RM Williams: An interview with Paul Grosmann

Posted on 14/03/202514/03/2025 by Simon Crompton

The CEO of RM Williams was over recently, as part of a company focus on the UK – they recently opened shops in Marlow and Cambridge, and are planning others.

I took the opportunity to interview the CEO Paul Grosmann, as I was interested to hear about the challenges of manufacturing in Australia – something we’ve never covered – and about the changes the company has made recently.

It turned into a really interesting wide-ranging conversation. About the identity of a brand like RM Williams that evokes such passion in Australia, but also how brands and shops in general move their identity, with greater or lesser success.

Paul, who came to the job from years at Nike, was warm, honest and open – the kind of guy that begins a story by saying ‘I probably shouldn’t be saying this’ and you can see has to consciously pull himself back onto message. It was a pleasure chatting with him.

What changes has RM been through in the past few years Paul?

Well, we’ve had new owners for the past five years [investment company Tattarang], which brought it back under Australian ownership, and I’ve been impressed how much they’ve put their hands in their pockets to be honest – it’s enabled us to double production in Australia, and introduce new manufacturing lines for types of women’s footwear.

How had things been since Covid?

There was a period right after Covid where demand was huge, and even three years ago we were struggling to meet demand in Australia, let alone anywhere else. But things have settled down now and that’s allowed us to start improving different parts of the offering.

Like what?

Well the apparel is the most obvious thing. I don’t think that had been in a good place for while.

In what way?

The quality wasn’t always there, but also it was a question of identity – I’m not sure all the lines were ones that fit the identity of RM Williams.

That’s interesting – how do you expand the identity of a boot to include other things such as clothing?

I guess the first thing is quality – you want the two things to be made to the same quality level, and RM has always that reputation for a certain toughness or longevity. But then there’s style or maybe type of apparel – RM has been around for so long that it has quite an entrenched identity and associations.

Yes I’ve seen on Permanent Style, and among friends in Australia, the kind of passions RM can evoke.

We get a lot of feedback, let’s put it that way!

In fact, in the first few months in the job I spent a lot of time going to see retailers round Australia. I went into this shop in the bush – a heartland customer – and they were very upset at the catalogue, pointing at the cover with real anger. “This is not the guy! I recognise nothing in this person,” she said. It was a picture of a model in quite a fashion-forward outfit, and for her that wasn’t RM Williams at all.

I don’t think many people over here will realise that RM Williams has long published its own magazine, Outback, but it’s much more about the lifestyle than the boots.

Yes that’s right - often the only RM thing in there is an advert. But we’ve publishing that for 30 years, and RM Williams has been publishing titles since the 1940s.

It’s not surprising people feel there’s a very particular identity there.

Absolutely, and it does mean you have to maintain a very close sense of who you are. It’s hard because one of the great things about an RM Williams boot I think is that it’s so versatile. Certainly in Australia it’s the kind of thing you can wear in the outback, but also to the office. And of course that kind of versatility is very relevant to people at the moment.

So returning to the clothing, what does that mean you’re more likely to focus on?

Well a good example is the five-pocket trousers we’re known for, like the moleskin. That’s been around since the 1940s and comes from the same roots. [Lucas Nicholson at PS has had a pair, and loves them]. The rest of the apparel should be equally tied in.

We’re not a proper workwear company like a Filson or Carhartt, but we’re also not as refined as a Northampton shoe.

It’s interesting to think about that kind of brand extension, because so many heritage brands seem to struggle to get it right - to evolve their product or the way its portrayed, but not lose customers that have a particular connection with it.

Right - it’s something you can do but often has to be done slowly.

In footwear I think Edward Green is a good example - when they started doing their Polperro loafers [below], which are completely unstructured and have a cemented sole, it seemed like a big jump. But in recent years they’ve moved more gradually, introducing softer waxed leathers, unlined makes, and lightweight soles, while keeping the same styles and sole construction.

That’s interesting. It is easier if the ownership is there to support you I’ve found. Also sometimes it’s harder the stronger your identity is - the more fixed idea a customer has of who you are.

True. I think it’s one reason some bespoke tailors find it hard to adapt and evolve, or do so in a subtle way. It also doesn’t help if you have overdemand for what you’re already doing - Alden in the US hasn’t really changed at all compared to other shoemakers for example, but it hasn’t really had to.

That’s one reason it’s so hard for us I think. It also doesn’t help that we’re so tied up with Australian identity in general - there are so few brands that embrace it, Aesop and others feel more international than Australian.

But I’m not sure how much it matters in other markets - does a UK customer care that the boots are made in Australia? Is it even a positive thing for them? For us it’s important but just as much because it means we have transparency on our whole supply chain, and greater control as a result.

What do you think, does it make sense to emphasis how Australian we are?

I think it does, yes, but that’s because it suits the product. The rugged nature of the boot fits the rugged image of Australia. It would only be a problem if that wasn’t selling and you needed to really change direction.

For Permanent Style readers at least, it’s a plus that the boots are all made in Australia. What are the challenges there?

People, basically. There are other issues of course, but people is the main one. It was one of the greatest pleasures of my professional life to go round the workshop, it’s wonderful. There are notices lined up on the wall for people that have been there for 40 years, 50 years.

But young people today will not do that kind of single job on a boot for all those years - they need more structure, more meaningful career journeys. We’ve introduced more apprenticeships to help there, but it’s still a struggle.

You mentioned I think that you’ve managed to almost double production since the new owners took over though - that’s pretty impressive. I don’t know any other heritage shoe manufacturer that’s been able to put together that kind of growth.

You’re right, and that’s the only reason we’ve been able to look again at expanding our retail. Let’s say our owners are ambitious and they’re very pleased at the moment!

Do you think that helps engender change, when production is expanding like that?

Yes perhaps. We keep the identity of the made-in-Australia, but we can start doing other types of shoes. People have a very close connection to where the shoes are made - that’s why the boots have always had the address written on the pull tab, so people knew where to return them to when the boots needed repairing.

I didn’t know that, that’s great. I can see how that creates a sense of a personal connection to the factory.

The other thing we’re hoping to do with great production capacity, is bring back bespoke at some point, or perhaps it’s better called made-to-order.

Did RM used to do bespoke?

Oh yes, it used to be you could come in and have anything you want, people had their own lasts and they’d order strange colours and designs.

We’re not going to do bespoke lasts, but when I looked back over all the special orders we used to do - before that was put on hold - I could see most requests were small things, different widths, different sizes on each foot etc. We want to make that possible again.

Sounds great Paul - hard to think of a brand trajectory that feels more suited to us and our readers, given the focus on manufacturing, repairs, and quality across the rest of the clothing. People will be glad to hear it.

Thanks Simon. It’s nice to focus on the UK more as well. We wanted to for a while but we just didn’t have the capacity. I’m off to Edinburgh tonight to look at spaces there too, so we should have a shop in Scotland soon too.

Great - have a nice trip and pop into our friends at Dick’s if you have a chance.

Absolutely, will do.

Announcing: Permanent Style magazine

Posted on 12/03/202513/03/2025 by Simon Crompton

*The magazine will be available online on PS on March 26. A list of stockists will also be published then*
*Tokyo magazine launch confirmed for Friday April 4th, 6-8pm, at Brycelands*

I told you a lot of exciting things were happening this year.

In two weeks’ time we will be releasing our first proper magazine - called, of course, Permanent Style - to readers and shops, but also newsagents and book shops. It will come out twice a year, in March and September.

It’s been a long time coming and a huge amount of the credit must go to Elliot Hammer, who has designed the magazine and managed the process, and sub-editor Bolaji Babafemi plus all the contributors (Alex, Jamie, André, Lucas, Emilie etc).

It felt like the right time to do a magazine. Permanent Style is 18 years old, large and influential (2 million readers last year) but with a lot of great content that is rather restricted on a computer screen (or increasingly, a mobile one).

The quality of what PS does has increased hugely over the years, compared to the little 300-word blog posts we used to do. Now we’ll spend a whole day at the epic Real McCoy’s headquarters in Japan, or summarise my experience with 60 of the world’s best tailors, all in one article.

Those kind of pieces deserve a big, hard-copy print on nice paper. Showing the magazine proofs to friends and readers recently, I was interested that the consistent reaction was how different the reading experience was to online - seeing everything presented together, noticing things for the first time, appreciating colours and combinations.

In an ideal world, this would have been the format of Permanent Style for a long time. It suits the material (and all the materials!) much more.

Over time, an increasing amount of the magazine will be in print first, designed for that format. In this first issue, that applies to the cover story and to the illustrations we commissioned.

Elliot knows a few great cartoonists, and we asked a couple to do particular pieces for Lucas’s feature on independent shops, and for a Tokyo shopping guide. (Each issue will have a particular geographic focus, and this one is Japan - it has its own section in the magazine on a different paper stock). Elliot then added his own designs to several features, like the ones above.

Finally there was the cover story - an interview with the wonderful Yasuto Kamoshita - which is exclusive to the magazine. We interviewed Kamoshita-san on a very hot evening in Milan, and then commissioned photographer Aoki Ulysses to go to his home in Tokyo, shooting him in several outfits around the house and garden.

The magazine will be released on March 26th. It is 150 pages long, with 28 articles and lots of photography.

Quite a few advertisers have supported it, which is wonderful. (Frankly, it’s the thing that makes it possible.) I won’t mention them all here, but one thing that meant a lot to me was that Anderson & Sheppard wanted to advertise - the only advert they have ever done in their history.

The magazine will cost £20 in the UK and then vary in shops around the world. It will be in selected newsagents as well, plus on the PS Shop online, but as with The Casual Style Guide we suggest that you support your local menswear store where you can, if they’ve fronted the money to stock it.

In fact, one reason for announcing the magazine now is that any shop around the world can apply for copies, and have them in stock for the launch date. We already have quite a few, but if any other shops would like to stock it please contact Lucas.

Going forward there will also be a bigger spread of writers in the magazine, reflecting the breadth we’ve managed to bring in over the past few years - people like Manish, Paul, Bernard Roetzel and others. There will always be a big chunk of me (sorry) but the PS reader has come to expect a cornucopia of accompanying people and styles.

The plan is for each magazine to have little regional focuses each time, and we might add other things like new sections and supplements as it grows.

For the moment, it’s just great to let everyone know, after over a year of working on this shiny new thing. We’re immensely proud of it, and I hope on March 26th when you can get yours, you will like it too.

There will be two launch events for the magazine, one in London and one in Tokyo. The one in London involves closing off the Royal Arcade, and is RSVP only (see below). Do email if you can come along. Meyrowitz are hosting it with us and Dalmore will be providing some great cocktails.

Valuing the people in the product

Posted on 10/03/202510/03/2025 by Simon Crompton

There is an old saying that you can tell a lot about someone by how they treat waiters. Actually it probably extends to anyone that serves you - bus drivers, bar staff, shop staff.

The thinking is that if a seemingly nice, charming person is rude and patronising to someone serving them, it reveals them to be actually rather arrogant and unkind.

I’ve always found that interesting, and I think it’s a relationship that’s becoming increasingly strained as our society has become atomised - often technology mediates between those two sides, if it hasn’t replaced the serving side altogether.

The result is that the whole relationship merges with technology, and its emphasis on speed and convenience makes us ever less patient.

OK, but a bit off-topic for menswear surely? Yes, except that in our world of high-end clothing I think it’s worth remembering that we have less of this - we’re less mediated by technology and closer to the people that design and make our clothes. We’re fortunate - but we don't always appreciate it.

When we talk about brands together on PS, they’re often compared by price and by value, and we get into a conversation about what you’re actually paying for - one has a physical shop, the other doesn’t; one has staff that know and understand the product, the other has ones that can do little more than fetch you a size.

Good staff are wonderful and should be valued. They don’t just make the experience more pleasurable, they often give crucial advice on sizing, on shrinkage, on how clothes wear. Yet it’s rare today that people say they want to pay for it.

I’m sometimes shocked by the things people write to our shop support team. Ninety-nine per cent are lovely, polite and appreciative. I’m sure more so than the vast majority of online stores. But the number of people who will order something at 5pm on a Friday, and then send five increasingly angry emails over the weekend, asking why their order hasn’t shipped, never fails to surprise me.

Or they get aggressively rhetorical - to quote one actual email, ‘how are these things being delivered, on the back of a donkey?’ It’s lazy and rude, but the role of service staff has become one where the staff are always expected to say ‘yes sir, no sir’, like a robot, merely letting the customer rant.

Which of course is exactly what you end up with. You end up with online bots, proclaiming to be helpful but understanding nothing. This drives me crazy - I actually punched a wall last week as the EE broadband helpline sent me round in circles with numerical phone options. It’s infuriating, dehumanising even.

The equivalent with clothes is that you’ll find yourself scrolling for hours, trying to work fiddly filters and peering at tiny pictures, rather than walking around a beautiful shop and seeing, feeling and trying beautiful things.

And with the first option your package might be delivered on a Sunday, but down the back of the bins even though it’s raining.

I am certainly not innocent in all this. I find myself reading WhatsApp messages while someone in Pret is asking me how I’d like to pay. I catch myself listening to music in one ear - only removing one headphone - as I explain my coffee order.

I’ve done it with online customer service too. I once ordered a pair of sandals from a mainstream brand, and got hugely, disproportionately angry at someone on the phone when they couldn’t explain how to work the returns system.

In fact, I think the main reason I haven’t done something like that recently is that I’m much more aware of the other side, seeing our customer service emails every day. My wife always said she thought she was more considerate because she worked in Caffe Nero when she was younger. She knows what the service industry is like.

I don’t pretend to have a valid opinion on the state of politeness in society as a whole. I also don’t want the comments section to turn into a list of old-man’s rants about the kids today.

But I do think it’s an interesting angle on how we value clothes, their prices and their value. I think a lot of readers are understandably cynical about designer brands, and that can bleed into how they see pricing generally. But good staff are just as much worth paying for as added cashmere content.

