About Tom van het Hof
From the moment I was able to create I never stopped doing so. For as long as I remember, I always knew I wanted to do something with my hands. Despite finishing my pre-university and constantly being told that making 'a mere hobby' my profession would be the worst decision I could make, I never looked back the moment I decided to chase after my dream to become the craftsman I am today.
The first garment I ever made -a Victorian inspired tailcoat for myself- I randomly decided to make at age 15 after seeing some period films. Although I had never actually sewn a thing in my life, it all seemed to come naturally; I drafted a pattern based on a jacket I had, rearranged the seams according to historical patterns, and on I went. And although I told myself it was a one-time thing, once the coat was finished I immediately wanted to make another garment. And another one. I learned everything from countless hours of researching the internet regarding the art of tailoring and reading about different techniques. Especially historical tailoring.
In 2017 I graduated with full honours at the Master Tailoring Institute in Amsterdam. My graduation project was a three-piece suit based on an illustration from 1934. The suit was made with an original draft from that time, constructed and tailored the exact same way it was done back in those days, and it was made from a period-correct flannel. And although I was officially taught modern tailoring with modern techniques and modern drafting systems, I chose to let my way of working remain in the past, and practice my profession the very same way craftsmen did all those many decades ago.