The Permanent Style awards 2025: Results
Three weeks ago, we ran our annual Permanent Style awards where you, lovely readers, voted for your favourite brands and favourite things. There were over 400 responses - on the article and on social - and I’ve produced some of the results below.
The category I was most interested in was ‘Favourite mainstream brand’ as this wasn’t something we had ever asked before. Obviously I also watched the ‘Favourite menswear brand’ results as that was always going to be the most popular, and the one most brands care about. I spoke to a few that were watching the votes as they came in.
The other three - best artisan, best product, best repair - I haven’t mentioned as there are too many individual results to summarise effectively. That requires reading the comments yourself - perhaps searching the page for your city or country, if you are interested in repairs recommendations.
Who is your favourite mainstream brand?
- Ralph Lauren - 82
- Uniqlo - 51
- Buck Mason - 12
- Sunspel - 10
- Crockett & Jones - 8
- Marks & Spencer - 7
- Lemaire - 6
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren crushed it here, but the results were not as positive as the numbers might suggest. If anything, I think they show the poverty of good mainstream brands, such that Ralph is now the default - the brand everyone thinks about - but few people actually buy it.
A typical response was: “I can’t think of any other menswear stores with so many locations. The styling is great. I think it’s very overpriced, though, and I don’t generally buy from it”. Another said: “Even if I don’t buy anything, the rigs in store always provide a little inspiration for me to bring home.”
When people did buy something, it often seemed to be vintage: “Availability at several price points, vast depth of styles, easily available on the secondhand market,” said one reader. So many started with this kind of praise, only to add caveats: “Incredible brand that produces some real gems (once one sorts through the chaff). Many of my favourite items of clothing are vintage Ralph Lauren”.
There were some small positives though. One reader said they thought RL had “gotten back to its roots” in the past two years, while another said they had found their shirts “have started to embrace more collar roll and Ivy style notes”.
Uniqlo
Ralph and Uniqlo really were by far the most mentioned, and I find it interesting that such different companies - in style, product, ownership, retail approach, marketing - can be so dominant. Why are there no other similar companies competing for the space?
The message from readers was just as consistent for Uniqlo as it was for Ralph Lauren - in this case it was: basics, basics, basics.
“Quality is decent for the price point, great basics.” “Dependable basics, also great for trying out new style/items for cheap before committing to higher-tier brands.” “Best affordable knitwear. Have several of their roll neck, merino V-necks, T-shirts etc.”
“We all must make embarrassing admissions from time to time, and this is mine: some of the best pieces I have come from Uniqlo. The dry hand, boxy fit, and beefy collar of the Uniqlo U cotton tees – delightful, I have six. The socks – the socks. And I’m unduly obsessed with the wide-fit Uniqlo U chinos.”
As soon as Uniqlo add some more design to their product - as with the Uniqlo U range - readers are interested in more than just basics. Although the socks do always get recommendations.
Buck Mason
If anyone is going to be the next big mainstream brand, it feels like it’s going to be Buck Mason. Names like J Crew get a mention, but only two or three times. Sid Mashburn gets less, and Todd Snyder only one.
It’s early days, but the comments about Buck Mason were almost universally positive. It feels like all the Buck Mason team needs is time to refine the offering and spread the word. The stores also get more mentions than almost any other brand.
“Accessible pricepoint, cool casualwear and a nice color palette. Also have had nothing but great in store experiences.” “They get my vote for mainstream brand – I like the combination of quality and affordable price. In addition, my experience shopping at their stores (both Boston and Brooklyn) was great. No high pressure tactics, but the associates still seemed both engaged and knowledgeable.”
Among other specific positives, readers mentioned the very wearable colour palette and the breadth of offering. The only negative was that some products came across better than others - also our experience. “I really like what Buck Mason are trying to do, but the few things I’ve tried haven’t quite worked for me in terms of fit and detailing,” said one reader.
Among the other brands in that category, it’s nice to see Sunspel ranking high - a sleeper brand in some ways, in that they do a lot of basics so lots of people wear it but it doesn’t get much hype.
Crockett’s is nice to have there too - and a reminder that they have 12 stores worldwide, so actually count as mainstream under our definition (10 stores or more).