Staff are the bedrock of the menswear industry and only if we value them - including how we treat them - will they remain. Otherwise it’s back to nothing but scrolling and peering and filtering.

Pictured: Some shops with great staff (there are so many on PS). From top: Schostal, Rome; 40 Colori, London; Atelier Bomba, Rome; Wythe, New York; Moulded Shoe, New York; Mes Chaussettes Rouges, Paris

Loden: The cloth, the coat, the history

Posted on 07/03/202507/03/2025 by Simon Crompton

By Bernhard Roetzel.

I was pretty convinced that Permanent Style readers wouldn’t need an explanation of the term ‘Loden’. Still, I wondered whether a very English retailer like Cordings felt the need to define the word, so I searched it their website.

I found 27 products made of Loden there, including the most famous garment made in the fabric, the Hubertus coat (above). The ‘style description’ describes the fabric as "a tightly woven wool which is then felted to give it a sturdy yet supple handle, naturally warm and water resistant”.

It is correct that Loden is a woven material, traditionally of woollen yarn. It is not felted though, it is fulled. The difference between felting and fulling, felt and Loden is important. Felt is created by fulling wool fibres in hot water, before weaving them. Fulling woollen fabric that has already been woven results in Loden.

Fulling basically means soaking woollen cloth in hot water and soap, before someone pounds and wrings the cloth with his hands or stamps it with his feet. The result is that the surface of the fabric becomes denser, the pattern of the weave disappears, and both wind and water are kept outside.

(Below: old and then modern fulling processes)

It is unknown when and where fulling was invented and first used to finish fabrics. By the Middle Ages it was already well known in northern and middle Europe. Soon after the process started to be mechanised with the introduction of water-powered fulling-mills. There the fabrics were pounded with wooden hammers to create the desired result.

In the Alps fulling mills have been around approximately since the 16th century. Peasants usually spun the fibres of their sheep at home, the fabrics were woven on site by travelling weavers, and the peasants then carried their cloth to a local fulling mill, where the Loden was created.

In the middle of the 19th century Loden started to be produced on a bigger scale due to its growing popularity. In the same way Queen Victoria made tartans and tweeds popular in England, Austrian royalty started a fashion for country wear made of Loden in their empire, and then in neighbouring Germany.

The original Loden fabric was made of wool from the sheep living in the mountain regions. Their hair was fairly coarse, which meant a similarly coarse type of Loden. During the first half of the 20th century weavers started adding merino, cashmere or Angora to create softer, lighter or luxurious variations. More recently a small percentage of synthetic fibre has often been added, to make the fabric more water repellent and to lower the cost.

Green Loden is still widely worn for the huntsman and forester in Germany and Austria (below), even though modern hunting clothes made of man-made fibres are more popular. For everyday hunting, cheaper Loden fabrics are usually used. Loden in general has the advantage for the huntsman of being noiseless.

Loden comes in many colours nowadays. Originally grey, green and brown were the most common. The most famous grey is the Schladminger type (second image below), which is a mix of different shades of grey and black. Internationally green remains the colour most people think of, largely because of the popularity of the green Hubertus coat.

The original Loden is woven in Austria and Germany (as the real tweed comes from Scotland or Ireland, even though ‘tweeds' are also woven in Spain and Italy). All of the weavers are pretty small, most of them are old, and many are still family owned.

Loden has become a niche product so these weavers usually sell their fabrics to makers and tailors all around the world. The best known are:

I mentioned earlier that the Hubertus coat is sold in Cordings. This says something about the standing of the coat in England. Despite having continental origins, it is accepted as a classic of the English gentleman’s wardrobe.

Probably due to the German relations of the Windsors, the Hubertus was worn by some senior members of the Royal Family in the 1970s-1990s. The late Duke of Edinburgh was frequently seen in a Hubertus coat. The Duke of Kent also wears it although less frequently now. (All images below.)

In 1980 Lady Diana Spencer was snapped wearing a green Hubertus coat over her evening dress by the Royal photographer Jane Fincher, when the Princess-to-be arrived at The Ritz for Princes Margaret’s 50th birthday party.

British makers of coats and countrywear use Loden as a change from the usual British overcoatings. Loden is very similar to tweed in the way it performs but it offers a different feel and look. Chrysalis and Private White VC both use Loden for field coats and overcoats too, giving it an interesting twist.

In Italy, Spain, France and Switzerland the Hubertus is also rather popular among classically dressed gentlemen. In northern Italy you actually see more green Loden coats in winter than you do in Germany. On my travels I’ve seen it in Florence, Venice, Milano and Bergamo, worn mainly by elderly gentlemen (below). It is also popular with vintage fans in Italy, models made by Schneider’s from Salzburg being particularly sought after.

The Hubertus coat traditionally comes with a deep inverted pleat at the back for ease of movement (originally for shooting). It also has underarm vents for ventilation, leather football buttons and pockets with an inside opening (like on some raincoats) that allow access to the pockets of your trousers or jacket.

There is no maker or retailer who can claim to offer the original Hubertus. Lodenfrey in Munich would probably object because they were the first to weave a truly water-repellent Loden in 1872, the so called Strichloden.

The outside of that fabric is finished using thistles, a technique still used today. Today Strichloden is woven by several mills, typically in a mix of 80% wool and 20% alpaca.

Lodenfrey sold Hubertus coats made of their own Strichloden internationally. They used to have mills in Germany and their own coat factory in Munich, but those days are long gone.

Schneider’s in Salzburg was perhaps even more renowned, both in Austria and Germany and internationally but the company went bankrupt in 2023. Schneider’s used to make their coats in Austria until they moved the production to middle Europe.

Today Plankl in Vienna is maybe the best source for a well made and authentic Hubertus coat. You can buy off-the-rack but they will also adapt personal measurements. I assume they have their own production in Austria. Eduard Meier in Munich also stocks very well made Loden coats.

For me the Hubertus is best seen as a slightly more unusual version of a covert coat, and equally versatile (also originally a piece of country clothing). You can wear it as town coat with a grey or navy business suit. It can be worn at the weekend over a sports jacket and flannels or corduroys. And you can wear the Hubertus with sportswear, for example jeans and a chunky sweater.

Outside the Hubertus style there two other types of Loden coat worth looking at: the shorter Loden Stutzer and the Lodenkotze or Wetterfleck (below). The latter style is a kind of cape or cloak that is made with the same type of collar as the Hubertus. It has vents for the arms and usually two long panels of fabric that allow you to keep the ‘wetterfleck’ from flying away.

That’s traditionally worn over your backpack when it rains. Originally made for the huntsman, it’s now also worn as an alternative to the Hubertus coat and for hiking in the mountains. It protects from drizzle and wind, and can be easily be rolled up and carried in the backpack.

As the original Loden is rather coarse, heavy and warm, weavers nowadays mainly make lighter, softer and luxurious variations. Sometimes they cross the line into flannel which is similar. Loden is distinct in its more or less fulled surface; if you don’t finish it this way you will get a kind of flannel.

Leichtfried thus sells lots of its fine-merino Loden as a flannel. You can find it as an overcoat in the range of the German outfitter Anton Meyer, or as trousers at Scavini in Paris.

My personal experience with Loden started in childhood, because my father used to wear a green unlined Hubertus coat made of a double-faced Loden. When I was 15 or 16 my grandmother bought me my first Loden coat in a department store. It was navy but cut in the traditional Hubertus style.

In my twenties and thirties I was totally focused on English greatcoats. But when I found out that some of the best dressed members of the English Royal family regularly showed up in Hubertus coats I started wearing the green Loden coat that my father had given me in the meantime.

About 15 years ago I started looking for vintage Loden coats in second-hand shops and on eBay. My favourite brand became Salko, an Austrian maker that had gone out of business. I recommend looking for the brand online. I own two coats from Salko now and while I’ve never had one from Lodenfrey, I have owned two from Schneider’s (above).

I have always envied the Brits because they can find loads of vintage suits and greatcoats in their neighbourhood (I hunted for clothes in Oxfam and Sue Ryder shops in London in the 1980s myself). But the advantage of living in continental Europe is that you can find good Loden coats everywhere. Every time I go to Florence or Milan I could come back with at least one good vintage Loden, if I only had space in my luggage.

NB: Styling images above and below chosen by the PS team rather than Bernhard, for reference in comments/questions

The surprising influence of the Duffer of St George

Posted on 05/03/202504/03/2025 by Simon Crompton

When I was growing up, the ‘Duffer’ of St George meant hoodies. You saw them on people like Jamie Oliver and David Beckham, and ripped off in every street market. It seemed to be the definition of an empty hype brand.

But that was the tail end of the Duffer story - the slow decline that saw founders gradually leave and the company sold and then sold again. In the early years it was incredibly innovative, both in terms of the brands it worked with and the styles it started.

From a classic menswear point of view, it brought brands like John Smedley, Lavenham and Mackintosh to prominence. It made Tricker’s cool, and Brady bags. They even had their own tailoring shop on Savile Row.

On the workwear side Duffer was the first to import Red Wing and Woolrich. It popularised Carhartt and Evisu. Vintage trainers weren’t a thing until they started buying up old Nike and Adidas.

Arguably they also came up with the now-ubiquitous look of puffas and trainers. Back in the late 80s no one wore puffa jackets - they were sold in places like ski shops, much like Mackintosh was seen as riding gear. Duffer made all these into items of fashion, of style.

I’d learnt a little of this over the years, but a chance encounter brought me into the heart of it.

Waiting for my train to Gatwick last month, on the way to Pitti, there was only one other person on the platform. He was wearing a sheepskin coat and white jeans - a rare occurrence at 6am in East Dulwich, and I suspected he might be on his way to Florence too.

When I got to the airport, I ran into Billy and Nick from the brand Horatio, and this sheepskin-clad gentleman was with them. Turned out he was Eddie Prendergast, one of the founders of Duffer and later of the shop Present (below). He was also Billy’s Dad (both Billy and Nick worked in Present when it was open) and he lived round the corner.

A lot of stories were swapped on the plane, a few more outside The Fiddler’s Elbow in Florence, and back in East Dulwich, Eddie and I met up for a drink to go through the whole history of Duffer from start to finish.

Eddie is a stand-up guy, and he does have a lot of stories. Back when Duffer started in the mid-eighties, they were selling vintage from a stall in Camden Market. Jeremy Hackett and Red or Dead started doing it around the same time.

A lot of Duffer’s stock back then came from Army surplus stores. “There was this one called Chequers near the Ford factory in Dagenham,” Eddie says. “Ford didn’t supply clothing to their employees, so everyone had to go next door to buy their overalls and chore jackets.

“We went the first time and saw this line of big booths, each filled up with a different size of Levi’s. When the agent came to fill them up, he just dumped the new stock on top of the old, so the old stuff was buried at the bottom - and everyone wanted the new ones anyway.” Eddie and the team bought the bottom of every stack, hundreds of pairs, going right back to the 1950s.

The team travelled to the US too, first of all looking for vintage and later for new stock. “We bought these Schott puffa jackets and nylon coach jackets on Canal Street, and all the guys were laughing at us - stupid limeys! - because no one wanted to wear it.

“But we bought them for five dollars and sold them for fifty back in the UK. No one here had seen these styles before - this was before the internet. They knew the 50s look, baseball jackets and Converse, but this and [Adidas] shell toes were completely new.”

The same thing happened in a shop in Boston, where they discovered hundreds of Nike waffle trainers languishing in the basement. At one point Duffer even approached Nike to remake vintage styles, because they were so popular. Nike said they weren’t interested, they were about innovation, and so the future. How times have changed.

One thing I find interesting about this story is the way Duffer could make things cool - because they were cool, and because there were great menswear shops around the country.

The coolness came from cultural touchstones - they were lauded by The Face magazine and were closely connected to the music scene, running their own club nights. And there was a network of stores to sell it.

“There was no internet, no online shopping, so every local menswear store controlled what guys bought, what they wore to the clubs,” Billy says. “And they wanted Duffer, because that was what was cool in London - it gave them real control.”

It wasn’t just regional stores either. Eventually Duffer were in Selfridge’s and Harrod’s, had one then two shops in Covent Garden, and were sold internationally.

From a style point of view, the most significant thing is probably the way Duffer mixed genres - in much the same way as Ivy style had done. The Duffer guys loved traditional English clothing but also American sportswear, and they pioneered both New Era caps and selvedge denim.

“Back then Tricker’s were for pig breeders, Smedley was underwear and Brady bags were for fishermen - it was what you kept your maggots in,” says Eddie. “We mixed it all together. At one point the look for us was a covert coat with jeans and Red Wings. Or even leather trousers.

“Some Japanese guys were doing this, and they were always the quickest to catch on,” he says. “But no one else was in the US, the UK, certainly Europe. We were disruptors.”

The closest equivalent in recent years has probably been Drake’s or Aimé Leon Dore. Not just in the mixing of genres but the playfulness with which it was all done.

That look of a covert coat with jeans and leather shoes was something Joseph Pollard of August Special brought up in our recent interview. Joseph started at Duffer, and he’s only one of a host of influential people that did.

Brett Roddis, senior designer at North Face for many years, was a contemporary of Pollard’s and moved to the US at the same time. Fraser Moss, founder of YMC, was another, while Charlie Young of Palace was at both Duffer and Present. Duffer was also influential for the founder of Supreme, James Jebbia, who imported it into the US. Oh, and Orlando Bloom worked there.

Throughout its history, Duffer took several sharp turns. “When everyone started doing the urban look, we closed down for a few months and opened up again with a completely new one,” says Eddie. “We hated everyone wearing our stuff - we were snobs basically, always were.”

But at various stages there were disagreements on direction and founding members left. Clifford Bowen left in 1989 and tried to sue the others for future earnings. A majority stake was sold to German Thomas Hiedecker in 1994 and the following year Barrie Sharpe left.

