The Sistine Chapel of Dressing Gowns - Daniel Hanson

Seductive Dressing Gown

Do people who specialise do the best job? Yes, they do, because the rigour and attention to detail that they need to apply to perfect a single undertaking does not allow time for anything else. It may be a figure of speech, but it is also a quantifiable fact: spread yourself too thinly and you become a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. I clearly remember my half-arsed attempt at furniture restoration. What was I thinking?

There is no danger of this happening to Daniel Hanson (below) who has been designing and producing dressing gowns and robes in Nottingham, England, since 1989. His single-minded dedication to the gown-making creed has elevated the tailoring of house coats to a unique level of artistry and elegance. What he produces are museum-quality pieces. The styles are influenced by his collection of vintage gowns and his background as the son of an Anglican Bishop, where he was exposed to the rituals of dressing in the copes, cassocks and chasubles that are essential to the tradition.

If his gowns weren't so seductive to wear, you would want to frame them and hang them on your wall. Take a look at the gown above. It's a Hanson shawl collar leaf-print silk gown with a piped trim. Note the subtle welt pocket at the chest. Strikingly beautiful. Of course you wouldn't want to take it off; of course you can't wear it to the office much as you would want to.

Described as the 'Sistine Chapel of dressing gowns', Daniel's robes are constructed from a cosmopolitan stockpile of the very best materials — British cashmere, Irish linen, Italian silk, Swiss cotton and German velvet. The fabrics are cut and combined with unique flair to bring out their qualities in terms of drape, colour, pattern and finish.

Stockists are listed on the Daniel Hanson website. If the stockists are inaccessible, don't worry, a bespoke gown service will soon be available from the site.

Photo of Daniel Hanson by Ashley Bird Photography, East Midlands.