Latest Post
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 ...
Latest Posts
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 &...
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...
Latest Posts Continued
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...
The unexpected inspiration of Ralph Lauren womenswear
May 4th 2020Something that I find often surprises readers is how much the brands they admire are influenced by womenswear. It’s a topic we discussed briefly with Saman Amel last year, with Dag and Saman talking about old coll...
The unexpected inspiration of Ralph Lauren womenswear
Something that I find often surprises readers is how much the brands they admire are influenced by womenswear. It’s a topic we discussed briefly with Saman Amel last year, with Dag and Saman talking about old coll...
Panico flannel suit: Style breakdown
May 1st 2020(The book version of this series is going to press now, and will be out in a couple of months. It will feature extra content and tailors not included online. More on that soon.) Sartoria Panico is known as one of the...
Panico flannel suit: Style breakdown
(The book version of this series is going to press now, and will be out in a couple of months. It will feature extra content and tailors not included online. More on that soon.) Sartoria Panico is known as one of the...
Why I rarely wear a pocket square today
April 29th 2020The pocket square, or handkerchief, is an interesting indicator of how dapper clothing has trended in the past 15 years. Broadly speaking, the late 1990s were all about business casual and the dotcom boom. Silicon Valle...
Why I rarely wear a pocket square today
The pocket square, or handkerchief, is an interesting indicator of how dapper clothing has trended in the past 15 years. Broadly speaking, the late 1990s were all about business casual and the dotcom boom. Silicon Valle...
Benson & Clegg bespoke – and George VI’...
April 27th 2020Benson & Clegg is not a button shop. I didn’t realise until I went in, earlier this year, quite how much it has gained that reputation. It's partly a result of their own good promotion over the years, but perh...
Benson & Clegg bespoke – and George VI’...
Benson & Clegg is not a button shop. I didn’t realise until I went in, earlier this year, quite how much it has gained that reputation. It's partly a result of their own good promotion over the years, but perh...
Instagram Stories
Click on an image to enlarge. See and interact with all Instagram stories @PermanentStyleLondon
Latest Posts Continued
Video: Comfort vs style in the fit of a suit
April 24th 2020Here is the final video in our series on how a jacket should fit. The first looked at the basics of fit, while the second was on the length of a suit jacket. In this third one, we look at how much the fit of a suit is a ...
Video: Comfort vs style in the fit of a suit
Here is the final video in our series on how a jacket should fit. The first looked at the basics of fit, while the second was on the length of a suit jacket. In this third one, we look at how much the fit of a suit is a ...
Orazio Luciano made-to-measure jacket: Review
April 22nd 2020[Correction: This piece originally stated that the jacket did not have a hand-padded lapel. It does, and this has now been added below.] This pink corduroy jacket was made for me by Orazio Luciano, over a period of six m...
Orazio Luciano made-to-measure jacket: Review
[Correction: This piece originally stated that the jacket did not have a hand-padded lapel. It does, and this has now been added below.] This pink corduroy jacket was made for me by Orazio Luciano, over a period of six m...
Shoes in wet weather: The best ways to prevent rain damage
April 20th 2020Last month I wrote a fairly comprehensive piece on the ways to deal with rain damage on shoes, when it happens. In this article, I’ll outline the best ways to prevent that damage happening in the first place - bot...
Shoes in wet weather: The best ways to prevent rain damage
Last month I wrote a fairly comprehensive piece on the ways to deal with rain damage on shoes, when it happens. In this article, I’ll outline the best ways to prevent that damage happening in the first place - bot...
Yohei Fukuda bespoke shoes: Review
April 17th 2020As mentioned in my recent article on Yohei Fukuda, I ordered a pair of bespoke shoes from him last year, when I was in Tokyo. However, I opted for bespoke without a fitting. Why? Well, at the moment I seem to be gettin...
Yohei Fukuda bespoke shoes: Review
As mentioned in my recent article on Yohei Fukuda, I ordered a pair of bespoke shoes from him last year, when I was in Tokyo. However, I opted for bespoke without a fitting. Why? Well, at the moment I seem to be gettin...
Don your highborn cloak: Ralph Lauren, saviour?