This was when Duffer became mainstream: “Jamie Oliver was wearing it, David Beckham, Mrs Beckham, even little Brooklyn Beckham,” says Eddie. A few years later they licensed the name to Debenhams (not a very high-end store, for those outside the UK). In 2008 the company went into administration and was bought by JD Sports.

Eddie set up Present at that point, and the only other founder left, Marco Cairns, still runs the Japanese arm, owned by conglomerate Itochu (below).

The weird thing today is that searches for Duffer of St George mostly bring up images from these recent years, and only the occasional shot from the past. It's the problem with being pre-internet.

There was a revival of interest in Duffer in 2014, when a short film was made about their history, but articles from that time are mostly what survive. There's little else around. (Below is a shot of Eddie from a film on The Face website about Adidas Superstars.)

It seems extraordinary that so many English brands we know were brought into the light by Duffer, and so many American brands were imported for the first time. Memories are short, and it’s easy to think these brands have always been here, always been relevant. It’s also a reminder that without good buyers and consumers, traditional makers could easily slip into obscurity again.

OK, one more story. So at one point, the Duffer guys wanted to sell Hawaiian shirts. No one else seemed to, or not well. They sent an intern to the American embassy in London, because it had a phone book for every state in the US.

“They were told to go through the phone book, and write down every company that had ‘shirt’ in the title,” says Billy. “Then the guys faxed each one and asked for a sample. Later on they ended up going to Hawaii, and relaunching a couple of old brands.

“But in the days before the internet, if you wanted to source an unusual manufacturer, you had to think outside the box.”

One of the other things the Duffer guys introduced was the Yogi style of moccasin boot (above). They became popular in the late nineties and are again now, but Duffer did them in the early nineties, as evidenced by these boots in the Victoria & Albert Museum - one of four Duffer pieces the museum holds - from 1993.

Pre-order open on Donegals and Indulgent cardigans

Posted on 03/03/202503/03/2025 by Simon Crompton

The pre-order period starts today for two PS products: the Donegal raglan-sleeved overcoat and the 12-ply cashmere piece we call the Indulgent Shawl-Collar Cardigan.

The point of doing a pre-order is that it enables us to offer more colours and more sizes. We couldn’t hold all of these in stock, but this way if you want a no-longer-available colour or an unusual size, there is a way to get it.

Also, I know many readers who like the pre-order system because they know they won’t miss out. They’ve been looking at the navy Donegal, for instance, for a couple of years and they can secure it now without having to worry about the size selling out (as does quite often happen).

And this year we’ve used the pre-order system to add one more, really luxurious option for the Donegal coats, which is a version in pure camelhair. This is a hard thing to stock because it’s so expensive, but doing pre-order makes it much easier. More on that piece in last week’s article.

So here are the two pieces that are available, and the details on the sizes, colours and terms.

The Donegal Coat is available in five materials. I’ve linked to the launch articles for each one below, so you can see more pictures by clicking through. The colours are also shown above in the same order:

Cloth details:

The first three coats are in the standard weight of 760g, Donegal wool yarn
The dark navy is in a finer merino yarn and so a little lighter at 680g
The camelhair is from Harrison’s and really beautiful, like a fuller cashmere. It is a little lighter at 620g, but has a chunkier feel than that implies and is as warm as the 760g Donegals

Order details:

All sizes are available from XS (2) to XXXL (8). Measurements listed in the table on the order page.
Sleeves and body can’t be specified - this isn’t MTM - but both can be altered on the final coat, which of course is something no one else makes possible
There is a maximum of 30 coats in the first two colours, 50 in the second two, and 20 in the camelhair
A size run of the coats in the light grey will be in the PS pop-up shop from March 26-29, to check sizing
The light grey and dark navy will be in regular stock in the autumn. The other colours are only available for pre-order

Timings and terms/conditions:

Payment can be in full now or half now, half before delivery
Order window is open for the whole of March
Delivery in late September
Returns and exchanges are not possible, as the pieces are being made just for you (to order) and usually can’t go back into stock
Prices have gone up slightly this year, but only (as always) because the cost of the product itself has gone up. The previously released coats are now £995 plus VAT, the camelhair is £1835 plus VAT (camelhair being a lot more expensive!)

If you have any questions on the coat itself, please let us know in the comments below. I know everyone is pretty familiar with this product now though.

Pre-order page for the coats here.

For the Indulgent Shawl-Collar Cardigan, the pre-order allows us to offer that same larger range of colours and sizes. Note, though, that there is some stock currently available too:

Navy in small, medium and large
Natural in small, medium and large
Grey in medium and large

There are six colours being offered for the pre-order, with again links below to when they were first featured. And again, images above

Navy
Grey
Cream
Brown
Natural
Black

Order details:

All sizes are available from XS to XXL. Measurements listed in the table on the product page.
There is no maximum on the order volume
Sizes from S to XL will be in the PS pop-up shop from March 26-29, presuming the stock in that size doesn't sell out between now and then
There will be small top-ups of navy, grey and natural in the autumn. All other colours are only available for pre-order

Timings and terms/conditions:

Payment can be in full now or half now, half before delivery
Order window is open for the whole of March
Delivery in November
Returns and exchanges are not possible, as the pieces are being made just for you (to order) and usually can’t go back into stock
Prices have gone up also, but only because the cost of the product itself has gone up - in fact the amount of cashmere in this one makes it more expensive every year. The price is £1,095 plus VAT

Pre-order page for the cardigans here.

The versatility of the camel coat

Posted on 28/02/202507/03/2025 by Simon Crompton

The pre-order for the PS Donegal coats, including this one, will open on Monday. Details in an article then.

Instinctively, you wouldn't think a camel-coloured coat (whether actual camelhair or not) would be that versatile.

It's not the business standard navy or grey, or the more rural brown or green. It's not even the black beloved of fashion, or the beige of a trench or covert coat.

Camel is a stronger colour than all of those, and it should be harder to wear. It's certainly less common than all of them.

But wearing the coat above - a camelhair version of our PS Donegal - and my Anthology polo coat below has made me realise quite how many things camel goes with.

Three years ago when we first talked about that Anthology polo coat, I showed it with both grey flannel (above) and blue jeans (below).

The grey flannel looked good against camel, but then mid-grey works with almost everything. The pink shirt and cream cardigan were more interesting, as they seemed to suit it very well, as did an alternative combination with a green cashmere scarf.

The blue jeans I knew were a good partner as someone like Ralph Lauren shows them so much with camel, and that ability to do both smart and casual was a big part of the polo coat's appeal.

But pops of colour were more effective than I'd anticipated, like the red watch cap.

A chance sighting of a woman in Mayfair wearing black jeans with her camel coat recently gave me the idea to try blacks and charcoal with our Donegal sample, and that proved surprisingly effective.

In the image below I'm wearing the new coat with black jeans (nineties 501s), a charcoal cashmere crewneck (Dalmo) and a grey watch cap. Black is great with the camel - these jeans are a little washed out, but I've also tried it with my black cords.

Charcoal is always going to be easier but black makes a very nice, perhaps more modern combination.

The second new outfit I did for that shoot, below, was intended to push the casual possibilities, with a sweatshirt instead of the cashmere crewneck worn with the Anthology coat.

But it was the Alden boots that I enjoyed most in the combination, as they showed how complementary snuff-suede was.

Trainers work in that kind of combination too, but I like boots with this kind of outfit myself, so everything isn't quite so casual. It suggests a little more thought going on, somehow.

I was starting to wonder what wouldn't work with camel. Perhaps navy, but actually Ralph Lauren also styles camel with its chalk stripe suits all the time (first image below).

Olive is a nice option too (second image below), as well as lots of bright colours like yellow and that red watch cap. I don't think purple or orange would be so good, but that's about it.

Then I remembered the guys from the The Anthology in Taipei. Some of them have the polo coat, and they’re always posting pictures of themselves in different combinations. Looking back through them (I’ve included a few below) I realised I should have seen a while ago how nice it was with black, as well as sportswear.

Of course, polo coats were originally sportswear, thrown over sweaty kit following a match or a chukka. But I didn't necessarily think it would work as well now.

I personally wouldn't wear sweats top and bottom with it, or Converse. But I can confirm that it is really nice with a hoodie in a lot of colours - this kind of cream, grey marl, black, faded navy, faded red etc.

A camel-coloured coat will always be showier than other options, and therefore not for everyone.

I remember convincing a lawyer friend to join me in buying a camel coat from an Italian discount shop on Cheapside, many years ago. Mine was this classic colour, his a touch richer. They were good coats and good value, but he always said he regretted the purchase - in a corporate law firm it stood out too much against everyone else’s navy and charcoal.

Maybe it would be easier today, given how casual things have become. Maybe it would be easier because he’s more senior and running his own team. But either way, that’s the only obvious downside of camel - that it will stand out, because it’s bright and because so few people have them.

Then again, maybe that’s changing too.

Below, a few other options culled from my inspiration board - there are so many!

With smart tobacco (me in the donegal coat)

With country colours (don't know the brand)

With orange - it does go with orange! (Ralph Polo)

De Bonne Facture: More like themselves

Posted on 26/02/202526/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

I’ve known the brand De Bonne Facture for a long time, seeing them at stockists like Trunk and No Man Walks Alone over the years, and chatting to the founder Déborah Neuberg over dinner or at Pitti.

I’ve also admired their philosophy when it comes to materials and manufacturing. Most things are deliberately made in France, and they use natural, often beautifully textured materials. Both very Permanent Style attributes.

The reason I haven’t covered them in the past is that the style seemed less fitting - bigger silhouettes, high-rise trousers, looser knitwear. But as PS has broadened its coverage, taking in more casual clothes as well as widening the style spectrum, De Bonne has seemed increasingly relevant.

The brand itself has also evolved. When it occurred to me we should cover them, and I looked at recent collections online, they seemed to be more expressive and unusual, with more unique and luxurious materials. Weirdly, that characterisation seemed to come up again and again when I interviewed Deborah at Pitti and then spoke to friends and stockists at Pitti.

“One of the biggest changes has been the increase in e-commerce since Covid, taking over from wholesale,” Deborah said when we met. “It’s been going really well, and it’s given me more confidence in our designs.

“Wholesale can be quite conservative sometimes, only taking the things they’ve sold before or things they know will do well. You can design lots of interesting pieces, but if buyers don’t pick it up then it never gets out there.”

One example Deborah gave of an unusual piece was the brown checked coat I’m wearing below, which is in a super-soft baby llama cloth. As with all De Bonne pieces, it’s big and unstructured, so rather different to most coats we cover, but I know it will appeal to many readers.

(Remember, pieces shown at Pitti in January are for the next Autumn/Winter, so this coat wouldn’t be on sale until later this year.)

“We’ve done more luxurious fabrics too. We’ve always done the grandad coat for example, but last year we did it in camelhair [below]. The price was €2500 and I was scared of ordering too many,” Deborah says.

“At the end I actually got a call from the factory saying there was enough material to make one more, and I agonised over whether to do it. But in the end they all sold really well. It made me feel like we're going in the right direction online.

“Everyone suffers from a little imposter syndrome and I’ve definitely felt that - a woman designing menswear, doing things that were less of the moment - so how things are received by our customers always makes a difference.

Deborah is aware of how mainstream her designs have become. “Back when we started 12 years ago, our silhouettes were much more unusual - the balloon trousers, the big raglan coats, everything comfortable and relaxed. Now a lot of those shapes are more standard; we were kind of ahead of the curve.”

Over the years De Bonne has attracted a very loyal following, perhaps because of that consistency of style but also because of its approach to production. In fact, Deborah said a customer recently forwarded her our article on being a patron, saying that was how they felt about her clothes.

“We have an interesting range of customers. There’s the artistic type, someone like Bent [Van Looy] perhaps. Then there are the academics, who want to be that bit smarter but also relaxed - the geography teacher jacket is sort of named after them. But then there are tech guys now, who like clothes but don’t really want to wear a suit to work.”

Given how I dress, most of the De Bonne trousers aren't really my style. But I would wear the coats, and the fleece I’m trying above was really nice - in pure wool rather than synthetic, which is very typical and in some ways makes them similar to Drake’s, though more focused in their production and more organic in their colour palette.

De Bonne knitwear is also beautiful, always textured. The shapes tend to be a little longer and wider, but that relaxed look definitely suits some people, as Bent demonstrated in his recent reader profile (below).

“The brand appeals to me a lot,” he told me at the time. “It’s very romantic, very literary, very referential. It’s also come into its own in recent years I think.

“In the beginning it seemed less clear what it was going to be, it was very natural, very simple. But now they have this range of models that will reoccur in different materials; they’ve built up their universe beautifully. They’ve become more like themselves perhaps.”

Several others, including a couple of stockists, said something similar.

Of all the De Bonne clothes I’d wear the shirts and overshirts most, which have a similarly relaxed style to a brand like Casatlantic - though generally better made (example below).

In fact quality is an interesting point because it’s easy to miss. The De Bonne clothes are very well, cleanly made, and the prices can seem a little high until you appreciate this and the materials. “So much of it is a matter of context,” says Deborah. I was always afraid we were too expensive, but then a customer told me they thought we were very cheap - because she bought The Row.”

Deborah has also been through a few changes personally, having had twins and taken a step back from the business for a while. She opened the brand’s first shop-cum-office just before Covid as well, in Paris’s 11th arrondissement.

I’m glad to say everything seems to be going well now - not just from my and Deborah’s perspective, but in the eyes of stockists. I spoke to several at Pitti and they all - almost freakishly - repeated the same points about recent collections.

Dark Ivy

Posted on 24/02/202524/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

A friend referred to this outfit as ‘dark Ivy’ recently, and I liked the idea. Traditional Ivy style has much to recommend it today, particularly the way it mixes sportswear and tailoring together. I set out the ways I like that attitude in this post a couple of years ago.

