How to dress for summer – Reader question
June 15th 2016Simon, Would you be willing to do a post on (casual) summer dressing? It’s the area of dress I struggle with the most. Every time I go on summer/spring holidays I find myself browsing through the internet looking for a good mix of ca...
How to dress for summer – Reader question
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I think that would be fine Ayush, but in the end this is a social situation, and I can't judge that - it's up to you how you feel and how you make others feel. I can tell what looks a certain way, and how to achieve some...
Colour combinations, from casual to formal
May 31st 2016The colour combinations that we discuss every week in regards to formal wear, can be applied just as readily to casual wear. Although there will always be elements that don't crossover (such as the immense versatility of denim) a lot of the themes ...
Colour combinations, from casual to formal
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It is, yes, though I haven't tried others so I'm not sure how much longer other ones are I'm afraid...
Suit style 1: The difference between bespoke, mad...
April 29th 2016This is the first article in our Guide to Suit Style. You can see the full contents so far, and browse between them, on the right-hand side of this post. Bespoke suit, Anderson & Sheppard What’s the difference between bespoke, MT...
Suit style 1: The difference between bespoke, mad...
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Facts!...
Book signing at the Opening of LeatherFoot, Toronto
April 11th 2016When I fantasise about running my own shop, stocked with the greatest menswear money can buy, it normally involves having the finest tailor and the finest shoemaker on site, beavering away just for me. I discovered last week that Ideyi of the sho...
Book signing at the Opening of LeatherFoot, Toronto
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They have closed I'm afraid...
How wide should my jacket lapels be?
March 21st 2016A reader asked this a few weeks ago now, and I thought I’d illustrate my answer by showing the widths that five tailors have cut for my body and proportions. As you can see from the images below, some lapels are wider than others, but t...
How wide should my jacket lapels be?
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Thanks TJ. I think 11cm might be ok then - you'll have more room to play with than me. But do look at it yourself when you're doing the fitting and consider it as a proportion rather than an absolute number....
How I get dressed in the morning
March 18th 2016Everyone gets dressed in the morning. Most put no thought into it; a few put too much into it. My approach, formed through nothing more than hazard and habit, is to do one of two things: Pick out one piece that I really want to wear (usually som...
How I get dressed in the morning
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It was Lesser's I believe, but the same shade is very unlikely to be available. Any flannel from them or from Fox I think would drape just as well. Do let me know if you remember or find the comment...
Which office are you? (Or, a sliding scale of for...
February 15th 2016Dressing well is as much about propriety as it is about style, quality or personality. This is particularly true at work, where there are often prescriptions, or at least expectations, about professionalism and clothing. I have often talked over ...
Which office are you? (Or, a sliding scale of for...
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Understand your pain. Same here in Chicago, most I can do is 4; I usually do 3/4. Too junior to go to 5....
Scarf outfits: Solito, Cifonelli, Anderson &...
January 18th 2016Several readers asked what I was wearing in the video we produced recently for Begg & Co scarves. So here they are, one by one. In the jacket shots, above: Navy cashmere jacket by Solito. Not a great level of finish, but one of the most u...
Scarf outfits: Solito, Cifonelli, Anderson &...
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The stitching can be a little loose and irregular - I've had linings come loose for example, though they were then repaired. And buttonholes etc aren't that fine...
Video: The Tailoring Symposium
January 5th 2016Ahead of our next Symposium in Florence next week – focusing on accessories – here’s a reminder of the tailoring edition I organised last summer. The Rake organised this video of our discussion beforehand, at ...
Nineteen of our squares left… (and the virt...
December 28th 2015There are just 19 of our cashmere squares left – the beautiful collaboration we started a few weeks ago with Begg & Co. The colours have sold pretty evenly, with 9 navy and 10 ‘natural’ (pictured above) remain...
Nineteen of our squares left… (and the virt...
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Lovely to hear Robert, thank you...
Best of British book launch – at Anderson &...
December 3rd 2015So, everyone knows how much I love the Anderson & Sheppard haberdashery. Expensive as it is, they are doing something almost unique around the world – creating genuinely innovative versions of classic menswear without resorting ...
Best of British book launch – at Anderson &...
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I'm only going to pick out the Armoury...
Best of British: Buy your personalised copy
November 26th 2015My third book this year, published by Prestel and in bookstores worldwide, is now available. It is called Best of British: The Stories Behind Britain’s Iconic Brands. The book covers 14 British manufacturers that are over 100 years’ ol...
Best of British: Buy your personalised copy
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Their top end is still a good level - which is what we feature in the book. But generally the focus of this book is on history and stories of England's oldest manufacturers, so quality was less of a concern (eg Barbour.....
Double-breasted checks, and cream trousers
October 30th 2015A couple of readers commented on the collar of my Anderson & Sheppard suit in our recent video, ‘How to look after your suit’. A&S have always cut a particularly thick collar (1.75 inches at the back for me), an...
Double-breasted checks, and cream trousers
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Thank you, most helpful...
Video: How to look after your suit
October 21st 2015This is the first in a series of videos – made in conjunction with Richard Anderson – on maintaining, brushing and pressing a suit. [It’s worth enlarging to full screen if you want to watch it all] They are p...
