The summer tie
August 17th 2018I don’t tend to wear brightly coloured ties. Too often they’re brash and loud, where a dark simple tie would be more tasteful. The only time I’ve regularly worn them is in unusual colours like lime green, rather than primary red...
The summer tie
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Yes exactly - subtle and restrained. A little pin dot is nice too. I see, the suit sounds nice for the occasion. In that case a silver/grey tie would be nice and formal, or you could do something like a green or yellow, ...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2018
May 2nd 2018Last week a friend in the industry asked me what aspect of writing Permanent Style I like the most. It is always, easily, discovering a new tailor, cloth or product that is different and inspiring. That journey from discovering something new, to see...
Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2018
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I see. Thanks so much Simon!...
Holiday snaps 2018: Eidos, Aspesi, Doek, Drake...
April 20th 2018Travelling to India on holiday this Easter gave me a reason to get the hot-weather clothing out early. It was unseasonably hot even for there, with the temperature pushing 40 degrees. We took the opportunity to visit the 100 Hands factory ...
Holiday snaps 2018: Eidos, Aspesi, Doek, Drake...
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Article coming on that tomorrow! Good timing......
Wearing warm and cold colours
April 4th 2018Taka from Liverano. Lots of colour and pattern, but overall quite cold Being able to judge the relative formality of an outfit is a key component of dressing well in modern, variable working environments. Many things contribute to this formality: Mo...
Wearing warm and cold colours
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I certainly would mix them together, yes, it can be an interesting combination....
Unexpected texture and colour – Denim and l...
March 19th 2018I think it’s telling that the thing that makes me happiest about this outfit is the oatmeal-linen shirt, a piece made bespoke by D’Avino. I’ve been doing this for a while - trying to combine pieces of classic menswear in ways that ...
Unexpected texture and colour – Denim and l...
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Thank Mike, but please refrain from talking to other commenters like that. Cheers...
The fashions of classic menswear
March 16th 2018Although we sartorial enthusiasts aspire to style that lasts decades, not seasons, I think it's important to recognise the fashions we still follow. While we shun band T-shirts or 'ugly' trainers, we are still strongly influenced by our peers and th...
The fashions of classic menswear
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Nothing is really timeless - they go up and down over the decades just as lapel widths increase and decrease. But I like a slightly higher gorge, as it flatters the shoulders rather than the chest. And the absolute key i...
Monochrome and concrete: Styling grey, charcoal a...
March 1st 2018Although I love rich, natural colours (particularly in Autumn) I've always been fascinated by the subtleties of monochrome dressing. It has such strong style, and yet there is so little too it. It's striking and unusual, and yet quiet. These photo...
Monochrome and concrete: Styling grey, charcoal a...
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No worries Daniel. Dark-brown suede could be fine - rather like black jeans, when they're faded and have enough of that casual vibe as your charcoal linen sounds like it has, they work well. Also, I'd encourage you to co...
Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you w...
February 28th 2018Although casual clothing is far more susceptible to fashions than tailored clothing, it is possible to organize it into certain groups, or paradigms. These groups, such as preppy clothing or workwear, often have their roots in particular parts of th...
Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you w...
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Overshirts could fall into several, particularly as it's not really a traditional category of clothing. A military one would be something like the Jungle Jacket, a workwear one more a heavy flannel shirt worn over a ther...
The roll neck
February 16th 2018The Spring/Summer collections may be arriving, but it’s 2 degrees outside in London, and I’m continuing a season-long love affair with roll necks. The wonderful thing about a roll neck is that it is both very practical and very stylish; ...
The roll neck
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I think other more natural colours like dark browns might be a good way to go, but yes burgundy could look great too Yes I agree on the Colhays one. If you want a bigger fit it's probably not for you...
Best Brand 2018: Drake’s (or, how to expand...
January 29th 2018Best Brand of the Year: Drake's Runners up: Stoffa, Private White VC The Permanent Style award for ‘Brand of the Year’ was understandably the hardest to define of our five awards - launched a few weeks ago. People can like b...
Best Brand 2018: Drake’s (or, how to expand...
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I'm not sure on which ones are made where to be honest Malcolm. It has varied a bit. The Portugal ones I've seen and talked to other readers about haven't had as nice a collar and had more variation/shrinkage...
Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review
January 22nd 2018It’s so enjoyable writing good reviews. It is valuable to write balanced, semi-critical pieces of course, and this is a core part of Permanent Style. But you always feel very conscious of the effect the criticism will have, and bad even if it&...
Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review
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I'd say WW Chan or The Anthology would be the closest, yes...
Brands need to talk about product
December 29th 2017There are several ways to define the menswear world we write about. As classic style, for instance, or about quality and craft. Also as luxury, given such quality is expensive. But one aspect that is rarely emphasised, and should be more in my opini...
Brands need to talk about product
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Well, my main point was, that the quality is often not there. I don't have an issue with paying a premium price for a premium product, but I won't pay it for an average or even below average product. Here's an example: R...
