An Hermes silk scarf with all navy
Long-term readers will be familiar with my passion for Hermes silk scarves, which I’ve often bought over the years as a treat, and of which I now have a small collection (nine of them, since you ask). I’ve found particular enjoyment thi...
An Hermes silk scarf with all navy
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Thanks Tom, yes I do have something planned on that...
Wear loafers with jeans
In the hyper-casual world we’re living in, any opportunity to add a little smartness to everyday clothing should be grabbed with both hands. One of the most effective ways to do this, I’m finding, is wearing loafers with jeans. Jeans ar...
Wear loafers with jeans
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Thank you!...
Layering and accessories for cold Spring days
Back when these things were possible, I remember an American friend visiting in the Spring and asking: “How on earth do you dress for this weather? I can see my breath in the morning, but my midday I’m roasting and can barely wear a jack...
Layering and accessories for cold Spring days
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Yes I do...
My journey in perfume
A couple of weeks ago I cleared out a lot of perfumes sitting in our bathroom cabinet. The cabinet is actually a tall, vintage piece, originally for a dining room. It has drawers in the bottom where we keep towels and sheets, and shelves in the top...
My journey in perfume
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Nice to hear GK. I think you'll find Charcoal unusual, but you'll love it if you do like it...
Wearing red – with L’Etiquette
The fourth issue of L’Etiquette came out last week, and it remains the best menswear magazine in the world for me. (See previous article here for an explanation why.) We’re honoured to be the only website permitted to translate and repub...
Wearing red – with L’Etiquette
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Sounds lovely Daniel...
Paris: A sartorial shopping guide – 2019 up...
There are some interesting things going on in French menswear. Although France has generally been the poor cousin to Britain and Italy here, in the last 30 years it seemed to get worse. Most of the good shops closed (Old England, Arnys) and accordin...
Paris: A sartorial shopping guide – 2019 up...
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Hey Mo, I would be suspicious about bespoke at that price point, yes. To be honest, I think you're better off going for really good MTM at that price, rather than risking bespoke and it not turning out as you expected. I...
The colours and combinations of Hermes
The silk and leather headquarters of Hermes are in a pretty nondescript set of white buildings just outside Lyon. Here, there are the 100m and 150m-long silk printing tables that I described in our previous post. There is also a new two-storey build...
The colours and combinations of Hermes
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Thanks. I'm pleased you like those combinations, but I wouldn't really use them on shirts or suits. More in accessories, and particularly scarves and handkerchiefs I think. On 'unoriginal' I'm not sure you can't be very ...
Hermes silk printing, Lyon: Factory visit
I’ve been buying and wearing Hermes silk scarves for several years. (Indeed, a nice thing about the seasonal collections is, with a little work, you can date them all precisely). So it was a personal pleasure to visit the silk printing atelier...
Hermes silk printing, Lyon: Factory visit
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Thanks Dario. They did something similar in London years ago, and it was really worth a visit...
Olive-green corduroy suit – from Ettore de ...
You know when you think you’re not part of a trend, and then see everyone wearing the same thing? As a clothing snob that likes to think he’s different to everyone else, it’s very annoying. I had admired Michael Hill’s green-...
Olive-green corduroy suit – from Ettore de ...
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Okay, I will be looking forward to it....
Christmas gift list 2018
It’s that time of year again. The TV adverts that started a month ago should have been a warning. Below is my Christmas gift list for 2019. It is not a comprehensive list of the best menswear gifts right now. It’s certainly no...
Christmas gift list 2018
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Sorry Christopher, I've had to skip it this year, there's been so much else on. Very pleased you found it so useful though - sorry, will certainly reinstate next year......
Combining colours and patterns: How to dress like...
This is the latest in my somewhat infrequent series on the style of my favourite people in the menswear industry. For those that want to catch up, the previous instalments have been: Personal style: How to dress like Bruce Boyer (and part ...
Combining colours and patterns: How to dress like...
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Yes, texture is certainly important, but pattern where you can will make the biggest difference to avoiding that look - in jackets but also in shirts. Try a bolder patterned striped shirt like an awning stripe for exampl...
High/low dressing
The 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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Thank you. Perhaps something like a denim shirt with tailoring, or loafers with workwear chinos...
What I pack when I travel
As 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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I highly recommend the unlined Duke from EG. Supremely comfortable and stylish, if you like a more classic / robust shape than B&L and something more substantial than the Polperro. I have a lovely biscuit coloured pa...
My desk
Many readers said they liked the personal, behind-the-scenes approach of Plaza Uomo's cover story on me last year. Here, then, is another angle. My desk, where I write most of these posts, and therefore probably the most important Permanent Style-r...
