In this edition of our regular seasonal highlights we're doing things a little differently.
First, I'm including bespoke commissions for the first time. This is in response to a few readers asking what, if anything, I’m having made, and it makes sense to me because it gives a fuller picture of things I’m interested in or thinking of buying. It was always a little strange that previous articles didn’t include suits, shirts or jackets, or indeed cloth.
Second, we're starting to bring in contributions from other writers. I like this too in the way it broadens things out, adding brands I haven't experienced or haven't seen new things from. This time Manish contributes two entries, in the future it will likely be more.
1 Vittorio Salino jacket in Maison Hellard ‘Mildmay’
€2200 (fittings in Florence)
I saw this cloth at Pitti back in January, when Nathan Hellard did a little presentation of it (as well as other things, like his high-twist linen/wool). The collection it comes from, ‘Carnet de Voyage’, is composed of cloths designed in partnership with friends of his, and Mildmay was designed with Manish.
I really like the fact that this reads as a mid-brown biscuity linen with a bit of interesting texture, but close-up it has a clear pink yarn through it. (It’s a colour, I believe Nathan calls it ‘burgundy’, that you see in a few of the other cloths in the bunch.)
I’m having a jacket made in it by Vittorio Salino, following the success of the tweed jacket he made me last year. It will be a little slimmer from the start, this time.
2 Seersucker popover shirt from Jean-Manuel Moreau
€350
This isn’t a new cloth, but it’s a very summer-specific piece for me. The French shopowner Jean-Manuel Moreau has made me a couple of great MTM jackets and two popover shirts in the past. The latter have button-down collars, plackets that open low (to the buttoning point of a jacket) and straight hems. Those were in linen or linen/cotton (the navy linen is pictured above). Seeing a blue/white seersucker recently inspired me to get one in that material for this summer.
I think the mistake I made with the previous ones was having them cut too slim. It makes it difficult to get on, and shirts like this should be relaxed and a little blowsy really. I had the darts taken out of those old ones. With this new one I will have the body 2cm bigger than before, and the shoulders 1cm wider on each side.
3 Casatlantic 'Zagora' quarter-zip
£180
Size Medium
This is the piece that stood out to me from the latest Casatlantic collection, partly because I’m always looking for casual collared knits. I got it in navy and would highly recommend it.
I tried a woollen one before from them and the wool was a bit too scratchy. But this, while clearly not the kind of luxury material we usually cover, just feels like it has a thicker body to it, a toughness. I guess rather like workwear, you decide which pieces you like a finer version of and which you don’t.
The fit in a medium is good on me, close enough on the waist and roomy in the body. By contrast the polo shirts can be a little skimpy, and I usually size up in those. (Warning: since I wrote this entry a week ago, most sizes have sold out.)
£1250
Size 2
This is the perfect example of what I like at Connolly: a high quality, traditional piece of menswear with a subtly contemporary design. Even when I wouldn’t wear these kinds of pieces, I always recommend them to friends looking for that midpoint between ultra-traditional outfitter and big-name brand.
The Summer Mac has a wider sleeve than you’d get on more traditional clothing, the armhole lower and the shoulder rounder. It also has a slightly larger collar and is extremely lightweight. The colours are also perfect - a beige that isn’t too light or yellow, a navy that’s dark enough but also a touch richer than you might expect. Colour is another area that traditional outfitters (eg Cordings often fall down on for me).
The belt is deliberately plain and a little flimsy, but I would keep it tied behind the back anyway. I can rarely be bothered to belt something like this fully.
From £1550
The bespoke glasses Maison Bonnet made me a few years ago are easily the best frames I’ve had made. I don’t wear them as much as I used to, just because I wear glasses in general less, but they’re still worn every day when I get up and the fit and style are perfect.
One day I would like to have a pair of Bonnet sunglasses made, and great as the London store is, probably visit France to do it. The shot above is from a visit to their Parisian atelier a few years ago, and those designs have been at the back of my mind ever since. My favourite was the middle pair. Perhaps this summer is the one.