Lemaire was a real surprise, and I’m putting it largely down to his design of the Uniqlo U line. I can see how the Lemaire aesthetic might appeal to the PS reader, but I would have thought someone like Studio Nicholson would be a better fit from a value point of view, and The Row (or of course Stoffa or Saman Amel) from a quality one.
Now, the best brand category…
Who is your favourite menswear brand?
- Rubato - 38
- Brycelands - 27
- Anglo-Italian - 25
- Drake’s - 14
- The Anthology - 12
- Iron Heart - 9
- The Real McCoy’s, Cordings, Anderson & Sheppard - 8
Rubato
On this list I’ll just focus on Rubato, as we’ve covered all the brands here so much over the years and there isn’t that much more to say.
The feedback on Rubato was surprisingly consistent in much the same way as on Ralph Lauren and Uniqlo - the thing PS readers like is the combination of quality and wearability.
“Maybe an unoriginal choice on PS, but I love the overall aesthetic, how things go together so easily, and, especially, the quality. Their chinos, shirts, etc. are expensive but feel like they will last a lifetime – like a combination of Japanese workwear ruggedness with a more refined look.”
“They seem to simply focus on making the best versions of clothing, it generally feels like a lot of thought has gone into every product. I was looking for a belt recently and hadn’t thought of Rubato at first, but when I did I saw they produce the best looking and best quality belts for a decent price IMO.”
It’s powerful combination this, that combination of taste level and quality. And unlike Buck Mason, which is more middle-of-the-road in its range, readers seem to like the Rubato take on more unusual colours and products: “The colour palette across their entire range of clothes is great (albeit some interesting colours in 2024).” “Got the varsity sweater recently – which strikes the perfect balance between modern and vintage.”
Among the other listings, I’m surprised that Bryceland’s (above) comes in just above Anglo-Italian (below), as I’m sure Anglo is worn by more people and they have more pieces - it’s just that kind of clothing. Drake’s is still up there, and appreciated, despite the flak it’s taken in recent years.
And Iron Heart is an interesting one. I’ve personally always preferred the McCoy’s pieces more, and had the impression that Iron Heart was a little too heavy and rugged in what it made. But coming this high makes me want to look again, and I know they have a UK operation that readers love.
As a general point for brands, it’s worth doing a search among the comments for your name, to pick up any feedback. I noticed one specific suggestion to Colhay’s about their website navigation, for instance.
Everyone else, I hope you enjoyed this year’s awards and found it interesting. Open to ideas about what we include next year.
Hi Simon, Interesting to see what feedback on Marks and Spencer. The quality at the price point for knitwear is excellent (although Uniqlo is still my favourite). I’ll do a search , but any standouts from your perspective?
Good to see Uniqlo up there and a very interesting point around trying out new styles, at a reasonable price. All very interesting.
Thanks
I thought this comment said it best on M&S: “They’re very fairly priced, and they’ve maintained the kind of aspirational aesthetic that used to be standard in Britain. They don’t pretend to be something they’re not. They are still the best brand for that most essential staples: underwear.”
There’s an interesting piece there on brands that deliver these basics well, which for a PS reader of course means not changing it all the time, being consistent, and having good customer service. That’s the kind of thing M&S or John Lewis should excel at
One thing that M&S and John Lewis do not excel at is customer service. In my local stores, there are no staff to help customers in the menswear departments. At busy times, there is usually someone monitoring the try-on cubicles because shoplifting has become a pandemic. However, such staff have no product knowledge whatsoever. If you have a question, they look at the website on their smartphone.
In John Lewis, the menswear tills are often staffed by women in hijabs whose English is basic. In M&S, there is only one staff member – on the returns desk. If you want to pay, the rude staff member tells you to use the self-service tills. If yoy want to pay cash, you are treated as a moronic nuisance. M&S’s call centre is in India and the staff are just order takers , alsowith no product knowledge.
My best local store for customer service is Fenwick’s. In every department, there are plenty of well-trained, knowledgable and polite staff who are eager to help you. It’s not surprising that it is busy and the neighbouring John Lewis is virtually empty.
Hey simon, I noticed the armoury didn’t get a mention. Why do you think thats the case? I also find myself desiring less of their products and haven’t even browsed their website site in ages.