My desk
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Hey Bolaji, Yes, I've written comprehensively about moths here. This desk also opens up into a flat surface - you couldn't work on that angle...
What is quality? What about design? – Stock...
At our book launch in Stockholm last week, Konrad Olsson (above) – editor of Plaza Uomo magazine – asked some rather stimulating questions. Such as, what is quality? Well, for me quality (in clothing) is aspects of manufacture that lea...
What is quality? What about design? – Stock...
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Hi Hugo, Well spotted. It will be launching on the website next week - there is a special edition of it just for readers... S...
If you only had five ties – a capsule colle...
Readers often ask for ‘capsule collections’ of types of clothes – shoes, suits, ties etc. There are many reasons such a list is useful. It can point to the ‘essentials’: those things that provide t...
If you only had five ties – a capsule colle...
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No worries. Shibumi makes a longer length, 160cm I believe. Also places like Marinella do bespoke - and might do some longer lengths too. They recently opened a new store in London...
Ten bags over ten years
One of the advantages of a long-running blog, perhaps, is the ability to look back and see how purchases have performed over time. It’s particularly useful when we emphasise – as we do, day after day – the value of inv...
Ten bags over ten years
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I'd recommend Equus...
A green cotton suit?
In my review of Spanish tailor Reillo’s cotton suit last week, there proved to be only room to analyse the fit and make. Yet a reader rightly pointed out that green cotton-gabardine is hardly an everyday cloth option. I’ll expla...
A green cotton suit?
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It would have both those advantages, yes. And I'd imagine it would be suited to the kind of person that liked the look and line of hopsack, but didn't live somewhere particularly hot...
Hermes silk scarf with Shetland sweater
A silk scarf, tied any way, is a great way to recreate the contrast achieved by a suit and tie and keep the neck warm. The sheen of this Hermes silk scarf contrasts particularly nicely with the deep texture of a Shetland sweater. It can be worn with...
Hermes silk scarf with Shetland sweater
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It's a 90cm square, the classic women's size. But Hermes only keep a design for a season or two, so it won't be around any more I'm afraid....
Postcard from Paris
I was in Paris last week for a couple of articles, as well as visiting the usual suspects. Here in a green raincoat from Hermes with brown leather collar detail. Because green is the third colour. Traveller trilby from Lock & Co; Alfred Dun...
Postcard from Paris
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It's beautiful, but as with most designer brands, only available for that season I'm afraid......
Luxury hiking boots in the FT
My latest article in the Financial Times, on luxury hiking boots, was published this weekend. If you’re interested, the post can be found here.
Luxury hiking boots in the FT
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Please print this disclaimer: Do NOT NOT Not use any of these boots for actual backpacking or "hill walking". Go to a genuine outdoor outfitter for real boots. The boots shown are fashion statements only, and serious use...
The growth of men’s bags – FT article
The growth of men’s bags as a sector is quite incredible. Menswear as a whole has outstripped women’s clothing for a few years now, as we’ve accepted the idea of buying better clothes and wearing them better. But while it grew 15% w...
The growth of men’s bags – FT article
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I think you clearly need a bag Ronnie, yes. If you want it quite casual, go for a tote bag. A leather one for work/town, and you can always get a nice canvas one if you want something more casual. Perhaps a backpack for ...
Buying a modern man bag
Dear Simon, I have been wearing a messenger bag for some time for commuting as it’s a very handy way of containing all the bulk and occasional papers that I have to cart around with me. However, I have worried for some time about the potent...
Buying a modern man bag
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A bit late to the party, sorry you felt our bag doesn't look like the highest quality. If I may make a distinction between "luxury" and "high quality" - luxury being features that will go beyond high quality, where high ...
Monocle Summer Fayre and Trunk Labs
At the Monocle Summer Fayre this weekend. Monocle’s quirky and intelligent selection of partners and products was on display, as well as some rather fetching goats. It was also the opening day of Trunk Labs: a new branch of Trunk Clothiers a fe...
Monocle Summer Fayre and Trunk Labs
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Hi Tom, I asked friends who are big trainer geeks and they recommended them for the best raw materials and classic styling. I've had them for two years and they've only got better with age so far. Simon...
How to buy a leather bag on a budget
Hi Simon, I’ve been following Permanent Style for a while now, as well as investing significantly more of my time trying to learn more about menswear. As my style has evolved and I find myself wearing a blazer or sportcoat more often, I&...
How to buy a leather bag on a budget
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Thank you. That is a nice design from Dunhill. I don't know whether it's all hand sewn though it may well be. Two things I think worth noting: - This looks like a heavier leather, like bridle, which is what English maker...
