Latest Post
The best cloth for unstructured jackets
July 6th 2020One point that was particularly popular in a recent video chat – ‘ How can I dress up without a suit?’ – was the idea of an unstructured or shirt jacket, to wear at home. Something that ...
The best cloth for unstructured jackets
One point that was particularly popular in a recent video chat – ‘ How can I dress up without a suit?’ – was the idea of an unstructured or shirt jacket, to wear at home. Something that ...
Latest Posts
Espadrilles: Style, occasion, and brands
July 3rd 2020UPDATE: This is a nice video from Diegos showing how espadrilles are made. You can see the better, neater hand sewing of the soles mentioned below. I remember clearly when I got my first pair of espadrilles. I was 19, o...
Espadrilles: Style, occasion, and brands
UPDATE: This is a nice video from Diegos showing how espadrilles are made. You can see the better, neater hand sewing of the soles mentioned below. I remember clearly when I got my first pair of espadrilles. I was 19, o...
Kenjiro Suzuki bespoke, Paris: Review
July 1st 2020Kenjiro Suzuki is a superb technician. I think that’s the key take away from this review, aside from the normal points of fit, style and make. The work that went into this cotton suit he made me is just palpable,...
Kenjiro Suzuki bespoke, Paris: Review
Kenjiro Suzuki is a superb technician. I think that’s the key take away from this review, aside from the normal points of fit, style and make. The work that went into this cotton suit he made me is just palpable,...
What are the best cheaper shoe brands?
June 29th 2020*UPDATE: Carmina say they do not use plastic heel stiffeners. Jesper's information was based on information by two Carmina retailers. That point has been removed until it can be proved either way. Last month, Swedish sh...
What are the best cheaper shoe brands?
*UPDATE: Carmina say they do not use plastic heel stiffeners. Jesper's information was based on information by two Carmina retailers. That point has been removed until it can be proved either way. Last month, Swedish sh...
Video chat: How to build a wardrobe from scratch
June 26th 2020This is the third in our series of reader-question videos, with the subject this time being wardrobe building. Specifically: “I am building up a wardrobe from scratch. What do I buy first, and how much should I sp...
Video chat: How to build a wardrobe from scratch
This is the third in our series of reader-question videos, with the subject this time being wardrobe building. Specifically: “I am building up a wardrobe from scratch. What do I buy first, and how much should I sp...
How to wear a cream jacket
June 24th 2020A cream jacket is more useful than you might think. Certainly, I’ve found myself using this one from Jean-Manuel Moreau more than I expected since I received it earlier in the year. This post describes, and...
How to wear a cream jacket
A cream jacket is more useful than you might think. Certainly, I’ve found myself using this one from Jean-Manuel Moreau more than I expected since I received it earlier in the year. This post describes, and...
Jets and pockets: Signs of a good finishing
June 22nd 2020A reader recently asked about what constituted the ‘finishing’ of a suit - and what indicates quality. I initially planned a response going through every aspect of this, with examples, but that quickly becam...
Jets and pockets: Signs of a good finishing
A reader recently asked about what constituted the ‘finishing’ of a suit - and what indicates quality. I initially planned a response going through every aspect of this, with examples, but that quickly becam...
Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home
June 19th 2020Every day, when I get dressed, there is something new I’m interested in wearing. Not necessarily new clothing, but a new outfit, a new combination of colours, perhaps a mixing of styles. And sometimes just a combi...
Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home
Every day, when I get dressed, there is something new I’m interested in wearing. Not necessarily new clothing, but a new outfit, a new combination of colours, perhaps a mixing of styles. And sometimes just a combi...
A complete capsule wardrobe
June 17th 2020This article was spurred by two things. First, by a reader specifically asking for it, on another capsule post in this series (always a good sign). And second, by some consultancy work I’ve been doing, where the c...
A complete capsule wardrobe
This article was spurred by two things. First, by a reader specifically asking for it, on another capsule post in this series (always a good sign). And second, by some consultancy work I’ve been doing, where the c...
The accidental columnist: Robert Armstrong
June 15th 2020Robert Armstrong is the US Finance Editor at the Financial Times . He has also been their Chief Editorial Writer and edited the Lex column. In the midst of all this international finance, he has also fallen into the rol...
The accidental columnist: Robert Armstrong
Robert Armstrong is the US Finance Editor at the Financial Times . He has also been their Chief Editorial Writer and edited the Lex column. In the midst of all this international finance, he has also fallen into the rol...
