Edward Sexton great coat: Style Breakdown

March 22nd 2024

This great coat from Edward Sexton is probably the most unusual model in this series , which has been looking at the styles of my various bespoke coats, in particular how they are cut and made. Sexton coats tend to have a bit of drama to them anyway,...

Edward Sexton great coat: Style Breakdown

Match in comments:
You should try the RTW version in person front is proper dramatic but back on the RTW has a lot more pleats instead of clean back (I suspect easier to get the fit right)...

CoatsMarch 22nd 2024

When to wear a tie: Personality and opportunity

February 19th 2024

At Pitti Uomo back in January I took the opportunity to wear mostly tailoring and ties - the two outfits shown above and below. And it felt great. I know there are traditionalists who see me as the antithesis of this, as I’m rarely pictured w...

When to wear a tie: Personality and opportunity

Match in comments:
Isn't it all about the context? If you have spent the day in court or in meetings, there is nothing unbecoming about having a drink at the end of the day in a navy suit and white shirt without the tie. It's an odd look i...

TiesFebruary 19th 2024

On baseball caps – and logos in general

September 18th 2023

Baseball caps are, in many ways, the lazy option for headwear. They’re ubiquitous, they’re cheap and they go with everything. I completely understand those that fight the good fight for brimmed hats, and feel it necessary to attack ball ...

On baseball caps – and logos in general

Match in comments:
Caps are ubiquitous, but they work. The real sartorial mishap is in two of these photos: the turned up, quarter zip sweater. The uniform of the purgatory that is "Casual Friday"....

HatsSeptember 18th 2023

Sandals: Slides and huaraches, open-toe and closed

August 7th 2023

Espadrilles are my preferred, casual summer shoe. I’ve always liked their clean lines and simplicity, which make them more elegant than pretty much any other option. I also quite like the massage-like feeling of walking on rope. They’re ...

Sandals: Slides and huaraches, open-toe and closed

Match in comments:
Personally I think they're a little chunky Amit, I'd aim for something a little more refined if possible...

ShoesAugust 7th 2023

Spring/Summer Top 10 ’23: Shirts, shorts an...

April 28th 2023

It may still be cold outside (in the UK), but it’s late April and time for a write-up of the Spring/Summer pieces I’ve liked from our favourite brands. If you have any questions about other releases from these brands (or indeed brands n...

Spring/Summer Top 10 ’23: Shirts, shorts an...

Match in comments:
It's hard to tell Ayush, but if they were pyjamas I'd probably use something softer, like a light cotton...

Casual clothing - Hanks and scarvesApril 28th 2023

To whisper with your clothes – or why I’m f...

March 13th 2023

By Andreas Weinas This headline might be one of the more confusing ones to have appeared on Permanent Style, but bear with me. Simon reached out to me at the beginning of the year, asking if I wanted to do a piece on PS about something I found parti...

To whisper with your clothes – or why I’m f...

Match in comments:
It's a nuanced question, it would require a full post at some point if it's worth discussing...

Style - WatchesMarch 13th 2023

Expressing yourself: How to dress like Milad Abedi

February 15th 2023

  The photographer Milad Abedi is someone whose style I’ve liked for a long time, but in a quiet way. Whenever we’ve shot together I’ve been interested in what he’s wearing and found something I liked, but he wasn...

Expressing yourself: How to dress like Milad Abedi

Match in comments:
Do you mean the shoulder was squarer, more pointed? I think they used to be cut more like that because they were universally worn over tailoring, whereas that's much less the case these days...

StyleFebruary 15th 2023

Some interesting Pitti picks: Mixing patterns, la...

January 20th 2023

As we did last year, during Pitti I picked out a few people and outfits that I really liked, but that could have been missed - because they’re not Ethan, Jake or Tatsuya Nakamura. They’re deliberately a mix of smart and casual, tailoring...

Some interesting Pitti picks: Mixing patterns, la...

Match in comments:
Patterned trousers are hard David. No, I would go plain shirt, knit, jacket, anything on top....

StyleJanuary 20th 2023

Proportions and high/low: Lessons from womenswear

January 9th 2023

By André Larnyoh The world of women’s fashion is huge. In variety, scope and scale, it towers above menswear. Yet, usually, men keep women’s styling at arm’s length, because it seems so different to what we know, and because...

Proportions and high/low: Lessons from womenswear

Match in comments:
I think there's a key point here, André. There's a fine line between loose fit and too big, just as there is with slim vs skinny/too right....

StyleJanuary 9th 2023

Crowley Vintage: Shopping a look

November 18th 2022

Crowley Vintage is a vintage shop in Brooklyn, New York with a more particular angle than most. We’ve talked in the past about different types of vintage - those that focus on older or newer, on rarity or thrift - but there are few that focus...

Crowley Vintage: Shopping a look

Match in comments:
I didn't, sorry Fabrizio...

November 18th 2022

Autumn/Winter picks 2022: J Press, RM Williams, A...

October 31st 2022

L’Impermeabile gilet, at John Simons £435 This lightly waxed gilet, particularly in the pale beige colour, is reminiscent of the Eddie Bauer style that has become popular in recent years. It’s 100% cotton on the outside though, whi...

Autumn/Winter picks 2022: J Press, RM Williams, A...

Match in comments:
It looks OK Jake - a little short perhaps, a little plain, and I guess not the highest quality from J Crew, but probably a decent option. Hard to say much about fabric or shape just from images...

