Latest Post
Hang-Up Vintage (and repairs, and creations)
April 21st 2021There are surprisingly few good vintage shops in London. Despite the popularity of vintage clothing in recent years, there haven’t been high-profile stores here like Wooden Sleepers in New York, Le Vif in Paris or ...
Hang-Up Vintage (and repairs, and creations)
There are surprisingly few good vintage shops in London. Despite the popularity of vintage clothing in recent years, there haven’t been high-profile stores here like Wooden Sleepers in New York, Le Vif in Paris or ...
Latest Posts
The craft and eccentricity of 45R
April 19th 2021The 45R store in London is a little jewel on Brook Street, just round the corner from Fenwick’s, next to the far more imposing Issey Miyake. I can imagine Permanent Style readers being drawn in by the indigo textu...
The craft and eccentricity of 45R
The 45R store in London is a little jewel on Brook Street, just round the corner from Fenwick’s, next to the far more imposing Issey Miyake. I can imagine Permanent Style readers being drawn in by the indigo textu...
The Adret store: Full-blown beauty
April 16th 2021This is the first of three articles celebrating menswear stores in London, following our call to arms earlier in the week urging readers to support the shops they love. We’re starting with Adret, the achingly beaut...
The Adret store: Full-blown beauty
This is the first of three articles celebrating menswear stores in London, following our call to arms earlier in the week urging readers to support the shops they love. We’re starting with Adret, the achingly beaut...
Support our shops. At least the real ones
April 14th 2021It is genuinely important that - if you can - you visit a UK shop and support it now they’re open again. Why? Because good retail offers something distinct that could easily be lost. Let me explain the difference ...
Support our shops. At least the real ones
It is genuinely important that - if you can - you visit a UK shop and support it now they’re open again. Why? Because good retail offers something distinct that could easily be lost. Let me explain the difference ...
The custom-block service, from Optimo
April 12th 2021Over the past year or so, Optimo has been developing a unique bespoke hat programme, where a personal ‘block’ is made for each customer. Most Optimo hats are already made to order, so customers pick their fe...
The custom-block service, from Optimo
Over the past year or so, Optimo has been developing a unique bespoke hat programme, where a personal ‘block’ is made for each customer. Most Optimo hats are already made to order, so customers pick their fe...
Whitcomb & Shaftesbury RAF-blue suit: Style Breakdown
April 9th 2021Whitcomb & Shaftesbury have achieved great popularity in recent years because of their pricing. They offer one service where the majority of the suit is made in their Indian workshop, and as a result can offer a Sav...
Whitcomb & Shaftesbury RAF-blue suit: Style Breakdown
Whitcomb & Shaftesbury have achieved great popularity in recent years because of their pricing. They offer one service where the majority of the suit is made in their Indian workshop, and as a result can offer a Sav...
White jeans: how to buy, wash and wear
April 7th 2021White jeans are a classic example of menswear that has been damaged unreasonably by association. Unfortunately, they carry connotations of flash Mediterranean men, wearing their white jeans with a shirt unbuttoned to th...
White jeans: how to buy, wash and wear
White jeans are a classic example of menswear that has been damaged unreasonably by association. Unfortunately, they carry connotations of flash Mediterranean men, wearing their white jeans with a shirt unbuttoned to th...
These are the tools: you have to use them
April 5th 2021“Can I wear dark-brown shoes like these with a suit in my office? Do you think it would be appropriate?” The answer is, I don’t know. I don’t work in your office: I don’t know what the impli...
These are the tools: you have to use them
“Can I wear dark-brown shoes like these with a suit in my office? Do you think it would be appropriate?” The answer is, I don’t know. I don’t work in your office: I don’t know what the impli...
My journey in perfume
April 2nd 2021A couple of weeks ago I cleared out a lot of perfumes sitting in our bathroom cabinet. The cabinet is actually a tall, vintage piece, originally for a dining room. It has drawers in the bottom where we keep towels and s...
My journey in perfume
A couple of weeks ago I cleared out a lot of perfumes sitting in our bathroom cabinet. The cabinet is actually a tall, vintage piece, originally for a dining room. It has drawers in the bottom where we keep towels and s...
Saman Amel hand-framed cricket sweater: Review
March 31st 2021Last week we discussed the fit of knitwear, using the example of a vintage-styled Stoffa knit to look at the current vogue for shorter, wider cuts. This week we have an interesting contrast: another made-to-measure piec...
Saman Amel hand-framed cricket sweater: Review
Last week we discussed the fit of knitwear, using the example of a vintage-styled Stoffa knit to look at the current vogue for shorter, wider cuts. This week we have an interesting contrast: another made-to-measure piec...
My family
I am a 39-year-old father of three wonderful daughters. My family is without question the most joyful and important thing in my life. Why is this relevant to Permanent Style? Two reasons. First, this demographic is not...
Latest Posts Continued
How to wash and wear raw denim
March 26th 2021People get in a real muddle over raw denim. A reader commented a couple of weeks ago that he didn’t like it because ‘you’re never allowed to wash it’. Of course you can wash raw denim. You might ...