Wearing red – with L’Etiquette
June 12th 2020The fourth issue of L’Etiquette came out last week, and it remains the best menswear magazine in the world for me. (See previous article here for an explanation why.) We’re honoured to be the only website per...
Wearing red – with L’Etiquette
The fourth issue of L’Etiquette came out last week, and it remains the best menswear magazine in the world for me. (See previous article here for an explanation why.) We’re honoured to be the only website per...
Latest Posts Continued
Jean-Manuel Moreau made-to-measure suit: Review
June 10th 2020Let’s move the conclusion up to the top of this review, just to get it out of the way. This is a great made-to-measure suit. It’s fitted well, styled well and made well, and for me illustrates the pinnacle o...
Jean-Manuel Moreau made-to-measure suit: Review
Let’s move the conclusion up to the top of this review, just to get it out of the way. This is a great made-to-measure suit. It’s fitted well, styled well and made well, and for me illustrates the pinnacle o...
Introducing: The (brown) reversible Valstarino
June 8th 2020*Update: Although a couple of sizes have sold out, several customers have bought two jackets in order to compare sizes, and will be returning one. So if your size is sold out, do email [email protected] to recei...
Introducing: The (brown) reversible Valstarino
*Update: Although a couple of sizes have sold out, several customers have bought two jackets in order to compare sizes, and will be returning one. So if your size is sold out, do email [email protected] to recei...
How to darn socks and knitwear
June 5th 2020On Permanent Style we often recommend to buy less, but buy better. Just as important, however, is to recycle well (finding a good home for things you don’t wear) and to look after clothes well. They are three sid...
How to darn socks and knitwear
On Permanent Style we often recommend to buy less, but buy better. Just as important, however, is to recycle well (finding a good home for things you don’t wear) and to look after clothes well. They are three sid...
The (55) bespoke tailors I have known
June 3rd 2020This post was originally written in 2012: a breakdown of all the tailors I have tried personally (rather than just written about), split into different countries. It was updated in 2016, and I have updated it again now ...
The (55) bespoke tailors I have known
This post was originally written in 2012: a breakdown of all the tailors I have tried personally (rather than just written about), split into different countries. It was updated in 2016, and I have updated it again now ...
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
June 1st 2020This summer suit from Sartoria Cornacchia was made for me last year, and I would like to apologise for the delay in covering it. I didn’t get around to shooting the suit until the end of the Summer; events and the ...
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
This summer suit from Sartoria Cornacchia was made for me last year, and I would like to apologise for the delay in covering it. I didn’t get around to shooting the suit until the end of the Summer; events and the ...
Summer smart/casual: Three looks, three levels
May 29th 2020Last week I explained why I find the knit polo shirt to be such a fundamental part of my summer wardrobe. This week, I’m using that polo and a pair of cream linen trousers as the basis for three different looks &...
Summer smart/casual: Three looks, three levels
Last week I explained why I find the knit polo shirt to be such a fundamental part of my summer wardrobe. This week, I’m using that polo and a pair of cream linen trousers as the basis for three different looks &...
Instagram Stories
Click on an image to enlarge. See and interact with all Instagram stories @PermanentStyleLondon
Latest Posts Continued
Introducing: The Finest Cardigan
May 27th 2020This is the finest cardigan you will find, anywhere. That’s what we do with this series of knitwear pieces (like the Dartmoor): commission the finest quality possible, and design it to be the perfect partner for t...
Introducing: The Finest Cardigan
This is the finest cardigan you will find, anywhere. That’s what we do with this series of knitwear pieces (like the Dartmoor): commission the finest quality possible, and design it to be the perfect partner for t...
Video chat: Going to a maker for the first time
May 25th 2020I’m not sure we really answered the question in this chat. The idea of each of these videos is to take a frequently asked reader question, and then tackle it from every angle. Here the question was: ‘I&rsquo...
Video chat: Going to a maker for the first time
I’m not sure we really answered the question in this chat. The idea of each of these videos is to take a frequently asked reader question, and then tackle it from every angle. Here the question was: ‘I&rsquo...
Bespoke socks, at Mes Chaussettes Rouges
May 22nd 2020Do most people need bespoke socks? No. Most people are fine with simple small, medium and large sizing. And when you get into proper sock sizes (10, 10.5, 11) everyone is catered for. Do they need specific colours, or m...