It’s a good point Shem, I’m not sure. They still make great things, but perhaps there hasn’t been that much that’s that new, or perhaps styling that has felt as fresh? The latter always makes a difference, no matter how much people try to deny it
Hmm i must say their latest products havent been very inspired – stretch chinos and yoga wool slacks. But i also feel the clothing business is relatively cyclical even in the world of classic menswear and it can be challenging to remain relevant over a leng stretch?
That’s certainly true, yes Shem.
I am not surprised. Their merchandise is on the formal side, which might work well in Hong Kong/ Asia but probably does no longer appeal to quite as many readers in the west. The Anthology, who are quite similar in a way, have fresher, more interesting and especially more casual designs, plus they are somewhat cheaper, not by much but noticeable.
I just wish The Armoury had a presence in the UK/London. I believe this is unlikely to happen, however – I recall Mark Cho saying that London is his ‘escape’ and Drake’s keeps him busy enough.
Being as particular as I am about fit, style and so on, I always think thrice or more before purchasing from overseas, unless there is a very slick returns process (though I suppose that is factored into prices).
Me too. I feel like pre-Covid Drake’s was similar enough (albeit still different) but now Drake’s has diverged and the Armoury (even despite stretch waistband flannels) still has a core of classic menswear. I enjoy the Armoury’s YouTube channel but it’s a shame seeing some of the interesting jackets etc and knowing it would be overly difficult to obtain.
reading the surveys i thought there must be bots writing because uniqlo got so oft mentioned or people did not buy recently, maybe its just in europe thing but for me, most of there items are full of poly and elasthan and wierdly boxy fitting – yeah ok the socks are good – maybe I have to make a second look. Also if they have trousers which are 100% cotton the fit is not right for me – quality wise i remembered them as good but that was 2-3 years ago and since then i never saw 100% cotton jeans or trousers…
They do have some things like that, and they are worth trying. But keep in mind quite how cheap they are. Yes, they’re good value for that money, but you just can’t make that quality a product in natural materials so cheap – and even when you do there are often hidden treatments, as we discussed here
I agree totally. IIRC on that thread I lamented Uniqlo’s dropping of the old classics, e.g. regular fit chinos and selvedge jeans. Last summer, there were some 100% cotton trousers but they were either very baggy, slim or skinny fit or ankle length. Our town’s Marks & Spencer was much improved – Ivy styling, better quality, good value and lots of choice. – ideal for the thousands of local students.
Fair point, I just found in my experience that it’s best to stick to cotton items with Uniqlo. Sure, it’s not the best cotton shirts, accessories, or pants (denim included) that you’ll find, but it’s about the best value you can get and they do last for quite a while if you take good care of them. And as one commenter mentioned in the survey, it is a great way to try on a style before going all in – as I have with wide jeans and chino pants. In this case, the quality has held up so much that I find myself not needing, or frankly even, wanting to upgrade. I will enjoy them for as long as possible, then move up to higher tier brands if I still enjoy these styles at that time.
Btw, forgot to mention on previous comment, pleased to see The Real McCoys in there. My favourite amongst high end brands and usually a once/ twice a year considered purchase. Also Cordings, haven’t purchased from them for a few years, but were a regular for me before retirement!
Great piece!
Would be interesting a take and recommendations on the blog sphere since everything seems to have disappeared. Die workwear stopped posting, and many smaller blogs dissapeared altogether. They havent seem to have migrated to youtube or instagram meaningfully either… it makes me kind of sad because years ago there was a rich culture of menswear writers. Do you personally consume any menswear content?
Very little to be honest Fernando, but then I don’t need to so much because I get so much at source. Occasionally Ethan Wong’s blog, relatively regular checks on Instagram – though even there, I find I read that more like a blog these days, going to specific accounts I like (brands mentioned here) rather than relying on Instagram to show me what I want. They push video and worse, high-volume content too much
True a huge amount of blogs has gone,
For example GreyFox suspended blogging in Nov last year (I think he is still active on Instagram)
DieWorkWear hasn’t stopped posting just much more infrequent ( only 4-5 times a year), he is very active on twitter
Instagram is where a lot of people have gone to (according to a mate who is into clothes).
Grey Fox (David Evans) stopped blogging due to his concerns about “over-consumption” – https://www.greyfoxblog.com/2024/11/whats-happening-to-grey-fox-blog.html – but he is still “collaborating” with Cordings! His blog posts had been irregular a long time before he finally gave up. David lives round the corner from me. Ironically, he is usually wearing casual clothes (anorak, denim jeans and trainers) rather than anything from Cordings when I see him.