How to wash and wear raw denim
People get in a real muddle over raw denim. A reader commented a couple of weeks ago that he didn’t like it because ‘you’re never allowed to wash it’. Of course you can wash raw denim. You might ...
Introducing: The new PS Trench Coat
March 24th 2021I'm so, so excited to have this trench coat back and available again on the PS store. Why? Well primarily because I've been wearing it over the past few weeks, and I'd forgotten what an exciting design it is. That colla...
Introducing: The new PS Trench Coat
I'm so, so excited to have this trench coat back and available again on the PS store. Why? Well primarily because I've been wearing it over the past few weeks, and I'd forgotten what an exciting design it is. That colla...
Inside the Bresciani sock factory, Spirano
March 22nd 2021Following on from our recent article on Loro Piana, here is one more extract from my book The Finest Menswear in the World . It explains why Bresciani makes some of the finest socks – and importantly, what we mean ...
Inside the Bresciani sock factory, Spirano
Following on from our recent article on Loro Piana, here is one more extract from my book The Finest Menswear in the World . It explains why Bresciani makes some of the finest socks – and importantly, what we mean ...
Hats with coats: A sliding scale
March 19th 2021I’m often asked which hats work best with different types of coat. In fact, it often comes up at this time of year - I guess when unexpected showers are more of a hazard. The sliding scale of formality with hats is...
Hats with coats: A sliding scale
I’m often asked which hats work best with different types of coat. In fact, it often comes up at this time of year - I guess when unexpected showers are more of a hazard. The sliding scale of formality with hats is...
Review: Stoffa ribbed polo (and vintage knitwear cuts)
March 17th 2021Reviewing this jumper from Stoffa is a good opportunity to discuss the current trend of knitwear being cut shorter and wider, in something of a vintage style. The way knitwear is usually designed to work, the ribbing at...
Review: Stoffa ribbed polo (and vintage knitwear cuts)
Reviewing this jumper from Stoffa is a good opportunity to discuss the current trend of knitwear being cut shorter and wider, in something of a vintage style. The way knitwear is usually designed to work, the ribbing at...
Made-to-order umbrellas at Francesco Maglia
March 15th 2021When I visited the Francesco Maglia workshop in Milan last year, I ordered a bespoke umbrella. Why? Purely to deepen the experience of the visit. There's no other excuse really. I’m not such an unusual height that...
Made-to-order umbrellas at Francesco Maglia
When I visited the Francesco Maglia workshop in Milan last year, I ordered a bespoke umbrella. Why? Purely to deepen the experience of the visit. There's no other excuse really. I’m not such an unusual height that...
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Latest Posts Continued
My favourite outfits
March 12th 2021In our recent article ' Outfits that I got wrong', a reader commented that he would be interested in the opposite post. Not outfits I got right - hopefully there are lots of those - but ones I got the most right, or I li...
My favourite outfits
In our recent article ' Outfits that I got wrong', a reader commented that he would be interested in the opposite post. Not outfits I got right - hopefully there are lots of those - but ones I got the most right, or I li...
The (18) bespoke shoemakers I have known
March 10th 2021This article was originally written back in 2014. Back then I had tried seven bespoke shoemakers, and nothing in Japan. Seven years later, the number has more than doubled, and the spread is wider – also encom...
The (18) bespoke shoemakers I have known
This article was originally written back in 2014. Back then I had tried seven bespoke shoemakers, and nothing in Japan. Seven years later, the number has more than doubled, and the spread is wider – also encom...
Artisan of the Year: Whitcomb & Shaftesbury
March 8th 2021Best artisan 2021: Whitcomb & Shaftesbury I decided to give my Artisan of the Year award this year to Whitcomb & Shaftesbury because, looking back on recent commissions, they have so consistently delivered on q...
Artisan of the Year: Whitcomb & Shaftesbury
Best artisan 2021: Whitcomb & Shaftesbury I decided to give my Artisan of the Year award this year to Whitcomb & Shaftesbury because, looking back on recent commissions, they have so consistently delivered on q...
Do you care about packaging?
March 5th 2021A new customer over at the PS shop recently wrote an email to the support team that surprised me. In it he said he was ‘shocked’ that such luxurious products didn’t come in better packaging. He said he ...
Do you care about packaging?
A new customer over at the PS shop recently wrote an email to the support team that surprised me. In it he said he was ‘shocked’ that such luxurious products didn’t come in better packaging. He said he ...
Edward Sexton Offshore Bespoke suit: Review
March 3rd 2021This linen double-breasted suit was made by Edward Sexton under their Offshore Bespoke system. We previously covered the process, how it works and its pricing here. I was impressed by the results. It’s a very well-...
Edward Sexton Offshore Bespoke suit: Review
This linen double-breasted suit was made by Edward Sexton under their Offshore Bespoke system. We previously covered the process, how it works and its pricing here. I was impressed by the results. It’s a very well-...
