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&rsq...
The guide to jacket pockets
Match in comments:
Yes it should do...
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
Match in comments:
Thanks, interesting to hear...
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!
Match in comments:
Yes, absolutely, it's immediately discernible. Most people that feel the LP merino think it's cashmere, but of course it performs better...
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
Match in comments:
Hi Simon, Thanks, yes I can see how that would be helpful. I guess it's not normally a high priority given it's an easy thing to convert yourself, and some people use both fairly interchangeably. But if I have time I'll ...
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 ...
Match in comments:
Okay, I will be looking forward to it....
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
Match in comments:
Thank you, that helped a lot....
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...
Match in comments:
It is the case, and I'm afraid we aren't planning any, no...
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...
Match in comments:
I don't know the exact history, but I think it came from English tweed jackets which themselves were derived from those made for riding...
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
Match in comments:
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...
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
Match in comments:
There are quite a few options, Ignacio. My personal recommendations would be Ciardi or Pirozzi, but Solito is a good cheaper option and Caliendo is good too. Perhaps look up the reviews I've done of those ones on PS? And...
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
Match in comments:
Sure Nathan. I haven't tried Carl Friedrik I'm afraid, so can't speak to them. But I do hope those influencers are talking about them after bashing them around on a few journeys, rather than just new. I use Rimowa, which...
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
Match in comments:
Also depends on whether you plan to have it on the whole time, or are happy to take it off when it's particularly hot etc. People do vary quite a lot in that regard - they wouldn't wear a jacket all the time in summer, n...
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...
Match in comments:
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...
Match in comments:
The cut is kinda weird. I ordered mine at the rake last week. It's size 56. My usual jacket/suits size is US 44 in most men's wear brands like Hackett, Charles Tyrwhitt..etc. However, 56 is quite snug overall, and I'm ha...
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
Match in comments:
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...
Match in comments:
I like old bandanas, they're very cheap in any second-hand shop...
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
Match in comments:
Sure, will do Diego...
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
Match in comments:
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...
Match in comments:
Hi, I'm afraid I never did an article about the belt, but I can do something more general in the future, yes absolutely...
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
Match in comments:
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
Match in comments:
Cotton chinos are the easiest, certainly. Then denim. I'd say cord next, then linen but only on sunny days. Cav twill is a little hard and my cream flannels hardly get worn at all. Good question!...
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
Match in comments:
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
Match in comments:
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
Match in comments:
Okay, hopefully, it will get better. Thank you, Simon....
How to wear separate jackets and trousers
In an age where suits no longer dominate the workplace, more and more men are wearing separate jackets and trousers. But while the dress code is more relaxed, the outfit is suddenly more complicated. There is much broader range of cloth, colour and p...
How to wear separate jackets and trousers
Match in comments:
In terms of jackets? I'd start with something like a light or mid-grey jacket, white shirt and black shoes. I'd then also try a navy, a cream, possibly a black, and possibly a beige/oatmeal. Plain colours (given the trou...