In fairness to Derek Guy, a lot of his tweets are really long, blog-style posts in and of themselves. These days, his blog gets updated with “Excited to Wear” posts twice a year, and a few other bits in between. ThreadReader website has a load of his tweets aggregated so that you don’t have to navigate to Twitter to read them.
Simon
Are you surprised at the absence of John Smedley as it ticks all the Permanent Style boxes? I guess they don’t have enough standing alone stores.
Regards
Yes that might be a factor. I also think that for one-category brands like that, they’re never going to have such high awareness – one year three or four people might bring them up, but another none might
I must admit I was dithering on this, not sure about the repair question etc, but am very interested in the results.
I would have said Ralph Lauren definitely for mainstream brand, but as noted it is mainly for inspiration rather than my first choice to spend money. (Although I do actually buy quite regularly, just not for tailoring).
Interesting to see Buck Mason in the list, I visited their stores for the first time in LA last summer (the Hancock Park store was lovely) and I did make a purchase. Great colours and nice to see slightly more formal clothes making a come back in the US, perhaps?
Pleased to see Anglo Italian did well again too, I have been a fan and client pretty much since they opened. Also, Drake’s, I have a lot of their ties…
And I have been buying C&J shoes almost without deviation since the early 1990s!
I used to use Uniqlo for a lot of basics but they’ve got rid of their vintage style chinos and regular fit 100% cotton selvedge jeans. Now it is pretty much only the UU tees. Their website redesign is also horrible.
Ralph Lauren is good but crazily expensive . Just look at his Purple range.
Uniqlo ticks all the boxes because it excels at its price point . Ok, sometimes the fit is too loose but for the price point whose complaining .
I was a big fan of Incotex trousers from various London stores but cotton trousers , even on heavy discount , at over £150 !
Whilst we all love brands mentioned on PS the truth is many just seem beyond shoppers budgets .
Great survey .
Nice to see my M&S smalls now have a “PS Approved” stamp on them!
That’s extra Matt. We’ll sell them in the shop soon (stamps that is, not M&S undies)
The problem with ”mainstream brands” is – as you well know – that they often just buy Chinese products and smack their logo on. So it’s the same things over and over. Any company who really designs their clothes rather than just buying them from a Chinese catalog will stand out. There are a couple of companies who still does that, but Ralph Lauren leads that race.
Slightly surprised to see Iron Heart scoring highly. I don’t mean that in a negative way but more that it’s a brand I don’t see mentioned here much. Definitely a more rugged look than a lot of the other Japanese denim brands but certainly built to last.
Not so surprising for me. Iron Heart has great service in Germany and quite a few dealers who push them. The same appears to be the case in the UK.
The reason I do not buy their products is that they have their logo everywhere, small, low key and it can probably be cut off, but still.
Dear Simon. Would it be worth you doing a piece on Iron Heart, given the prominence in this reader survey?
Yes I think so
One dimension I think is relevant to consider on the Best Menswear Brand is availability of a physical store to where most readers are. Brands like Anglo Italian, Brycelands, and Drake will slightly benefit a bit from the fact that they have physical stores in
Would be interest to see how the votes change by reader’s demographic characteristics (e.g. age, country of residence, job) , but I guess this is just me needing out hahahaha
I agree with this, and suspect there’s also a geographical component to it. I know for myself I tend to prioritize:
1) Shops/artisans I can visit in greater Boston. Andover Shop are a recent discovery thanks to a reader comment on one of Simon’s posts, and Whitcomb & Shaftesbury, to name just one example, do trunk shows in Boston.
2) Shops/artisans I can visit in New York. The Armoury. Drake’s. Thom Sweeney. And of course the plethora of artisans who do trunk shows here.
3) Shops/artisans I can visit in London, which I have family and personal reasons to travel to.
4) Shops/artisans I have to travel to Italy, or elsewhere in Europe, to visit. For me there’s a higher barrier to doing this than travelling to the UK.
5) Shops/artisans I have to travel to Asia to visit. I have never done this, and likely won’t unless I happen to be there for some other reason and it’s an easy side trip.