But one of its weaknesses is that it doesn’t seem that urban, or is a little too bright and playful for some people. Taking Ivy-type clothes and rendering them in darker, more subdued colours is an interesting way to spin that classic American aesthetic.

You could think of it as a cold-colour wardrobe version of Ivy.

The combination I’m wearing here, comprising a herringbone tweed jacket, checked flannel shirt and corduroy trousers, is pretty Ivy.

But the colours are rather different. The tweed is low contrast and muddy, unlike a more traditional grey herringbone such as my Anthology jacket here. The flannel shirt is black and white, and mostly black at that. And the cords are a dark cold brown, unlike the warm browns or tans and bottle greens you’d get at a J Press in the US or, here in the UK, Cordings.

The accessories and shoes are dark or black too, which is not what you’d expect. The Ivy or English rural wardrobe is more commonly mixed with snuff and mid-brown leather, and accessories in bright colours that pop.

I hesitate to call this look ‘cool’ because that’s so subjective, and because I’d shrink from ever calling myself that. But it’s certainly more city, less country, in its dark and lower contrast combinations.

Another thing this type of look sometimes gets called is the ‘geography teacher’ look. The subject varies depending where you are, and sometimes the teacher becomes a professor, but the aesthetic is the same: corduroy, tweed, knitted ties and so on.

There’s a reason this type of profession is associated with this type of look of course: teachers usually want to indicate a little bit of authority in the way they dress, but they don’t want to wear a business suit. The next level down is shirts and tailoring, but in non-business materials.

For the rest of us, it’s a good reference for one way to dress up without wearing a suit, in much the same way as the ‘casual chic’ look. And it’s not hard to do, given all that really changes is the colour palette.

Emilie Hawtin also referred to something similar to this in her article for us last year, called the shoe selection ‘goth prep’. For her, taking “East-Coast traditional” pieces and having them in black suggested a hint of rebellion.

I wouldn’t go that far with my outfits, but I see what she’s getting at. There is something a little edgier in the use of black, but particularly when the flannel shirt has western details like the black snaps of my Bryceland’s, or the sunglasses are slightly more unusual and angular, like these from L’Ingenieur Chevallier.

That Bryceland’s shirt has a fantastic handle by the way, and I’m glad they did a flannel one in a colour I’d wear. I was afraid the strong pattern would be too much on me, but it’s proving pretty wearable. I was a little unsure about the western details too - the curved yoke on the back on top of that check for example - but the pattern actually subdues a lot of it.

The fit is the same as the other sawtooth westerners by the way, so a little slim and there is some shrinkage. I went for a size 42, like my sawtooth, which is a size up from normal. This works really well on me, unlike the similar half-zip shirt, which is too full in the body.

Elsewhere in the outfit, those are the brown-cord trousers from my Sartoria Ciardi suit. My super-heavy Brisbane Moss ones might have been even nicer, but those don’t have belt loops and the belt helps the outfit here I think. Maybe time to add belt loops to those.

The jacket is my Sartoria Salino from Florence, which has been slimmed down a little since first reviewed on PS, and is just perfect now. A really well-fitted example of Florentine tailoring.

The belt is from Rubato, the hat from PS, and the vest from Buck Mason. Like other outfits we’ve talked about recently, that little glimpse of white is a nice touch I find, giving a little focus to the top half.

The shoes are Shanklins from Edward Green, unlined in their black ‘Arno’ leather. That leather looks really dull when you get it, but a little cream (not polish) goes a long way to giving it a nice glow.

The chain is a gold one I’ve had for a few years - a present from my wife. I’ll do a separate post on it at some point as a few readers have expressed interest.

August Special coming to UK for first time (and Assisi drinks next week)

Posted on 21/02/202521/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

The thing I was most excited about doing with our new PS Showroom (other than picking carpet colours, obviously) was helping brands come to London. Doing a pop-up is not cheap or easy, so helping someone do so affordably and with local advice is appreciated. We certainly appreciate it when we do ours with J. Mueser in New York.

Assisi are coming to London for the first time next week - Friday to Sunday - and we will have some drinks on the Thursday evening to welcome them. Do come along if you'd like to see the tailoring outside of an appointment, and get a look at our very-much-work-in-progress showroom. Those drinks will be from 6pm-8pm, at 37 Harley Street.

I'm now pleased to say that the American shoemaker August Special will also be coming to London at the end of March, during our next Permanent Style pop-up from March 26th-29th.

Quite a few readers were interested in August Special after we covered them here, but I know it's always hard to order shoes remotely with uncertainty over sizing, so I suggested to the founder Joseph that he could come over with a size run. He's also going to offer to pay duty and taxes to readers that come along.

Here are the details:

August Special will be at the Permanent Style pop-up, Wednesday March 26th to Saturday 29th
11am to 7pm, 10pm to 6pm on Saturday
Orders will be shipped when Joseph returns to New York, received probably second week of April
Readers attending will have to pay shipping, but duties and taxes will be covered by August Special, so a decent discount

The shoes that will be coming are:

A full size run of the Augie Loafers across the Type-S, P and new Goodyear-welted GP models
That's US sizes 7-13
Selected sizes of the chukka boots, covering the various colours including three new ones
Other samples of new designs, including potentially a lightweight travel shoe and a sandal. Not to order now, but to get a preview of ahead of release later

The plan is not for Joseph to do regular trunk shows in the UK. This may be a one-off. But we wanted to give all readers that were unsure of sizing the opportunity to try them and a better idea in person.

See you next week at Assisi. Oh and we went for 'Italian stone' for the carpet. Constructive criticism will be entirely ignored.

My socks are from TM Lewin

Posted on 19/02/202519/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

My old editor used to have a phrase I don’t see around much in journalism anymore – the ‘tail fin’ headline, intended to describe a headline that was mostly there for show, in the same way as a tail fin on a car.

Today’s headline is one of those. It’s not untrue, but it is mostly there to get your attention.

All of my socks are not from TM Lewin. But some of them are, and for a lot of Permanent Style readers, that will probably be shocking enough.

But first, let’s step back a bit. Around 15 years ago, when I first started buying quality tailoring, I bought into the idea that a real gentleman wore socks that reached just under the knee – often referred to as over-the-calf (OTC, above).

Socks this long were what men had worn traditionally, and from an elegance point of view they made perfect sense: a sock this long stayed up, it didn’t collapse around the ankle; and when you crossed your legs, a smooth expanse of hosiery was shown, rather than a bit of sock and then some pasty-white, hairy calf.

The logic still holds, but my problem was I took it too far (as many people do that get obsessed with a particular type of dressing). I wore OTC socks with not just tailoring, but jeans and chinos as well (although not shorts, thankfully).

I also thought I needed the finest socks, because I aspired to the finest tailoring. So all my socks were luxurious, ultrafine cotton from the likes of Bresciani, Gallo or Mazarin.

It was the style rationale that started to go for me first. Much as I loved the way OTC socks stayed up, there was something a little silly about wearing them with jeans. I often wore linen or wool ones, so they weren’t as smooth and silky, but still.

The quality rationale took a lot longer to fade. Even when I started wearing normal, mid-calf socks with casual trousers, I bought them from the same makers in the same fineness.

These socks were much worse at staying up than cheaper ones (often because they had fewer synthetics) and wore through really quickly. I looked after them well – delicate wash, hang dry – but still seemed to get holes all the time.

About two years ago, the quality rationale finally faded too. I bought a half dozen charcoal socks from TM Lewin (a cheaper shirt retailer, for those outside the UK) and found they stayed up better than my expensive ones, lasted three times as long, and were a third of the price.

The main reason they were cheaper and tougher was that they weren’t 100% cotton, only about 65%. But then more expensive casual socks, from likes of Japanese makers Tabio or AnonymousIsm, often have big synthetic components to them too.

Synthetics are bad from an environmental point of view, but from every other angle I think it makes sense. There’s less breathability without 100% cotton, but it’s not a difference I’ve ever noticed (if anyone else has, let me know). The only pure-cotton casual socks I now have are from workwear brands, and actually those seem to get damp and shapeless quite quickly.

I wouldn’t want more than 40% synthetic, but the TM Lewin ones have performed well over those two years. They stay up well, haven’t got any holes, and look good – not as fine or smart as the others I had previously, but that’s not what you want with casual trousers.

I’ve asked our friends what they wear in this department, and the most popular brand is Uniqlo (perhaps unsurprisingly) followed by H&M.

Lucas also asked people on social media last year what brands they used, and tried Calzedonia on the back of that. They’ve done very well for him, and they are a touch cheaper (£5 a pair compared to £10 at TM Lewin, Uniqlo also around £).

The other thing these brands often lack is a good range of colours – somewhere like TM Lewin only has standard business ones, navy, black and charcoal, while other brands sometimes lack tasteful colours. I often find I pick some up from AnonymousIsm at Trunk (below) because they’ll have a nicer grey marl, or a good olive green.

As for long socks, I still buy fine cotton ones but it’s less of an issue because I wear them less. I’m also more likely to err away from the ultrafine, gauzy variety, or the cashmere-mix options, in the name of longevity.

I might also try someone like Calzedonia in the future for long socks, at least as a back-up option. When I’m getting dressed up in a suit and tie for something special, I’m happy to wear the finest socks, but day-to-day in the office – perhaps with tailored trousers and a knit and coat – I don’t need that level of quality.

Interestingly, I don’t think this turn towards cheaper socks is about money, because I spend very large sums of money on other things. It feels more like it’s about aligning expenditure with value. Bespoke tailoring is wildly expensive, but I feel the value in every stitch of that jacket; fine socks feel like they give me very little, and for less time too.

I’m interested in what cheaper socks readers wear, given we have such a wonderful group of discerning consumers here. There are so many mainstream brands, and lots I will have missed.

That goes for long socks too. When I’ve tried more durable long socks, they always seem to push too far in the other direction. That was the case with the super-durable socks I tried from Mes Chaussettes Rouges years ago, and with ones from the Turkish company Viccel too – they were much tougher, emphasising ultimate wear resistance, and as a result lost too much in the feel. It feels like the middle-ground there would be the best option.

Readers often ask what they should spend more and less money on, as everything we cover is expensive. I’d say socks are one thing I’d definitely put further down the list, but it took me a long time to realise that.

Spring/Summer 25 on the Permanent Style shop

Posted on 14/02/202514/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

Hello lovely readers,

Here’s our regular update on what’s coming into the PS Shop over the next few months. There are one or two new things, but mostly restocks and new colours in the existing, popular pieces.

Feel free to ask any and all questions in the comments below - chances are if you’re thinking something, another reader is thinking it too. And it saves Lucas answering the same question multiple times in the support emails.

As usual, keep in mind that we can’t detail everything in advance and some timings might fluctuate. We try to be a little more pessimistic these days on delivery, but no season ever goes by without the odd unpleasant surprise. There are two other products we’re working on that might drop in, we just don’t have confirmation yet.

To be kept up to date on all product launches and restocks please sign up to the shop emails - here. We try not to send too many updates so you aren’t bombarded.

For anyone that missed it by the way, our next London pop-up has been announced as March 26-29, in our very exciting new showroom. Details on that post.

February (end of)

Oxford shirts: Restocking in all colours except the striped pink and striped green, and same for the cloth
Pre-order: Donegal coat and Indulgent Shawl Cardigan - We’re expanding the pre-order system, as it was so well-received last year. It allows us to do different colours, offer more sizes, and avoids that nervousness of missing out on a big purchase you’ve been planning for. The first pre-order will be for the below. We should have all sizes in one colour (maybe just not an XS shawl) in the pop-up
- Donegal coat: Available to pre-order in most historic colours, the original dark grey, original dark brown, classic black-and-white, and new dark navy. Also one new colour in a very luxurious make
- Indulgent Cardigan: These are so expensive that it’s been hard to keep many in stock. We’re therefore doing the pre-order again for it in navy, grey, cream, brown, black and natural.

March

Cotton Crewnecks - A restock of the navy and cream, and the launch of two new colours. These were really popular last year so we expect them to go quickly.
Tapered T-shirts - Hopefully a restock in all colours and sizes, though this is the most unpredictable product we have!
Pre-order: Cashmere Crewneck and Cashmere Rugby - The second pre-order will run at the end of March, because we’re waiting on samples in a couple of new colours before we can know whether to include them (and will have to photograph them too). Again, all sizes should be available at the pop-up to try on
- Cashmere Crewneck: Available to pre-order in the existing navy and grey, charcoal and one or two others depending on how the samples turn out
- Cashmere Rugby: These will be on offer in all previous colours (navy, grey, brown and natural) and hopefully one or two other
- The pre-order window for this one will run through the pop-up, so you will be able to see the new colours in person. Unfortunately that’s not possible for the first pre-order. Delivery will be in October.

April

Linen Overshirts - Now the summer products arrive in force. First the linen overshirt, in particular the popular dark brown that was never restocked last year, and navy, black, olive and one new colour
The Finest Polo - Restocking in navy, cream and black
PS Shorts - Coming back in navy, khaki and a new green shade
Japanese denim shirts - Restocking in black and blue
Chambray shirts - Restocking, including cloth

May

The Friday Polo - Our new design from last year, in the same navy and white
Original Madras Trading Company collaboration - This is being finalised at the moment, but should hopefully be ready for May
A new summer shirt - A different new product, details also closer to the time

The rest

Undershirts - We are working on a restock but don’t currently have a confirmed date.
The Linen Harrington - Loro Piana have been an absolute pain on this one, and cloth is taking months to arrive. They probably won’t be restocked this summer, but there are already some in stock.
Finest Crewneck and Dartmoor - We’ve been working hard to keep things like this in stock, so there is still decent availability of both. Nothing new on either until Autumn/Winter.