Coats - KnitwearOctober 31st 2022

The Spring Top 10: Fun, paper and lavender

April 20th 2022

It’s that time of the year again. Brands have been receiving all the spring clothing they ordered last year, even though they weren’t quite sure whether it would arrive, or be swallowed by an unexpected lockdown. So rejoice, there are n...

The Spring Top 10: Fun, paper and lavender

Match in comments:
Regarding Trumpers. Apart from ordering a tub of Almond Shaving Cream which is utterly superb and highly concentrated in a very generous 200g tub... probably the best value of all the prestige London barbers, I asked for...

Casual clothing - CoatsApril 20th 2022

A guide to piqué cotton polo shirts

April 4th 2022

By Manish Puri Whilst the recent sun in London has brought a sugar rush of excitement for the warmer days that lie ahead, it also brings a more troubling, recurring question: how do I usually dress for summer? It shouldn’t be difficult to answ...

A guide to piqué cotton polo shirts

Match in comments:
It depends how I would wear them Duke - the difference is mostly that one is a little smarter, can work with tailoring etc....

Casual clothing - ShirtsApril 4th 2022

Behind the scenes: The design work at Ralph Lauren

June 23rd 2021

I don’t think consumers value design that much any more. They concentrate on price and (more justifiable) quality, but design often gets swamped by hype. What is fashionable rather than what’s well-designed. A large part of the reason is...

Behind the scenes: The design work at Ralph Lauren

Match in comments:
Well done......

June 23rd 2021

Outfits I got wrong

February 19th 2021

Everyone gets stuff wrong. We all have outfits we look back on years later, and cringe. Fortunately, I believe this is something where you learn and progress. It is not a cycle of fashions, where every few years you wear something different, and di...

Outfits I got wrong

Match in comments:
yes I would Jack...

Casual clothing - ShoesFebruary 19th 2021

My Summer shoes

July 29th 2020

  Shoes can be one of the trickiest areas for clothing in the summer. Unless we require a jacket, it’s pretty simple to wear a well-cut polo shirt on top and drapey linen trousers on the bottom, and stay cool. But shoes are always re...

My Summer shoes

Match in comments:
They are quite loose fitting, yes, but in the Alden LHS I find it's so soft it's ok...

ShoesJuly 29th 2020

Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home

June 19th 2020

Every day, when I get dressed, there is something new I’m interested in wearing. Not necessarily new clothing, but a new outfit, a new combination of colours, perhaps a mixing of styles. And sometimes just a combination that feels new, becaus...

Lockdown looks: What I really wore at home

Match in comments:
It's hard sometimes to quantify precisely, because of the combination of gauge and ply - the gauge meaning it might be chunky hard but it's more loosely put together. Our shawl is a little like that....

StyleJune 19th 2020

The unexpected inspiration of Ralph Lauren womens...

May 4th 2020

Something that I find often surprises readers is how much the brands they admire are influenced by womenswear. It’s a topic we discussed briefly with Saman Amel last year, with Dag and Saman talking about old collections that inspired them, m...

The unexpected inspiration of Ralph Lauren womens...

Match in comments:
Great recommendation. Thanks Jeldrik...

StyleMay 4th 2020

Don your highborn cloak: Ralph Lauren, saviour?

April 15th 2020

I recently finished reading In His Own Fashion , the official biography of Ralph Lauren, which Alan Flusser kindly gave me last year. I’d recommend it to anyone - it’s both interesting as a history of fashion in the past 50 years, and i...

Don your highborn cloak: Ralph Lauren, saviour?

Match in comments:
They do, this is true. Of course, ideally that would have the waist button in a particular place too. If you want an idea of how the length compares, you can of course see all the lengths of my jackets from those tailors...

StyleApril 15th 2020

Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style

April 8th 2020

  OK, so. Friend and photographer Jamie Ferguson has been locked up indoors for weeks, as we all have. And he’s gone a bit stir crazy. We had started talking a while ago about shoots we could do remotely. Perhaps looking at a few out...

Light relief: Jamie’s clothes and style

Match in comments:
Cheers Tim, good to know always...

StyleApril 8th 2020

Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2019

April 24th 2019

Last week the weather in London turned from 12 degrees to 22 in a couple of days. It seems that what passes for the English Spring is finally here. Of course, with most shops and brands Spring/Summer collections arrived in February, and went on sale...

Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2019

Match in comments:
Appreciate simon...

Bags - Casual clothingApril 24th 2019

Our Spring/Summer Top 10, 2018

May 2nd 2018

Last 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

Match in comments:
Hey Gab, They have aged pretty well, yes, though I'd say Aspesi is generally a good Italian brand but not the best quality around. The materials in the polo were good, but there was nothing that special about the make. I...

Bags - Casual clothingMay 2nd 2018

Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you w...

February 28th 2018

Although 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...

Match in comments:
They can absolutely be stylish Ayush, yes. There are many types of style, and ones such as workwear can be lovely. If you want to be a little more elegant or smart though, you can be one step up from others and perhaps n...

Casual clothing - DenimFebruary 28th 2018

Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review

January 22nd 2018

It’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

Match in comments:
The top-level Saman Amel is a higher quality make, being hand padded, but I'd still largely pick on which style you prefer. Eg the Saman notch is a big higher...

JacketsJanuary 22nd 2018

Brands need to talk about product

December 29th 2017

There 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

Match in comments:
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...

December 29th 2017