Exactly, Steven
I don’t know PS readers distribution by country, but I remember Simon mentioning it to be concentrated in US and UK, which should contribute to some brands (e.g. Ralph Lauren) getting more emphasis than others
Of course, the data available doesn’t allow for a more in-depth analysis given that the votes are given through unstructured text (in the sense that they are not tabular), and also one doesn’t have the information about the commenter to do an analysis of P(vote | commenter’s country, brand’s country).
But I believe that Rubato taking such a high rank is a good sign, since they are strictly online. The Anthology is also a worth mention, since most readers are not (AFAIK) Hong Kong or Taiwan based, and so readers have a harder access to the store and face greater friction one it comes to purchasing an item with risk of getting un-refundable tax costs (one reason I stopped buying from Marrkt)
Other stores would also not be mentioned if there are very few readers (e.g. Jean Manuel Moreau is great, but I imagine to be few Parisian readers here in PS)
I wish I could experience the greatness of Rubato so so bad, but unfortunately even their largest sizes fall short of fitting me. Meeting Oliver at the NYC popup in October, I see we’re just about the same height, I just happen to have more than usual meat on my bones LOL. Oliver and Carl, if you see this, please just add a XXXL pattern for the lambswool knitwear, I promise I’ll get every color possible haha
Iron Heart’s N1 deck jacket is fantastic, I have a melton wool cowboy shirt (can be spring / autumn outer wear or layering) and while their 21 oz jeans take a lot of breaking in, they’re great, as our their 14 oz. Their UK customer service is fantastic. Nothing but positive experiences with Iron Heart. (Sizing is to be watched as its Japanese sizing)
Regarding Iron Heart sizing, they give more specific measurements on every item of clothing than any other online retailer that I know. Sizes also go from XS to XXXXL and waist sizing from 28 to 44 so most should find something that works for them.
The only potential negative for some is that their sleeve lengths are particularly long, but brilliant for me as I’m 6’5” !
It’s nice to see Anglo-Italian do well. They have really remained true to their aesthetic and have such a great team – I wish them every success !
I’ve never even heard of Rubato
The results were very interesting, and I think you summed it up nicely. That for the most part, large brands are just not that great now, so RL gets the trophy almost by default. So much of what is good, is coming from smaller independent brands.
Do you think the results also reflect this blog as a whole? Like this is the best brands for PS readers? But the result could vary a lot if say Put This On ran something like this?
I also dont think another blog could get this much traction on a survey. You do such a good job with frequency, interesting content, and interacting with readers.
Thank you Zak.
Yes it’s definitely driven by the readership – I’m sure others would not be so fussy about value on the RL stock, for example
Maybe someone else knows, but why has Drakes taken some flak in the recent years? I might have just missed this (all I can think of is the price point being high)
Hi Daniel – my guess is that there’s been a combination of factors. The brand’s range has expanded quite a lot so they’re doing more, and potentially lost a bit of the clarity of look they had a few years back. I’d say there’s also been more of an extreme high / low Ivy look being put out that’s actually quite hard to wear (imho) outside the bubble. Last and by no means least, some of the collab pieces have seemed very fashion-ey (e.g. the St John’s stuff is a bit strange for me).
The counter to all of that is that if you find something you like from them and don’t go full look book then a lot of their stuff is still fantastic. Their London shop has always been staffed by a really enthusiastic and friendly group of people as well – which can just leave you with the price being a little high.
I’d still have them right up there as a brand – more so than Ralph.
Hi Daniel, yes it’s the high prices but it’s also the product you get for that money. About 12 years ago they collaborated with St Crispins, now it wouldn’t surprise me if their next shoes collab was with Clarke’s.
The Belvest made tailoring has largely been replaced by inferior makers but the price has increased dramatically.
They appear content to put profit ahead of product, I am aware companies like Drake’s need to make a profit but they just seem to have cheapend out on their manufacturing partners in recent years.
I was wondering the same thing!
To me the feeling is that Drake’s quality has “fallen off” slightly over the past few years (jeans made in Portugal vs London, half canvassing in the tailoring, etc) and begun using their sample sales as a sort of biannual outlet sale. That along with their overall shift in styling away from tailoring probably has something to do with it.
+1 was intrigued by this – although being in the US their prices are a bit mad here.