Video: How to look after your suit
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How wide should such a "wide-shouldered" hanger for suits be?...
Launch party: The Finest Menswear in the World
September 18th 2015It was lovely to see so many people on Wednesday night at our launch party for The Finest Menswear in the World. Nearly everyone made it, despite the torrential rain, the taxi strikes and the underground closures. Cleverley and Anderson &...
Launch party: The Finest Menswear in the World
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Yes, it's not flannel just a lightweight wool....
House styles and difficult customers: The Tailori...
August 19th 2015Edward Sexton Before the public part of Tailoring Symposium in June, we all gathered next to the pool at the Four Seasons to have a chat about tailoring and its future, with The Rake busily making a video of the event in the background. This was ...
House styles and difficult customers: The Tailori...
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Thanks Chris. There is a post covering it here....
London: A sartorial city guide
August 12th 2015I’ve had quite a few requests by readers over the past year for city guides, so this is the first in a series. In London, there are so many options that it makes sense to group some together. Also, if I leave too many out I’ll...
London: A sartorial city guide
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This was just my take. These were some of my favorites, and I generally focused on stores I don't generally see in the US. (I don't live in New York and visit it as little as possible, but there might be a couple on this...
Wearing colour: Tobacco jacket and cream trousers
July 20th 2015At the BTBA party last month I wanted to try wearing my tobacco-linen jacket separately. It is part of a suit of course, but it was commissioned from Sastreria Langa in Madrid with a ‘shirt’ sleeve and patch pockets to make it c...
Wearing colour: Tobacco jacket and cream trousers
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I think cotton to be honest. The issue with these is mostly the fine yarn, but the weave is quite sharp as well....
The Finest Menswear in the World
July 17th 2015Finally, wonderfully, the book on luxury craft I began writing three years ago is coming out: The Finest Menswear in the World. – You can buy your own personalised copy of The Finest Menswear in the World in the Permanent Style shop &...
The Finest Menswear in the World
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Thank you, Simon. Yes, I think makers, especially with own brand, like Zilli and Seraphin schould be in prioritet position. That's why I would add Hettabretz to your selection. I read what Hattabretz small maker with own...
Grey cashmere and brown flannel: Caraceni and Abb...
July 1st 2015Last week’s explanation of how I put an outfit together seemed to be popular, so let’s try that again. This outfit is simpler than last week’s. There are fewer colours, there’s no tie to worry about, the handkerchief is pla...
Grey cashmere and brown flannel: Caraceni and Abb...
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Yes, I'd start with brown as the safest, then try something that is similar, like olive, and only occasionally look for something with more contrast that was a harmonious colour...
Tailoring Symposium: the outfits
June 22nd 2015* Update: Going by the ‘likes’ on Instagram, the outfits currently rank as: Anderson & Sheppard Cifonelli Liverano Edward Sexton Panico Richard Anderson (Do you agree? Join in!) * These are the si...
Tailoring Symposium: the outfits
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Yes it is, and of several other Savile Row tailors. Usually just on the back pocket though, given no buttons on the trousers are visible elsewhere. I always liked it as a small decorative touch....
The Tailoring Symposium: six greats in one room
June 19th 2015“Edward, Edward,” said Antonio Panico, in a conspiratorial whisper. “What was it like to fit Mick Jagger?” Just like the Shoemakers Symposium we ran in January, the biggest pleas...
The Tailoring Symposium: six greats in one room
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Not really, no.... Flannel isn't always great for a jacket, but more importantly this would be a very bold thing for a first commission (colour, DB, and 6x1 rather than 6x2) and I'd be afraid you wouldn't wear it that mu...
Almost ready – suits being made for our Tai...
June 12th 2015At our Tailoring Symposium next week in Florence, we have six of the greatest tailors in the world presenting their styles to the audience of press and buyers: Panico, Cifonelli, Edward Sexton, Richard Anderson, Liverano & Liverano, and An...
Almost ready – suits being made for our Tai...
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Sometime in the future it would be interesting to see a range of work from provincial Tailors. Some people who have posted on your Blog have alluded to this subject in the past. There are many talented people out there a...
Jonathan Cusick cartoon
February 10th 2015Well-known British caricaturist Jonathan Cusick recently sent me this cartoon, done as part of a series on men’s fashion (others linked to below). It’s not the most flattering I’ve had, but I suppose a caricature isn&a...
Jonathan Cusick cartoon
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It looks good Simon. It's a good job he didn't draw you with the bottom button of your jacket done up. If he'd done that then I think you'd probably have had to take legal action against him for deformation of character....
Harris tweed jacket and jeans
November 21st 2014Walking along the River Tweed, wearing tweed that (is it just me?) is rather reminiscent of the colours of the landscape. Of course, it’s Harris tweed and we’re in the Borders, but it seems fitting nonetheless. Cloth suited to i...
Harris tweed jacket and jeans
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The tweed jacket and jeans look great. Would Blackhorse jeans work well here…they have a big variety of jeans of course. On a separate subject, I am forever fascinated at the style of well known celebrity dog trainer, ...
