Playing around with white bucks

August 4th 2021

During sunny weather in the past few weeks, I've been playing around with these old shoes from Lodger, the shoe shop that used to be on Clifford Street in London, and where I first started writing about menswear . The shoes were a recreation of a 1...

Playing around with white bucks

Match in comments:
Thanks. I think it worked okay. I find white to be a great anchor color for a shoe provided it is worn with lighter garments up top. But yes I can definitely see how it may be seen as a bit showy....

Shoes - StyleAugust 4th 2021

Chittleborough & Morgan suit – at A�...

November 29th 2013

For those that were interested in the Chittleborough & Morgan suit I wrote about last week, here are some more images. The photography was done by new online luxury magazine Essence, for whom I wrote a short piece on Anderson & Sheppa...

Chittleborough & Morgan suit – at A�...

Match in comments:
Around a year ago. And no, not in the immediate future....

Style - SuitsNovember 29th 2013

The Dutch auction at Le Noeud Papillon

August 12th 2013

Despite years of buying bespoke clothing, and therefore steadily fewer if more expensive clothes, I have never lost a taste for the retail fix. There’s nothing like the thrill of making an ever-so-slightly irresponsible purchase, then walki...

The Dutch auction at Le Noeud Papillon

Match in comments:
Hi Doug, I'm afraid I don't have tennis shoes to sell, though I do have two or three other pairs of Lodger shoes I could be persuaded to part with. Deep-green Oxfords, Italian-painted brown Oxfords and the summer spectat...

August 12th 2013

Tariq Mahmoud: Royal College of Art show

June 11th 2012

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 273 1559 Euromoney PLC 12 3 1914 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false A couple of weeks ago I had the eye-opening experience of attending the fashion degree show at the Royal College of Art in London. I normally avoid fash...

Tariq Mahmoud: Royal College of Art show

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 273 1559 Euromoney PLC 12 3 1914 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false A couple of weeks ago I had the eye-opening experience of attending the fashion degree show at the Royal College of Art in...

ShoesJune 11th 2012

Reader questions: Snow, shoes, soles

December 3rd 2010

Ed, London: I just bought a pair of boots and was considering putting rubber soles on top of the leather ones, to make them harder wearing and more suited to the rain and the snow. Is this a good idea? Pearse, London: With the weather being the way i...

Reader questions: Snow, shoes, soles

Match in comments:
In shoes, there's nothing wrong with it. There are only so many factories, and even less that do work for other brands. The quality is normally similar to the brand of the factory, but it can vary a bit (if the customer ...

Reader questions - ShoesDecember 3rd 2010

Lutwyche & Lodger

November 17th 2010

As I’m sure many of you already know, Lodger was bought by Tony Lutwyche a couple of weeks ago and the name of the company has been changed to Lutwyche & Lodger. Lodger shoes will carry on as is, but the store will now also stock To...

Lutwyche & Lodger

Match in comments:
I own four pairs of Lodger shoes and am very happy with them. Very solid shoes. The service is excellent, although it's reasonable to expect it at that level. As Mr. Crompton says, their style is a bit more forward. I lo...

November 17th 2010

Green socks with a blue suit

October 11th 2010

A man has come a long way when he shifts to proper socks – calf length and in navy, grey and charcoal to match the day’s suit. Too many remain stuck in the teenage mindset that short, black socks go with everything. They don’t; they...

Green socks with a blue suit

Match in comments:
Thanks a lot Simon - much appreciated!...

Socks and underwearOctober 11th 2010

Lovely nubuck at Bill Amberg

August 11th 2010

The addiction to lovely leathers continues. Consistent readers will have seen previous posts on the construction details at Bown, Alfred Dunhill’s north-London workshop and the oak-tanned bags at Bill Amberg. Other non-bag favourites includ...

Lovely nubuck at Bill Amberg

Match in comments:
I just found your blog. I can't wait to catch up on your blog posts....