High/low dressing
December 6th 2017The biggest potential pitfall with tailored dressing is looking fussy. Fussy is not sexy; it is not attractive. It is closely related to appearing ‘affected’ or ‘mannered’. Looking relaxed in clothing, on the other hand, is v...
High/low dressing
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You definitely can do that, play around with more casual trousers perhaps, like jeans, chinos etc...
The Drake’s x Permanent Style outfit
November 20th 2017Drake's was one of the first menswear brands that really inspired me, back in the days when I'd sit in Michael Drake's study going through old decorative art books, dissecting patterns. Drake's managed to combine craft and style, deep tradition and ...
The Drake’s x Permanent Style outfit
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Not really, no...
How to dress for very hot weather
August 16th 2017As mentioned on my ‘What I pack’ post, I’ve been travelling a lot in high heat recently. There was Pitti in Florence, where the temperature topped out at 37 degrees. Naples in July was very similar. And Puglia at the end ...
How to dress for very hot weather
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I haven't Maurice, good point. Perhaps I can look to something this winter. I have tried fine wool in the summer and always found a fine cotton was OK - it has to be fine, otherwise as you say they aren't breathable and ...
The ‘Style Guide’ dinner: What is the...
July 26th 2017Last month, we organised a dinner at the beautiful Beaumont Hotel to celebrate The Style Guide - the book published earlier this year by myself and photographer Jamie Ferguson. There had been official launch events, and signings, at Fenwick's of Bo...
The ‘Style Guide’ dinner: What is the...
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Hope you enjoy the little video, changing a bit with humour your dinner for your book. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CD-nn2zpvRN/?igshid=1deds976zz0ra...
What I pack when I travel
July 19th 2017As I return from two summer trips – one for a week in Florence, the other a week in Naples – it seems a fitting time to run through what I pack for trips such as these. I know readers have asked about it in the past. Of course, an...
What I pack when I travel
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Thank you, Simon! I prefer the curved collar on bomber jackets so I am missing this one on your design. Seems like I have to ask a tailor putting it together for me. Regards, Frederik...
Pale summer colours (in vintage linen)
July 17th 2017This is a nice exercise in combining summery, pale colours. The challenge is being light and pale overall, while retaining enough contrast between shirt, jacket and trousers - both in colour and texture. The starting point is the jacket, made for m...
Pale summer colours (in vintage linen)
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thank you, much appreciated!...
Style Guide – the partners shoot
April 24th 2017The Style Guide has been wonderfully received so far - at the launch events in London and New York, but also online and through personal messages. Thank you all. There are a few things I realise I haven't emphasised so far. One is that we proudly d...
Style Guide – the partners shoot
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Lots of things I think. Grey and navy as shown here, plus cream or white, and black. More tonally similar colours, like dark brown, might be Ok if there's some other contrast, such as a white shirt underneath...
The Armoury: Do you know about the trousers?
March 1st 2017For many reasons - personal, business, product, sheer beauty of execution - I’ve long been a fan of The Armoury. They were therefore one brand I was particularly excited to get into our Savile Row pop-up shop. However, the things I wanted to f...
The Armoury: Do you know about the trousers?
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Yes, should be fine. No worries - any relevant post is good. Basically, it's nice to post questions somewhere wear another reader might have the same question in their mind...
Pop-up shop: The brands and the opening party
February 9th 2017Following last week's announcement of our pop-up shop on Savile Row - under the banner 'Permanent Style presents' - here are some details of the shop and the brands. I also include an invitation, above, to any readers to come to the opening party o...
Pop-up shop: The brands and the opening party
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Thank you Simon, see you tomorrow and have fun tonight with the launch....
A pale-grey jacket with green corduroy
November 14th 2016This outfit was used in a piece written recently for Drake's regarding corduroy. The piece mentions some of the associations that corduroy often carries, and ways to avoid them; basically, keeping the colours dark and the fit contemporary. But you...
A pale-grey jacket with green corduroy
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Yes, it probably would, and wouldn't wear them together today - see article here on outfits I'd wear differently...
Chinos, loafers and a sports jacket (or sweater)
August 29th 2016Those on the Drake’s mailing list may have seen this outfit on Friday, accompanying an article on their new trouser range. To fill in the details: the olive Drake’s chinos were worn with a white lightweight pique-cotton shirt made by Luc...
Chinos, loafers and a sports jacket (or sweater)
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Cheers Andrew! I can't say I have though on exactly that shade of Olive. The Anglo Italian ones are pretty close...
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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Thanks Zawaad. No, but I certainly plan something. Thanks for the suggestion...
Black suede shoes, and cream knitwear
May 20th 2016Yesterday's post raised a few questions about other aspects of the outfit - specifically the black suede shoes and cream-coloured cardigan. I think it's interested to discuss both together, for stylistically they have many things in common. I'm a ...
Black suede shoes, and cream knitwear
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Well, it depends on the shoe and exactly what you wear with them. The shoe might be better in a more casual shape, and when it's been worn in a bit. The T-shirt might be easier if it's knitted, or at least in a clean, st...