Bemberg, cupro, ermezine: The guide to linings
March 1st 2021“And what lining would you like in the suit?” “Oh I don’t know, just something to match the cloth.” This is as far as most people go with selecting the lining of their jacket or suit. And w...
Bemberg, cupro, ermezine: The guide to linings
“And what lining would you like in the suit?” “Oh I don’t know, just something to match the cloth.” This is as far as most people go with selecting the lining of their jacket or suit. And w...
Pyjamas and working from home: Baudoin & Lange Lunes
February 26th 2021Best stay-at-home wear: Baudoin & Lange Runners-up: Luca Faloni, Sunspel PS readers voted Baudoin & Lange the best for ‘stay at home’ wear in 2021 Awards, principally based on their Sagans or Sagan ...
Pyjamas and working from home: Baudoin & Lange Lunes
Best stay-at-home wear: Baudoin & Lange Runners-up: Luca Faloni, Sunspel PS readers voted Baudoin & Lange the best for ‘stay at home’ wear in 2021 Awards, principally based on their Sagans or Sagan ...
Best e-commerce (and video) 2021: The Armoury
February 24th 2021Best e-commerce: The Armoury Runners-up: Mr Porter, Luca Faloni Mark Cho and I have been playing e-mail tag for a while. First he had to move the call, then I did, and when we finally connect, he’s in the back o...
Best e-commerce (and video) 2021: The Armoury
Best e-commerce: The Armoury Runners-up: Mr Porter, Luca Faloni Mark Cho and I have been playing e-mail tag for a while. First he had to move the call, then I did, and when we finally connect, he’s in the back o...
Why have these bespoke shoes aged so well?
February 22nd 2021What shoes do we still find ourselves wearing after 10 years, and why? I find this is mostly about making sensible, functional choices; then a little bit about quality and fit; and almost nothing to do with bevelled wai...
Why have these bespoke shoes aged so well?
What shoes do we still find ourselves wearing after 10 years, and why? I find this is mostly about making sensible, functional choices; then a little bit about quality and fit; and almost nothing to do with bevelled wai...
Outfits I got wrong
February 19th 2021Everyone gets stuff wrong. We all have outfits we look back on years later, and cringe. Fortunately, I believe this is something where you learn and progress. It is not a cycle of fashions, where every few years you wea...
Outfits I got wrong
Everyone gets stuff wrong. We all have outfits we look back on years later, and cringe. Fortunately, I believe this is something where you learn and progress. It is not a cycle of fashions, where every few years you wea...
Denim
Hang-Up Vintage (and repairs, and creations)
April 21st 2021There are surprisingly few good vintage shops in London. Despite the popularity of vintage clothing in recent years, there haven’t been high-profile stores here like Wooden Sleepers in New York, Le Vif in Paris or ...
Hang-Up Vintage (and repairs, and creations)
There are surprisingly few good vintage shops in London. Despite the popularity of vintage clothing in recent years, there haven’t been high-profile stores here like Wooden Sleepers in New York, Le Vif in Paris or ...
The craft and eccentricity of 45R
April 19th 2021The 45R store in London is a little jewel on Brook Street, just round the corner from Fenwick’s, next to the far more imposing Issey Miyake. I can imagine Permanent Style readers being drawn in by the indigo textu...
The craft and eccentricity of 45R
The 45R store in London is a little jewel on Brook Street, just round the corner from Fenwick’s, next to the far more imposing Issey Miyake. I can imagine Permanent Style readers being drawn in by the indigo textu...
White jeans: how to buy, wash and wear
April 7th 2021White jeans are a classic example of menswear that has been damaged unreasonably by association. Unfortunately, they carry connotations of flash Mediterranean men, wearing their white jeans with a shirt unbuttoned to th...
White jeans: how to buy, wash and wear
White jeans are a classic example of menswear that has been damaged unreasonably by association. Unfortunately, they carry connotations of flash Mediterranean men, wearing their white jeans with a shirt unbuttoned to th...
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
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Yes, personally I don't like worsted flannel. It loses all the characteristics of flannel that I like. If you live in warm weather, how about a high-twist wool? Nice texture as a result too
Cifonelli navy suit
Read the commentsHi Yash, I think you're right, yes, they are more refined, that's a nice way to put it. I can't say about comfort I'm afraid as I haven't worn them like that. On sizing, I'm an 8.5 and that's what I took. But they're certainly…
The craft and eccentricity of 45R
Read the commentsYes I would say quality is similar. Sleeves should be pretty much the same length on both
Introducing: The new PS Trench Coat
Read the commentsThanks Peter
Hang-Up Vintage (and repairs, and creations)
Read the commentsVery thoughtful post, Simon. Your points on the honing of style as one ages are, I suspect, true not just for clothing but also a myriad of other interests. I also have a website. Its niche realted to winter clothes. If anybody want to purchase…
Honing your style
Read the commentsPersonally, I think Rob’s way of adding an extra pleat to his trousers is inspired!
What is sprezzatura?
Read the comments