Autumn/Winter

There's much less that can be said here, but certainly:

The Bridge Coat, Wax Walker, and Donegal coats in grey and in navy will be restocked
There will be a new colour in the English Tweed
There will be one other new coat collaboration
Other perennials like the Watch Caps, Arran scarves and cashmere knitwear will be restocked

That's the tobacco-linen overshirt above, worn over an Adret knitted T-shirt. The alligator case is a vintage one that a dealer friend found with my initials on it. Makes a surprisingly good sunglasses case. (It's thin enough that the frames don't slip out.)

Tommy & Giulio Caraceni bespoke tailoring: Review

Posted on 12/02/202512/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

Last year, I wrote about how one of my favourite tailors in Milan - Ferdinando Caraceni - was closing. It was an interesting article about the challenges of running a bespoke tailor today, but sad for all the customers that had built up a relationship with F Caraceni over the years.

One customer, Andrew, talked on that article about trying to find an alternative, and looking to Tommy & Giulio Caraceni in Rome as a possibility, following our article on them.

Since then, Andrew has had several things made, and been very pleased with them. They’re not exactly the same as his old tailor (the two are part of the same Caraceni world, but not recently related) but that’s neither good nor bad. They certainly seemed to present a really effective and stylish alternative for that Milanese look.

I asked Andrew to reflect on his experience with T&G Caraceni, and the pieces he has had made, so others might consider whether it’s a good alternative for them.

Andrew’s first experience in Rome was a very positive one: “I have never been to a tailor that did a better first fitting than T&G,” he says. “The first fitting of the first jacket they made was close to perfect, with only a few tiny things to adjust.

“One was the length of the left sleeve. Somehow tailors always get that wrong and make it a bit too short at first. This obviously isn't a big deal but it is strange that somehow every tailor I’ve been to gets this wrong.

“The fact the fittings went so well gave me a lot of confidence that I was in good hands. Towards the end this was an issue with Nicoletta [at Ferdinando Caraceni]. There are a few jackets I probably had four fittings on, which is strange when the last was the 15th jacket they made for me. I think it was probably due to lack of experienced staff and too much work for them at that point.”

As the T&G pieces started to be completed, Andrew began to compare the style of both houses:

“Both suits are meant to make a man look his best, and the lapels of both the double-breasted and single-breasted are pretty similar. The DB lapel has that nice olive-shaped sweep, whereas the SB has a bit of belly. The lapel of both my SBs is around 9-9.5cm. I haven't measured DB but it would be very close to the same.

“The Ferdinando jacket has a bit of a ‘stronger’ and more dramatic look, with more pronounced shoulders, a bit more drape, slightly more belly on the lapels, and can have the tendency to look a bit boxy (due to the shoulders).

“The T&G jacket is has a ‘longer’ look I think, which is particularly noticeable in the DB. This is created by slightly less pronounced shoulders, a closer fit (less drape), a slightly higher arm hole, and a little softer construction.

“For the SB, I always ordered two button with Nicoletta whereas T&G's house style is 3-roll-2. The main reason I never ordered 3-roll-2 with Nicoletta is that I never liked how they cut and ironed them. The roll of the lapel was very high, which significantly shortened the lapels. T&G iron their 3-roll-2 pretty much exactly like a two button, which creates a much longer line in the lapel.”

Below is a 3-roll-2 suit made for Andrew. You can see pieces from F Caraceni on Andrew’s reader profile and on the pieces they have made for me.

“The most important difference between the two in terms of house style is that the rollino of the T&G shoulder uses a bit less padding and extends barely beyond the wearer's natural shoulder, whereas the Ferdinando rollino uses more padding and extends further,” continues Andrew.

“T&G's shoulder has a distinctive shape and line, but it is not so strong as Ferdinando's. For example, have a look at the picture of Mastroianni's famous gabardine suit in Ieri Oggi Domani, which I am quite sure they cut, compared to the picture of John Stefanidis (in my opinion, one of Nicoletta's most elegant clients ever) below.

“I would say that T&G's look is probably a bit more modern than Ferdinando's. Mastroianni's jacket must be one of the most beautiful suits in the history of Italian film by the way.

The finishing from both tailors is pretty similar - in other words very good. But T&G is more affordable, perhaps partly reflecting the costs in Milan vs Rome. T&G charge €4500 for a suit including VAT, where Ferdinando was €6000.

Andrew also highlights some similarities and differences in how the two tailors operate: “I would describe Ferdinando and T&G as cousins - there is a definitely a family resemblance but there are also material differences.

“The similarities are the ones you mentioned in your article on T&G: famous name, important clientele, no trunk shows, very loyal to their history and style, vintage fabrics, all production on site, relatively small production. Nicoletta made about 300 garments a year, Andrea says he does around 450.

“But in terms of culture there is a pretty different feeling. With Nicoletta, I always had the impression of someone looking back at the past, towards an ideal time (that may or may not have existed) where everyone went to the tailor and Ferdinando Caraceni had the best clients of all.

“T&G feels more open and forward looking. I actually first visited in September 2023, when I had a bit of extra time on a business trip to Rome. I stopped by to see the ground floor shop and decided to walk in because, as you pointed out, the shop is very welcoming. If it were not on the ground floor with the door open (it was a nice sunny day, as is so often the case in Rome) I probably would not have gone in.

“Andrea [below] is relatively young and very focused on the future of the business. He is training a lot of young people and not looking back to the days of Agnelli, Mastroianni and the other famous clients they had. This was important for me as I didn't want to go through the experience of building up a relationship only for the tailor to close down a few years later.”

Finally, I asked Andrew for some reflections on why this style appeals to him so much: “I'd say this is my view on the Northern Italian industrialist style that has always been a big influence on me, and was effectively outlined in the article Andreas Weinas did for PS a while back.

“Funnily, I remember mentioning to a friend when I was 18 or 19, and Pierce Brosnan as James Bond was being dressed by Brioni, that when I had enough money I would go to Rome and have my suits made there. At the time I didn't know the difference between Brioni and a more traditional tailor. I guess I’ve sort of accomplished that objective, though with a different maker.”

The clothes shown in Andrew’s (consciously industrialist) images are listed below. Feel free to ask him any questions in the comments - though I will mention here that he has no experience of the best known of all Caraceni branches, A Caraceni in Milan, in order to compare with them.

Outfit 1

T&G Caraceni flannel suit (all tailoring cloths vintage, from either of the tailors)
Poplin shirt from Siniscalchi
Edward Green Galway shoes
Cashmere tie from EG Cappelli
Valextra bag

Outfit 2

T&G Caraceni flannel chalk-stripe suit
Poplin shirt from Siniscalchi
Wool tie from Cruciani & Bella Rome
Half brogue oxfords by Stivaleria Mercurio in Rome
T&G Caraceni covert coat
Silk scarf from Petronio 1926 in Milan
Peccary leather gloves (forgotten the maker…)
Patek Golden Ellipse watch (both outfits)

Meyrowitz, a workshop in the Thames – or, the best way to get glasses made for you

Posted on 10/02/202510/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

Meyrowitz, a workshop in the Thames – or, the best way to get glasses made for you

Monday, February 10^th 2025Tags:

22 Comments

There are quite a few islands in the Thames, once you get out beyond Hammersmith to the west. Most of them aren't used for much other than boat clubs, but Platt’s Eyott is a an exception.

There's an industrial area with workshops and recording studios, boats moored around the perimeter. The infrastructure is there because the island was used for making torpedo boats during both world wars, and it's now settled down into a few concrete buildings and some scrubland - perfect for light industry.

I've been to lots of these kinds of workshops over the years, and I love how varied the locations are. Even when you're producing luxury products, cost and space are paramount - the exterior might be dust and cows in Amrtisar, blackened houses in Peebles, or shiny numbered lots in Naples, but it's rarely glamorous.

EB Meyrowitz has been on Platt's Eyott (the second word related to ‘islet’, as in small island) for about four years. You reach it across an iron footbridge - only accessible to pedestrians or a very narrow van, one of which passed us as we crossed, a wet dog looking through the window and long rolls of material sticking out the back.

Meyrowitz make their eyewear, mostly in acetate and horn, on the first floor of the central building.

When I first got to know EB Meyrowitz, around 13 years ago, their glasses were made through a series of outworkers - in much the same way as most bespoke shoes are made in the UK.

Over time the downsides of that system became too much - particularly the lack of control - and they moved everything in-house. The workshop was initially in north London and is now here, in the south-west, with 4-5 workers on average including one intern.

The way Meyrowitz offers glasses to customers has evolved too. There has always been a lot of emphasis on customisation, but they don’t necessarily do what readers would think of as ‘bespoke’ - and yet don’t do that much ready-to-wear either.

The majority of what Meyrowitz does is customised versions of the ready-made frames you see in the store (Royal Arcade, Mayfair). I actually think that with glasses this makes a lot of sense.

A gentleman came in recently, apparently, wanting to make bespoke glasses. He was rather disappointed when he found out that the frames would not be designed from scratch, and would therefore not produce a frame that could not be found anywhere else, on anyone else.

“The problem with doing that is that customers can’t imagine what the final product will look like, and particularly look like on them,” says Sheel from Meyrowitz. “Often they have an idea in their head - perhaps some version of Aristotle Onassis - but they’re not going to look like him, because they just have a different face. People just suit different things.”

This has been my experience too. I’ve had bespoke glasses made by several makers, and the gap between imagination and realisation often leads to disappointment. I’d say it’s my experience across a lot of bespoke, but particularly with glasses, where the margins for error are smaller and so are the number of shapes that suit you.

Readers sometimes comment that PS is useful because it saves them from making mistakes by making them first. Bespoke commissions like this are one area where I think that’s particularly true. If I can save readers going through the same experience as me, it will save them a lot of time and money.

Most of the time Meyrowitz work with one of the frames in the store and then adapt it. These changes can be quite extensive, including changing the shape around the nose to fit it more snugly, for example. It's not just shaving away or bending an arm - it is making something new.

Sometimes the changes can be minor as well. Generally the only changes I’ve needed are a new arm on one side as one side of my head never fits the same as the other.

Meyrowitz have emphasised this customisation more as the years have gone on. They do sell RTW sunglasses (where the range of suitable designs is much larger, and timing often more of an issue) but for opticals they try to always have this kind of extended customisation (if the parallel is tailoring, then this is something like made to measure).

They’re also thinking about introducing a real bespoke service in the way that the customer wanted - from scratch - but it would be more involved. Trial pairs, designs superimposed on photographs, multiple meetings and so on. And obviously more expensive.

Back on the island, I’m watching one of the craftspeople drip wax from a candle onto buffalo horn.

Horn is a lovely material, attractive because it’s natural and warms to the skin as only a natural material can, and we can’t really get tortoiseshell any more. But it’s a bugger to look after - it must be stored at a particular humidity, moisturised throughout its life, and usually brought back to the maker every couple of years. Otherwise it will eventually dry out and twist out of shape.

It’s also not easy to produce the range of colours that people want. The mottled pattern of tortoiseshell has become so synonymous with glasses that most people don’t make the connection to actual tortoises anymore, but it is something they like. So if they want it on horn, the material has to be hand dyed with the pattern, and wax is used to stop the dye from going onto certain areas.

Drip, drip, drip goes the candle. It makes the workshop smell wonderful, and it’s impressive the craftsperson can create that regular-but-still-natural-looking pattern as we all stand and watch.

I think glasses, particularly sunglasses, are becoming more of a menswear accessory. With the frequent absence of ties and handkerchieves these days, men that think about these things are turning to other accessories like belts, bags - and something else to stuff in their breast pocket.

A reader admitted to me recently that he really only needed his glasses for driving, but he carried them all the time because they helped fill that yawning void he felt in his outbreast pocket.

Perhaps there will be an increase in glasses with interesting arms, so one can be displayed attractively when it hooks over that pocket. Not bright colours or animal faces, obviously, but perhaps a slightly wider, artfully cut shape, showing a particularly busy area of mottling.

Those were my thoughts as I saw the dozens of frames set out around the Meyrowitz workshop and considered - as I think we all would - which I would get for myself. We never stop being customers, even if we are on a ramshackle island in the middle of the Thames.

Thank you to the whole Meyrowitz team for their hospitality. Remember there is a PS category page with all historical writing about eyewear.

Announcing: The Permanent Style Showroom

Posted on 07/02/202507/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

So this is pretty exciting. We've just completed on our first physical space for Permanent Style - a showroom and office on Harley Street, a couple of blocks from Oxford Circus.

The plan is that this will have two functions: an office for me, Lucas and the increasing number of freelancers we work with; and an events space where we can hold trunk shows, events, and our regular PS pop-ups.

The space is divided in two, so the events can take place without affecting the office side. And we already have three events lined up for this spring. They are:

Assisi bespoke tailors
- Friday February 28th to Sunday March 2nd
- Opening drinks on Thursday 27th, 6-8pm (come see the clothes without the pressure of an appointment)
The Anthology
- Saturday March 8th to Thursday March 13th
- Their regular trunk show. Details and appointments through them
The Permanent Style pop-up
- Wednesday March 26th to Saturday March 29th
- Our regular pop-up with all PS products to try

It's a really lovely building, on the corner of Harley Street and Queen Anne Street, with bas-relief stone work on the outside and big bay windows. We have the whole of the first floor, looking out on the junction below.

Right now, we have neither carpet nor furniture. We should be up and running by the time Assisi get here, but please bear with us while we put together our new home.

We look forward to welcoming everyone soon, and to this next chapter in the life of Permanent Style.

Below: Lucas on the hunt for some furniture

Assisi double-breasted navy blazer: Review

Posted on 05/02/202505/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

I’ve settled into a bit of a rhythm with Korean tailors Assisi now. I love their soft-but-elegant style, I trust their fit and execution, and I know their double-breasted in particular is something I wear the hell out of.

So my next commission was a navy-cashmere double-breasted jacket. I’ve always been a fan of double-breasted in terms of what flatters me - I’m slim and tall but not broad, so anything that adds breadth to that is the perfect combination.