Curious as well, I’m out of the loop on that one
I guess most of it has to do with the prices rising and at the same time the lifestyle aspect of the brand is rising. E.g. the editorials on food and drinking. I really love some of their stuff (especially the more basic pieces) but justifying their price is not easy. I really love the shirts for example I think they are among the best ready to wear ocbds but at approaching 300€ I‘m so out! Could get almost three MTM shirts for that and they are at 80-90% of what the Drake‘s shirts are…
I used to buy their ties which I like quite a bit,
but since it‘s less and less acceptable to wear ties in the office I don’t really new new ones. Perhaps these days it‘s a proper suit and tie once every eight weeks. I do occasionally wear ties with Oxfords under sweaters but even this is a look which gets too much attention. You don‘t want to be that guy.
Everything else Drake‘s sells I find either completely unwearable — oddly color blocked Rugby shirts, loud fleecy sweaters, nice but very expensive for what they are corduroy suits, even more expensive knitwear that I can also buy directly from the factory that makes them at half the price and soon.
I can appreciate Drake‘s loudness is a very very specific high/low look that they seem to deliberately go for but it‘s simply not something I find stylish or practical. And I doubt it‘s really wearable for anyone outside of three street blocks in Korea, London etc
I know they’re a little narrower in the hem than you usually go for, but I think Ironheart’s 12oz chinos tick a lot of boxes. The cloth is lovely and I can’t fault the make. I haven’t used it, but I’ve read that their repair service is good. There’s a lot to like here.
Just to weigh in on Lemaire as someone who voted for them… its marginal gains but for my money the design is just that little bit better compared to studio nicholson (though I do also like what they do). The colours are that touch more interesting in person, the cut that bit more elegant and classy. Although its marginal we are all here because we care about those margins, and it piqued it for me. I haven’t tried Stoffa, though it looks good its a touch more classic menswear for me than lemaire or SN.
Interesting, thank you Alex
Simon I’m surprised by your surprise at Lemaire receiving votes (although only 6) for best mainstream brand. Especially when your suggested alternatives (Studio Nicholson – 3, The Row – 4, Saman Amel – 2, Stoffa – 1) don’t come close to qualifying by your definition of ‘mainstream’.
Lemaire is well designed, has its own distinct style, is consistent and influential, and hasn’t jacked up it’s prices to nearly the same extent as many other luxury brands. The Business of Fashion article & interview from a couple of weeks ago gives a decent insight into its popularity.
Thanks Stamos. You’re right on the mainstream point – I wasn’t saying those brands should fit in that category, just that I’m surprised PS readers like Lemaire that much rather than those alternatives.
I do like the designs at Lemaire, but they are definitely fashion prices and the quality isn’t that high from what I’ve seen. Design is its own thing of course, but for quality you’d get more from The Row, Saman and Stoffa, and I think better value from Nicholson myself
im not surprised Uniqlo got a mention but I must say it’s no where near as good as it once was. I’m not a fan anymore. Everything seems to come with a polyester stretch now. Bring back the original Uniqlo
I was surprised, as it’s below the level covered by PS.
Kind of strange to see Anglo Italian here, not very impressed by anything they do personally. Color palette is always the same (generic and conservative) and the garments are very 2 dimensional. I suppose it fits well for men who need a daily uniform in the banking world. But there isn’t much style driven focus. I pop into their store often and it always looks disheveled and unkept.
Uniqlo is no surprise as a high vote getter. I have a few fleece jackets from them. I find the styling blends very well with much more precious items I have like vintage British and Norwegian sweaters going back to the ’50s and ’60s.
Completely slipped my mind to vote but pleased to see Rubato come top as they would have been my choice! Like probably a lot of men these days, I work in an environment that doesn’t require tailoring and, while I love it, a look that feels like a mix of casual yet elegant is more appropriate. Rubato have nailed that aesthetic and I’d wear pretty much everything they currently sell.
Also love The Anthology, as have had a great experience with their MTO shirts – not to mention their terrific and friendly online customer service. But I’d echo what one or two commenters have said: I’m DESPERATE to get their grey herringbone sports jacket but am unclear on sizing, and being in the UK, can’t take the risk on an incorrect order on a big ticket item from Hong Kong. Wasn’t able to get an appt at their upcoming London trunk show so am a bit stuck. So this is a plea if possible to give them a slot at an upcoming PS pop-up, and for them to bring sample sizes in their jackets – I’d buy one in a heartbeat if I knew my size!
Hi Simon, what do you think the next chapter for Ralph Lauren (the brand) could look like?
