each tip is folded, pressed and shaped before slipping, lending a sharpness and symmetry that would otherwise be painstaking to achieve. The finishing touches remain in the hands of our makers, but the groundwork is laid with flawless consistency.
Craft, Elevated
In bringing technology into our workrooms, we do not seek to erase the human touch. Quite the opposite. By letting machines carry out the repetitive, precision-bound tasks, our craftspeople are free to focus on the subtle artistry that no tool can replicate – the feel of a seam beneath the fingers, the balance of a collar, the final check of a buttonhole before it leaves our workrooms.
There are further benefits too: less fabric wasted, less room for error, and the ability to explore new styles and fabrics with confidence. In this way, technology becomes an ally of sustainability and of innovation, both of which are essential to the continuation of our heritage.
Honouring Tradition, Embracing the Future
For more than a century, Turnbull & Asser has balanced reverence for tradition with an eye to the future. Our machines are not a departure from that heritage but a continuation of it. A way of ensuring that each shirt, tie or jacket embodies both the soul of handcraft and the exactness that only modern precision can provide.
Behind every seam lies a dialogue: the hum of machinery, the touch of a human hand, and the enduring pursuit of excellence.