But I think I’ve realised in recent years that I also really like double-breasteds from a style point of view. I’m not the most adventurous dresser (consciously, deliberately) and a double-breasted rather than single often creates just enough interest for me.

That’s not to say I’d want all my jackets that way - variety is still nice, and interest can just as easily come from the rest of the outfit - but the average is definitely tipping in that direction.

In fact looking back, perhaps I always knew this: my problem was that I tended to commission DBs in unusual materials. My first real bespoke was from Anderson & Sheppard, and most of those were DBs. But I often went for things like royal-blue flannel, or very pale grey.

Those were dandy suits, and it’s not surprising that they haven’t survived where my tan cord and grey check have.

The key to a navy DB being useful, for me, is when it can be worn with both denim (shirt and/or jeans) and something smart like a white shirt and grey flannels. And then lots of things in between in terms of formality.

For a navy jacket like this it’s helpful if it’s a fairly soft make (so not too smart or unusual with jeans) and a material with a bit of texture. A textured wool or even shetland tweed could potentially have worked, but a blazer I saw on Ethan Newton in a navy camelhair (above) convinced me that that, or cashmere, could work too.

As I often say these days, most of my commissions are based on seeing things made up, in the flesh. I get so tired of making wrong decisions. In fact, now I think about it, I’ll give my Assisi pieces to them for their upcoming London trunk show, just in case anyone wants to see them in person. Like sharing good ideas.

The photos taken here, during Pitti, show the jacket in probably its most unusual combination in this vein: matching blue denim on the top and the bottom. (Bryceland’s sawtooth above Rubato jeans.)

This is great for Pitti, where the TPO (time, place, occasion) make double-matching-denim appropriate. But it’s not something I’d wear in quite the same way at home. There I’m more likely to swap in:

A light-blue western shirt, to avoid the matchiness
A light-blue denim-but-not-western shirt, if the first is too showy
A blue oxford shirt, if that’s still too showy

There you go, a sliding scale of showiness, in terms of blue shirts to wear with jeans and a DB blazer. Pick the level that suits your style and TPO.

The jacket is then nice with grey or brown flannel trousers on the bottom. Any of the shirts above could pair with it, plus something as smart as a poplin.

I was a little unsure about the texture of the cashmere with jeans, but I think it works - a touch unusual, and it would certainly be more so with more beaten-up jeans, but it’s OK.

The combination is also helped by two things I think: the white T-shirt and the black shoes and belt.

We’ve talked about T-shirts under shirts before, and I understand why some people don’t like them. But it does help break up the mass of denim here, and give the eye something to focus on. The jacket doesn’t have anything else - no gold buttons, no raised seams or patch pockets - so it helps even more.

Black shoes, meanwhile, are a really good partner to navy on top - something we covered a year ago here.

In terms of the jacket itself, I went for the same style and make as the jacket from this summer suit that Assisi made me. There were very few choices therefore, and I knew exactly what I was getting.

Interestingly, the more I’ve worn Assisi tailoring, the more I notice things about it that I didn’t at first. The sleevehead, for example, has nothing in it - the shape is created purely by the way the sleeve is eased into the armhole at the top.

This pushes their style a little more towards Neapolitan in theory, but the shape they get in the sleevehead remains more central Italian - you could see it as the best of both worlds (shape but softness).

The other thing I noticed only recently was the way the bottom hem is made - it’s the same as the Michael Browne coat we discussed in detail recently, where the facing stops short of the bottom in order to prioritise a clean bottom edge. A small detail, but if nothing else it demonstrates how much Assisi consider every aspect of their make.

If I had to find a negative in the jacket it would be the buttons, which are a little small for a blazer and a touch more polished than I’d normally have. The size doesn’t bother me though, and if I want to switch to something completely unpolished and dusty in the future, that’s not a difficult thing to do.

I’ll show other combinations with the jacket in future posts. For the moment, the clothes shown here are:

Bryceland’s sawtooth westerner shirt
Permanent Style undershirt
Rubato Lot Nr1 jeans, dark blue
Rubato black woven leather belt
Ralph Lauren vintage crocodile loafers
Hermes oversized silk scarf
Permanent Style navy watch cap
Jacket cloth 84802 from the Harrisons Cashmere Overcoating bunch

Assisi are coming to London for the first time at the end of February. Details here. Prices for bespoke and their handmade-to-measure also listed there.

The Permanent Style awards 2025: Results

Posted on 03/02/202503/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

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.

The three-way suit: Breaking up a suit into jacket and trousers

Posted on 31/01/202531/01/2025 by Simon Crompton

There are certain articles that arise from readers asking about a topic again and again. Or rather from the fact that when they ask, I don’t have an obvious place to point them to, so I have to repeat the same advice. This is one of these articles.

Suits are expensive, and always have been. These days a good one is even more expensive relatively, as it’s likely to be worn less.

Faced with this, it’s natural that a reader thinks, how can I get the most out of this suit? Maybe if I get one that I can wear as separates, I’ll wear it more and it will be worth the money. All I need to do is find the right material and style so the suit can be broken up.

The reasoning is understandable, but it’s fraught with danger. Most suit materials don’t make good jackets. As explained in the jackets section of our Guide to Cloth, suit materials are usually woven more densely to create a sharper look. That’s fine for trousers, but not usually for jackets.

A suit that can be broken up and worn separately - something I termed the ‘three-way suit’ a while ago - is possible. But usually only in quite specific materials, and those aren’t usually what our reasoning reader wants.

The easiest materials for a three-way suit are casual ones, particularly cottons.

Corduroy is fine, as a corduroy jacket would be made the same as a corduroy suit. Arguably a soft cord isn’t great for trousers and a stiff one doesn’t make a great jacket, but you can usually find a balance.

Smooth cottons like gabardine are usually fine too, like my Caliendo suit. Seersucker also. Design and structure matters, because my Suzuki cotton suit doesn’t work as a separate jacket, but it’s not too hard to get that right. I’ve given advice on this lower down.

Linen is a good option, because again a linen jacket and suit would be made from the same material. Associations often play a role here - we’re very used to seeing smart linen jackets and trousers, as well as suits.

The list of materials that don’t work is longer.

Fine worsted wools, like most suits use, don’t work because the density and smooth finish make the jacket look like part of a suit.

Flannel is better because it has more texture, but again it’s usually made to be a suit or trouser material and looks odd as a jacket on its own. Some softer flannels can be OK, but then the trousers are often a let down.

Tweed usually makes a better jacket - I made a suit out of tweed with the Anthology and the trousers don’t perform that well; you have to press them every couple of wears. The only tweeds that definitely work are the heavy, traditional shooting tweeds. They’re stiff enough to make good trousers, but then they’re not what everyone wants in a tweed jacket.

Wool/silk/linen mixes are the same, just in summer - they’re better for a jacket than a suit. As with many of these things, this is a specific mistake I’ve made myself - originally making trousers to go with this jacket.

The smart material that has the most potential is hopsack. This is usually a summer suiting, a weave of wool that is rather breathable and smart. The jacketing equivalent is usually mock leno or mesh, but hopsack can have enough texture to work for both.

I’ve seen this done well by a few people, one being Alex Natt, who talked in this interview about the hopsack suit he had made by The Anthology (shown below). The hopsack jacket I had made by Kathryn Sargent when she was at Gieves here could also have worked with matching trousers.

Associations help with navy hopsack, as a smart navy blazer is something we’re used to and it’s easy to get away with a little more sharpness. In a brown it wouldn’t be the same.

Alex's cloth was from Standeven, 27033. Mine from Kathryn Sargent was from Holland & Sherry but is no longer in production. They’re both a little coarser and more textured, and I’d avoid the smoother, more Italian versions such as those used for my Paolo Martorano jackets. They’re too soft for trousers.

The only downside of hopsack is that it’s mostly a summer cloth, so even in a heavier weight you’d struggle to wear it through a London winter, never mind a New York one. But it could stretch to three seasons in most places.

As mentioned, design and structure also help here.

A navy hopsack jacket in a softer structure - eg Neapolitan - is a little easier than a structured English one. Casual details like brown buttons rather than black help too, and you could go for patch pockets rather than flaps.

But there is a balance here, as the jacket still has to look like part of a suit when you wear the trousers with it. Some design elements would push things too far, such as gold buttons or very pale horn.

My personal choice would be a softer make, dark-brown buttons and flapped pockets. If you have any doubts, stay safe with the pockets and experiment with the buttons - the latter can be changed easily, the former can’t.

Most of time when I get asked about this topic, the commenter is just someone starting out - or just starting to invest money in their clothing. This means versatility is at a premium, but it also means they’re relatively inexperienced.

That’s why, in a two-sentence comment, I usually caution against a ‘three-way suit’. The risk is too high that they’ll end up with something that doesn’t quite work in any of the three ways. I’m not sure any of my tailoring ‘experiments’ (travel jackets, tweed waistcoats, embroidery) have really paid off in the long run.

But if they do want to go ahead, I’d push a reader towards hopsack or a casual material like corduroy or linen. And if anyone thinks they’ve had success with more cold-weather materials, please let us know.

Emilie Hawtin has also written well about this for women.

Those experiments:

Bespoke mohair suit from J Mueser: Review

Posted on 29/01/202503/02/2025 by Simon Crompton

I commissioned this suit from J Mueser in New York last year - in black mohair, using the bespoke service they offer alongside the normal (and more commonly used) made-to-measure.

The idea was to explore different ways of using mohair, given all its performance virtues (sharp, strong, breathable) discussed in the recent mohair article. In particular, I was interested in its potential for evening wear - not black tie, but something with a similar touch of glamour.

In many ways a black suit should be able to do this on its own of course, given its clearly not the navy or grey of business attire. But black suits have been a little tarnished by cheap versions worn by bouncers and the like. The sharpness and sheen of mohair elevates it above that I think.

Still, when I wore the suit to host our pop-up party in New York last year (the images show us wandering the West Village a couple of hours before) I deliberately dressed it down, using accessories like a sliver buckle, sunglasses, and an old work shirt to give it a more relaxed feel. A slightly Western feel too.

This type of combination was something Jake and I had talked about when we initially discussed the suit.

We wanted to make it clear that this wasn’t a dinner suit - not a poor version of one, not an attempt to pretend a black suit was a tux - and an easy way to do that was to make things like the belt prominent, given how much a belt is anathema to the silky style of black tie.

I think that works here. This look feels more rock ‘n’ roll, a little sexy even. (Uncomfortable though it always makes me saying that, given the straight-laced middle-aged father-of-three Englishman that I am).

A more conservative combination would be something like a charcoal roll neck and sharp oxfords - though I’d personally prefer a collared knit like our Dartmoor instead of the roll neck, perhaps buttoned to the throat. In that case the belt would be more discreet and partially hidden by the knit; a pocket square or lapel pin could add interest.

The mohair is from Standeven, a 55/45 split wool/mohair and so firmly in the traditional English category from our mohair guide. The mohair here is not just for a little performance boost - it’s there to get the look.

As I said in the guide, that’s what I prefer if I am going to have mohair, as it’s a deliberate aesthetic choice. In this suit I do like the effect - a definite sharpness and crispness to the cloth and that slightly evening feel.

I haven’t had the suit long enough to know how many outfits I’ll like it with, or how often I’ll wear it. So it’s hard to say how much I’d recommend it to readers. I have tried it with smart knits and denim shirts, as well as some silk shirts, but not multiple times and not always out in the wild.

In fact this is something we should do more - writing about tailoring commissions a year or two later, rather than a week. I did do this a few years ago and there are some earlier ones called ‘Reflections on bespoke’ but this should be a regular thing, not an occasional one.

As to Jake’s bespoke service, and style, I found it interesting. J Mueser use the service to offer existing customers something more traditional - more structured, more fine handwork - and you definitely notice that.

The jacket has a 3D shape, something you feel as soon as you put it on. It’s not heavy or stiff, but there is a sense of a sculpted shell, very different to most modern (usually Italian) tailoring. I can see how an existing Mueser client would feel they were getting something different.

The fit was good, though there are a couple of minor things I might still tweak after two fittings. The handwork is really nice - again it has that bespoke fineness and handmade feel, which is a rarity among brands in New York.

I was a little unsure during the fittings about the shape of the notch in the lapel, which slopes slightly downward. But having worn it a few times, I actually really like it. Again, Jake said he wanted something that felt different to his made to measure, and it certainly does this. The notch is lower, the lapels a little wider and they have more belly.

One thing I think really made a difference was making the suit with Jake in attendance, giving his advice. It’s so rare, as we always say, to have a bespoke tailor with strong style, and several times Jake’s taste made a difference. The belt loops was one, but there were a few others, such as having very dark brown horn buttons rather than black. It’s one more thing that makes it clear this isn’t a dinner suit.

Like many in New York, Jake uses a freelance tailor to do the cutting and making - there are several of these in the city, leftovers from the days when bespoke was a proper domestic business. (Manish did a great series of articles on that, beginning here.)

I don’t think the fact he's not an in-house tailor matters, particularly with a brand that uses separate factories for its other tailoring anyway. And as I said, it was clear what extra Jake was adding to the process.

A bespoke two-piece suit starts at $4950, which my suit fell within. The bespoke service normally takes 8-10 weeks and involves two or three fittings. It is usually only available in New York. This is known as their 'Mayfair' line

The cloth is a three-ply plain-weave wool/mohair mix from Standeven. Code 6029, 55/45 split, in the Cape Town bunch.

The other clothes shown are:

Vintage white workshirt
Vintage Polo Ralph Lauren loafers
Belt by Ludens with vintage engine-turned buckle
Jaeger LeCoultre watch, Reverso in yellow gold

Assisi coming to London for the first time

Posted on 27/01/202527/01/2025 by Simon Crompton

Assisi, the Korean tailors I have enjoyed using so much over the past year, have announced they are coming to London for the first time.

They will be here at the end of February, from Friday February 28th to Sunday March 2nd. The location is yet to be confirmed, but it will be central, around Mayfair.