Bespoke socks, at Mes Chaussettes Rouges
Do most people need bespoke socks? No. Most people are fine with simple small, medium and large sizing. And when you get into proper sock sizes (10, 10.5, 11) everyone is catered for. Do they need specific colours, or m...
The knit polo shirt: My Summer staple
May 20th 2020Over the next few weeks on Permanent Style, I’ll be setting out the pieces that form the foundation of my smart/casual summer wardrobe. We’ve covered the smart (read tailored) side of summer dressing in q...
The knit polo shirt: My Summer staple
Over the next few weeks on Permanent Style, I’ll be setting out the pieces that form the foundation of my smart/casual summer wardrobe. We’ve covered the smart (read tailored) side of summer dressing in q...
Why I buy vintage (with Levi’s 501s)
May 18th 2020The word ‘thrift’ is not used that commonly in the UK as a verb, or an adjective. People talk about thrift as a virtue, and indeed a spendthrift (which of course means the opposite). But it is rare to hear o...
Why I buy vintage (with Levi’s 501s)
The word ‘thrift’ is not used that commonly in the UK as a verb, or an adjective. People talk about thrift as a virtue, and indeed a spendthrift (which of course means the opposite). But it is rare to hear o...
Jean-Manuel Moreau, Paris
May 15th 2020Perhaps the most striking thing about Jean-Manuel Moreau’s operation in Paris is how long it’s been around. Most shops we cover track their origins back 10 or 12 years. It’s in this period that stores l...
Jean-Manuel Moreau, Paris
Perhaps the most striking thing about Jean-Manuel Moreau’s operation in Paris is how long it’s been around. Most shops we cover track their origins back 10 or 12 years. It’s in this period that stores l...
The Coronavirus: We will survive because we care
May 13th 2020These are dark and uncertain times for businesses everywhere, in particular fashion. Who will care about their clothes if they’re at home the whole time? Who will spend large amounts of money on clothing when the ...
The Coronavirus: We will survive because we care
These are dark and uncertain times for businesses everywhere, in particular fashion. Who will care about their clothes if they’re at home the whole time? Who will spend large amounts of money on clothing when the ...
The cream shirt
May 11th 2020There is a certain type of gentleman who swears by the cream shirt. Who argues passionately for its elegance over that boring, corporate alternative: white. When I say there is a type, I am basing this on three men, all...
The cream shirt
There is a certain type of gentleman who swears by the cream shirt. Who argues passionately for its elegance over that boring, corporate alternative: white. When I say there is a type, I am basing this on three men, all...
The French style of Kenjiro Suzuki
May 8th 2020How do you make sure your best cutter doesn’t leave, taking customers with him? Simple: never let him meet the customers. I’ve always been aware that Smalto, the Parisian tailor, had an unusual system in it...
The French style of Kenjiro Suzuki
How do you make sure your best cutter doesn’t leave, taking customers with him? Simple: never let him meet the customers. I’ve always been aware that Smalto, the Parisian tailor, had an unusual system in it...
Video question: How can I dress up without a suit?
May 6th 2020One of the things I enjoy most about Permanent Style is the comments from readers. It’s like each article is a new thread in a forum, with subject raised and then comments, experiences and questions all following...
Video question: How can I dress up without a suit?
One of the things I enjoy most about Permanent Style is the comments from readers. It’s like each article is a new thread in a forum, with subject raised and then comments, experiences and questions all following...
Denim
Why I buy vintage (with Levi’s 501s)
May 18th 2020The word ‘thrift’ is not used that commonly in the UK as a verb, or an adjective. People talk about thrift as a virtue, and indeed a spendthrift (which of course means the opposite). But it is rare to hear o...
Why I buy vintage (with Levi’s 501s)
The word ‘thrift’ is not used that commonly in the UK as a verb, or an adjective. People talk about thrift as a virtue, and indeed a spendthrift (which of course means the opposite). But it is rare to hear o...
Baseball cap, white jeans and Ivy: Pick and choose
March 4th 2020There are five elements I want to talk about in this outfit. Five. And I’ll take them all separately - because you can easily change one, or only like one. There’s no need to lift an outfit (or, give it the ...
Baseball cap, white jeans and Ivy: Pick and choose
There are five elements I want to talk about in this outfit. Five. And I’ll take them all separately - because you can easily change one, or only like one. There’s no need to lift an outfit (or, give it the ...