BagsAugust 11th 2010

The tennis shoes – at long last

June 23rd 2010

It’s been a long time coming, but I finally managed to get my hands on a pair of Lodger tennis shoes this week. And I’m revelling in them. They were first offered as one of Lodger’s shoes of the month back in April 2009....

The tennis shoes – at long last

Match in comments:
I find it hard to say, having never worn that style of boot. But I'd see them more as an unusual style of boot, rather than a direct trainer replacement...

ShoesJune 23rd 2010

Don’t polish with too much water

January 23rd 2010

Polishing leather shoes up to a brilliant shine is an extremely enjoyable pastime. Nathan Brown over at Lodger always says that one of the problems with being an entrepreneur is that he never gets the time to sit down and polish his shoes any more. G...

Don’t polish with too much water

Match in comments:
It has too much oil for most calf leathers. On calf you generally just want to use shoe cream and polish...

ShoesJanuary 23rd 2010

Building a shoe collection – the pleasures!

December 30th 2009

A friend of mine started investing in good shoes around six months ago. I find it reassuring that I get such vicarious pleasure out of it: perhaps I’m not as self-centred as all that. His first pair was a lovely set of mid-brown, cap-toe Derbys...

Building a shoe collection – the pleasures!

Match in comments:
If not black, then perhaps something like Color 8 from Alden, between burgundy and black...

ShoesDecember 30th 2009

Lodger reverse auction update

October 15th 2009

Tomorrow is the fourth week of the Lodger reverse auctions – where a pair of shoes falls in price by £2 a minute, and anyone can win them at the current price just by picking up the phone. It’s a game of nerves. So far a pai...

Lodger reverse auction update

Match in comments:
You could always stick your own reverse auction up on www.biduhappy.com...

ShoesOctober 15th 2009

Lodger reverse auction in 90 minutes!

September 25th 2009

Lodger footwear is conducting its first reverse auction today. The shoe of the month – a glorious boot in unique, one-off Kudu leather – will start at full price at 12pm UK time. It will then drop in price by £2 every minute...

Lodger reverse auction in 90 minutes!

Match in comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator....

September 25th 2009

Why you buy bespoke suits first

September 20th 2009

After four bespoke suits made in Hong Kong over the past few years, and now embarking on my second British bespoke suit, I find it hard to see how I could ever stop getting a particular thrill out of it. But it will be a while before I pay for bespok...

Why you buy bespoke suits first

Match in comments:
Thank you Simon. If any reader of Permanent Style has experience with Spoon Tailor in San Francisco, I'd very much appreciate input. My one concern with them is that I don't "know" what I want. By that I mean, I need som...

SuitsSeptember 20th 2009

Interview: Developing a love for clothes 2

August 13th 2009

The second part of an interview with Olly Watkins, adventurer on the choppy seas of style. ( First part here.) What’s your favourite accessory right now? It’s a toss up between the shoes I am wearing, a new pair of brown Derbys from Barke...

Interview: Developing a love for clothes 2

Match in comments:
Der Mr. Crompton, My question is: can you offer some advice on traveling and packing for traveling and extended holidays? I will be on a 10 week holiday in Western Europe this late summer-fall. I am at a loss as to how m...

StyleAugust 13th 2009

How to wear brown shoes

July 29th 2009

I am surprised how frequently the questions I am asked centre around one object of clothing: brown shoes. This is because men’s certainty about the alternative (black shoes) creates a spectrum of worries as to how, when and where they should be...

How to wear brown shoes

Match in comments:
As with a few things we've talked about Joshua, try not to turn it into a formula. Instead, bear in mind the principles and then look at the outfit and see what you think...

Shoes - StyleJuly 29th 2009

Trousers for bright shoes

July 22nd 2009

Summer brings many things bright and unusual, one of which is shoes. They may be a normal colour but in suede, they may be a pale leather or they may be in adventurous and contrasting hues. I’ve had two questions in the past week asking about w...