We will also be helping them by organising a drinks event on the Thursday night, the 27th. I know it can be intimidating to go and see a tailor and order something when you've never even seen the garments in person. So this will be an opportunity to do so, and book an appointment if there are any left.

Assisi plan to visit twice a year. This is a little limiting, but on my experience I'd have a lot of confidence in them nailing the fit quickly.

They also do a made-to-measure offering that is very high end. The make is the same as bespoke, they bring fitting garments to try on, and they create a unique paper pattern.

They then deliver a finished suit six months later, at the next appointment. Minor changes like sleeve length etc can be made at that stage, but otherwise it's considered finished. I think it could be a really interesting way in for those on a more limited budget.

I've covered two things I've had made so far by Assisi - a double-breasted tweed jacket (above) and a summer suit (below). I've been really impressed, both by the style and by the execution.

The first jacket has some small things I'd change, but that was largely a result of me trying to fiddle with the style too much (lowering the gorge too far, creating slightly smaller lapels). The suit was perfect and I've recently received a navy cashmere DB as well, which I will cover before the trunk show.

I haven't tried their single-breasted style so far, but that's only because I like the DB so much and wear them so frequently these days. I'll likely try an SB at this show.

Appointments are from 12 to 6pm every day. Prices are:

Bespoke:

Suit $3,600
Jacket $2,880
Trousers $1,100

Handmade to measure:

Suit $2,700
Jacket $2,160
Trousers $810

All are exclusive of 10% Korean VAT. They are starting prices but include most standard cloths. Double-breasted styles have a 10% surcharge. Coat prices are available on request. Reservation is by email on [email protected]

The different kinds of sale

Posted on 24/01/202524/01/2025 by Simon Crompton

We're doing our first ever sale on the PS Shop today. I thought it would make a good subject for a post as well, as I find the psychology and perception of sales interesting.

People that are into crafted clothing (such as myself) are naturally sceptical of sales. There are multiple reasons, but the main one I think is that we've grown up seeing big brands do big sales (a lot of their stock) very often (in the middle of seasons) at big discounts (up to 75%).

Combine this with stories about brands making products specifically for outlet malls (which certainly happens) and it's hard not to feel that sales reveal the true value of the clothes, which is much less than the ticket price. Brands are dishonest, and only a fool would buy outside the sale.

Now here's the flip side - a view from someone who started as a pure consumer, but has now run a shop for almost 10 years.

If the ultimate profit margin you make on a product (including lost packages, credit card fees, fuel surcharges and all that rubbish) is around 20%, then if you sell 80 of the 100 sweaters you bought that season, you make no money.

You don't make 80% of the profit, you make nothing, zero. The sales mean you’ve managed to pay all your costs (and so not lost money) but all the profit is sitting there in those last 20 sweaters.

Given this, it's understandable to try and sell some of them at a discount. Otherwise you won’t be able to pay yourself, or indeed buy any stock for the next season, when you have to do it all over again.

Even on sale, you won’t get rid of everything. Because there will always be something ridiculous left like 11 XLs and nothing else. It always seems to happen, no matter how carefully you analyse the statistics.

There are a few subtleties to this.

One is that we’re assuming you only sell the product for one season. That’s usually the case with fashion brands, but not with classic menswear ones. If you sell for multiple years, you can just carry across stock to the following year.

The flip side, though, is that if you want to keep something in stock most of the time, you effectively have stock that’s always there, that you can never sell, a pure sunk cost - until you eventually discontinue the product, which could be years later.

These are some of the reasons a sale can make sense. And sometimes menswear brands start with the idea of never discounting, but end up doing so when they realise the economics. Private White VC did that years ago, and Anderson & Sheppard now have an ‘odds and ends’ section of their website that specifically reflects this.

It also brings us onto discussing the kinds of sale - and the dangers inherent in each.

There is a big difference between putting one coat on sale in XXL after offering it for three years, and putting the whole of your stock on sale at the end of every season.

Sales should probably be evaluated in terms of those factors:

How often they are (once a year, twice a year, every bloody month)
How much stock they include (it varies from 1% to 100%)
How big a discount there is (also varies a lot, from 25% to 75%)

Brands used to hold ‘sample sales’ that were actually samples - pieces that were made during the design process but never went into production. Today a ‘sample sale’ can mean just a normal sale of entirely normal stock. Except maybe it’s sort-of-hidden somewhere, like in a different building.

It’s one more thing that makes people cynical, and think all brands to some extent dishonest.

This difference between types of sale is what determines the effect on a brand’s reputation, for me.

The reason to avoid going on sale too often, with too much stock, or too deep, is that customers will start to just wait for the sale. If the thing they want is always in the sale - and so they never miss out on it by waiting - why would they do anything else? They also start to think of the value of the product as being that discounted price.

These days I find myself buying more things at full price than I used to - because I can afford it, but also because I don’t want to wait for the sale and then miss out. I need fewer things and fewer things are really special, different to anything I’ve seen before, and so not easily substituted by something from another brand or in another season. I buy at full price so I don’t miss out, but I wouldn’t if I knew it was going to be on sale in a month’s time.

This also brings up whether sales are good for bringing in different, less affluent customers. A well-done sale makes you more accessible, gives them a way into the brand, and chances are they have more holes in their wardrobe so they're less fussy.

Given all this, when we decided Permanent Style should do a sale for the first time, I wanted it to be limited in the ways set out above. It will be:

Only once a year (January)
Only products that are being discontinued (rare for us)
Only at 30% off (hopefully enough to make it attractive, but not enough to suggest lower value)

There are several reasons we haven’t done sales in the past. One is that we were smaller and there weren’t that many products that had run a long time. Another is that we often took small amounts of stock and sold out of them quickly. Buying more means it can be available for longer, to more people, but also makes it more likely to have too much, in an awkward set of sizes.

Doing the sale each year will hopefully mean good clothes go to good homes, with people that maybe couldn’t afford them otherwise. The last thing anyone wants is for these beautiful things to go to waste. And the money will make it easier to introduce new products, or carry a wider range.

The PS sale is only small, as you can see on the page here. Often there's only piece left (eg in the trench or speckled donegal). But hopefully this piece shows some of the thinking behind it, and you think we’ve struck the right balance.

Reader profile: Bent

Posted on 22/01/202522/01/2025 by Simon Crompton

Outfit 1: Green cord suit

Suit: Schaap tailors, green 700g Holland & Sherry cord
Jumper: De Bonne Facture
Shirt: J Press
Tie: Drake’s
Shoes: Alden cordovan, modified last
Socks: Frans Boone
Watch: 1960s IWC

Hi Bent. How would you describe what you do?

I’d say I find it hard to concentrate on just one thing! But no, I live in Belgium and the lion’s share of my life was spent in music. I was in a band [Das Pop] and made some solo records; I spent 20 years in bands, touring the world, all that stuff.

But I noticed that doing music, only music, didn’t really work for me, even though it was what was expected. And I’d studied painting originally - I always had one foot in the art world, one in the music world. I also wanted something more for my head, more thoughtful. So I ended up doing radio, presenting a culture show here in Belgium. That’s what I do mostly today.

I’d say the consistent thing there is enthusiasms for lots of things, rather than anything like a straight path.

And how long have you been into clothes?

From very early childhood actually. I was transfixed early on by clothes and what they could mean. My grandfather was someone who always wore tweed jackets and suits, and wherever I used to read a children’s book, I would ask my mother to make me clothes like the main character. So there was a period where I went to school in farmer’s attire, complete with wooden shoes filled with straw.

You’re kidding! How long did that last?

Well, longer than the headmaster liked. He wasn’t too charmed. But it was really my way of putting myself out there you know, and I guess it still is.

In children’s books the clothes are often deliberately over the top, to create a character. So you were always going to come across as something extreme.

You’re right, but it all seemed completely normal at the time.

I’ve always found it interesting how the villains in stories are portrayed as dandies. They’re a bit too smart, a bit too flashy. Loud colours, tie pins, spectator shoes.

That’s right, and in Disney films too. Always very snappy and quite camp.

The green cord suit you’re wearing here is pretty bold. Is this typical for you?

Yes I’d say so, though it was really a gamble at the time. It seemed fresh to me, something David Hockney could have worn I guess, which spoke to me.

Then as soon as I put it on, it was the most natural, most comfortable piece of tailoring I’d had - it’s like a tracksuit, yet the colour also means it has this kind of aura around it. It’s the piece I wear the most, oddly. You’d think it would be a kind of now-and-then thing, but no.

Are there times when a gamble like that hasn’t paid off?

Yes absolutely. Sometimes you just don’t know - you think something will be very versatile, that you’ll wear the hell out of it, and it doesn’t prove to be the case. It’s hard to know for sure.

If I haven’t worn something for a year, I tend to think I should pass it on, find someone else who will wear it. That’s happened to me with navy suits. I’ve tried a few, because you always hear that’s the thing you should really have, that everyone should have. But it’s never really stuck.

It doesn’t feel, at least from the times we’ve met, that you’re a navy suit kind of guy.

No, I have enjoyed wearing them and they hold a lot of meaning - I love what they stand for. But perhaps you’re right, perhaps it isn’t me.

Outfit 2: Dries

Jacket: Vintage tweed, from Crowley Vintage
Sweater: Dries van Noten
Chinos: 1940s vintage, from Le Vif
T-shirt: Norse Projects
Beret: AWMS
Socks: AWMS
Shoes: Quoddy for Beige

How much does that idea of meaning affect how you dress?

Quite a lot I think, in that I’m really interested in the power a garment can hold, how it can influence how you move through the day and through your life.

How does it affect your day?

I feel like all the pieces I keep around are infused with this kind of meaning. Every time I put something on I cloak myself in that meaning, if that makes sense.

So are you saying particular clothes have personal meaning for you, or that a type of garment has meaning in the way it’s viewed in society?

Both I guess. Because clothes have a history, they have a context and a cultural significance; but then they always some personal significance as well.

Can you give us an example?

Sure, so I saved up - in terms of time and money - for my first tweed jacket when I was about 30. It was a very rough Harris Tweed, very classic, and very expensive for me at the time.

I had promised myself that I would buy this jacket when I had finished writing a particular short story, so when I did it was like a moment of emancipation, like I was allowing myself to be that guy. The kind that wore a tweed jacket and all the public associations - East Coast university, academic, oxford, all that stuff.

So it was like a moment you were allowing yourself to be more grown-up, more adult?

Exactly, exactly.

You’re wearing a sweater from Dries Van Noten here. How do you see the value of designer brands compared to more classic menswear?

Well I love Dries van Noten - fantastic stylist, fantastically nice guy. Antwerp-based so I know a lot of people that work for him, and I know him a little. I love his universe.

I wear more classic menswear because it’s less prone to change, but I love fashion as a window towards the possible you know? A show is like a walk through the head of a designer. They’ll show you this view of extremity, but then there will always be more familiar things you can buy into as well.

That’s interesting, because sometimes readers find fashion a little alienating, too extreme to really connect with.

Yes I get that. For me I love the richness of clothing and a show is an exploration of that, a mining of a particular inspiration and often a time, filtered through the view of this one person. It has a freshness always, and provides context for all the more traditional clothing.

What other designers do you like?

Another Belgian guy, Raf Simons of course. Also strongly rooted in classic menswear but willing to go very far out. Then Italians, Prada and its interpretation of their traditions too.

Outfit 3:

Overcoat: De Bonne Facture
Jacket: Drake’s
Sweater: Frans Boone
Trouser: Adret
Belt: Uniqlo
Shoes: Alden modified last, Color 8 cordovan
Cap: Vintage, McDonald’s Olympics sponsorship

How much has your attitude to clothing been influenced by the fact that you’ve been a performer for much of your life?

Quite a lot probably. The way I’ve always seen pop music, the visual is just as important as the aural. I’ve always loved playing with it, being adventurous for this, and maybe even doing things that would shock my contemporaries.

What kind of thing?

Well, I would play a show in a bright purple ski outfit, that was actually probably a women’s ski outfit. But the way it made me feel, well it made me feel like a beautiful space man. So it all worked out.

Amazing. I was going to ask actually how what you wore on stage differed to what you wore in normal life, but it sounds it was basically taken up a notch?

Well, yes taken up a notch, you want a little more shake, a little more drama. But a little more sophistication too. So I like to wear quite rugged things during the day, tweed and corduroy, but during the night there can be some satin, some shine, some velvet.

Has that changed since you’ve stopped performing, or has it pretty much stayed the same?

It’s really interesting because I’m about to perform again, in May, after a long hiatus. So I’m now pondering what I’m going to do on stage, I’m in the middle of thinking about it actually.

Will it be a little more grown-up, now you’re older?

I guess the purple ski outfits are a thing of the past. I might have something made, some tailoring, perhaps a pastel. I have this tailor, Schaap, that is quite willing to try different things and that helps a lot.

Do you think you might develop a kind of uniform, I’m thinking of someone like Nick Cave with his black suits and big-collared shirts. Artists tend to become more consistent but in some ways also more themselves, as they grow older.

Yes I can definitely see that. I think it’s something you just have to feel, how the clothes make you feel.

Your Aldens here are all on the modified last, is that the most comfortable for you?

Yes in fact it’s the only shape of leather shoe I can wear without an [orthopaedic] insole. I have them from both Paris and New York, so naturally the Parisian ones are one size larger!

Ha! And which do you prefer, the Anatomica sizing or the Moulded Shoe?

The Parisian I think, they’re more comfortable.

You only have the one watch here, an old IWC. I think you said you’re not much of a watch guy?

Yes though it’s largely a budgetary thing. I’m the watch guy I can afford to be!

There is a fair range in prices of things in this outfit as well, from Adret cords to a Uniqlo belt. How do you see that contrast?

I spend more on jackets and shoes generally; shetland sweaters never last very long so it’s ridiculous to spend too much on them.