The Trench Coat with casual wear
September 13th 2019Over the past three years, Permanent Style has gradually covered more casual clothing in response to requests from readers. Guys want to know how to extend PS principles of quality, fit and simplicity to weekend clothing...
The Trench Coat with casual wear
Over the past three years, Permanent Style has gradually covered more casual clothing in response to requests from readers. Guys want to know how to extend PS principles of quality, fit and simplicity to weekend clothing...
Reader Qs
Video chat: How to build a wardrobe from scratch
June 26th 2020This is the third in our series of reader-question videos, with the subject this time being wardrobe building. Specifically: “I am building up a wardrobe from scratch. What do I buy first, and how much should I sp...
Video chat: How to build a wardrobe from scratch
This is the third in our series of reader-question videos, with the subject this time being wardrobe building. Specifically: “I am building up a wardrobe from scratch. What do I buy first, and how much should I sp...
Video chat: Going to a maker for the first time
May 25th 2020I’m not sure we really answered the question in this chat. The idea of each of these videos is to take a frequently asked reader question, and then tackle it from every angle. Here the question was: ‘I&rsquo...
Video chat: Going to a maker for the first time
I’m not sure we really answered the question in this chat. The idea of each of these videos is to take a frequently asked reader question, and then tackle it from every angle. Here the question was: ‘I&rsquo...
Clothing Resources: Places to clean, alter and repair
September 5th 2018One of the most frequent questions I get asked on the site is where I would recommend for getting suits altered - or knitwear repaired, or shoes resoled. I’ve been meaning to create a single page with all these rec...
Clothing Resources: Places to clean, alter and repair
One of the most frequent questions I get asked on the site is where I would recommend for getting suits altered - or knitwear repaired, or shoes resoled. I’ve been meaning to create a single page with all these rec...
Factory Visits
How cordovan is made, at Horween tannery, Chicago
December 6th 2019Why should you care about a factory visit? Why care what the place is like where something is made - compared to say, the quality of it or how to wear it? Does it matter whether the place is clean or dirty, old or new?...
How cordovan is made, at Horween tannery, Chicago
Why should you care about a factory visit? Why care what the place is like where something is made - compared to say, the quality of it or how to wear it? Does it matter whether the place is clean or dirty, old or new?...
Yves Salomon: re-using, remodelling fur
January 18th 2019Following our discussion before Christmas about waste in the clothing industry, I was interested to learn about the remodelling and re-use of fur at Yves Salomon. Yves Salomon is one of the best fur workshops in the worl...
Yves Salomon: re-using, remodelling fur
Following our discussion before Christmas about waste in the clothing industry, I was interested to learn about the remodelling and re-use of fur at Yves Salomon. Yves Salomon is one of the best fur workshops in the worl...
Frank Clegg, Fall River: Factory visit
January 2nd 2019It’s not hard to spot an old mill town. Mills were large buildings and needed lots of light. In Britain, this often came in through so-called sawtooth roofs: a zig-zag shape that allowed windows to be placed in the...
Frank Clegg, Fall River: Factory visit
It’s not hard to spot an old mill town. Mills were large buildings and needed lots of light. In Britain, this often came in through so-called sawtooth roofs: a zig-zag shape that allowed windows to be placed in the...
Active Threads
See all threads
Good to know and many thanks for taking the time to reply.
Stoffa made-to-measure trousers: Review
Read the commentsThe Armoury Model 7 in wool seersucker fits the bill nice for the unstructured jacket, especially in hot climates. Wish I had one.
The best cloth for unstructured jackets
Read the commentsHi Brad, Thanks, I'm so pleased. To be honest, I think this a price area where I'm going to struggle to make many effective recommendations. It's just not a market I know that well. Look at Berg & Berg too, though I suspect all of…
A complete capsule wardrobe
Read the commentsIt depends rather who they're using. Shipping with a courier from one country to another will nearly always cost around that. An issue is that people are used to free shipping now - even if that's just built into the price.
Espadrilles: Style, occasion, and brands
Read the commentsYes I would. Cream would be very useful too, but a bit bright. Dark brown would be great
The Guide to Linen
Read the commentsTo be fair, the wearing masks has become less about prevention and more about signaling. Based on what I’ve read, there MAY be some benefit to wearing masks indoors, particularly in confined environments. Since the cost of wearing masks indoors is low, I’m willing to…
Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home
Read the comments