Trousers for bright shoes

Match in comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator....

Shoes - StyleJuly 22nd 2009

British bespoke – Part 4

July 17th 2009

Monday was the first stage of my final fitting for the suit from Graham Browne – my first bespoke suit in the UK. While there is far less to say about the trousers of a suit than the jacket, there are still a few interesting points to note. Lik...

British bespoke – Part 4

Match in comments:
I feel your blog really useful and inspiring me. Thank you. permanent make up...

July 17th 2009

The launch of Gentleman’s Corner

July 14th 2009

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I would soon be announcing an exciting new project. Well, it went live on Friday: Gentleman’s Corner. The site is dedicated to craft in menswear, with much of that looking at shoes but also including suits, ...

The launch of Gentleman’s Corner

Match in comments:
Great pcitures of the beautiful fabrics to accompany a well-written article. Best of luck with the new site!...

July 14th 2009

Reader question: Planning the week

July 5th 2009

John, Los Angeles: Many of my colleagues laugh when I tell them I often pick out five days worth of clothes on Sunday evening. But I find that taking the time to select outfits for the week on Sunday and actually hanging them in the closet makes my m...

Reader question: Planning the week

Match in comments:
Thanks for the insight Simon. I am familiar with IFLR as I am a corporate finance lawyer. You have a very interesting sideline going here....

Reader questions - StyleJuly 5th 2009

Cheap bespoke – too good to be true?

June 10th 2009

Entirely handmade shoes are not cheap. The high-end benchmade shoes are hand-clicked and hand-lasted, but not hand-welted. In this country, most of the entirely handmade ones are made bespoke. And that makes them even more expensive, as the shoe is b...

Cheap bespoke – too good to be true?

Match in comments:
Hi Laura, to my knowledge, it is impossible to copy shoes. Shoe making almost always involves a shoe last (except probably for some slippers or flipflops). I'm afraid, but I see no solution at the moment for your quest. ...

ShoesJune 10th 2009

Remember, leather stretches

May 29th 2009

Shoemakers can do a lot to help you decide which size is right for you. They can feel in which places your foot is hard against the edge. They can judge the clearance at the instep by how far the laces tighten. And they can look for any slippage of y...

Remember, leather stretches

Match in comments:
Thank you Alessandro, I had forgotten about those. I'll get them fixed...

ShoesMay 29th 2009

Why does no one understand Lodger?

April 24th 2009

Footwear manufacturer Lodger has got a lot of good press recently. It has featured in The Sunday Telegraph, Observer, Men’s Health, Shortlist, Live Magazine, International Life, Smartlife, Esquire, Fashion, Finch’s Quarterly and GQ. All t...

Why does no one understand Lodger?

Match in comments:
Hi AFJ, Have a look on LodgerFootwear.com. There are two ranges on two different lasts - £375 that is on a par with Church's etc, and £550 that compares to Lobb, JM Weston, Edward Green Simon...

ShoesApril 24th 2009

In defence of Blake construction

April 15th 2009

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with Blake-construction shoes (the method used on all traditional Italian models). They are just more delicate and will not last as long as Goodyear-welted shoes. The same could be said about suits made from su...

In defence of Blake construction

Match in comments:
Nice points Jack. Yes you're right, that makes a big difference. I don't think it's all in your head, but other things do make a bit of a difference - eg Goodyear-welted shoes are more likely to have thicker soles, more ...

ShoesApril 15th 2009

My left foot: An afternoon at Lodger

April 8th 2009

Nathan Brown has seen a lot of feet. He has worked at Nike, Adidas and Puma, and now has his own formal-shoe shop, Lodger, just off Savile Row. But my feet still surprised him. I recently tried out the Lodger measuring system, which features a 3D las...

My left foot: An afternoon at Lodger

Match in comments:
Lodger doesn't exist any more, they went out of business many years ago...

ShoesApril 8th 2009