Those Adret cords were very expensive but I was immediately smitten with that old 1980s corduroy when I saw it; it was like nothing else. So yes that year my children had to eat nothing but salted peanuts.

But it depends what you want out of clothing. The belt is from Uniqlo but it’s strong and its aged well. There’s only so much you can do with a brown leather belt; but then sometimes you have to allow yourself to be bedazzled by something, like that Adret corduroy and the way it was made.

Some things are just a question of function - I picked up that belt years ago and I’ve liked how it’s gained this patina so I’ve kept it. Whereas other things are about beauty and romance. It’s often a mistake to value all clothes by the same factors.

Wonderful, thank you Bent. Any closing thoughts?

I buy a fair amount of clothes, certainly compared to the normal guy; but I buy sturdy things and I often go weeks thinking about something before I buy it. I think that’s a sensible approach, and if you do it thoughtfully and don’t buy too much, it is possible to build a wardrobe that is very enjoyable and suitable to yourself as a person.

Perfect.

Paul’s Permanent Style watches

Posted on 20/01/202520/01/2025 by Simon Crompton

By Paul Croughton

Not so long ago, Simon and I were discussing watches – specifically what would make a ‘Permanent Style watch’. As both a PS reader of well over a decade and a watch enthusiast and collector, I saw this as a welcome, if dangerous, opportunity to get sucked down a rabbit hole.

It was also a chance to highlight some lesser-known options, rather than the more commonly seen classics such as JLC’s Reverso, the Cartier Tank or a Patek Calatrava.

They’re all so widely recognised as icons of good taste that they’re obviously PS-type watches.

But before we debate what exactly the watches might be, let’s establish a definition.

To qualify, a ‘PS watch’ must tick multiple boxes. Most obviously it should have style – an understated elegance, by which I mean design language that leans towards simplicity, though there will always be magic in the details.

Second, size matters – there will be no dinner plates here. The trend for 44mm watches and above seems to be fading in favour of mid-sized or smaller timepieces. This, IMHO, is a good thing (see: elegance, above).

That means for the purposes of this article we’re going to narrow our parameters to dress watches (traditionally in precious metals, although steel is increasingly popular) rather than sports watches. This doesn’t mean that sports watches on metal bracelets aren’t great – of course they are. There may even be a follow-up piece there at some point. Simon’s vintage Rolex GMT is fantastic, for example. But for now, we’re trending more formal.

What else? A point of difference, an element of rarity (because the PS reader naturally shies away from the mass-produced) and the quality of make will be paramount. This plays into sustainability: even more than with bespoke tailoring, a well-made, well-cared-for watch should outlast its wearer. Probably many wearers.

So those are our guidelines. Finally, a word on price. High-end watches are expensive, increasingly so over the last few years. So I’ve deliberately picked some that are, in relative watch terms, on the cheaper side; the rest decidedly are not.

These are my personal preferences - I’m a long way from suggesting these are the only watches worth having. But I hope readers who appreciate the technical expertise that is poured into the making of a suit can do the same for the manufacture of a timepiece. Right, enough spiel. On to the watches.

1. Grand Seiko SLGW003

£10,300

Grand Seiko is the watch nerd’s little secret. The premium, artisan younger sibling of the Japanese behemoth that is Seiko, GS has a reputation for extreme accuracy, exceptional finishing... and rubbish names.

The first thing you notice about the SLGW003 (see what I mean?) is the textured dial, inspired by the bark of the white birch trees that grow near the GS studio in northern Japan. While a clean enamel dial is a beautiful thing, I’m a sucker for subtle dial decoration, and I love how GS uses nature as its guiding inspiration (check out its snowflake dial).

Other little details please me: the titanium case’s brushed bezel echoes the birch’s stripes, while GS’s signature Zaratsu polishing on the lugs creates crisp contrast. On the technical side, the manual-winding movement gives you an 80-hour power reserve, so you can take it off after work on Friday and it’ll still be going strong on Monday even if you’ve worn something else all weekend.

2. Naoya Hida Type 1D

£13,500

The independent Tokyo-based Naoya Hida launched in 2018. Its three-man team includes its eponymous founder, and together they have produced fewer than 200 pieces across a handful of different styles.

The Type 1D is a contemporary twist on vintage watches from the 1940s and 1950s, a period that many consider the golden age of elegant watch design. The 37mm case is made from tough 904L steel (used by Rolex, this is recognised both for its anti-corrosive qualities and for being a nightmare to machine) while the dial is a solid chunk of German silver.

Full disclosure: I have one of these and in the metal, as watch nerds say, the cursive Breguet numerals are truly beautiful – all the more for being carved freehand by one person. Imagine trying to chip out those numbers with nothing but a micro chisel and a magnifying glass. Like a Milanese buttonhole, the beauty is in the detail and the level of craftmanship is, frankly, ridiculous. [See video at the bottom of this article.]

The only thing I’m less keen on here is the strap. I’m not a fan of contrast stitching, so I wear mine on plain black crocodile or tan leather, and it works a treat.

3. The Armoury by Paulin Modul A Hong Kong II

£600 (approx)

This collaboration between The Armoury, whom readers will know very well, and small Glaswegian watch brand Paulin, has a lot going for it.

While the green dial isn’t exactly simple, I’m drawn to its unusual configuration. It’s a riff on what’s known as a California dial, created in the 1930s and used by pilots during World War II due to its error-proof configuration of Roman numerals up top and Arabic ones below. I’ve always loved them; they make me smile every time I turn my wrist.

This version switches in Chinese characters on the bottom half, making it that much more unusual, while the steel C-shaped case is a subtle point of difference that’s easy to overlook. At 35mm it’s surprisingly understated, and the suede strap is a great way of making a dress watch less formal.

I’d use this as a characterful travel watch: something cheery to throw on then forget about, and not worry if it got a bit bashed around.

4. Serica Parade 1174

£1,230 approx

Serica is a new independent brand from France that has, until now, focused on sturdy tool watches.

Its latest release is a dramatic departure: minimal and monochrome, it has an unusual ‘stadium’ case (so called because it looks like a sports stadium from above). There are obvious parallels to Patek Philippe’s famous Ellipse here, but in truth this is a more muscular vision of the sort of piece traditionally worn with black tie or at a cocktail event.

The 35mm brushed-steel case is in keeping with Serica’s back catalogue, but the guilloche (engraving) on the dial and small hour markers give it an uptown appearance, enhanced by a slim automatic movement.

Like the Paulin above this is certainly not for everyone – but if you appreciate vintage watches but want something more robust, or you’re after something unusual and unexpected, this could be for you. The first 250 of 500 will be available in March.

5. Chopard LUC 1860

£22,700

Chopard is an independent firm that makes glamorous jewelry and various styles of watches, not all of which I love. But when I saw this one at Watches & Wonders in Geneva (the horological equivalent of Pitti) it stood out a mile.

There’s a sexy high-low thing going on: you’ve got that chic salmon-coloured gold dial with guilloche pattern, and, like the 1D above, a sub-seconds dial. The movement looks beautiful through the open caseback, too.

But the steel 36.5mm case and grey calfskin strap stop it from coming off as overly fancy. It’s a bit like wearing a denim shirt under a flannel suit; there’s a quiet confidence here, a willingness to be a little different.

Speaking of clothes, this is another watch that works well with casual wear, but it would look sensational peeking out from under the cuff of a double-breasted, chalk-stripe suit. It screams – albeit it very quietly – sophistication.

5. Cartier Tank Must SolarBeat

£3,150

Yes, I know I said I wouldn’t include a Tank, but this one’s a little different thanks to something hidden behind those famous Roman numerals. It’s a solar panel, which charges the quartz battery so it only needs replacing once every 16 years. Sixteen years! Not that you’d know: to any casual observer it’s just a classic Tank, but in steel rather than gold.

A Tank is supremely versatile, as good with a vintage jungle jacket as with tailoring, so this is a low-maintenance, go everywhere option. It comes in two sizes on a leather-look plant-based strap – although one of the great things about a Tank is how well it takes to all sorts of other straps. I’ve even seen them look good on NATO military bands.

This is a high-tech twist on a classic, and one of the easiest ways into arguably the classiest, most design-focused watch brand.

Paul Croughton is a journalist and editor who has been writing about style, travel and luxury for 25 years. He’s run magazines in the UK and US, most recently as editor in chief of Robb Report in New York.

Removing the white stitch on a new coat

Posted on 17/01/202517/01/2025 by Simon Crompton

I am not, by nature, a confrontational person. But there is something clothing-related that forces me to confront strangers, and in fact in some ways to criticise them. It hasn’t always gone well.

Some brands use white basting thread to sew a small tacking ‘X’ on the vents of their coats. You know the one - it’s there so the nicely pressed vents don’t get all crumpled in transit. The vent is the first thing that could splay open, and crease.

Big brands do this much more than small ones (like those covered on PS). They have larger volumes, and often go through more pairs of hands (eg from a factory to a regional warehouse, to a local warehouse to a store).

The problem is, customers don’t necessarily know what the stitch is for, and sometimes the staff don’t either. They should really remove the stitch before wrapping up the purchase, but they sometimes don’t. And with an online order that whole stage gets skipped anyway.

So people walk around on the street with a big white cross on their coats that shouldn’t be there. And even more painfully for a PS reader, the vents will bow out in an odd way because they’re fastened at the bottom.

But should you ever tell them?

I have done, a couple of times. The first time I did it, the person was very nice and appreciative. I was polite and even apologetic in my approach, I told them in the same way I’d tell someone that their laces were undone - like you assumed they’d want to know and just hadn’t noticed, rather than like a lecture on etiquette.

The second time, however, the person was rather taken aback and told me to go away. Or rather, said ‘f*** off!’. It put me off doing it again, and I never have.

But when I was talking to family members over Christmas, most of them weren’t aware of why the stitches were there, and said I should definitely tell people. That they would too.

The stitches are very easy to remove, by the way. They’re deliberately big and loose in order to make it easy. In fact, arguably it’s worse when the stitches have come loose through wear and just hang there, like a pair of undone shoelaces. I’m not sure how people don’t notice that.

To remove them you can just use regular scissors because the stitch is so big, but a stitch picker (above) is a useful thing to have - for this or similar jobs. They only have a sharp edge on the inside of the fork, which reduces any chance of catching the cloth.

This is particularly useful if you want to do things like remove the label from a scarf or pocket handkerchief. I usually do this with handkerchiefs - because otherwise they always find a way show out of the pocket - but not always with scarves.

The key here is to make sure you cut the stitch that attaches the label to the handkerchief, rather than the one running around the edge of the handkerchief. If you cut of the stitch the end furthest into the label it’s usually OK.

Some bespoke tailors do leave basting stitches on parts of a finished jacket when they ship it. This is often with tailoring that is folded, rather than hung inside a hanger box. The aim is the same - to keep parts that could move around from getting creased.

You can usually remove these in the same way as other basting stitches, just cutting the thread and pulling it out. If one end stays put, it’s because it has a knot securing it at that end. So find the knot and pull from there.

I should mention the fact that Maison Margiela uses basting thread like this as a decorative detail, deliberately sewing through to the back of the garment so four stitches show. No one’s suggesting those should be cut off.

But you should - absolutely - cut off the brand label that sometimes appears on the sleeve of a suit. This was introduced to make it easier for department stores to identify brands on a rack, and is meant to be removed at the point of purchase, in the same way as the stitches on a vent. But some people leave them on, thinking it’s meant to be there and/or that it’s a great way to show people how expensive your suit is.

That one, however, is probably best not to tell people about.

Awards 2025: Who’s your favourite menswear brand right now?

Posted on 15/01/202515/01/2025 by Simon Crompton

The Permanent Style Awards are back. We had a bit of a hiatus last year for ‘Dry January’ but I wanted to do the annual awards again, with some of the most popular categories from previous iterations, plus a couple of new ones.

So I would like to know - or rather everyone would like to know - who is:

Your favourite menswear brand in the world right now, and why
Your favourite product you bought last year (still why)
Your favourite artisan in the world (OK why for all of these)
Your favourite mainstream brand (definition: more than 10 stores)
Your best repair or maintenance experience (anywhere, ever)

The point of these awards is to gather all the collected knowledge of 2 million+ Permanent Style readers around the world, at one time, because it's nice to do two things:

Provide recommendations to all the other 2 million+ readers
Recognise and reward the brands for their style and hard work

Although Permanent Style is bigger now than just me (Simon) it’s still much narrower than the experiences of all PS readers. The problem is those experiences are often scattered across many different comments sections. This puts them all in one place.

In terms of why we chose these categories, the broad brand award allows everyone to mention anyone they like. The product award forces people to name a single thing they’d recommend. And there has to be one on artisans - otherwise they often miss out.

Those are categories we’ve done in the past. I've added the new ones because I know a lot of readers shop from non-niche, non-#menswear brands, but we rarely talk about them. So number 4 is an opportunity for everyone to say which they do most, and why.

And then lastly, we need something that isn’t just about buying stuff. The most important thing about buying quality clothing is looking after it well - so I'd like to hear positive experiences of repairs, cleaning, and general maintenance.

This might be from the brand itself or it might be a third party, either way the point is to help other people look after their things, through first-hand recommendations. Because everything else you scroll through just tells you to get something new.

Please leave your nominations as a comment in the section below.

Those comments will be the primary resource for everyone that wants to read and use this year’s recommendations. But I will also do a follow-up article in two weeks’ time congratulating the winners (those that were nominated the most) and listing a handful of runners’ up that were interesting.

I can’t wait to see what you put.

All six previous sets of awards (2018-2023) can be seen here in the PS archive with a quick search. How we announced the winners varied from year to year, but each primary article has all the nominations in the comments section.

Images, top to bottom: Our review of seven boat shoes; Edward Sexton offshore service; Blackhorse Lane jeans alterations; the worksop of Charlie Borrow

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