Japanese retail and the growth of bespoke
September 30th 2016Our trip to Japan this week was meant to be roughly split into three parts: retail (for a shopping guide), bespoke makers (for a range of posts and freelance articles) and Japanese crafts (around Osaka and Kyoto). But strangely enough, it was the be...
Japanese retail and the growth of bespoke
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Good question Hugh - no idea though I'm afraid! One thing I do know is that tariffs are only one of the things that make such pieces expensive, or harder to import, so there's no guarantee there. And often stockists try ...
Five double-breasted styles compared
September 1st 2016Last month we talked about how small changes in the proportions of a double-breasted jacket can have a radical effect on its style - and therefore on the people or situations it suits. This week I've used five of my own jackets to demonstrate these...
Five double-breasted styles compared
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Thanks very much, Simon. I wish there was a rule!...
I work in an office
April 1st 2016A reader commented to me recently that one of the things he likes about Permanent Style is the fact I work in an office, just like him. It hadn’t really occurred to me before, but the fact that I work in a modern, professional office every d...
I work in an office
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Ah, Pitti... this is exactly the reason why I prefer British fashion over Italian. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate their style and creativity, but if your source of inspiration is let's say James Bond instead of Pit...
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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Yes, I'm measuring horizontally to the end of the lower point of the notch. A peak lapel is a different look but I'd still consider a roughly similar proportion - even though the lapel will be naturally bigger, that poin...
Bespoke suede jacket – Cifonelli
March 14th 2016This finished suede jacket from Cifonelli shows the beautiful breadth of what bespoke tailoring can do. Bespoke is not just for business suits; it is not just for casual jackets; it is for anything that benefits from hand-cut line and structure. ...
Bespoke suede jacket – Cifonelli
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Really interesting, thanks Simon...
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 the Four Se...
Making a bespoke suede jacket
December 1st 2015Quite a few people asked how my suede Cifonelli jacket was being made – on the blog, on Instagram, on Facebook. And by email, with two separate tailors asking for advice to make one for their clients. Key to the questioning was how you ...
Making a bespoke suede jacket
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Thanks, Simon!...
Cifonelli bespoke suede jacket
October 23rd 2015One area that fascinates me – perhaps more than any other – in my writing is the overlap between formal tailoring and more casual dress. If it is possible to retain the beautiful craft aspects of bespoke tailoring in casual clothing, a...
Cifonelli bespoke suede jacket
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It's not, but it is a skin, and a skin can virtually close up again around holes if it's thick and soft enough, and the holes small enough...
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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These outfits have held up really well. Makes me nostalgic for pre Covid dress codes. Everyone was so elegant!...
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....
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...
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...
Thank you (in Cifonelli and Begg)
April 15th 2015Everything seems to be happening at once at the moment. Next week the Permanent Style magazines should be here, which is probably the most exciting thing. On Monday we held our first Gathering dinner, which everyone seemed to really enjoy. And we&a...
Thank you (in Cifonelli and Begg)
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I think it can look very nice. Bear in mind that linen and cotton will usually look more casual, though, and perhaps therefore better suited to casual jackets rather than suiting. Lightweight wools are often better with ...
The subtlety of a suede jacket
March 25th 2015Loro Piana I’ve been pleased to see that suede has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years. Italians like Loro Piana have always done it well – often in a classic Italian mix of brown suede and grey cashmere – but others ...
The subtlety of a suede jacket
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Both can look good, it's not a big difference (compared to collar, body fit etc). Buttons is a little smarter, zip a little sportier, but I think both would probably work for you...
Reflections on bespoke 2: J Panther, Tom Davies a...
February 18th 2015My last ‘reflections on bespoke’ post back in January was very popular. Readers seemed to respond to the assessment of bespoke commissions with the wisdom of hindsight, and I have to say I sympathise. Here, then, are five more, ...
Reflections on bespoke 2: J Panther, Tom Davies a...
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A tiny bit of room with some side straps......
Cifonelli double-breasted overcoat
January 26th 2015For the reader who commented that my pieces on Cifonelli tend towards the emotional, I apologise in advance. This is a beautiful, beautiful coat, and one of the finest things I have ever worn. Right, that’s over. Down to details. This is...
Cifonelli double-breasted overcoat
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I'd go for 80/20 I think. I also find that these days I prefer something more substantial and hard wearing, less luxe. I'm making a new navy overcoat for next year that will certainly be mostly wool, if not all....
How an overcoat should fit (Cifonelli fitting)
September 5th 2014A reader recently asked me how an overcoat should fit – around the armholes, in the shoulder width – and given that I already had a post planned on this fitting on a Cifonelli overcoat, I thought I would combine the two. The central pro...
How an overcoat should fit (Cifonelli fitting)
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I see. Even then I can't recommend anything specifically, I would just look at articles on PS regarding fit. How a shirt should fit, how a suit should fit etc. And in every review of a suit or jacket there will be commen...
Five tips on bespoke suits
June 23rd 2014The process of commissioning a bespoke suit is a nerve-wracking and, of course, expensive one. Permanent Style has provided extensive advice on this process over the years, particularly in posts covering suits from more than 20 tailors. But a reade...
A bespoke tour of Paris – Corthay, Cifonell...
March 4th 2014Read my one-day guide to bespoke operators in Paris in the latest article for Essence Lifestyle. Pictured, Pierre Corthay in typically playful mood.
A bespoke tour of Paris – Corthay, Cifonell...
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Your beautiful photos conjure memorable prose: "The French term for window shopping is 'leche-vitrines'--licking the plate glass. This requires perfect leisure, and our breakfast had used up most of the morning. Still we...
The Rake opens London Collections: Men
January 7th 2014This is probably the busiest week of the year. I tend to avoid the fashion shows, but there are now some great tailoring events in the calendar – including The Rake’s party at Claridge’s on Sunday night and the English G...
The Rake opens London Collections: Men
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I know Harry, yes. Not the others though...
Cifonelli jacket, D’Avino shirt and others
December 23rd 2013A reader asked what I was wearing at the dinner of Parisian Gentlemen last week. Fortunately, a profile photo was taken that day at the intellectual property conference I was speaking at – the reason I was in Paris in the first place. In t...
Cifonelli jacket, D’Avino shirt and others
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Here are some more pics of Simon's DB: http://dirnelli.tumblr.com/post/69709009635/simon-crompton-shows-you-how-the-cifonelli-bespoke...
Cifonelli navy suit
December 6th 2013Lorenzo Cifonelli made me this beautiful suit at the beginning of the year, and I’ve meaning to write about it ever since. He has cut two jackets for me in the past, a pale-grey cashmere DB and a green tweed SB. I gave details about both o...
Cifonelli navy suit
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Hey Nick, The waistcoat shouldn't make any difference to the fit, no. But I would still go with two piece. I never wear a waistcoat these days, and it feels too smart most of the time....
