Anto the distinctive shirtmaker

I've always wanted to come here. I've had shirts made for various films with American actors who insist on Anto shirts. And I've always had to do everything by phone, choosing the fabric, the colour. So to actually go to the shop and meet Jack, one of two brothers who now run the business was a real treat. 
Anto has established itself as the shirtmaker to the film and television industry. They have two shops, one in Beverly Hills, the other in Sherman Oaks, so they also have a regular 'public' clientele.
I sat with Jack, who with his brother Ken, is now running the family business that their father, Anto, set up. Jack thought he was going to study architecture, but fell into the business in the early eighties, and Ken soon followed suit.
Anto pride themselves on being able to have a shirt made in a day if needed. They have a huge workshop in Sherman Oaks, with over 10,000 patterns for all their various clients. And over fifteen shirtmakers, who can keep up with the crazy time demands of costume designers and stylists  who so often need something immediately. They will alter a shirt collar by an eighth or sixteenth of an inch if required. Some clients like collars to sit higher or lower than normal. Most people have one shoulder higher than the other. Every little physical idiosyncrasy is taken into consideration. Hence every single shirt pattern in their archive is unique.

Anto made all the principal shirts for Casino, many for Ocean 11, Ocean 13, Inception,  and more recently Behind the Candelabra. They made pretty much all the shirts for Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. They've also made for many period films, including Titanic,  and Dark Shadows.

When you look at the wall behind the desk in the Beverly Hills shop, you realise that they have made shirts for most leading men over the last fifty years, along with politicians (Ronnie was on the wall) and musicians. They made shirts for Mick Jagger recently for the Stones last tour.

They also make ties, and still have a selection of original vintage tie fabrics, which are slowly but surely thinning out.  Their shirting fabric comes from Italy, Switzerland and the UK. They choose the best Sea Island Cotton, Piquet, Twill, cotton Cashmere and Silk.

Jack invited me to the Sherman Oaks shop to see the warehouse, and where the shirts are made, the Beverly Hills shop was smaller and is more of a showroom, where people come to choose their fabric, and have fittings. 
So there may be another post on Anto!
Thanks Jack for your time today. 

Jack, left and Louis

Anto, 258 N Beverly Drive, CA 90210