Suits like cities: One way to understand Italian ...
By Max Papier. Italian tailoring is a wide term, and it encompasses far more than most people initially expect. Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to try tailoring from across Italy in an attempt to understand which style...
Suits like cities: One way to understand Italian ...
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My company has offices all over Italy including Milan, Rome and Naples (but not Florence) which gives an interesting insight on how people dress differently across the country. As Petronio said, in Milan one sees almost ...
The guide to jacket pockets
As ever in the lovely, international, interactive community that is Permanent Style, this article was spurred by a reader. He asked about the appropriate configuration of jacket pockets on a suit he was ordering, and I realised we hadn’t covere...
The guide to jacket pockets
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Yes, I think flaps work with their style as they're kind of playing with the smart and casual overlap. Mostly tailors will want to order cloth for you, so it's a supplier they know, and they'll know how much cloth. The a...
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
This summer suit from Sartoria Cornacchia was made for me last year, and I would like to apologise for the delay in covering it. I didn’t get around to shooting the suit until the end of the Summer; events and the pop-up then got in the way; a...
Nicola Cornacchia grey summer suit: Review
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Thanks!...
Re-introducing, the Dartmoor polo-collar sweater!
Six years ago, we began a collaboration to create a perfect polo-collar sweater, called the Dartmoor. It was made by John Smedley, was popular with readers, and sold out several times. Since then, unfortunately, Smedley have discontinued it. So last...
Re-introducing, the Dartmoor polo-collar sweater!
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Hey, The sleeve is from the shoulder seam down the outside of the sleeve to the end, including the cuff. Yes the neck width is the diameter across the top of the neck when laid flat...
Rubinacci donegal jacket: Style breakdown
In previous installments in this series, we analysed what could be considered the modern Neapolitan style (a Solito jacket) and the traditional one (a Ciardi suit). Next, we look at how different elements of these can be combined in a Neapolitan suit...
Rubinacci donegal jacket: Style breakdown
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I would ask Rubinacci to do it perhaps, yes, but not another tailor I don't think. With Rubinacci I would also be a little cautious as what they produce does seem to vary a bit without necessarily the knowledge there to ...
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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I can't to be honest, but they do look pretty similar. I think that would make up nicely...
Saman Amel made-to-measure jacket: Review
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
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Yes that's right John. If you want examples, have a look at the different tailors that are analysed in our Tailors Styles series. You can easily see how those foreparts compare with different tailors, and the different e...
Finest Knitwear available again – in navy a...
Our Finest Knitwear, which we created earlier this year, is back in a second batch with a new colour. Alongside the navy fine-merino knitwear - in crewneck and V-neck - there is now also a dark, muted green that I picked for its versatility. Both ar...
Finest Knitwear available again – in navy a...
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Hey, Interesting question, I actually don't know. I still really like that look. It might be because I wear slightly heavier shirts these days, or because some of my tailoring has got a little tight so I don't have the r...
Bespoke commissions – What I should and sho...
Thank you everyone that responded to my ‘You are the interviewer’ post a couple of weeks ago. The number of variety of questions was staggering, and I will try to answer as many as I can over the coming weeks. It may take time, but I wou...
Bespoke commissions – What I should and sho...
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For a cream linen suit? No, not at all. Jacket or trousers, yes, but the suit should not be regarded as a staple. For DBs, absolutely...
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 still use Rimowa when I'm checking something in, but I'm not sure I'd buy again today given the prices. I'm yet to find an alternative - everything people suggest is either worse quality or just as expensive....
Naples: A sartorial shopping guide
Naples has the biggest concentration of high-end handmade menswear in the world. Although not so much for shoes, for tailoring and shirtmaking this is the motherlode, with hundreds of tailors in the city and surrounding region, and thousands working ...
Naples: A sartorial shopping guide
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Thanks for the personal recommendation Howard....
Brand round-up: Rubinacci, CQP and Carl Friedrik
A slightly smaller set of reviews in the brand round-up this month, with more focus on the details. Rubinacci suit carrier, £1200 therake.com/brands/rubinacci/bags First up is this leather suit carrier - or garment bag - from Rubinacci, being ...
Brand round-up: Rubinacci, CQP and Carl Friedrik
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Only that I've never heard of that or seen it happen! I wouldn't worry about that too much Lindsay...
Building a wardrobe: Neapolitan tailoring
In recent months a few readers have asked for a breakdown of how I built my wardrobe - my plans, my process and my lessons learned. Doing so across all types of garment and even styles would produce a very long, unwieldy piece, so I thought I would ...