6 Bennett Winch tobacco-suede commuter
£1475
Tobacco is not an easy colour in suede bags - a bit like linen suiting, it can often be too orange or too bright. When Bennett Winch introduced a new tobacco-suede I was a little unsure, but it made a big difference when I saw it in person. The shade is perfect - very menswear, very ‘Polo’ suede - and it goes really well with the brass hardware and leather handles. The colour of the shoulder strap is slightly purpley, but I don’t use those.
Having had a black-canvas commuter from them from about six years, I can attest to the quality and how well the materials wear in. The leather handle has moulded to my hand, and it’s a pleasure to slip the one canvas side into the handle, before popping the two together.
7 Anglo-Italian wool/linen suits
£1450
Size 50
There’s an interesting trend at the moment of wool/linen mixes for suits, I think because brands and mills are exploring casual cloths that still have high performance. Loro Piana have introduced some, Maison Hellard has a range, and Anglo-Italian has developed its own exclusive version.
I’ve always said Anglo cloths are one of the best things about them, particularly their subtle, matte look, and these have a lovely handle too. I think they’ll suit readers that want something that rides that middle line between a sharp high-twist for business, and linen that is usually less formal or event-driven. My favourite is the Prince of Wales pictured. At the moment it’s only available in RTW tailoring.
£120
Size 43
I’ve done a complete U-turn on espadrilles. I wrote about the brands I liked a few years ago and rather dismissed Castaner for its slightly higher vamp and square toe. But I think I hadn’t tried them enough - and then because I only had them in a slightly too-bright blue.
I got another pair at the end of last summer from Trunk, in black, and now much prefer them to the others we’ve covered. They’ve lasted better, they look smarter, and the square toe feels refined. I am, of course, now absolutely certain this view will never change.
I still don’t like the pull tab or the coloured stitching on the back, but I cut the former off and the latter is a small point compared to the rest. By contrast, much as I love the idea, the AWMS ones have proved to be too fussy for me.
And now, two contributions from our very own Manish Puri:
9 Garmsville by Goral deck shoes
£245
9D
I'd been looking for a fuller and cleaner profile summer shoe - compared to my usual Moonstars, which are essentially a gym pump - when Jason Jules announced his new deck shoe made in collaboration with British shoemakers Goral.
The upside to Jason's involvement in a collab is often immediately apparent - elevated casual products, a sharp eye on details, and impeccable Ivy-inspired styling to guide.
However, I was less familiar with Goral. It turns out they have a strong reputation for quality, and the deck shoes marry the comfort of a sneaker with construction elements more commonly found on shoes and boots - chief among them the fact they're Blake stitched, which means they can be resoled by Goral (for £70, which covers replacement of the outsole, insole and laces). I also really like the leather lining, which Jason said helps maintain the shoe's original shape over time; in my experience it also wears away at the heel more slowly than a canvas equivalent.
10 Cahaya silk shirt with detachable collar
£410
Medium
Cahaya is a fairly new brand from Malaysian designer Rain Chan. Her first collection showcased pleated fabrics which, although undeniably beautiful and skilful, may be a little adventurous for PS readers - even so I remain particularly enamoured by the trench coat, with pleated lapels spread like banana leaves across the chest.
However in her latest release Rain has begun experimenting with non-pleated fabrics, which still satisfy her love of texture and tactility: seersucker, linen blends, and (my favourite) a slubby raw silk. A really interesting design feature of these new shirts is the option to detach the point collar to convert it to a band collar - which might be my preferred way to style it, along with a pair of nice trousers for a simple, chic outfit on a hot summer's night out.
The shirts are made to order (in 3-4 weeks) and also available in off-white (below, left) and brown. London readers can try them on at Cahaya's next pop-up at Old Sessions House (28th to 30th May).
