Sharp magazine interviewed me during a recent trip to Toronto, Canada and wrote up the nice piece above.
They were particularly interested in my wardrobe staples, and basic tips on dressing well.
You can read the full text on Sharp’s website here.
There was also a nice piece in Mr Magazine in the US, around an event there. That piece can be seen here.
Hi Simon,
One question regarding shirts. I have been acquiring some Kiton shirts recently (after reading your book and finding a compromise with the fit, as they fit slightly looser than my bespoke shirts).
The finishing of the Kiton shirts is simply the best I have handled (better than Borrelli, Finamore, Barba and Salvatore Piccolo in my opinion and much better of what my local shirtmaker can offer). My question is, it is possible to achieve this finishing with local neapolitan shirtmakers? (Thinking of Luca, D’Avino and Lombardi)
Looking forward to Naples city guide btw…
Thanks in advance!
Néstor
Hi
Yes, the Kiton finish is very good. Only the top-end shirtmakers can replicate that finish, but D’Avino certainly can. If anything I would say that D’Avino is slightly better (also cheaper, and of course bespoke…)
Simon
Good articles. Thanks also for the links – particularly like Sharp Magazine, good articles and worth returning to.
Simon,
Out of interest, do you have a so called “beater suit” that you wear in situations normally requiring more casual clothes? Alternatively, do you ever wear suits, though more to the casual end e.g flannel, for style reasons over proprietary of the situation? Thanks for the answer!
No, a Neapolitan tweed jacket and jeans would be the closest I’d come.
And on propriety, only at the margins. Propriety is still my main concern, but often you can wear flannel it is just slightly unusual, not inappropriate
Whats David Ward like Simon?
I haven’t seen him for years, but I can’t really recommend him given his cutting of my Huntsman tweed jacket (see posts on that)
Simon, thank you again for a simple, but effective post. If there is one mistake I have made since I started to rebuild my wardrobe, it is being too rushed; I would have saved so much pain – and a little money (!) – by just taking time and thinking more about my next piece. I encourage any of the younger readers here to do that: slow down. A tip for those – like me – who are less certain or less confident about how to pull things together: try that pullover in say a uniqlo before you spend on Smedley. Don’t try and convince yourself that the 2 are the same – they’re not, and neither would or should they ever be – but you can work out whether you like that dark red v-neck with your navy blazer, at a fraction of the cost. Once you’re comfortable, you upgrade the piece. Thank you again for your post. D
Dimos, couldn’t agree more! Once you start to learn about quality, it’s far too tempting to only ever buy the best, but it’s often much more sensible to try something cheaper out first and avoid a costly mistake