Building a wardrobe: Neapolitan tailoring
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I think it's a nice cut, yes, and for a more formal shape I like it. I wouldn't necessarily do it in a Norfolk jacket though, as that's more of a country/casual piece. Also, I wouldn't necessarily recommend Sinclair them...
Double-breasted flannel suit – with pink an...
I know I've written about green and pink a few times before. I could find one old post with a little flower illustration, but there must be more. Perhaps it's the fog of Christmas food and wine clouding my mind. In any case, it bears repeating that...
Double-breasted flannel suit – with pink an...
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May I ask the cloth used in this commission?...
Unstructured casentino coat – Rubinacci x T...
Although some of the products aren't to my taste, I always keep an eye on what The Rake are doing in terms of collaborations. It's interesting to see a clear vision move through different brands and categories. One that caught my attention recently...
Unstructured casentino coat – Rubinacci x T...
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I love Casentino cloth. Just bought my third piece....
The Rake collaborations
I’ve had a few questions from readers as to my views on The Rake’s new collaborations – products that the magazine started selling on its site a couple of months ago. I’ve seen most of them first hand, inde...
The Rake collaborations
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The Husaren boots are the ones I had in mind to be worn in wintery blizzards with your new Sexton Great Coat....
If you only had five handkerchiefs – a caps...
A capsule collection has many uses. When you travel for long periods, for example, you want a small but versatile collection of clothes that has a large number of permutations, and suits different occasions. And if you commute by bike (as I do) yo...
If you only had five handkerchiefs – a caps...
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Yes that's a nice way of putting it. Though a more casual silk tie could go with other materials as well...
Milan: A sartorial city guide
Milan is the centre of the men’s fashion industry, yet as far as style is concerned, there are surprisingly few shops worth visiting. Via Montenapoleone, Via Della Spiga and the roads that run between them are all pleasant places to stroll. ...
Milan: A sartorial city guide
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There are not very many bespoke tailors left in Milan. In addition to Musella Dembech, there are A Caraceni, Ferdinando Caraceni's former cutter Margherita Gennaro, and Laura Bachmeier (Sartoria Vestificio). A Caraceni i...
Rubinacci linen suit – on Wei
A couple of weeks ago when we showed the pictures from our Tailoring Symposium at Pitti, a reader asked if there were any images of Wei Koh’s suit. I had mentioned that the founder of The Rake was wearing a Rubinacci-made number in the s...
Rubinacci linen suit – on Wei
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Yes, I'd wear some sort of collar, and probably slip-on shoes, like a loafer or a pair of Sagans for example...
Casual tie and sports jacket (military donegal de...
In the spirit of our recent posts on assembling outfits, here’s the process that put this one together. Originating idea: I’ve always liked the way this pale, silk tie from Ralph Lauren goes with my Rubinacci cashmere jacket. The corn...
Casual tie and sports jacket (military donegal de...
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Many thanks for your answer. I appreciate it....
A hot, formal evening in Florence
Four things contribute most to the formality of an outfit: shine, darkness, contrast and desaturation. We see all four of them in formal outfits such as black tie. Dark black or midnight blue is contrasted against stark white. There is virtually n...
A hot, formal evening in Florence
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Great tie!...
Wearing colour: Tobacco jacket and cream trousers
At the BTBA party last month I wanted to try wearing my tobacco-linen jacket separately. It is part of a suit of course, but it was commissioned from Sastreria Langa in Madrid with a ‘shirt’ sleeve and patch pockets to make it c...
Wearing colour: Tobacco jacket and cream trousers
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It's covered quite a bit in the 'sliding scale' articles, like which shoe goes with which trouser etc. Maybe worth a check of those? Let me know what gaps you see...
How to wear a black necktie – reader question
Dear Simon, Following your Calvo de Mora combination [above] What are your general guidelines to wearing a black necktie? Most of the time I see it paired with the classic ensemble of white shirt with a grey jacket/grey suit. Any other combination...
How to wear a black necktie – reader question
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I read very little online about menswear, with the exception of Die Workwear. Jason Diamond's columns are good, as is anything Tony Sylvester writes, eg for Brycelands. My favourite Substack is The Ruffian, about politic...
Denim and tailoring
The crossover between denim and tailoring is an interesting one. The appeal is perfectly understandable: like tight fits, short jackets or bracelets, it reflects a desire to undermine the conservative preconceptions of suiting. The execution, howev...
Denim and tailoring
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Thanks, although with some bespoke like that at Levis written about here, you can have that denim and get (in my experience) a better fit than through wash and wear...
Five tips on bespoke suits
The 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...
Five tips on bespoke suits
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Thank you Simon....
