(Last month, my teenage daughter Lily was doing work experience here at PS. One of the tasks we gave her was to write an article that she thought readers might like. Here it is.)

By Lily Crompton

Having a Dad like mine provided its fair share of fun when I was little. Like, figuring out what these things were:

Or what we could make these things into:

Or getting scared in the night by a hundred damp socks hanging up like snakeskins. 

Occasionally, I’d don some vast cowboy boots over my pajamas, or have a heart-to-heart with the mannequin. But none of my Dad’s stuff ever seriously appealed to me. 

These days, though, I’ve realised that many of the things I use and love day to day have been pilfered from him, or received as very thoughtful gifts from him. Either way I have this blog to thank. 

So here is a love letter to my favourite loot from the menswear world. (My dad will add the technical bits and show you where to look if you like them.)

Sunspel indigo-dyed T-shirt

Indigo is definitely my favourite colour. To me it is the colour of ink, of the sea, of magic. It is ordinary yet infinitely mysterious. You could get lost in indigo’s depths.

So I really like the colour,but it’s not the only reason I get excited for this T-shirt to come out of the wash. I also love the shape – longish, with short sleeves; and the material – cool and thin, but not see-through. I like doing yoga so it is ideal to have a very cool T-shirt, and one that is long enough to tuck into shorts securely while doing downward dog. 

Simon’s comments: This was from a special edition Sunspel did years ago, which also included a version dyed in woad (emphasising the English angle there). The woad was discontinued sadly, but fortunately the indigo version remains.

Campbell’s of Beauly Fairisle crew jumper

This is my favourite item of clothing, partly because of my associations with it. When my Dad got back from a trip to Scotland, where he visited Campbell’s of Beauly, he showed us photos of wild, muted landscapes, uninterrupted and vast. Every time I put this jumper on, I feel a thin layer of that wild-ness surrounding me. 

Just today, I also read the blog post on Campbell’s and am even more happy to own this jumper! It’s so nice to know that the people who made it were preserving a tradition they really cared about.

I think my Dad said something about the special way this was knitted, but I can’t remember (sorry). In any case it has a very nice shape, slightly balloon-y but tighter at the hems; and not scratchy at all.

Simon’s comments: I think I referred to traditional Fairisle patterns, but this is a great piece, great value, and still available on the Campbell’s site. Her sister got one of the Fairisle headbands, which also went down well. Surprisingly so - that was my best gift giving ever

Anonymous Ism knitted socks

I love these socks because wearing them feels like your feet are being given a hug. They have ribbing around the arch of the foot, which does the hugging part. I’ve never seen other socks with that. 

They also have a very large knit (is that the word?) so when you walk around with them your feet get a sort of massage from the ridges. It’s really nice, trust me. 

Simon’s comments: These were from Trunk, a chunky knit in a nice Donegal-type pattern. Unfortunately Anonymous Ism changes all the time and I can’t see these available now anywhere 

Kaweco brass fountain pen

This Kaweco fountain pen is my absolute prized possession. I have been a stationery enthusiast for a long time, but hadn’t heard of Kaweco until my Dad got me this pen for my birthday about four years ago. 

It is brass, so tarnishes as you use it, which is one of the things I love most about it. In fact at first I disliked the tarnishing, but now agree with my Dad that the best objects can stand regular use but show their use too. When I briefly lost this pen I was very very sad (although I did find it eventually). With it, I had lost a precious record of the time I’d spent writing. 

As for the actual experience, the ink flows smoothly, never blots or stops. (My favourite ink colour so far is Midnight Blue from Kaweco). I’m always horrified when I try writing with other pens, and run quickly back to this one. 

For a long time I didn’t use this pen at school for fear of attracting attention. When most people forget to bring a pen altogether you can look a little conspicuous refilling your ink cartridge. But eventually the longing for this brass beauty overcame me and my essays have been Midnight Blue ever since. 

Simon’s comments: These are widely available and really are lovely. They write more smoothly than some of the most expensive nibs. 

Margaret Howell black beret

I love berets. I only have two but I love them.

One reason for this is an episode of Duolingo French Podcast I listened to about berets. I found the story of the beret so cool! Even if you’re not learning French there’s an English transcript you can read and I would really recommend doing so (especially if you like clothes, which I’ve heard some of you might). In short, though, the beret was originally a large floppy hat made by French shepherds using wool from their sheep. It then shrunk once rained on, making it dense and waterproof. 

The podcast was an interview with a woman who hand-embroiders berets, wanting to bring them back into fashion. I have since been slightly obsessed with berets, especially embroidered ones. I love doing embroidery so one day I’ll hopefully make my own! For now I love this classic black one from Margaret Howell, a present from my Dad (who also has multiple berets). This one is especially good because it is quite large, and I am quite literally big-headed. 

Simon’s comments: Neither Margaret Howell nor sub-brand MHL are currently selling this but it is seasonal so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s back in the autumn. Part of the challenge with berets is finding a shape that suits the head, and this does perfectly on Lily 

Embroidered handkerchief

My Dad keeps his handkerchiefs in a large glass vase, which my sister and I used to greatly enjoy upending. We would pick our favourites and mourn the fact that the most fantastically patterned ones hardly ever got to perch in our Dad’s pocket. (“We think it goes with your shirt.”)  I never thought of adopting the handkerchiefs myself, to actually blow my nose on.

In fact, I’m quite surprised I didn’t catch onto handkerchiefs sooner. My favourite books when I was younger were in the genre of Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden, and what makes you feel more like a nineteenth-century English literary heroine than a handkerchief? (Although these heroines do seem to give out their handkerchiefs at an alarming rate, and as I’ve only got one I’d rather not lose it.)

Anyway, sometime or other I found a handkerchief that my Dad wasn’t using and decided to steal it for myself. This one is particularly Green Gables-esque, as it’s white and embroidered. (Embroidered where? And by whom? Hopefully my Dad can tell us.)

Simon’s comments: This was actually a vintage piece that I picked up from a little shop on Portobello Road, and they’re easy to find. I love the craft of embroidered hanks, but always felt a little too feminine wearing one. Great to know this one is now being used