April 15th 2020I recently finished reading In His Own Fashion , the official biography of Ralph Lauren, which Alan Flusser kindly gave me last year. I’d recommend it to anyone - it’s both interesting as a history of fashio...
Don your highborn cloak: Ralph Lauren, saviour?
I recently finished reading In His Own Fashion , the official biography of Ralph Lauren, which Alan Flusser kindly gave me last year. I’d recommend it to anyone - it’s both interesting as a history of fashio...
The hats of author Ned Brown
April 13th 2020In our recent article on Wellema , much of the conversation in the comments centred around the relevance and wearability of hats today. So I thought it would be interesting to look into the habits and collection of a re...
The hats of author Ned Brown
In our recent article on Wellema , much of the conversation in the comments centred around the relevance and wearability of hats today. So I thought it would be interesting to look into the habits and collection of a re...
Three things I've bought on lockdown - and why
April 10th 2020Although my purchasing has certainly slowed in recent weeks, I have continued to buy things that seemed practical, or which I wanted to try in order to cover on Permanent Style. Time at home means burrowing into your cl...
Three things I've bought on lockdown - and why
Although my purchasing has certainly slowed in recent weeks, I have continued to buy things that seemed practical, or which I wanted to try in order to cover on Permanent Style. Time at home means burrowing into your cl...
Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style
April 8th 2020OK, so. Friend and photographer Jamie Ferguson has been locked up indoors for weeks, as we all have. And he’s gone a bit stir crazy. We had started talking a while ago about shoots we could do remotely. Perhaps ...
Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style
OK, so. Friend and photographer Jamie Ferguson has been locked up indoors for weeks, as we all have. And he’s gone a bit stir crazy. We had started talking a while ago about shoots we could do remotely. Perhaps ...
Wellema bespoke felt hat: Review
April 6th 2020This is my first hat from Cody Wellema, the LA-based craftsman that we covered the background on a couple of weeks ago. A hat from Cody is an investment - something that is truly made to last for years, and to be cleaned...
Wellema bespoke felt hat: Review
This is my first hat from Cody Wellema, the LA-based craftsman that we covered the background on a couple of weeks ago. A hat from Cody is an investment - something that is truly made to last for years, and to be cleaned...
How I store my clothes
April 3rd 2020Being at home more has given me time to write about something readers frequently ask about: how I store my clothes. The short answer is, with difficulty, particularly given how much I care about looking after them. Tailo...
How I store my clothes
Being at home more has given me time to write about something readers frequently ask about: how I store my clothes. The short answer is, with difficulty, particularly given how much I care about looking after them. Tailo...
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: 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...
Do I need black shoes (and if so, which?) – Reader...
August 6th 2015As with many reader questions, this one evolved over several email messages back and forth. I know Joel won’t mind if I restructure that exchange into a conversation, in order to put the inquiries in the right ord...
Do I need black shoes (and if so, which?) – Reader...
As with many reader questions, this one evolved over several email messages back and forth. I know Joel won’t mind if I restructure that exchange into a conversation, in order to put the inquiries in the right ord...
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
Really useful feedback on the cardigan, thanks Tim
Introducing: The Finest Cardigan
Read the commentsOh good, that's so nice to hear. It will be later on the year. Not sure exactly when yet, as mills and factories are still not running at full capacity
What I pack when I travel
Read the commentsSorry, Steven Hitchcock
The (55) bespoke tailors I have known
Read the commentsI haven't noticed mine to be any hotter than a normal welted suede loafer, no. If you've got bear ankles, that's 10 times as important. You will find them stiff though, at least for a while. And need invisible socks.
Interview: John Happ of Alden, and the danger of fashion
Read the commentsThis is a very interesting topic indeed. One thing I always find is how much more luxurious fabrics look on women. Naturally a silk blouse looks nicer than a cotton mens shirt, but even with stuff like linen trousers, they just seem more luxe on…
The unexpected inspiration of Ralph Lauren womenswear
Read the commentsThanks. I'd be interested in how the trousers work - that would be the piece I'd worry about on its own. In terms of look, keeping a crease, and longevity
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
Read the comments