God, very hard to say Felix, it entirely depends on what the internal management thinks – and probably silly things like how successful it is selling an ‘it’ handbag.
It’s crazy how much things like that can drive the financials of a fashion company these days, and when there’s more money around, it tends to be when brands launch interesting things like RRL for instance, or are happy that Purple Label makes no money
Thank you very much for your view Simon. It remains to be seen whether (in a time after Ralph) the company will remain independent or be brought under the wing of one of the (usual) luxury conglomerates. Even though this might entail a huge transformation, especially on the distribution side (i.e. bringing them in line with the industry’s “no wholesale” approach), it could revive the brand and hopefully also increase quality (for Polo) again. We will see!
Thanks Felix. Why do you think it would revive the brand or increase quality, out of interest? Most of the conglomerates seem to have the opposite effect on brands they buy, in my experience. Certainly ones like Arnys/Berluti that they tried to make into a luxury menswear brand, or the continued commercial pressure that Dunhill has been under for years
It is more hope than certainty – last year I got offered a pair of Polo pyjamas with a “keep away from fire” label sewn into it….
So. Finally that one luxury conglomerate is buying it. Will it excel like one of their luxury purchases like Loro Piana?
Hi Simon,
Great read as always! I am curious about the Drake’s flack you mentioned. Are you able to share more about that? I just found out about Drake’s in the last year or so and have been enjoying the pieces I’ve been able to get my hands on, so I was curious about this historical context I seem to be missing.
Thank you!
Hey Toby – have you seen the other comments about it here? Readers explain the issues pretty well
I see them now and yes; very detailed answer to my question. Thank you!
An interesting read. Honoured that my quote on Rubato made it into the article!
Also, agree on Iron Heart. It’s strange how small differences (maybe even just the logo, as has been mentioned elsewhere in the comments) change the overall vibe compared to TRM – more Vans, denim with fades and big turn-ups, etc.
Anyway, from a personal point of view, the list confirms I’m either a man of impeccable taste or an undeniable menswear sheep…
Simon – I’d love to see an article discussing your thoughts on The Row. I somewhat snobbishly dismissed it at first given its provenance but have been impressed with what I’ve seen so far, and given your comment here I take it you are too. Would love to read more about your take on them.
Sure DF, happy to
The Row is insteresting. I find I draw more inspiration from their womens line than their mens line, although the latter can be good too. I’d also like to read a piece on it.
Huge congrats to Oliver and Carl, very well deserved. I sadly can’t fit into their clothes myself, but I’m a big fan nonetheless.
The survey results are interesting. However the 400 surveys returned is an extremely small sample of the 1 million PS readership; 10000 would be 1%; so perhaps these results are viewed best as anecdotes, rather than for conclusions or analysis.
The readership is actually 2 million every year Randy! But that’s across the whole year remember – the stats say just over 20,000 people read that post
Like many, I’m impressed by Rubato. But am I the only one who finds them expensive?
Hi simon glad to see uniqlo somewhat on the list. Being a Japanese brand, i find their taste level high and their colors very wearable and conservative. The amazing thing is how uniqlo manages to improve on their products while keeping costs low/same over the years. Their recent release of a knit polo shirt has all tbe menswear details of a deep placket, ribbed hems and shorter length for a very very cheap price. The fabric while cotton and nylon mix wears arguably cooler and more comfortable than those from other menswear brands. I realise over many years of my menswear journey that it pays to be open minded and to embrace value where it’s at. Many years ago i snobbishly shunned unilqo and exclusively bought from anglo, drakes, armoury etc but i havent bought from them for many years. I think shirts/knits/pants can be had at a fraction of the cost through cheaper brands like uniqlo/vintage. The area one needs to save and spend a little more on is tailoring and shoes and you’ve set.
I expect you are aware of the connection between UniqLo and the very ‘influential’ “Take Ivy”. A very interesting and wonderful phenomenon!
I was curious as people talk about great basics from different brands and living in the English countryside Wellington boots are quite the staple piece.
Simon, have you considered doing a write up on Wellington boots? I hope you do (please).
Not really to be honest Joel. Unless wearing them as a real fashion thing, I would imagine the practicality is more limited to working in quite deep mud or rain etc? I would think I’d always wear a work boot instead, or a proper hiking boot if I was walking